Isla Mujeres of old

People are often surprised to learn that Isla Mujeres has been a tourist destination since the 1800s, you don't need to go back so far to see a very different Isla Mujeres; in the 1970s it was a booming tourist spot  but very basic, and even twenty five years ago those arriving on Isla Mujeres experienced something quite different from how one finds the Island today. Ultramar didn't exist, there were just the Magana ferries that were small and quite old, they didn't run on time and sometimes would break down. It was a classic example of a family business that fails to reinvest and grow. They had a monopoly on transport to and from the island, and clearly thought it would go on forever. As is so often the case they spent the money rather than reinvesting so the boats got older and more dilapidated. This opened the door to Ultramar.

In times gone by, those visiting Isla Mujeres arrived at Puerto Juarez on the Cancun side, and would then light a fire on the quayside that was the signal to the local fishermen to come across and pick them up. When Puerto Juarez wasn't fully accessible by road. would be visitors would go as far as they could by road and then walk the remaining distance which was quite some miles.

Nearly twenty five years ago when we started building here, the island was a very different place; there were very few cars on the road, those that were, were generally old, and there were not very many motorcycles compared to nowadays. There was very little development and lots of land available. We bought our first plot of land for $45,000 USD, from one of the Magana family, on which we built three houses each with a pool. We then bought six lots at South Point, which is considered to be the most exclusive part of Isla Mujeres, We bought those from Diego de la Peña, who was the first person to build a hotel in Cancun. He died recently but up until a few months ago his boat called MR CANCUN, could be regularly seen in one of the Isla  Mujeres bays

One thing that hasn't changed in those twenty five years is Doctor Great Shorey and English doctor, who came to the island in 1988 as a voluntary worker, to help after the hurricane Gilberto and stayed. She is an extremely experienced doctor who runs her practice like a charity; she charges  Isla Mujeres locals just 300 pesos for a consultation, and 500 pesos for others. A consultation can last an hour if necessary, there is never a rush. Dr Greta, phone and WhatsApp +52 998 402 6874. 

Although Isla Mujeres is very different from twenty-five  ago, the one thing that never changes is the island's peace and tranquility.