From enjoying a full day on the north beach, touring the southern tip, admiring the murals, snorkeling in the reefs, diving in the underwater art museum and swimming with dolphins, these are just some of the many activities and things to do on Isla Mujeres.
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Things to do in Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres has a privileged location between the Caribbean Sea and the complete proximity to the coast of the city of Cancun, so visiting it, getting to know it and touring it should be added to your list of vacation activities.
And surely you have already read somewhere on the internet or have been told by a friend who has ever been here, that Isla Mujeres is a small place. But, don’t be so confident about the size 😏, because it is all relative and there are more than 20 activities that you can do, see and know.
Some of these activities can absorb almost a full day of your time like the Garrafon park and others not so much like the sculpture park and the Punta Sur viewpoint.
Top By Belo
A few months ago Top By Belo was inaugurated, which is one of the best Rooftop in Isla Mujeres and this is because it is located in one of the best privileged locations of Isla Mujeres: Punta Sur.
Top by Belo or as it is known by some as “Sunset beach club” is located on the fifth floor of the Hotel Belo Isla Mujeres and is not only ideal for enjoying the sunsets while sipping a refreshing drink in its infinity pool. It also has various activities such as yacht rentals, bachelor / bachelorette parties, parties, enjoy sporting events or just to relax.
Tortugranja
Maybe you didn’t know that Isla Mujeres is an ancestral home of the giant tortoises. As a consequence, in the past many people came to “steal” the turtles’ eggs or the species themselves. So, to avoid this and to continue being a sea turtle sanctuary, the Tortugranja project was born.
This project has the mission to safeguard the species and protect the nesting of the same, a task that to date it performs very well and in order to generate income to continue to maintain this noble cause, Tortugraja opened its doors to the general public, thus becoming one more of the attractions of Isla Mujeres.
Here you will not only learn about the different species of turtles, their nesting, you will also be able to live with some of them.
Sanctuary of the goddess Ixchel
Usually everyone starts talking about Playa Norte, but we start with the unusual things to do on the island, among this list of things to do in Isla Mujeres, you can’t miss a small Mayan sanctuary: Sanctuary of the Goddess Ixchel.
This small sanctuary is located on the southern tip and pays homage to the Mayan goddess of fertility Ixchel. This sanctuary is accompanied by a small park and some other sculptures of Mayan origin.
Garrafon Park
If you were thinking of spending only one day in Isla Mujeres, let me tell you that you won’t have enough time to visit and enjoy all the activities it has to offer. Proof of this is the Garrafon Natural Park.
This natural park consists of a zip line circuit over the Caribbean Sea, where you can also practice kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkeling and climbing, among other things.
Enjoy the Tikin Xic fish
Another of the things you can do in Isla Mujeres is to enjoy Tikin Xic fish, which is a traditional Mayan recipe and part of the typical gastronomy of the place. In fact, many companies that offer tours in Cancun and Isla Mujeres include a visit to one of the best restaurants near Punta Sur to enjoy Tikin Xic fish.
And if you travel on your own, you will find several places and restaurants that have this delicacy on their menu. We recommend you to enjoy it at the restaurant “La casa del Tikin Xic”, in Lancheros beach.
Get to know the Murals
The island has different economic activities and some of them don’t even need you to spend a single peso and among these activities we find the urban tour. Practically all over the island we will find several murals painted with surrealist figures, famous people, faces, faces and phrases that preserve the history and culture of the place.
North Beach
It took us a while to mention it, but visiting Playa Norte is one of the indisputable things you have to do in Isla Mujeres.
Playa Norte is located near the Mia Reef hotel and you could say that it is the first natural pool of the place, because its clear water, tranquility and of course the shallow depth have made it worthy of being called the second most beautiful beach in Mexico.
And you don’t have to worry about what to eat, because very close to the beach you have a beach club and restaurants to make your visit more enjoyable, just BE CAREFUL, because this is a topples beach.
King’s Pool
Another of the things to do in Isla Mujeres is to visit what would be the second natural pool of Isla Mujeres: The King’s Pool.
This “pool” is a small place that lies on a natural formation that perfectly overlooks the immensity of the Caribbean Sea and is part of the Mia Reef hotel. That means it is not a “public place”, but don’t pout, as the hotel offers daypass.
Underwater Museum of Art
If you are a diving lover or an excellent swimmer, among the things to see in Isla Mujeres you have to schedule a swim or dive at MUSA (Museo Subacuático del Arte).
This museum is about 8 years old and is one of the few artificial reefs you can find in Mexico. It currently has about 250 figures, which have become home to hundreds of marine species.
Although many tour agencies offer “snorkeling in MUSA”, only if you are a good swimmer you will be able to dive to the depths and appreciate the figures, or diving. By the way, this place has even become a school of “underwater photography”.
Park of Dreams
Isla Mujeres has everything you need to spend an incredible weekend and the Parque de los Sueños is part of the Hotel Casa de los Sueños.
Rent a Golf Cart
As we mentioned, Isla Mujeres is not very big, it is only about 15 to 18 kilometers long and can be covered on foot, by bicycle or by renting a golf cart.
During your stay on the island you will see many people riding the golf carts, which cost about 350 MXN.
Enjoying the Beaches
Of course this is one of the activities that you will not miss and it is not necessary to mention it here, but spending a day on the beaches of Isla Mujeres is great.
It is only necessary to consider that some of the beaches of Isla Mujeres are “Topless” so do not be surprised if in some points of the city you find beautiful women without the top of their bikini.
Boat Tour
Another of the things to do in Isla Mujeres is to take a snorkeling tour by boat, because as we have already mentioned, the island has a lot of beaches that keep an incredible marine life and which can be seen and enjoyed while snorkeling.
And what better way to do it than with a boat tour, where you will be taken to the best spots of Isla Mujeres.
Handicrafts
Handicrafts are part of the travel experience, as they have a unique representation of the places you visit and in this case, we will have the handicrafts of Isla Mujeres in front of the sea.
Swim with the whale shark
Another of the things you can do in Isla Mujeres is to swim with the whale shark, because the island is the crossroads of these incredible giants of the sea and to live the experience of being next to one of them is something you will never, but never forget.
Cliffs
The last activity you can do in this small, incredible place is to enjoy its unique cliffs that overlook the confines of the Caribbean Sea. It is a luxury spectacle.
Sport fishing
If you are a fishing lover, something you have to do in Isla Mujeres is sport fishing, because as you have seen so far, the island is rich in an incredible marine fauna and if you are a fan of fishing, you can’t even imagine the specimens that await you in the depths of the ocean.
Santa Paula Mangroves
Continuing with our list of things to do in Isla Mujeres, we can’t miss the opportunity to see and visit the Santa Paula Mangroves, located between Cabo Catoche and the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Why do you have to visit these mangroves? First of all because of its incredible view and charm. Secondly, visiting the Mangroves will be for you to discover a whole new world with the great biodiversity that the area holds.
Hacienda Mundaca
The Hacienda Mundaca is the ideal place to visit if you are traveling with your partner, your girlfriend or your crush. This place holds the story of an unrequited love between the pirate named Fermín Mundaca, who fled from the British and settled on the island.
During his first months in this paradisiacal place he met “La Trigueña”, a beautiful islander woman with whom he fell madly in love, but this was an unrequited love. This same love was the trigger for the construction of the hacienda with arches, wells and flowery gardens, abandoned after the pirate’s death.
But it was recovered and today it is added to the list of things to visit and know in Isla Mujeres for hundreds of travelers in love.
Punta Sur viewpoint
Punta Sur has a lot to offer to its visitors and perhaps the best of its attractions is its very well kept viewpoint. This viewpoint rises inside a great cliff that allows us to contemplate the immensity of the Caribbean Sea towards the open sea. A great spectacle that we can’t miss.
Sculpture Park
In Punta Sur you can not only enjoy its viewpoint, you can also enjoy its sculpture park, which is a cultural park that pays tribute to the first settlers of the island, as well as to the goddess Ixche and also takes us to a unique tour of its kind to have as a background, the immensity of the Caribbean Sea.
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Conclusion
As you can see in this tour, Isla Mujeres has many things to see and a lot of activities to do, some like enjoying the beaches, touring the southern tip and admiring the murals do not require money, while others like swimming with dolphins or renting a golf cart, require only a few pesos.
However, if something is already clear is that this small place has a lot to offer and one day, just one day will not be enough to enjoy it to the fullest.
