Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres (Women Island) is a small island north of Cancún. Spanish explorers gave it this name after finding many figurines of the goddess Ix-chel on the beaches. A bunch of us met up on the island the day after the wedding to explore its sites and sights.
Popular island transportation includes golf carts. Our group of eight fit nicely in two as we buzzed across the length and width of the island.
The Tortugranja (turtle farm) was tricky to find. Since I was the Spanish expert in our group (yikes!), asking for directions was my responsibility. One of the larger residents and an unusual palm tree are pictured below.
Punta Sur (South Point) was our primary destination even though we opted out of the main attraction of snorkeling. Here we enjoyed visiting the [tiny] Caribbean Village, walking the winding paths of the sculpture garden, seeing the Mayan ruins, and climbing the cliff paths toward the water’s edge.
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This is the smallest
archeological site I've seen, but at least I can add it to my list ;-).
This Mayan temple to Ix-chel, the fertility goddess, also served as an observatory. |
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This plaque hangs on the cliffs behind you as you look out at the scene pictured below.
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Hacienda Mundaca was built by a pirate and slave trader in the middle of the island. He dedicated it to a young woman he loved, but she married someone else. The grounds were quiet and pretty. We stumbled upon a tiny zoo where we saw monkeys, a deer, and a jaguar.
