Isla Mujeres - an Island off the coast of Cancun

(some pictures are clickable for a hi-res version)

Isla Mujeres (the Island of Women) is located about 5 miles off the coast of Cancun. The most popular thing to do is rent a golf cart for 3 or 4 hours and visit the island. It's really tiny and a few hours zooming around with the cart will give you the entire tour. Let's start at the North End.

North Beach is pure white sand and rarely are there ever any waves as it is protected by the winds. There are a few bars on the beach but watch carefully for the prices!

Stay alert on the East Coast on the way to the lighthouse and you will notice this strange house designed by an artist but lived in by a Mexican gentleman who speaks English.

The artist that designed the shell house drew the most fantastic painting I have ever seen. The more you look at this painting the more you will see. Don’t see anything unusual yet? Have a look at the beard and you will see that it is made up of humans. Then you will notice the rest of it.

I was totally impressed with the ingenuity and talent of this artist!

The southern point of the island has a breath taking view of the sea. Go to the lighthouse and walk down the cement path and take the stairs to the sea. Be careful if the surf is up, it frequently washes against the walkway here and you can be dragged into the ocean! There are no ropes, guard rails, people advising you etc and definately there will be nobody to assist you if you ‘fall over the edge.’

The secret of Isla Mujeres! About half way back to town you will see a red wall at a curvy intersection. There will be vendors selling soft drinks under the trees. Take a visit to this place... inside the gates is the remains of a house of a real pirate named Fermin Anonio Mundaca. The tourists rarely find out about this.

The locals will tell you that Fermin met an Isla Mujeres girl but she would never marry him. He has a false grave at the cemetary close to North Beach, but he is really buried in Merida... a city 4 hours up the coast. If you go to the cemetery in Isla Mujeres, turn right when you go in and you will find the false grave about 20 feet ahead (remove your hat and sunglasses when entering the cemetary - and check out the electric graves too). Complete with skull and crossbone engravings! Spooky.

In Merida he had his own tombstone made. Engraved are the words (in Spanish) "As you are now, I once was. How I am now, you will be." Many people say that the false grave on Isla Mujeres says this but I have not seen the words on his stone. Yeeks! Shiver me timbers.

Sail to Isla Mujeres on a Catamaran