Isla Mujeres means "island of women." A Spanish explorer gave the island its name in 1517 after finding Mayan sculptures of scantily clad women on the island. Isla Mujeres is five miles long, 2½ miles wide, and is at the easternmost point of

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Isla Mujeres means "island of women." A Spanish explorer gave the island its name in 1517 after finding Mayan sculptures of scantily clad women on the island. Isla Mujeres is five miles long, 2½ miles wide, and is at the easternmost point of Mexico. The island was popular with tourists long before Cancun was developed as a tourist Mecca in the mid '70s, so you'll get a taste of old Mexico on this picturesque island, which is also home to a collection of lesbian and gay-owned villa and condo rentals (unlike Cancun, which has none). An inexpensive ferry system runs every half-hour between the island and the mainland. Garrafon Park is the must-see national park on southern tip of the island. You can snorkel there over the Great Maya Reef, part of the second largest coral reef in the world. If snorkeling is too tame for you, you can ride a zip line that allows you to fly like a bird over the Caribbean. The private Dolphin Discovery Park is just a short cab ride away from Garrafon Park. For a fee, you can swim with dolphins and manatees there.

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