Isla Mujeres and Puerto Morales : One way ticket to Paradise

Isla Mujeres

Of course, I couldn’t leave Mexico or even Cancun without visiting Isla Mujeres first – the very island I was advised to abandon Cancun for the minute I arrived. So, as soon as I came back from Havana I joined hundreds (maybe thousands) of other daytrippers and took a 13-kilometer long ferry ride to the island.

Half an hour later (plus at least half an hour of queuing to board the ferry) I found myself in a “promised land” with a great potential of being IT.

And? Was it? Is it?

As much as I enjoyed my day on the island and as much as I liked the island itself I am not so sure the island qualifies as my dream retirement paradise. At least, I don’t think so. The island is ideal, however, for a shorter vacation. Especially if you are younger (but it is not necessary) and like to party Isla Mujeres is definitely your place.

Why not?

Because I am dreaming of pristine, miles long white sand beaches and crystal clear warm waters. Isla Mujeres has neither. The largest beach, Playa Norte, only five minutes away from the ferry is not large enough to even host hotel guests and daytrippers. There are so many people, packed as sardines, that you need to cruise between the sunbeds just to get from A to B getting bruised in the process. Other beaches, “hidden” between private residences, are teeny tiny stretches of sand that do not take more than a few minutes to walk… if you take your time and walk slowly. I imagine this is where the expats live.

I loved the little town (next to Playa Norte) full of small cozy restaurants and I loved the vibe. Isla Mujeres is definitely a place where I’d love to spend my vacation. A week. Maybe two. But to retire? Not so sure. It isn’t a “yes” but it isn’t a “no” either even though the island isn’t exactly what I am looking for. The potential is still there. It depends (to an extent) on who occupies those residences where the other beaches are hiding. For there are no beaches in the world worth more than the great company of like-minded “occupants”.

Puerto Morales

While I am “at it” I’d also like to mention another well know place I visited – Puerto Morales. It is a small port/beach town, a fishing village really, on Riviera Maya between Cancun and Playa del Carmen.

Puerto Morales is best known for its National Reef Park with many offshore dive sites, the turtles that breed on the local beaches, freshwater sinkholes and a tilted lighthouse that has now become the town’s trademark. The lighthouse was destroyed by Hurricane Beulah in 1967 but then never knocked down. Instead, a new one was built few meters away.

The town itself is small and very laid back. Two “major” streets and maybe a 15-minute walk from one end to the other. The bikes are preferred means of transportation. In addition to a couple of boutique hotels, condominiums, tourist shops, restaurants there are quite a few gated communities nearby attracting Western expats and locals alike. More gated communities are being built = the town is expanding.

Anything for me? Puerto Morales has definitely some possibilities. I find it a bit too small though for my very personal taste. If I had to choose I’d rather stay at Playa del Carmen which has so much more to offer.

But then. of course, there is Tulum – which I still haven’t visited