NA BALAM

At the end of the north beach
998/877-0058, fax 998/877-0446
www.nabalam.com
Moderate/Expensive
31 rooms with air conditioning, pool, dive shop, master suite with hot tub, restaurant and bar, optional meal plans.
All the appealing rooms here are semi-luxurious – with terraces or balconies, large beds and bath. They are decorated in Maya motif with attractive paintings or artifacts on the walls. The baths are
all tile. The deluxe Na Balam has expanded in recent years to include cabañas, a small pool and palapas which are used for yoga meetings, attracting a gentle crowd of cosmic-conscious travelers.
Second-floor beachside rooms are vinecovered and look over palm trees to the fine sand playa, where topless sunbathing is common.
The happy hours’ two-for-one drinks special pack the beach bar with friendly folks who chat while the sun sets. The adjacent indooroutdoor Zazil-Ha restaurant is one of the island’s finest.

Hotel VILLA ROLANDI

Laguna Mar, Sac Bajo 998/877-0700, fax 998/877-0100
www.rolandi.com
All inclusive/Deluxe
From humble beginnings – and years of experience with the Hotel Belmar and Casa Rolandi restaurant in Cancún – the Italian/Swiss owner 138 p Best Places to Stay opened this boutique hotel, restaurant and beach
club. It is, by far, the best hotel and the best restaurant on the island.
Colonial styled with Mediterranean influences, the hotel features a deep blue infinity pool that overlooks the Cancún skyline, and all its 20 suites face the Bahía Mujeres. Each room features a huge bathroom and an individual balcony with a hot tub. Guests arrive to the hotel by Rolandi’s private yacht from Cancún. Continental breakfast is subtly served through an access in the wall, for intimacy. Your choice of lunch or
dinner at Casa Rolandi, the Northern Italian cuisine restaurant on the large veranda, is included.
The price may be Cancún-like, but the luxury and personal attention far exceed what those large hotels across the bay offer. Price includes breakfast and choice of lunch or dinner.

AVALON REEF CLUB

north tip of the island
US/Canada  888/497-4325, Mexico 998/848-9300
www.avalonreefclub.com
90 rooms, 6 suites with jacuzzis, 56 casita rooms, pool, air, restaurant, bar, spa
For well over a decade this wedge-shaped hotel stood alone on the far tip of the island – a mute reminder of the force of the hurricane that wrecked its short reign as the king of Isla Mujeres’ hotels. Finally, in 2002, high-class hotel chain Avalon Resorts spent a fortune remodeling the distinctive tower and added 14 inviting attached villas that either zig-zag along the craggy shoreline, hard against the Caribbean or softly touch the protected sandy bay beach. You need to cross a wooden bridge over turquoise waters to reach the Avalon, adding to its exclusivity – yet it’s only a short walk to the downtown attractions.
The tower rooms are average in size and all offer fabulous views. The villas, however, are worth the extra bucks. There’s a really cool swim spot located on the Caribbean side of the villas – a rock pool where the waves crash over the reef, creating a foam waterfall into the sheltered water.

Settling into Isla Mujeres

Isla Mujeres is so small, it’s easy to get your bearings and find your way around. If you do happen to need a little guidance, it’s so comfortably casual that a friendly soul is always around to help you.
The island is about 8km (5 miles) long and 4km (21⁄2 miles) wide, with the town located at its northern tip. “Downtown” is a compact 4 blocks by 6 blocks, so it’s very easy to get around. The ferry docks (998-877-0065) are right at the center of town, within walking distance of most hotels, restaurants, and shops. The street running along the waterfront is Avenida Rueda Medina, commonly called the malecón. The market (Mercado Municipal) is by the post office on Calle Guerrero, an inland street at the north edge of town, which, like most streets in the town, is unmarked.

Arriving at Isla Mujeres by ferry
To get to Isla Mujeres, you need to first fly into Cancún’s International Airport (CUN). Once inside the terminal, you enter the immigration clearance area where you’re asked to show your passport and completed
tourist card, called an FMT . Once you claim your baggage, you exit the terminal, where taxis or other transportation services are waiting. Puerto Juárez Gran Puerto (998-877-0618 for the Isla Mujeres
office), just north of Cancún, is the dock where you catch a 20-minute passenger ferry to Isla Mujeres. This is the least expensive way to travel to Isla. The Caribbean Express has storage space for luggage, and costs
about $3.50, running every half-hour between 6:30 a.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Ultramar starts a little earlier, 5 a.m., and also offers two more departures to Isla Mujeres after 10 p.m., at 11 p.m. and midnight. If your hotel is close to Playa Tortugas (Pier Turtle Beach), Ultramar also offer departures
from here — near Fat Tuesdays — in the Hotel Zone, but it costs $15 round-trip as opposed to $6.50 and there are only six departures on the hour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pay at the ticket office — or, if the ferry is
about to leave, you can pay onboard.

Traveling Around Isla Mujeres and Cozumel

In recent years, Isla has seen the emergence of several smaller but decidedly upscale places to stay. Anyone wanting the proximity and ease of arrival that Cancún offers — but not the excesses for which Cancún is
famous — should seriously consider these new options on Isla Mujeres, where a trip to the mainland is less than an hour if you do choose to enjoy its shopping or dining. Isla’s budget-priced hotels as well as their more luxury-oriented offerings both offer excellent values — Isla tends to be one of the better bargains among Mexico’s resorts. Its location, so close to the excellent air access of Cancún, makes this spot a great choice for travelers wanting an authentic Mexican beach experience at a great price.

Isla Mujeres

Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) is a casual, laid-back refuge from the

hyper-commercial action of Cancún, visible across a narrow channel.

This island of white-sand beaches is surrounded by shallow waters for

swimming and complemented by a town filled with pastel-colored clapboard

houses and rustic, open-air seafood restaurants. Just 8km (5 miles)

long and 4km (21⁄2 miles) wide, this fish-shaped island is known as the

best value in the Caribbean, assuming that you favor an easygoing vacation

pace and prefer simplicity to pretense.

Located just 13km (8 miles) northeast of Cancún, “Isla” — as the locals

call it — is a quick boat ride away, making it a popular daytime excursion.

However, to fully explore the small village of shops and cafes, relax

at the broad, tranquil Playa Norte, or snorkel or dive El Garrafón Reef (a

national underwater park), you may need more time. Overnight accommodations

range from rustic to offbeat chic on this small island where

relaxation rules.

Francisco Hernández de Córdoba landed here in 1517 and gave the

island its name upon seeing small statues of partially clad females along

the shore. These objects are now believed to have been offerings to the

Maya goddess of fertility and the moon, Ixchel. Their presence is an indication

that the island was probably sacred to the Maya.

At midday, suntanned visitors hang out in open-air cafes and stroll streets

lined with frantic souvenir vendors. Calling out for attention to their

bargain-priced wares, the vendors provide a carnival atmosphere to the

hours when tour-boat traffic is at its peak. Befitting the size of the island,

most of the traffic consists of golf carts, motos (also called mopeds), and

bicycles. Once the tour boats leave, however, Isla Mujeres reverts back to

its more typical, tranquil way of life, where taking a siesta in a hammock is

a favored pastime.