Things to do
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Museo Subacuático de Arte
Hundreds of concrete figures stand on the sea floor between Cancún and Isla Mujeres, cast from local volunteers and set down to grow coral and take diving pressure off the living reef. Two galleries: the deeper one at Manchones is for divers, the shallow one at Punta Nizuc within reach of a snorkel. Visibility decides everything, and the sculptures blur further under algae each year.
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Avenida Hidalgo
Painted shopfronts and wooden balconies line the pedestrian spine of the town, which runs a few blocks from the ferry pier to the main square, its church and the town hall. Seafood kitchens set tables in the street after dark, and craft stalls sell hammocks and silver, and the smaller shops prefer cash.
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Isla Contoy
A national park island north of Isla Mujeres, uninhabited and closed to all but licensed boats, with a daily cap on visitors. Frigatebirds, pelicans and cormorants nest in thousands; turtles come ashore to lay in the warm months. Trips include a walk on marked paths, a climb up the observation tower and a snorkel on the reef at the southern tip. Licensed boats leave Isla Mujeres and Cancún for a full day out.
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Mercado Municipal Javier Rojo Gómez
Stalls at the town market sell fruit, juice, cut flowers and household goods, while small kitchens serve local cooking to shopkeepers and fishermen. It stands in the middle of the town grid, a few blocks from the ferry pier. Mornings are the busy hours, and payment is cash only.
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Parque Natural Garrafón
Snorkelling on a shallow reef just off the rocks below the southern cliffs is the centre of this park, with kayaks and a pool nearby. Hurricanes and boat traffic have damaged the coral, and the fish now outshine it. The park lies at the southern end of the island, a taxi or golf-cart ride from town.
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Playa Norte
Waist-deep water runs a long way out from the sand along the northern tip of the island, sheltered from the open sea and calm on most days. Beach bars and loungers crowd the western end, while the eastern end by the small tern reserve stays quieter. The sun sets over the water here, rare on this coast, and the ferry dock is a short walk away.
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Punta Sur
Cliffs at the southern tip take the full swell of the Caribbean, and a paved path loops the headland past a sculpture garden of large painted metal works. The ruin of a small shrine to Ixchel, the Maya goddess of the moon and childbirth, stands at the edge above the surf. Golf carts and taxis park at the top of the loop.
