Isla Mujeres
A refreshing antidote to the urban sprawl of Canciin, Isla Mujeres is a good place to relax for a few days away from the hurly-burly of package tourism. The island is especially nice in the evening, when all the Canciin day-trippers have gone. The town is strictly low-rise, with brightly coloured buildings giving it the feel of a Caribbean island such as Trinidad. The island’s laws prohibit the construction of any building higher than three floors, and US franchises such as McDonalds and Walmart are not allowed to open branches here.
There are several good beaches on Isla Mujeres, the best being Playa Cocos on the north west coast, five minutes walk from the town. Further south, there are several places to swim, snorkel and observe marine life. Restaurants and nightspots are plentiful, good quality and cheaper than those on the mainland, and the people are friendlier. There are several ways to explore the island: you can rent a golf cart, many of which chug around the streets all day, good for families; mopeds and bicycles are cheap and plentiful to rent, and a public bus runs all the way from the town to El Paralso, almost at the southern tip of the island.
The name Isla Mujeres refers to the large number of clay female idols found by the Spaniards here in 1518. The island contains the only known Maya shrine to a female deity: Ixchel, goddess of the moon and fertility. Sadly, the ruins of the shrine at the southern tip of the island have recently been bought by developers. They will be made into part of a new tourist complex like Xcaret, and locals are furious at having to pay a fee to view them. The tourist office, Rueda Medina, opposite the ferry dock, is very helpful. Mon-Fri 0900-2100, Sat 0900-1400. The immigration office is next door.
Puerto Juarez
About 3 km north of Cancun, Puerto Juarez is the dock for the cheaper ferry services to Isla Mujeres; there is also a bus terminal, but services are more frequent from Colour map 4, grid A3 Cancun. There are, many buses between Cancun and Puerto Juarez, for example No 8 opposite the bus terminal (US$0.70), but when the ferries arrive from Isla Mujeres there are many more taxis than buses (taxi fare should be no more than US$2, beware overcharging).
Punta Sam
A strip of coastline north of Punta Sam is officially part of Isla Mujeres. It is being developed as a luxury resort, but without the high-rise buildings of Cancun's hotel zone. Accommodation will be in luxury bungalows and cabanas. The first of these, now completed, is AL Villas Chalet Maya, Km 9 Punta Sam Highway (for reservations, contact COMITSA, Km 12.5, Zona Hotelera, Cancun, T851418, F851498). Ocean views, elaborate ethnic interiors, pool, beach, restaurant.
Mexico evacuations begin as Wilma closes in
Mexico has begun evacuations on Wednesday of high risk areas of the Yucatan peninsula, a major tourist draw, as powerful Hurricane Wilma churned closer.
The island of Mujeres close to the holiday resort of Cancun, was believed to be one of the most at risk of being targeted by Wilma, the most powerful storm recorded in the Atlantic.
"Some of the computer models are showing it getting closer and closer to the peninsula, and we may be facing a potential landfall in some areas of the northeast of the Yucatan, in the area of Isla Mujeres,"
Isla Aguada
Eleven kilometres beyond Carmen is the Rancho EIFfriix, with an interesting iguana (lagarto) hatchery. Highway 180 runs northeast along the Isla del Carmen and crosses the bridge to Isia Aguada (C Hotel Tarpon Tropical. D Motel La Cabana and Trailer Park at former boat landing just after the toll bridge. Full hook-up, hot showers, laundry facilities, quiet, US$12 for vehicle and two people), actually a narrow peninsula with more deserted shell-littered beaches on the Gulf shore. The road then undulates its way northeast through tiny fishing villages towards Campeche; there are many offshore oil rigs to be seen. At
Hurricane Emily's winds start battering Mexico
Hurricane Emily started lashing the beaches of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula late Sunday.
The Category 4 storm blew down signs and trees, leaving Isla Mujeres and parts of the island of Cozumel and Cancun without electricity.
Emily's eye would pass over Cozumel early Monday, authorities predicted.
The hurricane did slightly weaken as it approached Mexico, with speeds dropping from 235 kilometres per hour to 220 km/h.
Earlier Sunday, chaos ruled at Cancun, Mexico's airport as tourists waited for flights to escape hurricane Emily.
At Toronto's Pearson Airport, Dave Job arrived on one flight -- but without his son.
While concerned, "I'm a
Mexico rescues 18 Cubans adrift in flimsy boat
The Mexican Navy rescued 18 Cubans adrift in the Caribbean Sea on a flimsy vessel that was blown off course in a failed bid to reach Florida, the immigration department said on Monday.
A one-year-old baby was among the passengers in the boat, spotted floating off the Isla Mujeres island near the resort of Cancun on Friday.
“A boat spotted them and passed this information on to the Navy, which rescued them,†said a spokeswoman for Mexico’s immigration institute in Cancun.
The Cubans left their homeland on Dec. 27 in a bid to reach the
Isla La Roqueta: Acapulco
Mexico plans evacuation of tourists from Cancun as hurricane Emily advances
Mexican officials recommended Friday evacuating tourists from much of the country's Caribbean coast - including the resort of Cancun - if hurricane Emily continues heading toward the Yucatan peninsula.
While no evacuation has yet been ordered, the Cancun city government is already meeting with local bus companies to arrange transport for tourists away from the low-lying spit of land that houses much of Cancun's hotel sector.
The Interior Department recommended evacuating the Caribbean coast from Tulum to an area north of Cancun, and urged people to take refuge at
Holbox Island
Also north of Valladolid, but in the neighbouring state of Quintana Roo, turn off the
road to Puerto Juarez after Nuevo Xcan (seepage 566), to Holbox Island. Buses to
Chiquila for boats, three times a day, also direct from Tizimi'n at 1130, connecting
Holbox 0600 and 1430, one hour, returning to Chiquila at 0500 and 1300. A bus to Merida connects with the 0500 ferry. If you miss the ferry a fisherman will probably take you (for about US$14).
You can leave your car in the care of the harbour master for a small charge; his house
is east
Mexico resorts getting back in the swim
Tourism officials in the hurricane-battered Mexican state of Quintana Roo hope to have 80 percent of the accommodations and amenities in the affected Caribbean coast resorts fully operational by February.
The Yucatan Peninsula state, home to tourism magnets Cancun, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya, accounts for about 36 percent of Mexico's nearly $11 billion tourism industry, according to Quintana Roo tourism secretary Gabriela Rodriguez.
Hurricane Wilma hit Cancun the hardest in late October, closing most of its hotel rooms. Between 8,000 and 10,000 of the city's approximately 25,000 hotel rooms are now open, and officials expect
