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| This is the live webcam at North Beach / Playa Norte. |
Follow Isla Mujeres News & Events on Facebook for highlights of news & events, and more photos & videos
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News from the Municipal Facebook site..... ( FB page link)
In addition to rehabilitation therapies, the CRIM ( Centro de Rehabilitación Integral Municipal) facility offers various courses and workshops to the general population. They offers assistance to patients who lack sufficient financial resources to receive medical services in private clinics or who cannot go to other locations for treatment.
Under the new administration (2018-2021) more than 2000 people have received medical care at CRIM, including physical rehabilitation, training for people with visual disabilities and various types of therapies including occupational, language, and behavioral, as well as general and specialty medical consultations.
One of the greatest advances at the facility has been the acquisition of an x-ray machine, which has been used for both islanders and visitors who are under some medical treatment or have been seen in an emergency situation. CRIM coordinator Dr Xhanat Gonzalez Mora encouraged families to visit the facility to receive information about workshops, therapies, and other services that are offered, and to be part of the change in Isla Mujeres toward being inclusive and healthy for everyone. She thanked the Mayor and his wife for enabling CRIM to have highly trained staff who offer quality service to islanders throughout the year, without them having to leave the island.
March 8 will be International Day of Women
There will be a conference including recognition of women 'empoderadas' (empowered/empowering) at 12:30p at the City Council room in the Town Hall.
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FB News Sites about Isla Mujeres
Tvisla Mujeres
The is an announcement of Ash Wednesday Mass times
Port closed for small boats with arrival of Cold Front #41 LINK
Isla Mujeres fishing cooperatives say they will be unable to meet the demand during Lent LINK
The coordinator of operations for the APIQRoo ferry terminal in Isla Mujeres said that during the long weekend for Carnaval, the number of passengers was increased from 15,000 to 17,000-18,000 daily. They expect the numbers during the Easter holidays to exceed the highest of last year, which were over 28,000 a day at the end of year holidays. LINK
Isla Mujeres Al Dia
Video from yesterday (Wednesday), experiencing winds of Norte #41
The Maritima car ferry Sergio Gracia had difficulties docking due to the strong winds from 35-45 km/hr from the cold front (photo & caption)
Port closed for small boats under 40 feet, so fishermen weren't able to go out & tours to Isla Contoy were cancelled, but activities were allowed to El Farito and the lagoons, and the ferries continues operating. (Photo and caption). VIDEO
Photo and caption of Naval personnel on routine patrol.
Carnaval ends with "Saldo Blanco" (no serious incidents) (photos & caption) Videos and photos of Carnaval.
Noti Isla Mujeres
The Noti Isla Mujeres reporter said he observed Ultramar personnel speaking to passengers waiting to board the ferry, telling them there was little else to do on the island except rent golf carts since the port was closed for small boats. He said the tourists were told that the cost would be nearly $45 usd per hour on the island, but if they rented now, it would be $45 for the day. The reporter began recording and said this caused them to prevent him from boarding, although he said he was just doing his job, and he explained that the information being given to the tourists was harmful and wrong. When the municipal police arrived and were informed that he was with the press, they left and the reporter got in line for the next ferry.
He says the Ultramar security guards stopped him from boarding the next ferry, and he asked to see the manager, claiming he was being discriminated against due to the color of his skin, and that he identified himself. The Benito Juarez municipal police arrived, and asked him to leave the Gran Puerto terminal, but when he identified himself, they left.
He says he tried to board a third time, since his place of residence is on the island, but he was told that according to orders of the company, he could never use the Ultramar ferries. Therefore, he walked from Gran Puerto to the Puerto Juarez pier, and notes that he has a disability in one of his legs that prevents him from walking normally and this resulted the mockery of discrimination for his skin color.
When he arrived in Isla Mujeres, he went to the manager of the APIQRoo terminal there, Rosa Rios Fernandez, where he was given all the necessary assistance to report this incident, and told it would be addressed in meetings with representatives of Ultramar.
There is a link in the comments to a video (of a photo) with the narrator identifying himself as the Ultramar employee (not giving his name) who had been videoed by the reporter. The Ultramar employee says he was working when a man called (gives reporter's name) began filming him and saying that the employee was giving misinformation to the tourists. The employee says the reporter didn't present any press credentials, just his voter registration card, therefore the authorities were called, and he was barred from boarding. The employee says the tattooed senor wasn't discriminated against, and asks what type of impression is caused by a man with tattoos and a rude attitude, filming him while he is working, and failing to present reporter's credentials, just a voter card?
IM Noticias
La Tertulia
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Link to Por Esto's Isla Mujeres section
Click on Spanish headline for the original article & photos
Ultramar car ferry hit the dock
Ultracarga II golpea muelle
Isla Mujeres news briefs
BREVES DE ISLA MUJERES
Port remains closed for small boats
El puerto se mantuvo cerrado
Carnaval ends with "Saldo Blanco" (no incidents)
Carnaval cierra con saldo blanco
Final night of Carnaval
Noche de regocijo culmina Carnaval
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Carnaval photos by Bruce Roberts
Monday's parade
Tuesday...Last night of Carnaval with a lot of dancing in the streets & the Negrada
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This
week is the 502nd Anniversary of the first Europeans visiting Isla
Mujeres. The expedition, led by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, is
credited with discovering the Yucatan and what is now Mexico, after
landing on Isla Mujeres. They named the uninhabited isle for the icons
of women clothed from the waist down that they found in a temple,
presumably left in honor of the Mayan goddess of fertility, Ixchel.
The expedition of 110 men in 3 boats came from Cuba and sailed north around the coast, battling with the Maya, until all but one were injured, and over 50 had died. The uninjured man disappeared when they stopped off in Florida and Cordoba died a couple weeks after returning to Cuba.
Although in modern times, Cuban refugees have frequently landed on the eastern shores of Isla Mujeres in tiny makeshift boats, Spanish explorers didn't complete the 90 mile distance until a quarter century after Cuba was discovered.
There are discrepancies among the various accounts of the voyage, all written by non-participants, except one who penned his version nearly fifty years later, but it's generally accepted that the expedition was motivated by a need for slave labor in Cuba, as well as a desire for exploration and gold.
Their first battle was in the municipality of Isla Mujeres at Cape Catoche, aka "Where the Conquest of Mexico Began". They captured two Mayans, baptized them, and took them back to Cuba to be trained as translators.
Ten months later, the Pope ordered a church be built to establish the Yucatan diocese, and the Boca Iglesia church was constructed near Cape Catoche, probably using stones from the Mayan temple they'd looted on their first visit. Its status as the first church in Mexico is tarnished by the fact that it lacked a priest, since the one the Pope assigned went elsewhere, purportedly due to the isolation of the site.
The Spanish encountered many challenges attempting to control and settle the region; the terrain was difficult, the inhabitants hostile, and in 1537, the Spanish government acknowledged that the Caribbean was infested with pirates. After a smallpox epidemic decimated the Mayan population, the Conquistadors successfully conquered the Yucatan in 1546, including the chiefdom of Ekab, where Isla Mujeres and Cozumel were located.
In the 1550's, there were only four coastal towns between what is now Holbox & Chetumal, which were poor Mayan pueblos, plus two located on the island of Cozumel. During the colonial era, the Yucatan peninsula was not really part of New Spain, and was administrated separately as a "General Captaincy", which included Belize, Honduras, and parts of Chiapas and Tabasco. It was a vast, difficult to control area, lacking in means of communication or transportation by land.
For nearly three centuries, pirates found strategic shelter on the islands of Cozumel, Contoy, and Mujeres, and in Ascension and Espiritu Santo Bays. They were expelled periodically by expeditions sent for this purpose by the Yucatan government, but the outlaws blatantly returned after the military left. French pirates beseiged the Boca Iglesia settlement in 1571, until they were rescued by the Mayor of Valladolid and his men.
The village of Boca Iglesia was abandoned in 1644, and Isla Mujeres served as a base for pirates and smugglers until the early 1820's when the Lafitte brothers were expelled. Fishermen continued to camp on the isle intermittently, which was settled in the late 1840's by refugees from the Caste war and officially founded as "Dolores" in 1850.
The icon of the patron saint of Isla Mujeres, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, was removed from the Boca Iglesia church in 1890, with two "sister" statues, and is believed to have been placed there by Spanish Catholics in the late 1700's.
Regarding pre-Conquest history, there are remains of two temple complexes on the island, at Punta Sur and on the Mundaca Hacienda. The Mayans collected salt on the isle and left offerings in appreciation and in hopes of future abundance, as well as for fertility and successful births.
The complex at Punta Sur is presumed to have nautical significance and to have been used for astronomical observations. It is the easternmost point in the Mayan world and faces their tallest building along the coast, "El Meco", located near Puerto Juarez and Punta Sam, in the municipality of Isla Mujeres. Between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, "El Meco" acquired increasing commercial, religious, and political significance among the Mayan ports on the Caribbean coast.
"El Meco" shared associations with the island in relation to the salt trade and religious pilgrimages, according to archeologists. The mainland port was part of a commercial maritime network from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Honduras, with Mayan merchants traveling along the coast in massive dugout canoes, such as the one encountered on Columbus' fourth voyage at the Bay Islands of Honduras. Young Fernando Columbus enjoyed Mayan beer made from fermented corn, and the finely garbed merchants provided the Europeans with their first exposure to chocolate.
Salt was harvested on Isla Mujeres, which was an important export from the region, used for preserving food and tanning hides. After the Spaniards discovered this uninhabited island, (mentioning its salt beds), they observed many large Mayan canoes carrying up to 50 people at nearby settlements.
The foundations of a second Mayan temple complex on the island were found while excavating under the old monkey cage on the Mundaca Hacienda five years ago. Offerings found at the temple site include items from the sea such as spines from rays and turtle shells, as well as objects made of wood, earth, stone, ceramic, jade and obsidian. There were offerings of honey and copal incense, as well as many broken incense holders. The more than 100 items are currently under the protection of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). An ancient cemetery was found to the west, near Playa Lancheros.
#1 Cordoba, #2 & #3 Boca Iglesia, (latter by Dale Cana), #4 Late 1700's map showing "Church Ruins", #5 & #6 El Meco, currently & 1909, #7 Mayan stelae from Isla Mujeres in a Brussels museum (by Lolo Lorena) #8 Ixchel temple foundation on Mundaca Hacienda
Brought to you by Isla Mujeres History, sponsored by Maravilla Caribe Bed & Beach.
The expedition of 110 men in 3 boats came from Cuba and sailed north around the coast, battling with the Maya, until all but one were injured, and over 50 had died. The uninjured man disappeared when they stopped off in Florida and Cordoba died a couple weeks after returning to Cuba.
Although in modern times, Cuban refugees have frequently landed on the eastern shores of Isla Mujeres in tiny makeshift boats, Spanish explorers didn't complete the 90 mile distance until a quarter century after Cuba was discovered.
There are discrepancies among the various accounts of the voyage, all written by non-participants, except one who penned his version nearly fifty years later, but it's generally accepted that the expedition was motivated by a need for slave labor in Cuba, as well as a desire for exploration and gold.
Their first battle was in the municipality of Isla Mujeres at Cape Catoche, aka "Where the Conquest of Mexico Began". They captured two Mayans, baptized them, and took them back to Cuba to be trained as translators.
Ten months later, the Pope ordered a church be built to establish the Yucatan diocese, and the Boca Iglesia church was constructed near Cape Catoche, probably using stones from the Mayan temple they'd looted on their first visit. Its status as the first church in Mexico is tarnished by the fact that it lacked a priest, since the one the Pope assigned went elsewhere, purportedly due to the isolation of the site.
The Spanish encountered many challenges attempting to control and settle the region; the terrain was difficult, the inhabitants hostile, and in 1537, the Spanish government acknowledged that the Caribbean was infested with pirates. After a smallpox epidemic decimated the Mayan population, the Conquistadors successfully conquered the Yucatan in 1546, including the chiefdom of Ekab, where Isla Mujeres and Cozumel were located.
In the 1550's, there were only four coastal towns between what is now Holbox & Chetumal, which were poor Mayan pueblos, plus two located on the island of Cozumel. During the colonial era, the Yucatan peninsula was not really part of New Spain, and was administrated separately as a "General Captaincy", which included Belize, Honduras, and parts of Chiapas and Tabasco. It was a vast, difficult to control area, lacking in means of communication or transportation by land.
For nearly three centuries, pirates found strategic shelter on the islands of Cozumel, Contoy, and Mujeres, and in Ascension and Espiritu Santo Bays. They were expelled periodically by expeditions sent for this purpose by the Yucatan government, but the outlaws blatantly returned after the military left. French pirates beseiged the Boca Iglesia settlement in 1571, until they were rescued by the Mayor of Valladolid and his men.
The village of Boca Iglesia was abandoned in 1644, and Isla Mujeres served as a base for pirates and smugglers until the early 1820's when the Lafitte brothers were expelled. Fishermen continued to camp on the isle intermittently, which was settled in the late 1840's by refugees from the Caste war and officially founded as "Dolores" in 1850.
The icon of the patron saint of Isla Mujeres, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, was removed from the Boca Iglesia church in 1890, with two "sister" statues, and is believed to have been placed there by Spanish Catholics in the late 1700's.
Regarding pre-Conquest history, there are remains of two temple complexes on the island, at Punta Sur and on the Mundaca Hacienda. The Mayans collected salt on the isle and left offerings in appreciation and in hopes of future abundance, as well as for fertility and successful births.
The complex at Punta Sur is presumed to have nautical significance and to have been used for astronomical observations. It is the easternmost point in the Mayan world and faces their tallest building along the coast, "El Meco", located near Puerto Juarez and Punta Sam, in the municipality of Isla Mujeres. Between the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries, "El Meco" acquired increasing commercial, religious, and political significance among the Mayan ports on the Caribbean coast.
"El Meco" shared associations with the island in relation to the salt trade and religious pilgrimages, according to archeologists. The mainland port was part of a commercial maritime network from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Honduras, with Mayan merchants traveling along the coast in massive dugout canoes, such as the one encountered on Columbus' fourth voyage at the Bay Islands of Honduras. Young Fernando Columbus enjoyed Mayan beer made from fermented corn, and the finely garbed merchants provided the Europeans with their first exposure to chocolate.
Salt was harvested on Isla Mujeres, which was an important export from the region, used for preserving food and tanning hides. After the Spaniards discovered this uninhabited island, (mentioning its salt beds), they observed many large Mayan canoes carrying up to 50 people at nearby settlements.
The foundations of a second Mayan temple complex on the island were found while excavating under the old monkey cage on the Mundaca Hacienda five years ago. Offerings found at the temple site include items from the sea such as spines from rays and turtle shells, as well as objects made of wood, earth, stone, ceramic, jade and obsidian. There were offerings of honey and copal incense, as well as many broken incense holders. The more than 100 items are currently under the protection of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). An ancient cemetery was found to the west, near Playa Lancheros.
#1 Cordoba, #2 & #3 Boca Iglesia, (latter by Dale Cana), #4 Late 1700's map showing "Church Ruins", #5 & #6 El Meco, currently & 1909, #7 Mayan stelae from Isla Mujeres in a Brussels museum (by Lolo Lorena) #8 Ixchel temple foundation on Mundaca Hacienda
Brought to you by Isla Mujeres History, sponsored by Maravilla Caribe Bed & Beach.
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| View from the rooms. |
MaraVilla Caribe Bed & Beach Three rentals with large glass doors overlooking our white sand beach and the beautiful Caribbean sea, with kitchenettes & fast WIFI. In the coastal neighborhood of Bachilleres, among upscale villas & boutique hotelitos, convenient to downtown or the colonias, yet separate. Quiet & Private.
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| Kitchen in a large studio. (Sur & Norte are identical) |
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| Kitchenette in small room, Medio. There's a table & chairs across from it & a double bed. |
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| A large slider opens from each of the 3 rooms onto the patio where each has a table & chairs, hammock & clotheslines. The BBQ is behind the pole, and the outdoor shower is outa the pic at left. |
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| Large studio (Norte), I'm standing in the kitchen. A queen & single bed. |
Free amenities such as hammocks,bikes, BBQ grills, safes, portable beach chairs & beach towels, washer & dryer, loungers. Breathtaking panoramic views from the rooftop terrace. Large sliding doors open to a patio & our backyard-beach, overlooking the Caribbean sea. Upstairs room also available. Downtown is ~ a mile away; if you don't feel like walking, flag a $2 taxi. Parking. You can enjoy the music & crowds downtown, then come home our quiet neighborhood of Bachilleres where you'll sleep to the sounds of the sea.. $275/$325/$425 wk $40/50/$65nt Monthly Discounts
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| Large studio (Sur) with Queen & Single bed. Slider door & view are behind me. |
Fine dining a few steps away at Da Luisa or try the neighborhood eateries a couple blocks farther. Within ten minutes walk are a variety of restaurants including Mango Cafe, Brisas, Manolitos, La Chatita, Green Verde, Kash Kechen Chuc, and the large department store-grocery , Chedraui. Visit marinas, bars, & beach clubs that are minutes away by bike or on foot. Attend Yoga classes a couple villas away at hotelito Casa Ixchel. Fresh juice, produce & tortillas a few blocks away in the village, as well as a variety of other stores and small local restaurants. It takes 20-30 minutes to walk downtown.
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Full moon rising over the Caribbean
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March 20 6:51 March 21 7:54 March 22 8:55 March 23 9:55 March 24 10:53 March 25 11:50 Painting by Pamela Haase Sunset ~6:50-7 Sunrise ~7:05-6:40 |
March Events
Provided by MaraVilla Caribe & Isla Mujeres Daily News & Events
Plogging events to clean up the island are held on Saturday mornings 8-11, meetup locations at this LINK . Volunteers welcome! Here's the Accion Isla LINK
On the first Monday of each month, there is usually a civic ceremony in the morning, often on the Town Square.
Fishermen in this region are banned from catching Lobster, Grouper and Octopus in March. Lobsters kept in captivity continue to be available, along with frozen tails. LINK
Carnaval Schedule
Coronation of the Kings & Queens in all categories
Presentation of dance troupes
Dance to live music byYerbabuena
Town Square 8:30p
Saturday, March 2 Noche Cubana/Cuban Night
Presentation of dance troupes
Dance to live music by Grupo Junior Klan
Town Square 8:30p
Sunday, March 3 Carnaval Parade-Fantasy
Contest of Decorated Floats/Carts
Procession is on Rueda Medina from the Naval base to the Fishermen's Monument at the Traffic Circle
Show by DJ's
Playa Centro 3p
Afternoon of Fantasy
Bouncy houses, Children's Costume contest, dance troupe performances and show for kids
Town Square 5p
Night of Fantasy
Presentation of the Queen of Diversity, Performances by dance troupes, Performance by Silvanna Show
Town Square 8:30p
The parades are Sunday & Monday at 3p from the Naval Base to the Monument to the Fishermen, so Rueda Medina will be closed. Although the map doesn't show it, traffic is usually detoured down Juarez & the section of Hidalgo that is south of the Square (which usually affects where parking is allowed on Juarez, temporarily.)
It says...Due to celebrations for Carnaval 2019 in Isla Mujeres, March 1-5, there will partial, temporary road closures for the performances of the dance troupes.
On March 3 & 4, Rueda Medina will be closed during the parade. Please plan ahead, and thank you for your understanding.
Monday, March 4-Carnaval Parade-Regional & Comedy
Contest of Decorated Floats/Carts
Procession is on Rueda Medina from the Naval Base to the Fishermen's Monument at the traffic circle.
Show by DJ's
Playa Centro 3p
Comedy & Regional Night
Costume Contest for Adults
Presentation of Dance Troupes
Comedy by Macta
Town Square 8:30p
Tuesday, March 5-Fat Tuesday
Show by DJ's
Playa Centro 3p
Tuesday Night of Carnaval (Fat Tuesday)
Presentation of Dance Troupes, The Will & Burning of Juan Carnaval
Dance to live music by Caribbean Kings
Town Square 8:30p
On or around March 4th, there is usually a ceremony commemorating the arrival of Francisco Hernandez Cordoba in 1517, who is credited with discovering the Yucatan and what is now Mexico, after landing on Isla Mujeres. The expedition of 110 men and 3 boats sailed from Cuba and and sailed around the coast, battling with the Maya, until all but one were injured, and over 50 had died.
Friday, March 8 International Women's Day
Monday, March 18 is a day off for the birthday of Benito Juarez, which is on March 21st.
Tuesday, March 19 is Dia de San Jose which may be celebrated with a dance on the Town Square
Wednesday, March 20 is Spring Equinox
Sources for Weather Information:
LINK to Civil Protection Q Roo weather bulletin (Spanish)
LINK to Mexico National Weather Service (Spanish)
LINK to satellite images for the Mexico National Weather Service
LINK to GOES East Band 16 GIF (animation)
LINK to a private weather station on Isla Mujeres
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