Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres is a small city located on the island of the same name, located in the Caribbean Sea, very close to the Yucatan Peninsula, southeast of Mexico. The island is part of one of the eleven municipalities of the State of Quintana Roo, the municipality of Isla Mujeres (which includes part of the continental territory), and is located thirteen kilometers from the city of Cancun, the main tourist destination in the region. It was founded under the name of Dolores.
Its warm and transparent waters are the perfect home for dolphins and turtles, and swimming with them is one of the most attractive activities that can be done here as well as scuba diving in its pristine and beautiful reef where you can see lots of underwater flora and fauna. To get to the island, you have to take a ferry from Puerto Juárez or a ferry from Punta Sam (cars); the crossing takes 15 minutes from Puerto Juárez (Cancún) or 45 minutes from Punta Sam.
The island was discovered by the expedition of Francisco Hernández de Córdoba in 1517. In pre-Hispanic times the island was consecrated to Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of the Moon, love, and fertility, who received offerings in female forms that believers deposited on their Beaches. When the Spanish conquerors arrived and observed the figures, they baptized it Isla Mujeres. At the southern tip of the island, there are remains of a Mayan temple. Archaeologists know that Isla Mujeres was a sanctuary dedicated to Ixchel, the Mayan goddess of fertility and that Mayan women had to make a pilgrimage to the island as part of their passage from girl to woman. Today, the pilgrimage to the island is carried out by lovers of marine animals and the beauty of its tropical nature. Isla Mujeres was also a refuge and home to famous pirates and slave traders, such as Fermín Mundaca and Marecheaga.
Shortly after the Caste War broke out in the state of Yucatan, Mayan and Yucatecan fishermen settled on the island, founding the town of Dolores on August 17, 1850.
By 1867 Dolores was already considered a town and municipality. On January 28, 1891, it was considered the head of the Party of the Yucatan Islands. The island began to take on great importance towards tourism, thus marking its new beginning. On January 12, 1975, Isla Mujeres became the head of the municipality of the same name, one of the seven that were born together with the already official Free and Sovereign State of Quintana Roo.
Isla Mujeres is Paradise Hacienda Mundaca
Nestled in the geographical center of Isla Mujeres, there are the remains of what was an agricultural and livestock ranch known today, popularly, as “La Hacienda del Pirata Mundaca”. Its construction dates back to the second half of the 19th century and is attributed to the Spaniard Fermín Mundaca y Marecheaga, who apparently settled on the island in 1858, being related in those years of the Caste War with the trafficking of Mayan prisoners to Cuba.
According to the Ecclesiastical Archive of the Province of Vizcaya, Mundaca was born in Villa de Bermeo, Santa María, in that Spanish province, on October 11, 1825. His arrival in America has not been exactly established, although it must have happened between 1840 and 1845, when many Spaniards, particularly from the aforementioned province of Vizcaya, emigrated as a result of the severe economic crisis that this Spanish region experienced. After spending a few years in Cuba, he had to move to Isla Mujeres, taking advantage of the special and exclusive fishing permits that the Yucatecan government extended to Cuban-Spaniards like Francisco Martí and Torrens in 1847.
Mundaca carried out his architectural work between 1862 and 1876, according to inscriptions on the hacienda itself, which he dedicated to a native woman: Martiniana Gómez Pantoja, better known as “La Trigueña”. The oral testimony tells that the islander never reciprocated and that Mundaca, tired of insisting, fell ill with love and died.
Today Isla Mujeres is a magnet for tourism that visits the Mexican Caribbean, partly because of its spectacular tropical beauty and partly because of the double benefit of being remote from civilization, being an island where you can live in peace and tranquility, and its proximity to Cancun. and all its cosmopolitan thrust full of boutiques, restaurants, and shopping malls. In short, the best of both worlds.
At Select Riviera Maya Real Estate, we have a broad portfolio of properties in this corner of paradise for those who want to invest and secure a heritage with very good capital gains on an island in the Caribbean.
Golf in the Mayan Riviera
The Riviera Maya is one of the golf paradises worldwide, with 13 public courses, living the experience of this exciting sport is one of the most rewarding attractions in the region.
From Playa Mujeres in Cancun to the PGA Riviera Maya in Tulum, the Riviera Maya has courses of great difficulty and beauty, some such as the Chameleon in Mayakoba of international court since the World Wide Technology Championship belonging to the FEDEX Cup of the PGA.
Playing golf in this paradise has to do more with the place than with the sport. Here almost all the courses are operated by hotels, which guarantees an unparalleled experience in food and beverages. Whether for breakfast before heading out to the round or finishing at the famous 19th hole to eat and drink a well-deserved beer, we know that it is something that is only experienced here.
Playing a par 72 or 54 course in the middle of the jungle with its abundant flora and fauna is an adventure in itself. In some cases, you can even add the experience of doing it with Mayan ruins as witnesses of each blow. International-class courses designed by golf greats such as Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman offer great challenges for all golfers, both beginners and experienced with obstacles that include cenotes and large expanses of the jungle with its exotic fauna such as deer, cuatís or iguanas.
An important aspect to consider is that in the Riviera Maya the average annual temperature is 30º Celsius, so the most requested “tee times” are between 7 and 9 in the morning, since later you have to add sun exposure. which can be too much for people who are not used to the heat. Likewise, all the courses offer a “Golf Cart” included in the “Green Fee” since under these environmental conditions walking the 6000+ yards of the course can be a bit strenuous.
Isla Mujeres is Paradise and Golf in the Riviera Maya
Likewise, I can tell you that there are flagship holes that will surprise you, either because of their difficulty, such as 15 at the PGA Riviera Maya in Bahía Príncipe or 4 at Camaleón in Mayakoba with its incredible views of the beach and the Caribbean Sea. At the end of the day, all the courses have their own thing, they have their charm that you can only enjoy if you play them.
Come and meet them all, either on your own or with one of the many companies that organize golf tours. However, at Select Riviera Maya Real Estate we have an important portfolio of properties within all these golf courses with different options to suit your tastes, needs, and budgets. We invite you to contact us as we are here to help you.
