Although the journey there with all our luggage was exciting, when we arrived, we felt a bit like paradise. Although Isla Mujeres (a small island off Cancún) is no less touristy, everything is much more tasteful: instead of huge hotel bunkers, the island is mostly full of small, traditional houses where hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops hide.
After leaving all our luggage at our accommodation, curiosity got the better of us and we headed straight to Playa del Norte (the most famous and beautiful beach on the island) and had the pleasure of enjoying a Caribbean beach for the second time that day and, even more importantly, swimming in the Caribbean for the first time.
Playa del Norte Playa del Norte
We ended the day with super delicious burritos and fajitas for dinner...
Plate in front: fajitas, plate in back: red burritos
...and a cocktail :-)
Dessert: Mango Daiquiri and Cuba Libre
03. August
We hit the jackpot with our accommodation. Not only was the room clean and the location perfect, but we also had a very nice host who surprised us with a very delicious and beautifully presented breakfast.
Fresh fruit and coffee for breakfast
After breakfast, he gave us the tip to go snorkeling, which he then accompanied us directly to and organized the tour for us. Before we knew it, we were sitting at the harbor waiting for our boat and boat guides.
Heading out on a snorkeling tour
Fortunately, our initial skepticism quickly disappeared. At the first stop, there were many beautiful fish to see, at the second stop, there were corals, and the third stop was at an underwater museum (with sunken statues and objects). Luckily, I remembered at the last second to bring the underwater case for my camera - although I still need to practice underwater photography. Unfortunately, I only managed to take a few snapshots.
Crystal clear water and colorful fish
After snorkeling, we took the boat to a really nice beach, where our boat guides grilled fresh fish for us and we ate together.
Our boat guides 'in the kitchen'
While they were cooking, we had time to enjoy the beach and the sea.
Another beach in the Caribbean
Palm trees and white sandy beach
Then the food was ready: freshly grilled fish, rice, tacos, and spaghetti. Very delicious!
In the background: our boat guides
Freshly grilled fish with rice, tacos, spaghetti, and salad
After dinner, we took the boat back and when we arrived back at our accommodation, we were so tired that we took a long nap. In the late afternoon, we went out again to a beach that was only a minute's walk from our accommodation and was almost always empty because swimming was not allowed there.
A peaceful and beautiful spot
We went back to Playa del Norte for sunset, but unfortunately, a cloud moved in front of the sun just before it dipped into the sea.
Sunset at Playa del Norte
04. August
The next morning, delicious burritos awaited us for breakfast.
Burritos for breakfast
After breakfast, we went out one last time to enjoy the wonderful sea before we unfortunately had to return to the mainland with the ferry. In order to take the bus from Cancún to Mérida.
Turquoise sea and white sandy beach
One last photo on the beach
Saying goodbye on such a beautiful island was really difficult, but at the same time, I was really excited to finally arrive in Mérida and see where I will be studying for the next five months.
Again, it was quite exhausting to get from the island to the bus station with all our luggage in over 30° heat, but everything worked out fine, we arrived in Mérida after a four-hour bus ride and were picked up there by Andrea (a Mexican student who did her semester abroad in Ravensburg last year).