ISLA MUJERES GENERAL INFORMATION

Great extensions of beach, stunning shades of blue in the pristine waters and a quaint little town where time seems to have stopped are some of the reasons travelers choose to enjoy Isla Mujeres vacations. Find the best hotels and resorts in Isla Mujeres and stop dreaming about vacations in the Caribbean. Make up your mind right now to spend an unforgettable time immersed in the soft rhythm of Isla Mujeres.

Hotels in Isla Mujeres are planned with one thing in mind: your rest. Visit Na Balam Beach Hotel and discover a haven of peace and beauty; at the Hotel Posada del Mar you will find a nice, relaxed family ambiance; at the Avalon Reef Club you will achieve total satisfaction thanks to its amazing facilities and magnificent service. Villa Rolandi is an exclusive and luxurious hotel that guarantees you a stunning view of the Caribbean and the surrounding reefs, and Casa Ixchel offers you a space in which to repose and recharge your mind, body and spirit.

The serene beauty of the Caribbean, with its calm turquoise waters and its silky white sands, give Isla Mujeres its peculiar charm. This small island is only 5 miles long and half a mile wide, and the total area of the island is 3,445 square meters. The territory has no important elevations and is flat, with a slight inclination towards the sea. There are no superficial rivers on the island.

The weather in Isla Mujeres, as in the rest of Quintana Roo, is warm and humid, with an average temperature of 81o F (27o C), but it can go up to 95o F (35o C) between June and August. It rains a lot, but the most intense rainfall is registered in April and May and from September to January. The annual average rainfall is 1041 mm.

The island is surrounded by reefs with coral formations of incomparable beauty, and its shallow beaches make it an ideal destination for those who prefer to enjoy the wonders of the sea without going in too deep. The quiet atmosphere of its charming town, combined with the perfection of the landscape, make Isla Mujeres the right place to forget about the pressures and the rush of modern life and enjoy the simple pleasures life has to offer.

Access to Isla Mujeres

You can access Isla Mujeres from Puerto Juarez in a fast boat, or by ferry from Punta Sam. The crossing in a fast boat takes about 15 minutes and the ferry will carry passengers as well as cars. Fast boats leave every half hour, but after 8:30 pm there isn’t another one until 11:30 pm, which is the last crossing of the day. Once in the island it is very simple, if you did not bring a car, to rent a bike, golf cart or a motorcycle to move around the place.

History of Isla Mujeres

During the pre-Hispanic era, Isla Mujeres was a site of worship for the Mayan goddess of the moon, Ixchel, but it was not inhabited. When the Spaniards arrived on the island, in 1517, they found the sanctuary and female figures, so they named it Isla de las Mujeres (Island of Women). When the Guerra de Castas (Mayan uprising) started, many people were left homeless and had to find a new place to live. Some of them found their way to Isla Mujeres and settled there. The town of Dolores in Isla Mujeres was founded in 1850 with more or less 250 settlers. As the time passed by, the island started to get populated and, even though there was a hacienda at some point, the town was always a fishing community at heart. With the development of Cancun and the diving boom in Cozumel, Isla Mujeres was quickly discovered by those visitors who were captivated by the relaxed ambiance and the majestic beauty of the waters that surround it.

New Passport Requirements

As part of U.S. Department of State's Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, all travelers will be required to present a valid passport or other accepted document(s) to enter or re-enter the U.S. (visitors and U.S. residents) as early as January 8, 2007, from Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda.

• January 8, 2007: All persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, or U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document (MMDs).

• January 1, 2008: All persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda by land or sea (including ferries), may be required to present a valid passport or other documents as determined by the Department of Homeland Security.

Click here to get complete details on New Requirements for Travelers including a list of "other accepted documents" from U.S Department of State.