tlegray

I know this is probably an over asked question, but, I have searched here, other internet options, and books. From my research Cancun has the best beaches with Isla Mujeres, and Playa del Carmen following in that order. But Cancun seems a bit overcrowded to me and all the properties are huge.

My husband and I have never been to the Yucatan Penisula and the more reseach I do the more confused I become.

We are looking for smaller resorts and want an ocean view with balcony. Hearing the surf is a must. We would pay up to $300/night for non-inclusive and more for all-inclusive. We are not party people and we are not big drinkers though we like an occasional cocktail. We do like people watching. What we are most looking for is relaxation on a beach. Of course we would like to take in some water sports, but relaxation is our main concern.

I'm leaning toward Isla Mujeres and Hotel Secreto, but am afraid we will spend all our days on a ferry back to the mainland.

Thanks in advance.

JeanH

During our first trip to Cancun about five years ago, I remember saying to my husband "What are we going to do here for a week?" We ended up spending two days on Isla Mujeres. (We did manage to fill our other days, but Cancun is definitely not our style.)

A few years later we returned to the Yucatan and stayed on Isla, next door to Secreto, at Media Luna. Wonderful views, pounding surf, beautiful sand and water. Not swimmable right there, but Playa Norte is less than a five minute walk away. We really enjoy Isla, but others are put off by the more obvious poverty, and that you're really in the middle of a small Mexican town (although it is touristy).

You might also consider Tulum. I personally think those are the most beautiful beaches. But, I wouldn't stay there again for more than a couple days without a car.

tlegray

Thank you Jean.

I'd prefer not to have a car for the full week, but will rent a car for a day to go to Tulum or other site. I would totally write off Cancun if it weren't rated as the top beach in the Yucatan. Actually Cancun is at the bottom of our list. Playa del Carmen (Shangra-la Caribe Hotle) is a close second to Isla Mujeres and Tulum has been considered and maybe again depending on recommends.

Little_Man

this is a perennial question! You can do a search and find a lot of answers.
Cancun can get a bad rap because of the hotel zone bar zone and some cheesy all inclusives and the overly built up hotel zone...but if you are careful about where you stay, the beach there is truly unbelievable (2nd only to Tulum,IMHO).
At least it was pre-Wilma.
I think there's a lot of snobbery about Cancun, often by folks who've never been there & who have preconceived notions that it's all spring break.
There are great restaurants downtown, too. It's an excellent base for traveling the area.

cantstayhome

It's been awhile for me, too, since I've been to Cancun, but I second the restaurants in town in Cancun. Definitely worth a trip if you end up in Cancun, or if you end up on Isla Mujeres. When we went to Isla Mujeres, we were there for just the day and I remember thinking "If we ever come back, we're staying here . . . ." Never been to Playa del Carmen, though. There was a fantastic little hut on the beach in Isla Mujeres, wish I knew the name, where they served grilled fish, right on the beach. Ahhh....

Ryberg

"From my research Cancun has the best beaches with Isla Mujeres, and Playa del Carmen following in that order."

I'm surprised that no one has commented on that point yet, as you should probably reverse that order, more or less, at present, given the ravaging effects of Hurricane Wilma on the beaches of Cancun and at least to some extent on Isla, as well. (At one point the ocean had literally cut off a resort on one end of Isla, overflowing the road through a narrow section of island that leads to it.) A massive beach recuperation project is underway in Cancun, as we speak, but you may well find the beaches in Playa are currently the best of those 3 destinations, as Playa was not hit nearly as hard as the others.

Steve

tlegray

Thank you all so much. I promise I have been searching and not only here. It's all so bewildering. I expect people to have their favorites I'd just like to know why.

Having never been to Cancun and seeing all the hotels on the web, the places are huge. One place had over 1000 rooms. There are a few smaller ones with about 250. I can deal with the smaller places if I decide on Cancun. Right now I'm leaning toward Isla Mujeres; my main concern is will I spend everyday going to the mainland.

Thanks again.

SusanMargaret

We have stayed on Isla many times, sometimes for one week, sometimes for two. Only once have we gone over to Cancun during our holiday and that was on a miserable rainy day - we went to Plaza La Isla (a relatively new, outdoor mall). If you are content to walk, swim, read and people watch, and enjoy eating in small, unpretentious restaurants, Isla is for you and you will not be bored. In fact you will probably not want to leave!

tlegray

Thank you Margaret. Isla Mujeres sounds like what we're hoping for. We won't be going until the end of the year so here's hoping that it doesn't get hit by a another hurricane.

schmerl

You might want to look into Akumal. The beaches there are beautiful and the cute little town is right there. People rave about the Akumal Beach Resort. Check out this site:
http://www.locogringo.com/forums/tt.asp?forumid=1

pammyspam

tlegray,

Just back from Ilsa Mujeres. Loved it! We will be going back. Hotel Secreto looks like a great place to stay. It would have been our choice, but it was not in the budget.

We opted for a little less expensive at Villa las Brisas. VLB is a B&B owned by an American couple. 6 rooms - palapa 1 (open air - views-crashing waves- swinging bed and hammock) and the honeymoon suite (ac- 2 balconies)are the best options. Best breakfast on the island and great drinks at the bar. Very intimate, quiet and laid back, but away from the downtown area. Was not a problem for us---it forced us to see all of the island by renting a golf cart. Taxis to town are also easy to get and about $1.50.

The only reason to go back to the mainland would be to take tours of the Mayan ruins. We were having so much fun and relaxing on the island that we opted to skip any tours. We had lunch and dinner at a different place each day ranging from tacos with the locals at the baseball field to a romantic dinner watching the sunset at Casa O's -one of the more upscale restaurants. People watching at the beach bars at Playa Norte beach and at the sidwalk bars on Hildalgo St. in downtown was great fun.

Cantstayhome - was the fish shack on the beach perhaps at Playa Lancheros? We had a delicious fresh caught grilled whole fish there for lunch one day follwed by a relaxing afternoon at a beach club a short walk away.

It's a beautiful island with very friendly, happy people. Regarding a posters mention of poverty. Yes, there are people who are poor, but there is no begging on the streets, the vendors on the beach go away when you say no thank you

pammyspam

tlegray,

Just back from Ilsa Mujeres. Loved it! We will be going back. Hotel Secreto looks like a great place to stay. It would have been our choice, but it was not in the budget.

We opted for a little less expensive at Villa las Brisas. VLB is a B&B owned by an American couple. 6 rooms - palapa 1 (open air - views-crashing waves- swinging bed and hammock) and the honeymoon suite (ac- 2 balconies)are the best options. Best breakfast on the island and great drinks at the bar. Very intimate, quiet and laid back, but away from the downtown area. Was not a problem for us---it forced us to see all of the island by renting a golf cart. Taxis to town are also easy to get and about $1.50.

The only reason to go back to the mainland would be to take tours of the Mayan ruins. We were having so much fun and relaxing on the island that we opted to skip any tours. We had lunch and dinner at a different place each day ranging from tacos with the locals at the baseball field to a romantic dinner watching the sunset at Casa O's -one of the more upscale restaurants. People watching at the beach bars at Playa Norte beach and at the sidewalk bars on Hildalgo St. in downtown was great fun.

Cantstayhome - was the fish shack on the beach perhaps at Playa Lancheros? We had a delicious fresh caught grilled whole fish there for lunch one day follwed by a relaxing afternoon at a beach club a short walk away.

It's a beautiful island with very friendly, happy, family oriented people. Regarding a posters mention of poverty. Yes, people are poor (especially those who lost their homes in the hurricane), but there is no begging on the streets, the vendors on the beach go away when you say no thank you politely and there are a fair number of residents who are "middle class". It just a very different standard and lifestyle than what we are used to.

We are hooked on Isla and plan to return next year.