Isla Mujeres: All-inclusive Day Trip from Cancun

After booking a vacation for my wife and I to Cancun, Mexico, we started searching for activities to do. We landed on an all-inclusive, snorkeling day trip from Cancun to Isla Mujeres. The day was full of sun, shopping and snorkeling. I should probably add sunburn to that list as well.

Here’s what you can expect if you’re planning to visit Cancun and want to book a day trip to Isla Mujeres.

You can also book at day trip to Chichen Itza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

What to Bring, and Other Essential Information

We knew we’d be snorkeling, riding a boat and walking the streets of Isla Mujeres. With that in mind, here’s what we packed:

• Towel (borrow one from your hotel so you don’t have to pack your own from home)
• Biodegradable sunblock (the biodegradable sunblock is required, because the other sun block options impact the coral reef)
• Snorkel mask (they provide these on the tour, but we wanted to bring our own anyway)
• Hat (provides a little extra sun protection)
• Waterproof camera (I used the Olympus Tough-5)
• Contact lenses (because glasses and snorkel masks don’t mix)
• Proper footwear (sandals/flip flops for the boat, walking shoes/socks for Isla Mujeres)

The tour we booked provided hotel pick up from the Hotel Zone in Cancun. We received an email with our pick up time and were ready to go. The ride from our hotel to the departure point was about 20 minutes.

When we arrived, we checked in and enjoyed a free continental breakfast before hopping aboard the boat. Unfortunately, we didn’t get on soon enough and ended up on the upper deck, with no shade options. So we proceeded to lather our skin up with the biodegradable sunblock and off we went.

Snorkel Along the Coral Reef

After a short boat ride away from the mainland, we stopped and got our first taste of snorkeling. We were told the fish were Mexican because they loved tortillas. They used the tortillas as fish food to bring them in closer.

Honestly, I anticipated the coral reef to have the colors you see in National Geographic films. So I was a little disappointed. But it was fun to see the fish, along with some underwater sculptures before climbing on board the boat and continuing to Isla Mujeres’ south end.

Isla Mujeres Coastline, Lunch and Shopping

We were both amazed at the blue hues of the water. My wife had never seen anything like it. Around lunchtime, the boat pulled into an inlet and we went ashore, over to a buffet-style restaurant. It was a short walk, but we spotted some blue crabs in the foliage along the way. I’d never seen blue crabs in real life before.

After enjoying some food and drink, explore the beach and do a little shopping. Time is short, before you climb aboard and head to the main dock of the island for some more serious shopping.

You get about two hours on Isla Mujeres to explore, shop, or dine. This is where good walking shoes come in handy. We spent our time wandering the shops and negotiating for deals. Others rent a golf cart and take off to explore the island. Another couple from our boat found a great place for ice cream.

More Snorkeling, Dancing or Drinking

After everyone was on board, the boat headed to its final stop: Playa Norte (North Beach). There were a few options available for this stop:

• Snorkel in a little bay with the fish
• Dance to the music aboard the boat
• Play in the water near the boat and enjoy some drinks

We chose to do some more snorkeling. It was a short walk to the bay, but the area was beautiful. We spent the time floating in the water watching the fish swim around us. Unfortunately, my wife didn’t sunscreen the back of her legs, which were exposed to the sun while floating face down in the water. She ended up paying for that in the coming days. Ouch.

When we returned to the boat, we grabbed a Pink Panther (non-alcoholic, although there was plenty of alcohol available) drink and relaxed on deck. We also took the opportunity to move to the bottom deck for a little shade.

During the evening boat ride back to the mainland, the crew took the party up a notch and had a dancing contest. I’m glad I wasn’t selected to be in the group of contestants. It was funny to watch, but after the long day in the sun, I was ready to be back at the hotel.

The Details

Cost: Viator has multiple options available to Isla Mujeres. Our trip was $80 per person.

Hours: Our tour began with hotel pick up at 8:30 and ended around 7 p.m. So it’s a full day.

Website: https://www.viator.com/Cancun/d631-ttd

If you’re not familiar with international travel, learn more about it to make sure you’re ready to head abroad.

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