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9 Things to Be Careful of in Isla Mujeres!

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cozumel vs isla mujeres things to be careful of

Isla Mujeres is a beautiful island located just off the coast of Cancun. It’s a popular tourist destination with stunning beaches, delicious food, and friendly locals! However, when it comes to traveling, it’s always important to be aware of things that could potentially put you at risk. In this article, let’s discuss the things you should be careful of when visiting Isla Mujeres.

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Is Isla Mujeres Safe?

With the name meaning “Island of Women”, Isla Mujeres was a sacred place where women went to worship the goddess Ixchel, the goddess of medicine and fertility. Today, Isla Mujeres is a popular spot for swimming, snorkeling, and relaxing on the beach. Many people visit Isla Mujeres each year to enjoy the sun, sand, and sea. While Isla Mujeres is generally a safe place to visit, there are a few things you should keep in mind to help ensure your trip is safe and smooth!

9 Things to Be Careful of in Isla Mujeres

1. Don’t be late for your ferry

If you’re planning on taking the ferry to Isla Mujeres, it’s important to arrive early. The earlier ferry is typically less crowded, so you’ll be able to get a seat more easily. Additionally, the island is busiest in the late morning and early afternoon, so getting there early will help you avoid the crowds.

⛴️ Cancun <-> Isla Mujeres Ferry Schedules & Tickets

The ferry ticket costs $18 one way or $25 round trip, with a reduced price of 50% off for children. If you purchase the round trip ticket, you will have free access to the Scenic Tower of Cancun (Torre Escénica de Cancun).

Try to arrive about 15 minutes before the departure time on your ticket. If you’re in line to board early, you will be able to secure better seats. Also, since the ferry runs on the hour, if you miss a ferry, you will have to wait for another hour.

Tip: Consider booking an All-Inclusive Isla Mujeres Catamaran Tour as it may be a more cost-effective and hassle-free option for a day trip to Isla Mujeres. For $60, the catamaran tour already includes round-trip boat transportation, lunch, an open bar, spinnaker activity, beach club access on Isla Mujeres, and a stop at a beautiful reef between Cancun and Isla Mujeres for snorkeling (equipment is also included)!

⛵Book the Diamond Bright All-Inclusive Isla Mujeres Catamaran Tour with Lunch, Open Bar, Snorkeling & Spinnaker Activity Here!

isla mujeres catamaran tour

If you’re looking to upgrade for a more VIP experience, the Albatros Platinum Isla Mujeres Catamaran Tour is a great option. I have done both the regular tour and the platinum package, so I could speak from experience that the upgrade is worth it!

The Albatros Platinum Isla Mujeres Catamaran Tour has more alcohol and cocktail options for the open bar. The VIP beach club is much less crowded, with more cabanas and hammock swings to relax. For lunch, you can order food from the à la carte menu with no extra cost instead of having a box lunch or a buffet like other catamaran tour packages. You can order as many à la carte dishes as you want so it’s technically like a buffet, but the food was so much better.

2. Don’t drink tap water

While tap water on the island of Isla Mujeres is perfectly fine to use for showering, it may contain harmful bacteria that can cause stomach upset if consumed. As a result, you should avoid drinking or even washing your teeth with tap water in Isla Mujeres. It’s safest to drink bottled water on the island, but if you can’t, at least boil some water before drinking it.

3. Be careful with the sun and heat

Isla Mujeres is a beautiful island paradise, and the sun is one of its best features. However, the sun can also be incredibly strong, especially during the summer months. That’s why it’s important to wear sunscreen and drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

If you start to feel dizzy or lightheaded, make sure to find a shady spot to cool down. With a little planning and preparation, you can enjoy the sun safely while exploring all that Isla Mujeres has to offer.

Sunscreen can be costly in Mexico – up to four times the price you might pay in the US. Don’t get caught off guard on your vacation – make sure to stock up on sunscreen before you go.

Some tour operators won’t let you enter the water if you put on non-reef-safe sunscreen. Protect yourself and the ocean by purchasing Reef-Safe SPF 50 Sunscreen Lotion now!

Regular sunscreen contains chemicals that can harm the coral and other marine life, which is why many tour guides and local businesses in Mexico are committed to promoting the use of reef-safe sunscreen.

In fact, while scuba diving at Casa Cenote, one of the best cenotes in Mexico, I saw a guard yelling at people for using regular sunscreen!

This really drove home the importance of using reef-safe sunscreen to protect the health of the reef. Not only will you be doing your part to protect the environment, but you’ll also be supporting local businesses that rely on the health of the reef.

4. Practice caution when swimming

Isla Mujeres is generally safe for tourists to enjoy the clear blue waters and white sand beaches. However, it’s important to be cautious when swimming and to follow the advice of locals or lifeguards.

Always watch out for the currents and tides as well as some sea creatures that can cause rashes upon contact such as jellyfishes. If you are not a strong swimmer, it is best to stay in shallow water where you can touch the bottom.

🤿 Don’t let the hassle of adjusting to a separate snorkel mask and breathing tube hold you back from enjoying the beauty of the sea, consider buying a full face snorkel mask instead!

I bought it last minute in Mexico for almost 70 U.S dollars and loved it so much that I had to get another one for my husband. But you can get it on Amazon for much cheaper!

5. Be aware of your surroundings

It’s always best to stick to well-lit, populated areas where there are people around in case you need help. If you do find yourself in a less populated area, use common sense and be aware of your surroundings.

Pay attention to who is around you and what they’re doing, and trust your instincts if something doesn’t feel right. It’s also a good idea to have a plan for how you’re going to get back to the hotel before you set out, so you’re not left stranded in an unfamiliar place. By following these simple tips, you can help keep yourself safe and avoid potential hazards when traveling.

6. Beware of pickpocketing

While pickpocketing isn’t a high risk in Isla Mujeres, it’s important to remember that it can happen at any tourist destination and to be prepared. Since most restaurants and tour operators in Isla Mujeres accept credit cards, you don’t have to carry a lot of cash with you. Just have some in case of emergency or if you want to buy local souvenirs.

7. Don’t assume that it is cheaper to pay in pesos

Although it is generally cheaper to pay in local currency, especially if you have a credit card with no foreign transaction fee, it may not be the case in Isla Mujeres, Cancun, and Riviera Maya. I actually learned this the hard way and lost quite some money before figuring this out.

In Isla Mujeres, Cancun, and Riviera Maya, many restaurants and hotels use an outdated exchange rate. This means that you may get a better deal by paying in US dollars instead of pesos. For example, if they use an exchange rate from last year when 1 USD was equal to 21 pesos, a hotel room that costs 4200 pesos would cost 200 USD. However, if the rate now is 1 USD equals 20 pesos, 4200 pesos would be 210 USD. In this case, if you ask to pay in dollars, you would only have to pay $200, while if you pay in pesos, it would end up costing you $210 for the same room!

To avoid being overcharged, you can ask for the price in both pesos and USD. Ultimately, the decision of whether to pay in local currency or in US dollars should be made on a case-by-case basis. It may not be worth it to ask all the time, but definitely for bigger purchases!

8. Be prepared to bargain

While the island is an idyllic place to relax and soak up the sun, there are a lot of vendors on the streets or by the beaches, and some of them can be pushy. It’s important to be firm with them and to say no if you’re not interested in their products or services. Make sure to bargain – they will usually start with a high price but will come down if you negotiate. Ultimately, a little haggling is part of the fun of spending a day on the beach in Isla Mujeres.

9. Get ready to say “no” to timeshare presentations

At the ferry pier, while you wait to board your ferry or catamaran, you may run into vacation club promoters. These promoters may try to offer you free transportation to the hotel/airport or incredibly cheap tours in exchange for “90 minutes of your time”.

So what are these “90 minutes” for?

The promoters will promise to take you on to tour a fancy resort, give you a free breakfast, and then a little presentation – all for 90 minutes – and after that, you will get the free tour or transportation as mentioned.

While this offer may seem appealing, this so-called “90-minute presentation” never ends in 90 minutes. You may end up losing at least half a day listening to an extremely high-pressured sales pitch (again, talking from experience). One time, I was stuck at a timeshare presentation for almost 11 hours… No kidding! I was bad at saying no, and they just kept switching sales representatives to talk to me.

So, unless you can lock down thousands of dollars (in most cases, between $20,000 USD to $30,000 USD) for a membership which is basically a commitment to come back or send people to the hotel every year, you will most likely waste a lot of precious vacation time at these sales pitches.

If you have never been to a timeshare presentation before, here is a little guideline to help you determine if you should go for a presentation or not.

If your answers to the questions below are yes, you could potentially benefit from owning a timeshare. If the answers are no, a timeshare is likely not for you, and the timeshare presentation would be pointless.

  • Are you retired or having financial independence that will enable you to have lots of vacation days?
  • Do all your family members love traveling but do not mind going to the same place?
  • Are you having excess cash to put down thousands of dollars without taking a loan?
  • Do you plan to monetize this investment and are willing to spend time promoting it?

Now, if your answers to the below questions are yes, you may find a timeshare presentation worth it to get free transportation and/or a deep discount on tours. It really depends on your situation and how much you value your time vs money, but these three questions could help you find the answer.

  • Do you have a lot of days in Mexico that you are willing to spare a day?
  • Are you on a tight budget and could use some extra bucks?
  • Are you curious about how timeshare works?

If the answers are no, then you should just politely say no to all the promoters approaching you to enjoy your peaceful vacation!

Isla Mujeres vs Cozumel: Which is better for Vacation?

The Wrap-Up: Things to Be Careful of in Isla Mujeres

Isla Mujeres is a beautiful island just about a 15-minute boat ride from Cancun, and it is generally safe to travel to the island. However, there are a few things to be careful of when visiting Isla Mujeres.

I hope you have found helpful information in this article. By following some simple safety tips and using your common sense, you can avoid these problems and have a safe and great time on the island!

Mexico Travel Resources

  1. Travel Insurance:
    • No one wants to think about what could go wrong on a vacation, but the truth is that accidents can happen anywhere, at any time. That’s why it’s always a good idea to have travel insurance, so you can relax and enjoy your trip knowing that you’re covered if something does go wrong. Don’t take the risk when you can be covered for cheap.
    • Safety Wing is a great option for budget-conscious travelers, as policies start at just $40 USD for an entire month! Basic policies cover travel emergencies, medical costs, and medical expenses while you’re in Mexico as well as transportation back to your home country under circumstances.
  2. Car Rental Scam
    • Don’t fall for car rental scams in Mexico! Make sure you have full coverage when you make the reservation so car rental agencies can’t upsell their insurance.
    • Discover Cars offers the cheapest car rental rates in Mexico and full coverage insurance for as low as $7 per day. 
  3. Popular Travel Guides in Mexico