Several groups gather at the Aqua World site for several different functions, which can be kind of confusing. You get a free breakfast of fruits, drinks, cereal, etc. Then your group loads onto the boat to ride over to Isla Mujeres, about a half-hour trip with free drinks. We arrive at the island and lounge at the beach for about an hour and a half, then have lunch at a big buffet (included in price). After that, we get on the boat to go to another area of the island to learn to snorkel. They teach you the basics, break into small groups, and take you out to snorkel for a good while. I'm not sure exactly how long it takes, but they timed it perfect, because you see a lot, but don't get totally worn out or bored. It's beautiful and very fun.

Then, back to the boat, you have free drinks and a cruise to another side of the island, where you can wander around the little town and shop for many nice souvenirs, many at better prices than similar stuff in Cancun. Be ready to haggle for prices; they enjoy it. Then it’s back to the boat for several free drinks on your way back to Cancun.

As fun and scenic and exciting as the whole trip was, the best part of all was the crew on our boat, especially our snorkel teacher, Hector, and Frankie, one of the funniest people I've ever met. Do this trip if you go to Cancun! It was the highlight of our whole week.

The snorkeling was part of the day-trip package at Isla Mujeres with Aqua World. I highly recommend this trip. The crew is fantastic and really made this the highlight of our whole week in Cancun. We had never been snorkeling before, and they teach you the basics and break up into several small groups, so each group has a guide who is very helpful and fun. The visual impact is amazing; it is so beautiful seeing all the colorful fish and beautiful coral. The water feels so good, and even with a broken foot I enjoyed it VERY much, as I just couldn't wear flippers. The snorkeling is just one part of a GREAT day trip, but it was one of the best experiences of my life.

We took a trip to Isla Mujeres through our resort. We were not really impressed with the beach or the city, but loved the snorkeling. The boat left from the beach and took you out into the clear area of the water, and you got off the boat in groups of about 10. The boat then left, which was a little scary, to get more people. Each group then swam and snorkeled, following their leader along the reef, rocks, and other formations.

We were out in the water for about an hour before our boat came back to get us. The swimming in choppy water was tiring, but we got the see more than other snorkeling trips that we have been on. I am not sure that I would recommend this trip for small children or older adults, just because of the fact that you did not have the option of getting back on a boat if tired. At one point, my husband got leg cramps, and our leader pulled him with the life ring until he could swim on his own.

Garrafon is a reef park on Isla Mujeres. Off-season, they were doing a lot of repairs to the dock, so it was noisy and there was a crowded entrance stairway to the area for snorkeling. It was disappointing snorkeling. There were not as many fish or varieties as we had seen at Xel-Ha. Affiliated with Xel-Ha, the best price available is when you buy tickets for Garrafon at Xel-Ha. Prices ranged from $59 to $47 per person per day for the all-inclusive package. Food and drinks were good, and service was good. There were convenient lockers and showers available. The boat ride over to the island was a bit bumpy, and quite a few people got sick on the way over.

Isla Mujeres, or "Island of Women": I never really got a good explanation of the basis of the name, but it's a neat island to explore! I have been to the island three times now. Now, you can take a tour or excursion, or you can do what my wife and I prefer to do, which was to get there on our own. You can take a bus or taxi to Puerto Juarez. From there, you take a ferry that costs about $7 RT, and you take it to Isla Mujeres. Once I got there, I haggled my way in to rent a golf cart for the day. Normally about $50, we got it for about $32.

For fun, we like cruising around this little island, seeing some of the villas and homes scattered throughout and the nice views of the beach and ocean. We make our usual stop to the Garafon and go snorkeling there. There you will find a nice facility, as well as nice views of the sea. They have chairs, hammocks, and equipment for rent, although now we prefer to bring our own snorkeling gear. You can also swim in the pool that overlooks the water.

There are other things to do on this island, like seeing the turtle farm, swimming with the dolphins, and other things. It is simpler, yet we did notice more hotels popping up here and there. It is less commercialized than Cancun and definitely worth seeing!