Playa Norte - Shallow Water and Long Sunsets

A stop on Isla Mujeres: Town to Punta Sur, a free self-guided tour.

This is the beach that brings many people back to Isla Mujeres. At the island's northern tip, the sand is soft and the water stays shallow and clear a long way out, so you can wade far from shore while the water is still around your waist.

Like every beach in Mexico, Playa Norte is public: the sand along the water is federal land, open to everyone, even where hotels and beach clubs set out chairs. You do not have to buy anything to sit on the beach.

The beach came through Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and bounced back quickly. On a calm winter afternoon it is hard to imagine a storm here at all. Still, check any flags before swimming, keep an eye on children where the bottom drops off, and use reef-safe sunscreen. This end of the island faces west and north, so stay for sunset, when the sky goes orange over the bay.

Getting here: From the cemetery, walk a couple of blocks north to the water. Playa Norte runs along the island's northern tip.

Did you know?: Even with the island's busy day-trip traffic, the crowds thin out in the evening when the last day visitors catch the ferries back to Cancun.

Photo op: Wade out a few steps at sunset and frame the curve of sand and the palms with the glowing sky over the water.

More on Wikipedia: Isla Mujeres · Hurricane Wilma

Playa Norte - Shallow Water and Long Sunsets

Stops on this tour