My mom came back from Cancun a few years ago, describing how beautifully blue the water was. My dad took pictures, and I just didn't believe that it was that blue, but that the camera was over-saturating the colors. Now that I've been here, I can tell you that there are certain spots that are absolutely amazing. Now if only it wasn't so humid....
I came to Isla Mujeres for a family friend's wedding. It's an interesting place that's a vacation spot for both locals and foreigners alike. We stayed near the ferry stop at Hotel Playa de La Media Luna. There was a great beach, though it seemed that the nearby Mia hotel had an even better cove to snorkel and swim in. Nearby was Playa Norte, which had some amazing sand and deep blue oceans. For the most part, there are lots of restaurants that cater to the American tourists, but if you look carefully as you walk a block or two off the main roads, you'll find some interesting places.
Handy Tips:
Places of note:
I came to Isla Mujeres for a family friend's wedding. It's an interesting place that's a vacation spot for both locals and foreigners alike. We stayed near the ferry stop at Hotel Playa de La Media Luna. There was a great beach, though it seemed that the nearby Mia hotel had an even better cove to snorkel and swim in. Nearby was Playa Norte, which had some amazing sand and deep blue oceans. For the most part, there are lots of restaurants that cater to the American tourists, but if you look carefully as you walk a block or two off the main roads, you'll find some interesting places.
Handy Tips:
- The max amount of money you can change at most places is $300. The bank that seemed to give the best exchange rate (and a lot of locals lined up there too) was Banco Azteca, which was fairly close to the hotel media Luna.
- Rooster has got some amazing twists on standard breakfast fare. Be sure to try their french toast.
- Meals are great at Lola Valentina, located on Miguel Hidalgo. Get the octopus if you can, the BBQ-esque sauce is amazing.
- If you do go snorkeling, make sure that you sunblock your butt. Snorkeling requires a life jacket tied around your waist which leaves your butt and legs up near the surface.
- Conch shells are sharp, so make sure if you buy one to blow on that it's somewhat sanded down. (note: pretty sure that the starfish and conches were a big part of the local ecosystem so just think about that before you buy one....)
- You can exchange pesos at the ferry terminal in Cancun (either withdraw from the ATM or pay the store clerk in dollars). The rate is better by 1 peso or so on the mainland. Don't change at the airport, though.
- Cocktails are good and cheap. Piña coladas, mojitos, margaritas... They were all good.
- FYI toilet paper can't be flushed down toilets in most of the island....
Places of note:
- Near the turtle farm, there's a fairly touristy beach known as Playa Lancheros that serves up some great grilled fish, aka. pescado tikin xik. It's cooked on a huge wood grill and everything tasted and smelled wonderful.
- Lagoon outside the Mia hotel. Almost felt like I was standing on a beach in the South Pacific.
- Ceviche-- they prepare it right in front of you at the restaurant with the turquoise paint a few stores north of the Ferry terminal. The restaurant is known as Picus Cockteleria and is brightly turquoise on the outside with plastic chairs and tables in the sand on the inside.
Chichen Itza is a fair distance from Cancun (~3.5 hr car ride). It's one of the oldest ancient pyramid sites in the Yucatan Peninsula and consisted of two ancient peoples, the Mayans and the Toltec. There is some shade, but for the most part, it gets really really hot. Just as a side note, we stayed at one of the local hotels that was connected to the entrance so we could go in at 8 am (there is also an option on some days to go in at sunset). If you take the tour from Cancun (as in join a group bus tour) the buses arrive around 11am, which means that you're in some pretty sweltering heat.
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