Craig

We will only be in Cancun 3 days and we were wondering which (if any) island we should go to to snorkel. We don't scuba, but would like to snorkel. I realize that Cozumel has THE best snorkeling, but given our limited time, would Isla Mujeres be the better choice? I am under the impression that Isla Mujeres would not take as long to get to and see (we are staying on the northern end of the hotel zone..Grand Coral Beach). Or do we take an entire day and go to Cozumel??? All opinions would be helpful!<BR>Thanks! One other thing..how do you pronounce "Isla Mujeres"...I can't find a pronunctiation anywhere...<BR>Craig

Susan

You're right - snorkeling is much much better from Cozumel, but if you only have 3 days, I probably would chose Isla Mujeres. Isla Mujeres is a very easy day trip. You can take a cab to Puerto Juarez and then ferry over to Isla. You could spend the day at the park (which is expensive) or you could go to the hotel right next to the park and snorkel there. It's much less expensive and they are literally side by side. We went to the park a few years ago when it was cheap - now it's like $40 USD for the day. If you went to Cozumel, you have to get to Playa del Carmen (probably bus) and then ferry over to Cozumel - whole trip would be maybe 3 hours. Double that and you've got a long day.

Nancy

Hi Craig,<BR>A trip over to Cozumel would definitely take an entire day. It's 45 min. to PDC via taxi or bus, 45 min. on the ferry, and another 30 min. to get a taxi to Chankanaab - a park with great snorkeling.<BR>Another option besides Isla Mujeres (Eezla Moo-hair-ayz) would be to rent a car and go down to Akumal (about an hour south of Cancun) and spend the day there. Great snorkeling at Yalku lagoon or in the two bays (Half Moon and Akumal), a beautiful beach, and some really neat restaurants/bars. The road is wide and new, and it's a neat day trip that would probably get you back into town earlier than going to IM or Cozumel.

Susan

Nancy, I never even thought about Akumal. That would be a really nice day trip. I liked the snorkeling at Akumal and it's an easy road to drive. We've usually stayed in PDC (or Cozumel) and rented a car and made a day trip down the coast. That would be a great alternative and you wouldn't have to worry about catching the ferry, etc. You could stop off in a couple of places and do a bit of exploring.

Mark

Go down to the Fiesta Americana marina and arrange for Pablo to take you out on his Maxum. You can negotiate the length of the trip and the fee. There is excellent snorkeling about 1 mile out from the marina, about 1/3 of the way to Isla Mujeres.