Been pondering of packing your baggage and jetting off straight to Cancun now that summer time’s mainly knocking at your door?
When it involves all-inclusives, high quality time on the seaside, and only a hassle-free, zero-bureaucracy worldwide vacay, Mexico’s tourism powerhouse is actually laborious to beat, however earlier than you go forward and act on that burning FOMO, hear us out:
As counterintuitive as it might sound, summer time’s probably not a good time to be in Cancun. Yes, resort charges are cheaper, and crowding on the fundamental public seashores could also be at a minimal, however there’s one main downside most vacationers naively overlook, solely to get their total seaside trip ruined:
Sargassum.
Ever seen these downright terrible photos of Cancun’s waterfront, with a thick strip of foul-smelling seaweed tarnishing what would in any other case be pristine, powdery white sands?
Yep, this time of yr, the Mexican Caribbean is usually battered by the annual sargassum bloom, and from the Hotel Zone right down to the quieter seaside cities of Playa del Carmen and Tulum, there appears to be no escaping the phenomenon.
…till you’re taking that 20-minute ferry to the paradise island instantly dealing with Cancun:
Paradise Found Just Off The Cancun Coast
Unimpressive by measurement as it might be, as a small island at solely 4.3 miles lengthy and 0.4 miles extensive, Isla Mujeres punches way above its weight.
From powdered-sugar white seashores and turquoise seas, to laid-back resort zones the place the mainland visitors chaos doesn’t apply, it’s Cancun on a much-smaller scale, and utterly surrounded by water. That’s a good-enough trade-off for us, however there’s extra:
Unlike many of the mainland Caribbean coast of Mexico, Isla Mujeres stays virtually clear and devoid of sargassum in summer time, when the algae sometimes proliferates at a sooner fee, each as a result of warming seas and as a result of stronger nature of the currents that carry it ashore.
Why, you ask? It’s all to do with geography:
We might need to get just a little technical for a second, however it helps clarify why Isla Mujeres is commonly much less affected by sargassum.
How Does Isla Mujeres Avoid Most Of The Seasonal Sargassum?
Most sargassum is carried towards the Mexican coast by prevailing easterly and southeasterly winds. Isla Mujeres sits simply offshore, whereas a lot of its hottest seashores face west towards Cancun and the mainland, in addition to north.
The outcome? Much of the sargassum drifts previous the island and continues towards the mainland’s east-facing shoreline, the place it’s extra more likely to wash ashore. This pure positioning helps protect a lot of Isla Mujeres’ seashores from the worst of the seaweed buildup.
To sum it up, the island is of course protected, and if you happen to’re asking which seaside is the least more likely to see any quantity of sargassum this season, not solely on Isla Mujeres, however your complete Mexican Caribbean, this might be Playa Norte, or ‘North Beach’.
Often listed in these prestigious, bucket-list-worthy ‘Best Beaches within the World’ rankings, it’s Caribbean perfection materialized:
Fine white sands, lagoon-like crystalline seas, so shallow you may stroll deep into it and nonetheless by no means sink under your waist, and a dozen or so cantinas doling out contemporary seafood and refreshers.
On that notice, be sure you swing by Javi’s Cantina, just a few blocks from Playa Norte, for decent-priced margaritas and a killer shrimp ceviche with guacamole. Travel Off Path seal of approval.
How Safe Is Isla Mujeres Right Now?
Another space the place Isla Mujeres excels, apart from sargassum-free, paradisiacal seashores, is security.
It scores a powerful 84/100 on the Traveler Safety Index, based mostly on studies by vacationers who’ve really been to the place, not some keyboard bureaucrat bunkered up in a basement someplace, spewing out overcautious journey steering for this or that authorities.
Let’s simply say if you happen to’re seeking to really unwind and revel in your much-needed time within the solar with no fear on the planet, you simply cannot go incorrect with Isla Mujeres, much more so than Cancun:
Those spectacular security ranges are attributed to the truth that the island’s economic system revolves closely round tourism, and native authorities do not play around in relation to their company’ well-being and security.
It’s simply over 4 miles lengthy, and roughly half a mile extensive, so the vacationer zones are compact, walkable, well-lit at evening, and highly-surveilled.
Bag-snatching and pickpocketing, albeit unusual, aren’t precisely unheard-of, so we might hold our wits about ourselves when going for a dip on the seaside and leaving objects unattended on the sand, however violent crime affecting vacationers?
Extremely uncommon.
The Perfect Cancun Dupe
We should say that, regardless of its small measurement and the very fact it does not have its personal airport, requiring a brief ferry switch and with most arrivals being filtered via Cancun International Airport (CUN), Isla Mujeres does get very busy no matter season.
The North Beach particularly can really feel significantly hectic with the day-trippers, and seeing it’s now one among solely a handful of seashores in your complete area that has restricted, if any sargassum, you need to count on greater crowds to collect right here through the day.
The cool factor about this island, nevertheless, is that it isn’t merely a Cancun dupe for when seaweed batters the Mexican coast: it is a full-fledged vacation spot that possibly warrants your complete weekend.
Before you go forward and guide that point off, do be sure you run a fast vacation spot examine on the Entry Requirement Checker: that is your be-all, end-all device for verifying visa restrictions that apply to U.S. passport holders, and entry and keep laws.
Back to Isla Mujeres.
More Than Just Beaches
Punta Sur, the intense south of the island, has clifftop paths, crashing Caribbean waves, sculpture gardens, and unbelievable sundown views. The best solution to attain it’s renting a golf cart—one of the best ways to get across the island—and happening a leisurely loop of the rugged shoreline.
Besides the surroundings, Punta Sur hosts the stays of a temple devoted to the Mayan goddess Ixchel, which the traditional folks believed represented the moon, fertility, and childbirth.
Isla Mujeres can be on the northern finish of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, and the coral-rich waters alongside its jap facet are one of many fundamental sights. Think clear water, distinctive coral formations, colourful tropical fish, and underwater sculpture websites that appear to be total sunken misplaced cities.
For a glimpse into island life, try ‘Downtown’, or as locals name it, ‘Centro’:
The fundamental settlement on the island, it’s centered across the shop-lined Avenida Hidalgo, the place you may discover your ordinary mixture of memento outlets and family-run eating places, or take just a little detour out to La Gloria, a laid-back neighborhood that retains a lot of its fishing village character.
How To Get To Isla Mujeres This Season
The best solution to get to Isla Mujeres this season is to fly first into Cancun.
Once you get to Cancun (town), head straight for Puerto Juárez, and hop on the 15/20-minute ferry, operated by Ultramar, that travels straight to the island.
Ferries run just about each half hour, even now within the low season, so you may have loads of flexibility and leeway to discover Isla Mujeres both as a day-trip tour or an entire vacation spot.
A bit of recommendation? This shouldn’t be a type of locations you wish to rush via. Stay the evening.
Hell, keep your complete week, as a result of when you’re there, it is the leaving that appears like the true problem.
