ISLA MUJERES (ISLAND OF WOMEN) - MEXICO

This is where I have Spent part of my last few weeks and became one of the favorite places which I visited on this trip. 

Above shows Playa Norte beach, just a 2 minute walk from the hostel....pretty close to what you may call paradise! It has warm shallow, clear water which you can walk out to sea for miles. 

Isla Mujeres is a ferry journey from cancun and is a relieve from the busy built up tourist infested Cancun. It has a population of 14,000, and the main way of transport is by golf buggies or scooters. 

The Streets are brightly coloured and vibrant due to the Pintando Isla Mujeres program which invited 400 artists from all around the workd to paint many of the town's buildings, which makes it a fun and interesting place to have a wander!

Another incredible thing about this island is that you can swim with whale sharks which was an incredible experience. You have a boat out about 40 minutes where we saw dolphins on the way out. You then arrive to an area where there are about 200 whale sharks around the boat, it is just amazing. You then jump in the water and swim right beside them so close that you could touch them. I was amazed by these incredible creatures. They where so huge but yet so harmless and did not even seem to notice you swimming beside them. Although a whale shark will not harm you the slightly disconcerting thing was that apparently bull sharks sim just below, and they are not so friendly!

Legand has it that the name Isla Mujeres goes back to the Spanish buccaneers, who kept there lovers in safe seclusion here while they plundered galleons and pillaged ports on the mainland.  An alternative theory is that in 1517, when Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba sailed from Cuba and arrived here to procure slaves, the expedition deiscovered a stone temple containing clay figurines of Maya goddesses, it is thought that Cordoba named the island after the icons. 

It is also thought by archaeologists that the island was a stop over for the Maya en route to worship their goddess of fertility, Ixchel, on Isla Cozumel. The island may also of been involved in the Maya Salt trade, which extended along the coastline. 

If you ever get the chance to go to this beautiful Island stay in Poc-Na hostel where you will meet many other traveller's, and be sure to have a relaxed lunch at Mananas. And of course be sure to swim with the whale sharks if it is the right season which is May - September.