Place to see: Isla Mujeres, Cancún, Mexico

About this place:

Isla Mujeres is a small island a small distance from the coast of the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean Sea. The island is 7 kilometres (4.5 miles) long and 650 metres (1/2 mile) wide. At the last count, there were 120 taxis, 500 golf carts, and 1500 mopeds.

Before Spanish colonisation in Mexico, the island was sacred to the Mayan moon goddess, Ix Chel. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, they named it ‘Isla Mujeres’, meaning ‘Island of Women’, because of the cult images of the moon goddess. Isla Mujeres is located on many coral reefs, and is popular for snorkelling and scuba diving.