Isla Mujeres

A golf-cart loop from Playa Norte to Punta Sur

A golf cart and one day cover Isla Mujeres. Pick one up in the centre and head south along the lagoon road before the day-trippers arrive, stopping at the Hacienda Mundaca, the overgrown estate of a 19th-century slaver and pirate, then swim and eat fish at Playa Lancheros or Playa Paraíso on the sheltered west shore.

Local legend says the pirate built the hacienda to win a woman who married someone else.

Midday. Drive on to Punta Sur, the island's highest and southernmost point. Walk along the cliff path past the sculpture garden to the remains of the small Maya temple to Ixchel, with surf crashing on the rocks below. Close by, the old Garrafón reef area offers snorkelling from a beach club.

Afternoon. Return north along the Caribbean coast road, a wild stretch of waves, cliffs and blowing wind, with lookout points along the way and a few beach bars where you can stop for a drink. In La Gloria, the residential middle of the island, stop for tacos where locals eat.

Evening. Drop the cart and walk to Playa Norte for the last swim of the day; its shallow water is warmest in the late afternoon. Then head to Playa Sol, at the northwest tip, to watch the sun set over Cancún's skyline across the bay. End with dinner and a drink on Avenida Hidalgo, the pedestrian street that comes alive after dark.

Tikin xic fish and ceviche off Avenida Hidalgo

Fish is still the thing to order on Isla Mujeres, a fishing village long before it was a resort. The island's signature is tikin xic, a whole grouper or snapper butterflied, rubbed with an orange paste of achiote and bitter orange, wrapped and grilled over wood in the Maya style, best at the beach restaurants.

The island's signature dish is tikin xic, a whole fish, often grouper or snapper, butterflied, rubbed with an orange paste of achiote and bitter orange, wrapped and grilled over wood. It is a Maya technique, and the island's beach restaurants, particularly on the quieter west shore around Playa Lancheros, do it best. It is meant for sharing and takes a while to cook, so order it before you get too hungry.

Ceviche of fish, shrimp or conch, cured in lime juice with tomato, onion, coriander and chilli, comes with tostadas at every beach bar. Lobster is a splurge when in season, usually grilled with garlic butter. For something quick and cheap, look for the taco carts and tamale sellers around the town square, and the stalls selling roast corn in the evening.

Where you eat matters. Avenida Hidalgo is lined with restaurants aimed at visitors, lively and pricier, with tables spilling into the street. The beach bars on Playa Norte trade food for views. Head to the residential middle of the island, around La Gloria and Salina Grande, for cheaper fondas and taquerías where islanders eat.

The bar scene is relaxed compared with Cancún: beach bars with swings, happy hours along Hidalgo and live music on weekends, with the late crowd on Hidalgo itself.

Whale shark season, MUSA dives and Isla Contoy

Whale sharks are the reason to stay longer on Isla Mujeres. Between mid-May and September, hundreds of the world's largest fish gather in plankton-rich water north of the island, peaking in July and August; early-morning tours run about an hour out, and small groups take turns snorkelling alongside.

Choose an official operator, usually one of the dive shops, that follows the rules on group size and keeps a respectful distance. Manta rays often appear at the same time.

The Museo Subacuático de Arte, or MUSA, is a collection of hundreds of life-size sculptures placed on the sea floor near Manchones reef, between the island and Cancún, to create a new reef. Some can be seen while snorkelling; the deeper galleries are for divers. Dive shops on the island also run trips to the reefs off the south end and to wrecks in the channel.

Isla Contoy, about 30 km north, is a protected bird sanctuary where frigatebirds, pelicans and cormorants nest. Visitor numbers are limited, so book through an authorised operator. Day trips usually include snorkelling and a beach lunch.

Weather shapes the sea. The dry season from December to April brings the calmest, clearest water. Summer is hot, often well over 32C. Hurricane season runs from June to November, with the highest risk in September and October, when strong winds can cancel boat trips and ferries.