Isla Mujeres is far different as far as the vendors go.

In Cancun, they are disgusting and insulting if you do not buy from them, pushy as heck and when it comes down to it, the deals are not that great to begin with.

However, in Isla Mujeres the service was outstanding and very patient, the deals were far better than that Cancun area. Selection was good but considering Cancun is so much more popular (those damm college kids) you will find a better selection there.

Isla Mujeres is a very nice place.

We traveled there from Cancun on a guided tour, which wasn't worth it. The tour operators were more interested in rushing us through the snorkeling and into the tourist trap souvenir shops. The ferry ride back was cheaper and faster.

Onnce we broke away from the tour, the atmosphere was great. We rented a golf cart and drove all over the place. Many beautiful places to stop and see. Great shell collecting too!

Stay away from "Pepe the friendly shark." It is advertised as an opportunity to swim with a shark, but really you just pay a few pesos to have your picture taken with it. Also, the poor thing lives in a tiny pen where it is basically tortured as it is forced out of the water for the photos. Really a very sad situation.

We didn't want to take any of the tour packages for our trip to Isla Mujeres, because they all included so much stuff we weren't interested in. Plus, we always want to save money! We took the bus to the area where the ferries leave. We had to stop at downtown Cancun to change bus lines, but other than that, it was very easy to get there.

Once there, it was $14 round-trip for the ferry boat ride to the island. It was about a 40-minute boat ride, and then we were there! Beware of all the hagglers when you get off the ferry. We strided right past them and walked onto the other side of the shopping area, about three streets down.

We planned on renting a golf cart to tour the island. You could rent scooters, bikes, etc. to help you get around. Our concierge highly recommended renting the golf cart because of the hot sun and the fact that it offers shade. We soon realized that this was a necessity, as there is no shade on the island and it was hot. We rented the golf cart all day for $40 and off we went!

We did a huge loop around the island and then explored the inner portion afterwards. If you go to Cancun, you have to go here. It was the most beautiful adventure for us, especially since we weren't stuck with a group and forced to do things we didn't want to do. We made note when the ferries left the port and just decided to set our own schedule based on that. I would highly recommend doing it this way. We found a beach, parked the cart, and went for a dip. You want to definitely wear your swimsuits so you can do this. We were swimming out where these huge yachts were anchored in. It was amazing. Then we explored the cliffs and went up in the lighthouse. There were so many things to see and explore, I can't even begin. I can't recommend this enough!

The snorkeling here is not the best I've ever seen, but I did see a couple of things I haven't seen elsewhere: barracuda as big as sharks and starfish as big as turtles. The current is very strong, and you drift away quickly: pay attention to your surroundings.

The "woman's island" is a jewel about 15 minutes off the coast of old-town Cancun. It is full of shopping, from T-shirt shops to island chic and high-end jewelry. The beaches, though, are what make is such a fun trip. Surrounded by pure white sand, clothing-optional beaches, and warm, calm ocean water, the beaches are not to be missed. Our fave was Playa Norte, park nearby and walk up and down to see the sights. The best mode of transport on the island is to rent a golf cart for the day. The island is small and safe, so it is fun to drive around. There is a really cool oceanfront house shaped like a conch shell. This was the highlight of our trip to Cancun!