Isla Mujeres (Mexico)

Isla Mujeres: Island Escape

Just a short, 20-minute ferry ride from the chaos of Cancún lies this mellow island called, Isla Mujeres.  Being this close to a major tourist mecca means it’s obviously not some undiscovered, secret paradise free of crowds.  But, it is one relaxed and cool island escape.  It gets a thumbs up from Barbie and me, and it absolutely belongs on your itinerary if you’re hitting the Yucatan or Quintana Roo.

Our mission for this leg of the trip is pure relaxation.  No schedules, no alarms, and absolutely nowhere to be.  We spent our days soaking up the slow-paced tropical vibe, hanging out on Playa Norte, and gorging on the local food.  It was the perfect spot to chill out before picking up our rental car and kicking off a month-long road trip across the mainland.

The Island Vibe: 

Isla Mujeres is a unique, laid-back island that caters perfectly to the backpacker and flashpacker crowds.  Honestly, the whole place reminded me a lot of our time spent bumming around the islands in Southern Thailand.  After 30 years of this round-the-world journey, you’d think we’d be spoiled, but that vibrant blue ocean never gets old.  The water color here is some of the prettiest I’ve seen—and that’s a massive statement considering the spectacular beaches we’ve lived by over the decades.

While exploring the island, I did notice plenty of condo construction going up along the coast.  The island is clearly trying to move a tad upmarket, but I think it’ll hold onto its charm without completely ceding to the over-development that ruins so many resort islands worldwide.

The island has a good mix of action, nightlife, and serenity.  Plus, for a touristy spot, it remarkably has an authentic culture.  The locals still have a presence here, and they love blending in and interacting with the travelers.  It creates an electric energy that is completely missing from the sterile Cancún Hotel Zone.

Island Layout: The Three Zones

The island is split into three distinct areas, each with its own personality:

• The North: This is where the action is located.  It’s packed with restaurants, bars, and the best white sand on the island: Playa Norte.  Our favorite move was hanging out just to the left of Los Hamacas and right in front of the Green Demon Beach Club.
• The Middle: This is the local heart of the island.  It’s away from the heavy tourist action, meaning it’s where you’ll find authentic local life and a bunch of excellent, family-run cafes.
• The South: If you want nature, head here. It’s home to the beautiful cliffs of Punta Sur and the Garrafon Natural Reef Park.

Cruising Around in Style

The absolute best way to explore the island is by renting a golf cart.  When a golf cart is your primary mode of transportation, you know you’re in the right place!  We don’t play golf, so zipping around the island in one of these things was a total blast.  You can rent scooters too, but after witnessing countless scooter accidents during our years on the road, we always favor four wheels over two.

The Island Food 

We ate our way across the island.

Northern End Eats

Olivia’s, Cafe Mogogua, Qubanos, Fish & Gin, Javi’s Cantina, Lola Valentina, Muelle 7, La Lomita, Asia Caribe, Rolandi’s, Rooster

Middle Island Eats

Mango Cafe (awesome breakfast and fish tacos), Minino’s, Lolo Lorena, Rosa Sirena’s, Basta’s

Tracking Down the Best Tacos

Aside from beach-bumming, our primary mission was sniffing out the best taco stands.  Our absolute favorite spot—which we hit multiple times for lunch—doesn’t even have a name.  It’s a street stand located right at the corner of Avenida Guerrero and Calle Abasolo.

You know you’ve hit the jackpot when you see a line of locals pulling up on scooters for their midday fix.

• The Order: 3 tacos, 1 torta, and an horchata for me; 3 tacos and a fresh-squeezed sandia (watermelon) drink for Barbie.
• The Damage: 120 pesos. That’s literally $6 USD for a total feast. A true flashpacker value play!

A few other notable mentions: Taqueria El Sombrero was great, and El Torito was just okay food-wise but offered a killer oceanfront view to inhale street tacos. There’s also a solid cluster of taco stands right in front of the Super Aki Supermarket in the main square that always draws a local crowd.

Thru the Binocs: Big Doug’s Take

On most major resort islands, the beach touts can be absolutely relentless, trying to sell you every piece of useless junk under the sun.  In Southeast Asia, you can say “No, thank you” until you’re blue in the face, and the vendors will still stand right in front of your towel, hoping you’ll break down and buy something just to make them go away.

Out here, we were pleasantly surprised to find that Mexicans are absolute masters of the art of polite rejection.  They take a “no” with a genuine smile.  A simple, friendly “No, gracias,” and they move right along.  We massively appreciated that passive selling style while trying to relax on the beach.

Isla Mujeres ticks many boxes for a perfect island escape. The best part?  The proximity to North America means you can get this exact vibe without enduring an arduous 20-hour flight to Southeast Asia.  We will definitely be back to this super chillaxed island.

Now, it’s onto the next leg of our indefinite Mexican journey.  I don’t want to get too cocky, but we are eleven days into Mexico and there’s still absolutely no sign of the shits for either of us flashpackers!