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We got a chance to tour Na Balam when we were on Isla Mujeres in January. It's really a top-notch hotel and has a beautiful beach. The rates for the hotel are posted on their web site, though if we book fifteen rooms or more everybody gets a 15% discount. We've already placed a hold on a block of rooms at the hotel for the entire week, but those rooms will be made available after April 30 if they're not all reserved. We can't book the room for you, you have to do that.
To book a room you can:
- Fill out their online form - (mention it's for the Iest-Bassin wedding in the "other request" box at the bottom of the form in order to receive the discount).
- Call them to book a room - we've called them and found them to be very friendly and their english is pretty good...
- Calling from the US, dial: 011-52-998-877-0279
- Calling from Europe, dial: 00-52-998-877-0279
In case you're looking for cheaper accommodations, we have a few suggestions -- we personally checked out these places when we visited. Keep in mind that the beach at Na Balam is open to the public, so no matter where you choose to stay, you can still come over to hang out with us! Remember that it is going to be HOT and HUMID, so be sure to check that the place you end up booking has air conditioning.
- Casa Maya is right next door to Na Balam, nice rooms and about half the price ($65/night). They also have two kitchens that you can use if you feel like doing your own cooking. We're not sure if the rooms have air conditioning, so be sure to ask.
- If you feel like staying downtown (which is a 10 minute walk from our hotel), we suggest Hotel Belmar. We actually stayed there when we were on the island. There rooms are really cheap ($45/night). These rooms do have air conditioning.
- And for those of you really on a budget... you can stay at the youth hostel, which is also downtown. We didn't go inside but it looked pretty cool from the outside ($20/night for a private double room/$9 for a dorm room).
- Get more recommendations from this article: "A secret slice of paradise on Mexico's Isla Mujeres"
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Isla Mujeres is a quiet little island about 20 minutes by ferry from Cancun. It's relaxed and unpretentious, and the setting is magical. Isla Mujeres (population 13,500) seems to defy change, even though its swanky neighbor has spurred the development of some visitor attractions that have spruced up the island's very "bohemian" ambiance. The tourist ferry dock unloads day visitors and Cancun refugees (an interesting mix of North Americans and Europeans) in front of the island's main settlement (measuring a mere four blocks by six blocks). Isla Mujeres is home to simple shops, a few restaurants, some funky bars, an occasional brightly painted clapboard house, and the Plaza Municipal. South of town the island's only road skirts the western coast past mangrove lagoons before looping northbound. Here is a decent web site with information about the island, including links to more hotels on the island.
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Fly to Cancun. There's a bit of a taxi mafia that runs out of the airport. Nothing dangerous, just that they jack up the prices leaving the airport. You might be best off taking one of the shuttle vans, but prepare yourself to wait for the van to fill up. Make your way by taxi/shuttle to Puerto Juarez near downtown Cancun. Any of the drivers will know this place. From Puerto Juarez there are ferries that depart about every half hour to Isla Mujeres. It's a fast catamaran, called Ultramar and it's generally a pretty smooth ride.
Also, there's an ATM in the airport. We suggest you take out some money there. American dollars are often accepted but not always. Also, we found that a lot of places on the island don't accept credit cards, so having some cash on hand is a good idea. There's also an ATM on the island right near where the ferry docks.
Mexico at this time of year is HOT & HUMID, so be sure to bring cool, comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. Also, some of you have asked what to wear to the ceremony -- comfortable and casual, flip-flops are fine.
What about gifts? How come we don't have a link to a registry?
Having our friends and family come all the way to Mexico for our wedding is the greatest gift we could ask for. We insist that we do not want any gifts! If you are still bent on giving us something, please consider spending an extra day with us on the island. Thinking of coming for 3 days... how 'bout making it 4?!
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