re: Isla Mujeres

quote:

---

The restaurants are fantastic and food and drinks are cheap. $2 Coronas and $3 margaritas at most places.

---

I Wouldn't recommend drinking the margs on this island. I drank one, and although it was the best marg I've ever had, I paid for it dearly later. I had the squirts all night long.

But the island is amazing. Definitely worth the trip.

We went on a catamaran tour and got to see the underwater museum which was really cool too

We're on the 2nd floor. The room is definitely big enough without paying the premium for the higher floors. As you said, there is no elevator but one floor to walk up is fine.

ETA: a new lobby and elevator is under construction and should be finished in November.

Love me some Isla. Would love to be there when Cancun burns.

Weird question but how is the cellular coverage over there? I am looking for a vacation spot where I have good cellular coverage and can receive texts calls and email, at&t preferably. Im at a point in my career where I cannot be away from my phone for longer than an hour or so.

It's still nothing like Cancun. There's still Holbox if you want that sleepy fishing village feel.

It is nothing even remotely close to Cancun.

I'll be posting more information and pics when I get home this weekend. I came down with a chest cold on Sunday which has now spread to my sinuses. I'm still doing stuff but not at the pace I would have been. Obviously any snorkeling or diving I was going to do won't happen now.

I will say we've have some amazing and not so amazing food this trip. Overall the food has been very good. The best dish of the trip came from the most surprising source. More to follow.

OK. I'm back in Virginia and it's freaking cold here.

Time for more pics. First, that best dish. It was a fish that was recommended to us by the bartender and general do-it-all guy at our hotel. His name is Victor. If you ever stay at Hotel Secreto (which I highly recommend) you want Victor to be your best friend on the island. Great guy.

The dish is a whole grilled fish rubbed with Recado Rojo which is a red anchiote paste. Then garlic, tomatoes and onions are grilled with the fish. It was stellar. Victor had a friend make me about a pound of the Recado Rojo which I brought home and will use to cook with. I paid 100 pesos for the rub and I got a ton of it. I really can't describe how delicious this fish was and I am one picky eater.



I don't have a ton of pics since Sunday as I came down with a nasty head cold on Sunday which lasted the rest of the trip. My days consisted of eating and drinking a little and then either napping on the beach or in the hotel room until dinner and then crashing early. The good news (I guess) is that I lost 5 pounds while on vacation and my bar bill was probably 1/3 of what it would normally be. That really doesn't matter though when you're in the land of sub $2 Coronas and under $5 for Margaritas and Mojitos.

We did go to Punta Sur on Sunday which was as spectacular as always.











On the way back from Punta Sur we stopped at The Joint for breakfast Mojitos.







I made a new friend who's the CEO of a little test track in Germany. I have an invitation for a private tour and a lap or two.



We had dinner at BallyHoo on Sunday night and the food and the sunset never disappoints there.





My new friend Adam ordered a jumbo Rum and Coke and boy was it a Jumbo. Adam is about 6'4" to give you a perspective on the size of the drink.



The rest of the pics are just dinners as I was too sick to do much more than eat and sleep.

We ate at a Cuban restaurant on Tuesday. It wasn't really Cuban as they had no Lechon Asada, Arroz con Pollo or Plantains. My wife is half Cuban so we're pretty well versed in Cuban food. However, the food they did serve was very good and in a great setting. Mojitos were made with the good Cuban rum so that helped.

Nino was the cook. I'm not sure how many of these 40 oz Dos Equis he had before he made my food but it was good so I wasn't complaining.



Thursday night we ate at Bastos. If you're ever on Isla Mujeres this should be on your short list of restaurants. Stay away on Thursday as it's closed. Get there early and order the flank steak. If you're early enough you can order it with Langosta (lobster) and have homemade flan for dessert.





The last night was dinner at Dopi's on Hidalgo. It's one of my favorite spots. When I travel I like to eat local, authentic food and Dopi's delivers on both. For some reason I failed to take a photo of my lobster tacos but I did get a menu shot.



And farewell to Isla until next time. Despite the illness it was a great trip once again. I'll miss this water and this island.

Ended up booking at Nautibeach, which I believe is close to Ixchel.
Heading first week in May, should be a blast.

Any good excursion info, definitely want to go snorkeling.

Enjoying all the pictures and information in this thread. The rest of my party is going to think I did all kinds of research, when everything is right here