07/10/2026
Cathy and I first visited Isla Mujeres in February 1996 for what was supposed to be a long weekend. Neither of us had ever been outside the USA or gone somewhere warm in the winter before.
People often ask how we discovered the island. It started with an article in the Des Moines Register in 1995 by travel editor John Karras. He wrote about a trip to Mexico that friends had “conned” him and his wife into taking. After reading it, Cathy and I both knew Isla Mujeres was a place we needed to see.
The internet was still in its infancy, but Cathy managed to make all the arrangements. We arrived in Cancun around 8 p.m., took a suburban to the ferry terminal, and crossed to Isla Mujeres on an old wooden ferry called the Sultana. On board, a black-and-white TV was showing a boxing match, and the locals were completely into it.
Once on the island, we took VW bug taxis through Centro to Hotel y Cabañas Maria del Mar. The hotel had put us on the second floor, which happened to be filled with people from Iowa. We joked that maybe the staff thought we all knew each other.
That location turned out to be perfect for our four-night stay. We explored Hidalgo that first night and were amazed by how alive the island was, with basketball in the square, old men playing checkers, and food vendors everywhere.
The next morning, we went straight to Playa Norte. It was simply beautiful. Back then, there were only a handful of beach spots, no high-rises, no major development, just sand, turquoise water, and open space.
Our friends were happy staying at the beach, so Cathy and I rented a scooter and toured the island. The south end was nearly deserted then, except for a large tower and the Shell House.
That short trip became the beginning of a lifelong love for Isla Mujeres.
