Just north of Puerto Juarez is the embarkation point for the boat trip to Isla Mujeres, 6 miles away. There is air service from Merida and Cozumel daily, direct or on a circuit that may include Chichen Itza. The round trip by boat can be made in I day if you get to Puerto Juarez early enough, though a growing number of hotel accommodations on the island allow you to stay overnight and revel in the tranquility and solitude. Thatch roofed huts, few cars, and the whisper of palms mingle to create a carefree, manana attitude.
Until recently, Isla Mujeres hadn't changed much since its discovery in 1517. The Conquerors named it not for the women on the island, as legend would have us believe (mujeres is Spanish for women), but rather for the many small terra cotta figurines of women they found among the Maya ruins when they explored the island.
Isla Mujeres is only 7 miles long and less than a mile wide. A popular boating excursion includes a look at a crumbling Maya ruin, a stop for swimming or snorkeling, and a seafood lunch. Sailing, fishing, and water skiing are other activities you can indulge in that is, if you can't tolerate the quietude that's really the island*% greatest asset.
Rainbow hued tropical fish flash in the remarkably clear turquoise water along the jetties on the leeward side of the island. You'll want to swim, fish, or skin dive here. On the windward side, the surf thunders against the shore.
