Meagan Drillinger
No
doubt Mexico’s most famous island is Cozumel, a major cruise port and
destination in the Caribbean Sea. And while Cozumel is a hotbed of tourist
activity, Mexico has a slew of other islands that are also worth visiting. Isla
Mujeres is an island escape just a quick ferry ride from Cancun. Travelers are
flocking to Isla Mujeres looking for a slower-paced environment compared with
the bar-and-restaurant scene of Cancun. The island is peppered with laid-back
beach bars that serve fresh seafood and is also home to Garrafon Natural Reef
Park, a great place for snorkeling, ziplining, kayaking, swimming with dolphins, biking and hiking. Isla Mujeres can be tackled by day or can be the main event if booking a
stay in one of the many beach resorts on the island. Consider Casa de Los
Suenos (casasuenos.com), a secluded boutique hotel with only 10 rooms.
Isla
Holbox is another Mexican island in the Caribbean that is relatively untapped
by travelers, although more people certainly have become aware of it after the
New York Times named it one of its top places to
visit in Mexico in 2016 (ranking it behind only Mexico City and Todo Santos).
The island is part of the protected area of the
Yum-Balam, Mexico’s largest ecological reserve, and its intentional lack of
development means travelers are enjoying unspoiled nature. Boating is one of
the top activities on Holbox, and day trips skirt the coast and visit Pajaros
Island, a bird sanctuary. Other highlights include the Yalahau lagoon, where
dolphin sightings are common. From May to September, swimming with whale sharks
is a popular activity.
If even Isla Holbox seems too “crowded,” make your way over to
even more sparsely populated Isla Contoy. The entire island is 1.2 square miles
and has been declared a national park. The island is so small that it only has
a capacity of 200 tourists per day. A visit to Isla Contoy can done in a day from
Cancun or Isla Mujeres; the trip is about two hours by boat and along the way
visitors have an opportunity to snorkel in the Ixlache Reef. The island itself
features a stretch of empty beaches and prime snorkeling spots.
Over on Mexico’s west coast lie Islas Marietas, a small group of
uninhabited islands off the coast of Puerto Vallarta that are teeming with
wildlife. Snorkeling around the islands will be one of your highlights on a
visit to Puerto Vallarta. The waters surrounding the volcanic islands are home
to sea turtles, manta rays, octopuses, wild dolphins and humpback whales. When
the tide is just right, you can snorkel to a hidden beach that is inside a hollowed-out
cave with a massive natural skylight. Consider tour company Vallarta Adventures
to arrange this excursion.
Surfers will flock to Isla Todos Santos, a pair of islands off the
Baja peninsula. This area is one of the biggest surf spots in the world; surfers
can crash in Ensenada and access the islands by boat to spend the day with sea
lions, seals, pelicans and cormorants. Isla Todos Santos are a diver’s paradise,
as well, home to underwater gardens and caves.
One of the more uncommon island experiences in Mexico can be found
on Isla Espiritu Santo. This island off the coast of La Paz in the Sea of
Cortes is a 23,800-acre, preserved desert. The island is a protected biosphere,
home to manta rays, dolphins, gray whales and gray sharks. Make it a day trip from
La Paz or come for a night of camping. Kayaking, scuba diving and hiking are
just some of the activities to explore on the island’s lunarlike landscape.