Solo Trip to Isla Mujeres

[Montecfo]

Since my full retirement is near at hand, I recently recalled my long-held fantasy of quitting my job and flying to Caribbean on an open ticket, then returning when I wanted to.

Well, DW is still working so might as well get started with my first solo trip. In my original dream, the destination was BVI, maybe Jost Van Dyke, water taxi to Tortola or Anageda for change of scenery. Or even St. John. Have been to those places and love them but I know hurricanes have changed things.

In my reimagined idea I came up with Isla Mujeres as a far more accessible destination and I have never been there (though have been to Cancun twice, Riviera Maya, Tulum etc and really liked.

I know there are a couple of folks here who have spent some time there, hopefully lots, and have some insight.

Idea is just very low-key, relax, beach, swim, maybe a snorkel trip, read, good food, etc. I understand island is pretty walkable or you can rent a golf cart. That appeals.

My hope is it is not too crowded as I know they have a high-speed ferry now. Plan to travel day after Memorial Day and return, well, that part is TBD.

Thoughts welcome.

 

[COZICAN]

Stay close to Playa Norte. Best beaches. Not much to do on Isla other than relax, eat and drink.

Coz (get it?)

 

[brett]

Last fall we did a quick trip to the area. We booked a hotel in Playa, then another week in Puerto Morales.

We did a day trip to Isla. Took the bus to Cancun,then a taxi to the ferry.

We liked Isla but found it crowded. We had considered staying there prior to going. Glad we did not. We plan to return to Puerto Morales.

 

[SALTedOut]

We did a week in Isla over the week before xmas. Stayed at Privilege Aluxes (PA). We liked it there. As other have said you definitely want to stay on the north side. There are plenty of hotels beachfront with varying budgets as well as VRBO style condos and apartments. Those may be good for longer stays. I'm not sure how you decide where to stay if you don't know how long you will be there.

Lots of great restaurants, bars and shops in the Playa North area and all walkable. Anything south of the "downtown" area is pretty isolated.

The beach at PA was much nicer (IMO) than the other resorts. The chairs are well spaced so everyone has room and most have an umbrella. Many of the other hotels everyone was packed in like sardines. Spend time on TripAdvisor reading the Isla forum. Lots of great information there.

 

[Scuba]

I encourage you to revive your VI dream. We did a 3 month trip to USVI and BVI and loved it. Have been back twice since the hurricanes and will likely go again this year.

 

[Montecfo]

Scuba, thanks, where did you go and specific ideas?

 

[flyingaway]

In many cases, the airlines will ask you to show a return ticket.

 

[Scuba]

Scuba, thanks, where did you go and specific ideas?

We rented an apartment on the north side of St. Thomas (STT). We’ve been to St. John (STJ) and St. Croix (STX) also, but picked STT because STJ is very quiet and we thought it might get boring, plus day trips to STJ and the BVI from STT are easy. STX has great diving and restaurants but it’s much harder to get to other islands from there.

We absolutely loved our time there. If you are a beach person, it’s hard to beat. The vibe is very laid back and people expecting US mainland style shopping, service speed, and range of options will be disappointed. However, nature there is stunningly beautiful and the locals are great people if treated with respect and courtesy.

We liked it so much, we are considering going back for a year or more. Hurricanes Irma and Maria did serious damage which is not fully fixed yet, and rental housing was hard to come by when Red Cross and FEMA were there in force. I hear that most of the mainland workers are gone now and tourism is still down, so it’s a great time to go.

Feel free to PM me with any detailed questions.

 

[Golden sunsets]

How does the still working DW feel about your open ended time frame?

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

We have gone to Isla on six separate occasions and really love it there. Over the last few years, it has gotten more crowded with the addition of ferries from Ultramar (every 30 minutes from 5am to 1130pm) but most of the crowds stay up on the north side of the island.

We usually rent a house that is right next to Villa La Bella which is mid-island on the east side (cooler breezes in the summer). There are plenty of restaurants in that area and since it's centrally located and it's easy to access all of the island (but your really need a golf cart for this). We love that part of the island since it's much quieter and not "touristy". But, if you want to get your "party on", then there is plenty on the North side...or if you are REALLY crazy, you can cruise over to Cancun.

Not much to do on Isla other than relax, eat and drink.

You make this sound like a bad thing... that is heaven for many folks...including myself.

My hope is it is not too crowded as I know they have a high-speed ferry now. Plan to travel day after Memorial Day and return, well, that part is TBD.

Thoughts welcome.

Well, that is the start of "low season", so I think that is a perfect time to get your feet wet and see if you like it...especially since it won't be as crowded as it would be in high season.

 

[Sunset]

How does the still working DW feel about your open ended time frame?

I was wondering the same thing... Could make for interesting follow-up threads

 

[Montecfo]

In many cases, the airlines will ask you to show a return ticket.

I will have to see if i can do an open return, but that is a good point.

 

[Montecfo]

How does the still working DW feel about your open ended time frame?

It is open-ended in concept but on the outside I expect to be back by the time she frees up in any case.

 

[Montecfo]

We rented an apartment on the north side of St. Thomas (STT). We’ve been to St. John (STJ) and St. Croix (STX) also, but picked STT because STJ is very quiet and we thought it might get boring, plus day trips to STJ and the BVI from STT are easy. STX has great diving and restaurants but it’s much harder to get to other islands from there.

We absolutely loved our time there. If you are a beach person, it’s hard to beat. The vibe is very laid back and people expecting US mainland style shopping, service speed, and range of options will be disappointed. However, nature there is stunningly beautiful and the locals are great people if treated with respect and courtesy.

We liked it so much, we are considering going back for a year or more. Hurricanes Irma and Maria did serious damage which is not fully fixed yet, and rental housing was hard to come by when Red Cross and FEMA were there in force. I hear that most of the mainland workers are gone now and tourism is still down, so it’s a great time to go.

Feel free to PM me with any detailed questions.

Those are good ideas. I have thought about a sailing trip in USVI and BVI. Have been to all of the main islands except Anageda, loved them. I do think that would be a tougher sell with DW for a solo trip as she loves to snorkel. One of the great things about Isla Mujeres is she is less interested in the destination (not a great snorkel spot) and she actually went there on a day trip many years ago and had a terrible bout of seasickness.

We are heading to Curacao and Bonaire later in summer so that will be some good snorkeling for us both.

The VI trip will probably not be till 2020 but I will know who to check in with. Thanks.

 

[Scuba]

Those are good ideas. I have thought about a sailing trip in USVI and BVI. Have been to all of the main islands except Anageda, loved them. I do think that would be a tougher sell with DW for a solo trip as she loves to snorkel. One of the great things about Isla Mujeres is she is less interested in the destination (not a great snorkel spot) and she actually went there on a day trip many years ago and had a terrible bout of seasickness.



We are heading to Curacao and Bonaire later in summer so that will be some good snorkeling for us both.



The VI trip will probably not be till 2020 but I will know who to check in with. Thanks.

While we were based in STT, we did a BVI cruise on a catamaran with two other couples plus a captain/chef team. Had a great time! We did go to Anegada and rented a car and toured the island. Small, quaint, and beautiful although flat. We haven’t been to Curaçao but enjoyed the diving and restaurants in Bonaire. Have fun!

 

[Montecfo]

Definitely looking forward to a trip like that.

Meantime per all my research, Isla Mujeres is looking like a pretty good destination for this event. Not as remote as originally conceived but easier and cheaper to get to.

Plus I may begin my adventures with the first round of NCAA baseball regionals at a host city in Texas with buddies, then head to MX after. I like how that lines up.

 

[Scuba]

Definitely looking forward to a trip like that.

Meantime per all my research, Isla Mujeres is looking like a pretty good destination for this event. Not as remote as originally conceived but easier and cheaper to get to.

Plus I may begin my adventures with the first round of NCAA baseball regionals at a host city in Texas with buddies, then head to MX after. I like how that lines up.

Yeah the VI isn’t a cheap destination. Enjoy your travels. Never been anywhere in the Caribbean that we didn’t like except for the Mosquito Coast ((Central America). It’s called that for a reason!

 

[Montecfo]

I guess if a did choose USVI I would escape the open ticket conundrum since not leaving the US.

 

[Scuba]

I guess if a did choose USVI I would escape the open ticket conundrum since not leaving the US.

Yes, USVI is very convenient in that respect. It isn’t like the mainland in most ways so you do feel like you’re in another country. If you choose USVI, bring your passport so you can do a day trip or two to the BVI.

 

[COZICAN]

Definitely looking forward to a trip like that.

Meantime per all my research, Isla Mujeres is looking like a pretty good destination for this event. Not as remote as originally conceived but easier and cheaper to get to.

Plus I may begin my adventures with the first round of NCAA baseball regionals at a host city in Texas with buddies, then head to MX after. I like how that lines up.

Isla is easy. Fly into CUN, taxi to ferry, ferry to Isla. Very easy and fun.

Coz

 

[Montecfo]

Good to hear. I need to get booked.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

We used to visit Isla nearly every winter years ago, but I think it has changed a great deal. North Beach hotels used to consist of a couple mom-and-pop places; now there's a rank of high-rises, which means more people on the beach. On the plus side, I think the bar that used to thump disco music till 2 a.m. is gone.

FWIW, expect the taxi drivers at the Cancun arrivals gate to try to clip you. The sum might not be significant to you, but be aware that you can catch an ADO bus into downtown Cancun for a few bucks. From there the cost of taxi transportation falls off significantly.

If you're looking for seclusion, there's an island north of IM called Isla Holbox. Here's an article: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/isla-holbox-mexico/index.html