What better place to start than at the beginning?
In the summer of 2014 I married my husband and our life of travel began.
The first stop – our honeymoon.
After lots of discussion (did we want adventure? Did we want to relax? Beach vacation? European vacation? Something filled with history?) and research we chose a nice relaxing beach vacation, and the perfect destination for us was the small island of Isla Mujeres off of the coast of Cancun in Mexico. This location had been a recommendation from a coworker at the hospital where I was working at the time. (I am a radiographer).
My husband had never left the county before, and had only flown on an airplane once ( I have been fortunate to have done both multiple times) so Mexico was the perfect destination for us. After booking our plane tickets and getting my husband his first passport we were ready to get married and get this vacation started! (Hey, planning a wedding is stressful!!)
Isla Mujeres Mexico is a small island off of the coast of Cancun. It stretches a whole 7.5 kilometers miles long (4.6 miles) and 700 meters (0.4 miles) wide at its widest point.
First we traveled by plane to Cancun. Then by taxi from the airport to the ferry that takes you to the island. We used Cancun Valet www.cancunvalet.com. They were dependable and were available to greet us immediately upon walking out of the airport. Depending on the season this company will charge $75 to $85 from the airport to the ferry. I cannot recommend a taxi or valet enough; it is the company we use every time we have visited the island. When you book your pick up date and time from the airport they will also have you book your return dates. The dock for the ferry is a good 20-minute drive depending on traffic through the city of Cancun and it is very difficult to navigate by yourself if you have never been to the region before.
The island is only reachable by boat, which means there are significantly fewer tourists on the island than are on Cancun – which is wonderful if you are looking for a relaxing beach getaway. The ferry leaves from Puerto Juarez (Gran Puerto). After the ferry docks at the island you will be greeted by charming locals with bicycles that can carry your luggage to your hotel for you if you so desire. The ferry docks on the north side of the island so you can always walk yourself and your luggage to your hotel if it is on that side of the island!
We stayed at Ixchel Beach Hotel on Playa Norte or the North beach during this trip. The hotel offers many different rooms ranging in price from $113 to $227 per night depending on the type of room and the season. Since we were here for our honeymoon we splurged a little and opted for one of the penthouse suites. We had a one bed, one bath suit with a kitchen, living room and outdoor living area that included a grill, table that could easily seat eight people and a hot tub. And of course, stunning views of the Caribbean Ocean.
The hotel provides wireless Internet (not the most reliable so if you relying on it to communicate back home or need it for work I would recommend finding an internet café or using the office workspace the hotel has, however its wonderful for updating Facebook and Instagram), beach towels, beach chairs and umbrellas, onsite laundry, money exchange (though it is important to note that almost all places on the island accept US dollars, pesos, and euros. And if you choose to stay at this hotel most restaurants let you bill to your room so you pay for all expenses at the end of your stay) and a gym (if you’re into that kind of thing while on vacation.)
Wondering what we did for a whole week in Mexico? In the next blog I will tackle what there is to do and (most importantly what to eat) on a small Mexican Island in the Caribbean Ocean!
And while I haven’t been everywhere, it is certainly on my list.
For reservations check out the hotels website . http://www.ixchelbeachhotel.com/default-en.html
, email reservation@ixchelbeachhotel.com or call toll free 1(800)638-5061
The Typical Tourist 