Tagged: beach bar, cancun, caribbean, isla mujeres, mexico, sunset, travel
Earlier this past summer, I asked for sunset pictures on my Beach Bar Bums Facebook page. The response was overwhelming but there was one clear winner – Donna Caffo’s image of the sunset from penthouse 709 at the Ixchel Beach Hotel on the island of Isla Mujeres. Even with stiff competition from other Isla Mujeres enthusiasts, Donna’s image garnered the most likes by far and combined with the pictures from her fellow Isla Mujeres fans, it was a nice reminder of why I never miss a trip to this Caribbean escape in one of the most unlikely spots.
There’s no middle ground when it comes to opinions on Cancun – you either love it or you hate it. For those of you who fall into the latter crowd, you may want to give it a second look and consider a stay on Isla Mujeres. It’s a world apart from Cancun, giving visitors a chance to experience the laid back Caribbean island lifestyle on a sliver of land just a short ferry ride from the hustle and bustle of Cancun. Cancun’s masses often forget there’s a Caribbean paradise just a few minutes away but once they step off the ferry and immerse themselves in the culture and life on this island, they won’t soon forget it.
Donna Caffo and her husband loved Isla Mujeres so much that they decided to buy a condo on the island. As evidenced in the image above, the sunsets can be some for the ages, to say the least.
“The picture was taken in May 2013 from the penthouse balcony at Ixchel. My husband and I fell in love with Isla Mujeres in 2004 when visiting together for the first time. We were looking for someplace that wasn’t so crowded compared to other places we had been going (mostly Cozumel and Playa).
How many times have you visited Isla Mujeres?
“… we have probably been 25-30 times. In 2007 we bought the penthouse mentioned in the Facebook post. Ixchel Beach Hotel is two buildings that operate as a hotel, but each unit is individually owned. 1 and 2 bedroom suites are available for rent. It sits on the best beach in all of Mexico in our opinion. Playa Norte and its calm, clear water are perfect. After almost 8 years of owning, we now have our place up for sale and look forward to exploring other accommodations on the island as well as visit other places in the Caribbean.”
What do you love about Isla Mujeres?
“We fell in love with Isla because of the beautiful clear blue water, the food (huge variety of restaurants for such a small island), the laid back atmosphere, and the warm, friendly nature of the locals.”
Closing note on the Ixchel – its proximity to the beach bars on Playa Norte make it a prime spot for any beach bar bums looking to do a little beach bar “research” while on the island.
