Isla Mujeres/Mexico/Motherhood Unplugged

We took a family vacation to Isla Mujeres, a beautiful island just a short ferry ride from Cancun. We have been to Mexico more times than I can count but have never visited Isla Mujeres. Honestly, I only chose this location when I found the hotel, Mia Reef, on one of my favorite booking sites. I've been using bookit.com for years, I'm talking over 10 years to book vacations. They always have competive rates, give you a range of search options and have destinations all over the world. If we book an all inclusive place, this is my go to site. Mia Reef did not disappoint as far as the location is concerned. This island is magical!

We flew from ATL on Spirit airlines. I drove to the airport to buy our tickets about 3 weeks out because you can save a few coins this way and every dollar adds up when traveling with a family. I like to book layovers as well because my boys need lots of space to play and get the wiggles out plus I hate using the aircraft bathrooms. Our flights ran about $800 for one adult and two kids. I also discovered that instead of paying to sit together when booking your tickets with kids the airline has to sit you with your children if they are below a certain age. I ended up paying prior to but next time I will save those coins. Our flights were uneventful thanks be to the airline gods. This time I traveled alone and of course there is a lot more work on my part when dealing with luggage, a stroller and making sure the kiddie tantrums are to a minimum. One way to do this is by having ample activities to keep them busy and lots of snacks plus breaks from sitting still on the aircraft.

After landing in Cancun, we snaked through customs and boarded our shuttle to the ferry. To get to the island you must buy a ticket to ride the ferry. This ferry can take you across to Isla Mujeres or Cozumel for about $17. I chose to book a combo ticket that included the taxi and ferry tickets in one. It might have been cheaper to get a taxi upon arrival but I don't like haggling when I have my kids so I chose the safer route. The ferry ride was sooooo nice. The turquoise blue waters definitely get you in the mood for vacay.

Mia Reef Isla Mujeres is an older hotel with accents of pink throughout and various tributes to Frida Kahlo. I loved the view from our room, 1027 as we were literally right on the water. The hotel is family friendly with lots of activities and water sports. The boys were able to play on the beach with toys courtesy of the kids club, make homemade pizza with their head chef and go eat endless amounts of ice cream. The beaches are pristine and well kept. They are also quite shallow so small children can play alone while parents relax without concern. I'd definitely recommend this hotel to others as the food is great, the location is private and the staff are welcoming. Check out my youtube video to see for yourself. I plan to go back again to partake in swimming with whale sharks. On this trip we were able to see baby turtles, swim with a nurse shark and visit the southern most point of Mexico where wild iguanas live.

Go to Isla Mujeres and take your kids too!

#travel