Primarily known for its relaxing beaches and local markets, Isla Mujeres is the fantasy land away from Cancun’s party scene. After a hectic year revolving around school and work, I longed for the opportunity to relax and explore a different way of living. Not only did I want to escape from Toronto’s fluctuating weather, but I needed to isolate myself from social media, instagram filters and a society extremely focused on purchasing the latest name brands. With the help of Contoy Adventures, I was able to recharge and regroup before heading back to a busy September schedule. My day at the island allowed me to participate in new activities, be present in the moment and celebrate my mom’s birthday… in the middle of the ocean.
Contoy Adventures is Cancun’s premier tourism group. Besides helping millions of tourists experience the natural beauty of Mexico, Contoy Adventures has partnered with National Geographic to prioritize the country’s biodiversity and natural resources by funding scientific research to determine innovative methods to preserve marine ecosystems. After pursuing courses in conservation biology, supporting this organization was a no brainer.
Initially, I was a bit apprehensive being a part of a tour group. However, my tour guide Javier created a positive and inclusive environment. Once all the passengers were onboard, he immediately blasted the latest reggaeton hits and conducted lively dance parties as well as several drinking games. I mean, he got my mom to chug tequila straight from the bottle and convinced my father to pole dance. I knew that day would be one to remember.
The tour consisted of four activities: deep water snorkelling, lunch at Shark Beach, shallow water snorkelling and shopping. Each passenger was allotted one hour to participate in each endeavour they desired. En route to the first activity, deep water snorkelling, we travelled around the periphery of Isla Mujeres, which provided a beautiful view of private resorts, small villages and fisherman marinas. Many bloggers travel the entire island on golf carts, however, to minimize travel time and obtain a perspective not captured on land, I highly recommend voyaging via boat.
At our first destination, I felt liberated to be in the middle of the 20 feet deep ocean where there was no cellular signal. Unfortunately, I did not participate in deep water snorkelling simply because I did not want to go snorkelling twice. I wanted to save my energy for the other activities on the trip. Instead, I explored the boat, took some photos of rich blue hues of the ocean and just relaxed. Once snorkelling commenced, we were off to our next destination: Shark Beach.
Shark Beach is a small hidden paradise in Isla Mujeres with souvenir boutiques and a large dining hall specifically for tourists. Contoy provided travellers with an all-you-can eat buffet offering traditional Mexican cuisine. Enchiladas, beans, tacos and an endless variety of salsa were some options catered to guests. As someone who considers Chipotle authentic Mexican dining, I was blown away with the delicious, savoury taste of my meal.
Feel free to enjoy lunch, sip some martinis, lay out on the sand, or take a picture with a shark. Yes, you read right. Shark Beach houses large, toothless sharks that love to socialize with humans. In fact, (for a small fee) people can swim and take photos with the sharks. Clearly, the goal of Contoy Adventures was to evoke a sense of pathos in their guests to show how our detrimental actions can hurt the lives of innocent creatures.
Finally, the main highlight of the tour: shallow water snorkelling at the Mía Reef Resort. From my undergraduate experiences, I have been in a swamp, stuck my hand in an aquarium, and held a lab rat. Now, I would be swimming with thousands of fish. Life truly has come full circle. Having obtained my snorkelling gear (provided by the tour), I jumped out of the boat and became one with nature. The clear water submerging the white sand made the fish visible. In fact, I did not need to fully submerge underwater to have a good glimpse at the variety of aquatic life. I was not expecting to enjoy snorkelling as much as I did!
I was able to capture stunning underwater photography with the help of my SeaWag phone case. Essentially, a SeaWag is a waterproof plastic pouch that air locks any device in place in order to be used underwater. Owning one of these cases is crucial for this trip. You spend the entire day on water so it’s best to have your device safe. Also, the SeaWag comes with a lanyard which is extremely convenient for hands free motion. I recommend purchasing one from the markets or any convenience store as malls and hotel boutiques raise prices for this highly popular product.
After being on water for the majority of the day, I was excited to head to shore and explore the markets. Located directly outside of the Isla Mujeres Maritime Terminal were many shops and restaurants. I was drawn to the pastel colours of the buildings and the unique finds sold by the vendors. In fact, I purchased a Hawaiian camp shirt (pictured below) from a local vendor for only $15 USD. On many occasions I have stated the unique collar of the camp shirt is on trend, so when I saw one that was of great quality and complemented my yellow shorts, I knew I had to add it to my wardrobe. After a quick change, I was ready to wander around some more.
As our trip came to a close, I reflected upon how I enjoyed the simple life. It was nice not having to worry about posting stories or paying any mind to people’s opinions. The laid back lifestyle in Isla Mujeres was rooted in friendliness, hard work and respect, which seems to be rare in today’s society. I strongly suggest including Contoy Adventures as part of your itinerary. The tour provides travellers with a carefully planned and highly organized day, while raising awareness about the environment. Without the tour, I do not think I would have seen the true beauty of Isla Mujeres. To learn more about pricing and what else Contoy has to offer, feel free to visit their website.
Candidly,
Jonah
