Playa Lancheros - The Calm West Shore
Photo: dronepicr, CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
A stop on Isla Mujeres: Town to Punta Sur, a free self-guided tour.
Cross the road from the hacienda and you are on the island's quiet side. The west shore of Isla Mujeres faces the bay toward Cancun, sheltered from the open Caribbean, so the water here is usually calm, clear and shallow, and the beach is lined with palms and thatched shade.
The name Lancheros means boatmen, a nod to the fishing launches that have long pulled up on this shore. It is a good place to slow down: wade in, sit under a palm and watch the boats crossing the bay.
The waters off this coast are part of a national park that protects the reefs along the western side of the island and down toward Cancun. If you snorkel, never stand on or touch coral, and use reef-safe sunscreen. Like all beaches in Mexico, this one is public. Check for flags, and keep an eye on the sun: on this side of the island, afternoons are bright and hot.
Getting here: From the hacienda entrance, cross Avenida Rueda Medina to the west side of the island. The beach is just off the road.
Did you know?: Off this coast, below the surface of the bay, lies the Cancun Underwater Museum, hundreds of sculptures placed on the seabed to grow into artificial reefs.
Photo op: Stand at the water's edge and frame the palms leaning over the sand with the calm, pale-blue bay beyond.
More on Wikipedia: Isla Mujeres · Cancun
Stops on this tour
- Ferry Dock - Arriving on the Island of Women
- Main Plaza - The Heart of Old Dolores
- Town Cemetery - The Pirate's Empty Tomb
- Playa Norte - Shallow Water and Long Sunsets
- Laguna Makax - Salt Ponds and a Safe Harbor
- Tortugranja - A Fisherman's Turtle Rescue
- Hacienda Mundaca - A House Built for Love
- Playa Lancheros - The Calm West Shore
- Punta Sur Sculpture Park - Art on the Cliffs
- Temple of Ixchel - Mexico's First Sunrise