12.19.20
I found out that there are almost 100 islands off the coast of Mexico, so it is highly unlikely I will get to all of them. Of that large number, most are either protected or uninhabited, so that makes the goal of hitting some of the best ones more manageable. Fortunately, many of the top destinations are where we live, in the Yucatan, and so far, Isla Mujeres is way at the top of my list. But that list IS quite small since the only other one we have even been to is Holbox, which we recently returned from. I’ll get to that one in a moment.
The biggie, Cozumel, has mixed reviews and is definitely on our radar, if for no other reason than to say we made it. It has been Mexico’s largest cruise port, but that ship is not sailing right now, so there is an ideal window of opportunity. Still, it’s a top tourist destination and yes, it is supposed to be beautiful (but pricey), and the diving and snorkeling are supposed to be magnificent. That in itself is a good reason to visit. So that’s coming.
Island number four I never heard of until a few weeks ago: Isla Contoy. It is just 15 miles north of Mujeres, and seems to be a naturalists and hikers paradise since it is mostly uninhabited and they only allow 200 visitors per day, and they can only be delivered by companies certified by the Mexican government. Kudos to whoever set that up. Like Cozumel and Mujeres, Contoy fronts the amazing Mesoamerican Reef System, running 175 miles just north of Cancun, all the way to the Honduras. I feel blessed that my current home, Puerto Morelos, gets to share that reef as well, which is considered the second best reef system in the world, after the Great Barrier in Australia.
After visiting Holbox I got a greater appreciation for Isla Mujeres, since the only way to really rate “best of” is to compare them to each other. Over the past few years, we have lived on several islands in Europe.
We loved Sicily, which was the largest island we lived on, exactly one year ago. It’s at the very southern tip of Italy, the “toe” portion of the famous boot comparison when looking at a map of Italy. It’s only eight miles from the mainland, but there is no bridge for easy access, so transport back and forth is via ferry and plane. We were there for six weeks and enjoyed an apartment directly across from the rocks of the Ionian Sea. The island has a surplus of history, with many landmarks and temples going back 8,000 years, plus geography and hills to blow your mind.
We also lived on Menorca, a Balearic Island off the coast of Spain, and number three was our smallest port of call, the island of Naxos, one of the many Greek islands. Each of these islands had their own vibe and history and were fairly easy to access via ferry or plane.
While here in the Yucatan, Isla Mujeres has given us the closest experience to some of our European adventures. Mujeres is remarkably easy to get to, just a 20 minute high speed ferry from Cancun, and even though you can SEE Cancun from the coast, it still feels a million miles away. Their North beach remains our favorite beach so far, and the small village feel of downtown has a surplus of charm. The eastern side has an awesome walkway to explore some terrific shoreline. We have not been down to the southern tip to catch the sunrise, which they say is magnificent. And lastly, Mujeres is very affordable considering it DOES feel like a true getaway.
When we arrived at Holbox, not an easy place to GET to, by the way, we had to feel our way around to decide how it compared to our past experiences. The dirt roads were a muddy challenge due to rain a few days earlier, with flooded sections and potholes galore. What IS nice, is that there are NO gasoline driven vehicles there, except for some commercial trucks and police. All public transport is via ATV, golf cart, motorcycle, or bicycle. The ocean was not as beautiful as I expected it to be compared to the Cancun coast side. The beach had some of the finest sand I have ever walked on and was almost mud-like in consistency, which was the same consistency as the streets themselves. That plus murky greenish water, and I had a hard time deciding if this was a place worth returning to.
Afterwards we found out we had missed out on some things, including the nighttime bioluminescent experiences in the water, but that peaks in summer. Ditto the annual whale sharks are supposed to be amazing from the island as well, but that season runs June to September, plus we found out that pink flamingoes are abundant there, but we didn’t know at the time.
The one thing we DID partake of, and something the island is famous for, is lobster pizza. Actually, we opted for seafood pizza instead, with shrimp and calamari. Even so, it was spectacular, the best pizza (and dough) that we have found in Mexico.
Will we return? As I finish this review, the answer is a strong “YES.”
BTW, I recently finished Part II of “Traveling the World Six Weeks at a Time,” and it is listed on Amazon. This story takes over after a surreal return trip to the US in fall of 2019 and shares our experiences as we finish up with the European side of the world, staying in Italy and Greece, and even a side trip to Tunisia, in Africa, our first Arab country. Then it was over to the Far East, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam., just as COVID was beginning in early 2020 and chased us from one country to the next, barely avoiding border closures, quarantine, and (most) cancelled flights.
From there it was back to the US and exiting quickly to Mexico to avoid being trapped with nowhere to go, or stay, in the US. I hope you enjoy it!
