Isla Mujeres? Has anyone been?

[tommyi]

A friend suggested a dive trip to Isla Mujeres. I realize it probably isn't on most publications' list of best dive spots in the world but has anyone been there? Can you give me a feel for what the diving is like? I've been to the Great Barrier Reef, Thailand, PL, and Hawaii so does anyone know how Isla Mujeres compares? Also, if anyone has any recommendations for lodging, places to eat, drink etc, I would very much appreciate it. Thank you in advance for your help. - - - Tom

 

[divad]

Don't bother with the "sleeping sharks cave" dive. There are no sharks and it is otherwise fairly barren. I went on a beautiful reef dive further south.

 

[Spratman]

I have dove on Machones Reef, just beyond the Marine Reserve. I've always enjoyed the multitude of marine life on the reef structures.

It used to be you could take the ferry over and dive/snorkel in the Reserve for a couple of bucks. That is no longer the case. Now you have to pay a lot of $$'s to go on the Dolphin Discovery and that will get you into the marine reserve.

If you are staying in Cancun, I would highly recommend Mayan Aqua Dive. Mayan Aqua Dive offers Cancun Diving, Snorkeling, Cavern Diving, Cozumel Dives & PADI Courses. Contact the owner, Ben Mooney at benrmooney@yahoo.co.uk. I dive with him every year I go down, and there are great dives to experience in Cancun. Great dive packages, excellent staff and boat, pick up at your hotel and a hot DM named Marcella.

You will have a great time diving with them. When you leave, you will feel like you have left friends, not a dive op.

Safe diving!

 

[ben@scorpiodivers.com]

hi tom,
isla mujures is a nice place to relax, hang out and soak up the sun, as far as the diving goes they have a few spots around but i dont think anything to compare to oz, thai or palau, ive done those ones too, great dive destinations!
the shark cave is blown out by the two last hurricanes, you can see a couple of balck tips and maybe a bull if your lucky, manchones is a nice reef, very photogenic, great variety of marine life but a two tank dive is more than enough.
probably my advice would be to head to playa del carmen or cancun, use them as a base and do all the top dive spots, coz wall dives, caverns, turtles in pdc and the wreck in cancun, great variety, great dives!
your going to find isla cheaper than the big towns, cancun or playa but your also going to spend a lot of time on the ferry if you want to dive outside of isla mujures!
enjoy where ever you go, you ll have a good time in mexico!!

 

[joeabroad]

Isla Mujeres shares water and dive sites with Cancun, with easy, fairly shallow, and very pretty dives with a surprising amount of marine life (I was certified there, and am returning in February). I wouldn't go there for a dedicated dive trip, but will always do a few days' worth of diving while I'm there. Lovely destination, still relatively small scale although it's starting to build up now.

Here are a couple of good sites to explore for information: IslaMujeres.info - Your Guide to Isla Mujeres Mexico, which has a couple of useful message boards and lots of lodging info., and Isla Mujeres Scuba Dive Guide, for you know what. Coral Scuba Dive Center certified me--a long-established operation.

 

[tommyi]

Thank you very much to you all - very helpful information.

 

[divad]

I have dove on Machones Reef, just beyond the Marine Reserve. I've always enjoyed the multitude of marine life on the reef structures.

I'm pretty sure that's the one I went to. I stayed at Hotel Garafone (sp) at the marine park when it was closed and enjoyed the food and lack of crowds. The boat picked us up at the dock. It was $50.00 a night and all 6 (?) rooms overlooked the water. There was nothing south of there, but they were putting in power lines. This was eight years ago. I wonder if it's still secluded.

 

[scubawife]

Isla Mujeres shares water and dive sites with Cancun, with easy, fairly shallow, and very pretty dives with a surprising amount of marine life (I was certified there, and am returning in February). I wouldn't go there for a dedicated dive trip, but will always do a few days' worth of diving while I'm there. Lovely destination, still relatively small scale although it's starting to build up now.

Here are a couple of good sites to explore for information: IslaMujeres.info - Your Guide to Isla Mujeres Mexico, which has a couple of useful message boards and lots of lodging info., and Isla Mujeres Scuba Dive Guide, for you know what. Coral Scuba Dive Center certified me--a long-established operation.

I used to go once or twice a year through the 90's (before I was a certified diver). Loved it! Last trip was 1999 or 2000, don't remember exactly. We used to stay down in the Sac Bajo area, but once the party boats from Cancun set up camp there day and night, and Garaffon built up, we stopped going. It was getting too built up for us. I can't believe the photos I've seen recently. Looks like a mini Cozumel.

Thinking of going back for a short trip this winter... love Coz now, so I'm sure compared to that Isla will seem still quaint and relatively quiet? If you've been to Cozumel, can you compare the two places?

 

[billeelou]

MY FIRST DIVE was so of IM....Hooked me, and going back to Cancun in two weeks, just waitin on the new camera

 

[Jupiter31]

A friend suggested a dive trip to Isla Mujeres. I realize it probably isn't on most publications' list of best dive spots in the world but has anyone been there? Can you give me a feel for what the diving is like? I've been to the Great Barrier Reef, Thailand, PL, and Hawaii so does anyone know how Isla Mujeres compares? Also, if anyone has any recommendations for lodging, places to eat, drink etc, I would very much appreciate it. Thank you in advance for your help. - - - Tom

If you are going to dive - don't mess with Isla Mujeres, or Cancun, for that matter - you have some of the best diving in the Carib so close in Cozumel

Even if you had a non diving spouse or buddy and got a great deal on lodging - I'd recommend you take the ferry over to Cozumel at least a couple of times and experience it - yes, its that good and that much better than the sites off Cancun and Isla Mujeres


I dove Cancun and Isla Mujeres in the mid '80's - once - For the past 10 years I've gone to Cozumel 1 - 4 times a year (I have the good fortune to live in S FL so a 4 day weekend is fairly easy)

If you want to dive - thats where you should go - it will amaze you just how much better the sites are in Cozumel -

I also like the ambiance there, even with the cruse ships, the ten fold increase in tourism, etc

If you do a search - you will not find Isla Mujeres in the top 10 (or top 100 IMO) - its a place to burn a tank but not much more - if you have a choice don't go

PS Who was the friend who recommended Isla Mujers - own a hotel or a tour operator?