Ramon's Isla Mujeres Guide

This little island is so special to me. I arrived during Covid and have stayed here for months in total.

Arrival information + Getting around

Fly into Cancun. From there, the best way is to have someone pick you up (WhatsApp Arturo Mora: ‭+52 998 214 3545‬)

If you’re staying more than a day trip, I would highly recommend renting a golf cart to explore the island. The typical rates are broken down to 2-4 hours, day (ending around 5pm) or 24 hours.

Island breakdown

The entire island is only about 7km/4miles long. 70% of the commerce is in the northern tip of the island. Here, you can expect to pay USD for everything you do. That said, it is my personal preference to stay here because of the accessibility to Playa Norte and all the restaurants.

Punta Sur is the southern end, where Mexico sees the sun first. Nobody stays here but there are a number of Airbnbs and boutique hotels on the way here.

Where to stay

I’ve only stayed at one place: Hotel Secreto (+ an airbnb once because Secreto was fully booked)

For that, I’m not the best person to give advice on accommodation. Here’s what I know, based on talking to a bunch of people: You want to either stay in the north of island or a hotel/resort in the rest of the island, where you will definitely need to take taxis, buses, or rent golf carts to get around.

On the higher end, you have Zoeltry, a Hyatt-owned small luxury hotel. It is all inclusive and has some of the best service and views on the island. Otherwise, there are a number of hotels all over the island in the mid to low range ($300/night to $50/night). On the lower end of price, there's the Selina (north) and Nomads (south), both are great for backpackers + digital nomads. They offer private rooms and dorms at a reasonable/seasonal price.

What to do

This page is really good: https://www.islandlifemexico.com/isla-mujeres-guide/

Personally, I enjoy walking around, drinking coconut water, listening to live music wherever I find a local artist, eating tacos on the street (rarely in restaurants), and watching the sunset everyday at Playa Norte. On Sundays, I love to go dance during sunset at Green Demon Beach Club.

What to eat

Zoetry Villa Rolandi - This is where we go for special occasions. Unbeatable oceanside dining + high quality of food and service. It is on the pricey end.

Mango Cafe - Coconut French toast & mango aguaschiles are two things my sister gets every time we are at the island (around half a dozen time?)

La Lomita - Chilles Rellenos Queso and Poc Chuc from a local joint (a bit touristy these days) but still run by the same people for years.

Taqueria Tonichos

North Garden - Cute breakfast spot. Definitely caters to Americans as the portions are huge and sweet.

Lettys - I tried almost everything on the menu.. reliable cheap eats but nothing note worthy.

Taco Tumbras - this place is super popular. I think it is decent especially if you are afraid of street tacos.

Ruben’s - overall a reliable place to get food in the north part.

Roosters - their house special eggs Benedict is really good (a little spicy)

Mamma Rosa - Maria the owner is actually from Italy. I’ve been about a dozen times and I really enjoyed the carbonara and meatballs

There are a few taco spot on Adolfo Lopez near the post office. I don’t know the name of it but its a white sign with red words for carnitas. Please only eat during lunch hour for peak freshness.