In the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Cancun lies a tropical island paradise called Isla Mujeres, Spanish for “Island of Women.” Once a Mayan province called Ekab, Isla Mujeres is where the ancient Mayans worshipped their goddess of fertility and medicine, Ixchel. The name Isla Mujeres is thought to have evolved when Francisco Hernandez Cordoba and the Spanish expedition discovered it in 1517 and found many female-shaped statues there. Others believe it was named after the fact that when the Spanish arrived the island was inhabited almost solely by women because their men were all pirating at sea.
Pirates of the Caribbean
In the 17th and 18th centuries, pirates were known to pillage this part of the Caribbean Sea on treasure hunts, and they would shelter their women on the island before heading out to sea. Legends say that the notorious pirates, Henry Morgan and Jean Lafitte, buried their treasure on Isla Mujeres although it was never found.
Another notorious pirate and Mayan slave trader, Fermin Antonio Mundaca de Marechaja of Spain, built his grand Hacienda Mundaca, once named Hacienda Vista Alegre, on Isla Mujeres In 1858. Designed to woo an exquisite young beauty called La Triguena (the brunette), its arch above the entrance gate was dedicated to her: “El Paso de la Triguena” (The Pass of the Brunette). To his dismay, she married a man closer to her age, and Mundaca later died a reclusive, miserable, old man.
Isla Mujeres Tourist Attractions
Today, the historical ruins of Hacienda Mundaca consist of old walls, arches, pathways, gardens, and a small zoo. Along the road to Garrafon Natural Reef Park, the estate is on the south side of the island by the beaches of Playa Lancheros and Playa Paraiso.
On the town center’s west side near Playa Norte is the cemetery containing Mundaca’s gravestone. Unmarked, it is engraved with a smiling skull and crossbones and an inscription to his unrequited love: “As you are, I once was. As I am, you will be.”
After the 1850s, when Isla Mujeres became part of Quintana Roo (the Mexican state), it grew into a prominent fishing site and attracted new residents. In 1949, the island caught the attention of sportsmen who would vacation there. During this period, Ramon Bravo, a well-known cinematographer and diver colleague of Jacques Cousteau, moved to the island and discovered its fascinating underwater caves. A statue of him is erected next to Hacienda Mundaca on the road to Garrafon.
Since then, Isla Mujeres has steadily grown into a popular tourist destination with its natural and cultural attractions. A traveler favorite, Garrafon Natural Reef Park at the southernmost tip of the island, includes an ancient Mayan temple built for the goddess Ixchel and many nature activities, such as snorkeling and swimming with dolphins. Only a 25-minute ferry ride from Cancun, Isla Mujeres makes a perfect day trip. With dazzling views of Nichupte Lagoon, Sunset Lagoon Resort & Marina is only a few kilometers down the main boulevard to El Embarcadero pier where you can catch the ferry to Isla Mujeres.
