Description: La Isla mall is located in the centre of the Zona Hotelera in Cancun, right opposite the purple-painted Westin Hotel. All of the buses that run through the hotel zone stop outside the mall, making it easily accessible from anywhere in the area. It’s a shopper’s paradise, offering everything from clothes to jewellery, souvenirs to expensive gifts and a good selection of cafes and bars offering a place to rest your weary feet.
It is well presented and, even for those who don’t love shopping, it’s a pleasure to wander round its various water features and well maintained walkways. Running through the centre of the mall is a canal that is lined with pedalos and little boats, which can be hired if you so wish. The canal is obviously designed to bring a little Venetian sophistication to the mall although, needless to say, it doesn’t quite have the same impact and beauty.
There are plenty of shops to keep shopaholics happy – many familiar big names have establishments here, including Zara, Reebok and Lacoste. There are also plenty of boutiques, offering an array of unique items and offbeat clothes. For those who like to bag a bargain, there’s a large duty free shop. It looks very much like one you’d see in an airport and carries very much the same range – fragrances, beauty products, electrical goods and toys. La Isla mall is a souvenir hunter’s dream as well, with a staggering number of shops packed to the rafters with every kind of gift you can imagine, each offering ‘the best prices in town’.
Catering for the huge number of American visitors to this part of Mexico, there is a massive Hooters Bar, which offers burgers and beers in laid back surroundings. There’s also an ‘authentic’ American diner that is worth a visit. Its fun, the prices are very reasonable and the soda floats and milkshakes are to die for! Aside from these, there are plenty of other places to take a fuel stop – coffee shops, cafes and food stands can be found scattered liberally around the mall.
If you are looking for something to do other than shop, a very popular place is the interactive aquarium, where you can swim with dolphins or dive with sharks for a handsome sum. For the basic entrance fee, you’ll get a pretty fun couple of hours interacting with rays and macaws as well as watching many of the most popular sea dwellers.
It doesn’t really get busy as the place is well large enough to cope with many visitors, although it’s advisable to eat outside the lunchtime rush (11am until 1pm) to get the best service in the restaurants.
The shopping mall, for the most part, is covered, so it’s a great place to visit if the weather isn’t at its best. There’s plenty enough to do to keep you entertained for an afternoon – or even a full day at a push. It’s a pleasant place to wander round and makes a nice change from sitting around and sunbathing.
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