“The interesting thing about Cozumel and Isla Mujeres is that they both have great beaches and water sports. But each is a very different experience.”

-Terry Jones
Founder/Former CEO, Travelocity.com
Chairman, Kayak.com

There’s something magical about islands, their isolation and the fact that at any given point you tend to have a wonderful ocean view. I think islands are especially appealing to travelers because they’re conquerable — you can feel like you really explored much of an island in as little as a day. At least my girlfriend, Ginny, and I did during our visits to Cozumel and Isla Mujeres.

After a quick ferry ride from Playa del Carmen, we jumped in a Jeep and started around Cozumel, heading toward the mostly undeveloped southern end. Within minutes we were zipping along beautiful deserted beaches, occasionally passing little open-air restaurants that looked like ideal places to lose a few hours. At Punta Sur Ecological Reserve, we saw crocodiles and birds (including a couple of turkey vultures hoping for the crocs’ leftovers), and we had lunch right on the sand, under a huge thatch-roofed palapa. I felt like I was in an ad for a Mexican beer.

We spent the afternoon at Chankanaab, which means “little ocean” in Mayan because there’s a lagoon in the national park’s interior. It’s a public-private partnership, created as a way to save an endangered place and to offer visitors excellent recreation opportunities. Ginny and I tried Snuba — a cross between snorkel and scuba — for the first time. You wear a mask with a respirator that’s connected to a long hose, and your tank floats on the surface. Snuba gives you some of the scuba experience without the need for training and certification, and if you’re good at clearing your ears you can go as far down as 30 to 40 feet.

While the ferries to and from Cozumel are modern and air-conditioned, I prefer the private catamaran we took from Cancún to Isla Mujeres — being on the water, with the breezes and the sunshine, is such a fantastic way to relax.

At Dolphin Discovery, we stood waist-deep on a ledge in a large enclosure, while the trainer, Libiz, encouraged two dolphins (Picasso and Padme) to interact with us. They are such incredibly intelligent, friendly animals; they clearly like being touched and having their bellies rubbed. We were able to hug them, shake their “hands” and even give the commands to make them jump or dive. Afterward, Dolphin Discovery offers to sell you photos of your experience, and we bought them all.

The animals are so in touch with the people they’re interacting with. There’s a trick they do where you swim out a bit, and they drag you back while you hold onto their dorsal fins. They race you along faster and faster — they’re really moving. The dolphins also came out and pushed the soles of my feet, lifting me up a bit and propelling me forward until I felt like I was flying like Superman. (For a minute there, I thought I had lost my swim trunks.)

Afterward, we relaxed at a beach club called Garrafón; it’s a sister property of Dolphin Discovery’s. In some ways Garrafón’s story is similar to Chankanaab’s: The owners worked with the local government to preserve the reef and then built activities around it. You can snorkel, zipline out over the ocean, or go kayaking or biking. There are also beautiful areas just to hang out, including hammocks and a gorgeous infinity pool right above the sea.

The general manager, Mauricio Lenares, took me on a tour. He’s so excited about what he’s been able to do, especially in regard to sustainability. Garrafón has its own water processing plant, using gray water to irrigate the landscaping; its water bill is 30 percent less than the rest of the island. He wanted to show us the tip of the island, so we jumped in his truck and zoomed a few minutes down the road. The island comes to a sharp point, with craggy cliffs on both sides, and you walk through a wild modern sculpture garden to reach a Mayan ruin, built to celebrate where the sun first touches the land each morning. (It’s the easternmost point in Mexico.) There are trails that go just above the water all the way back to Garrafón, with a very pretty restaurant.

Two things struck me most about all of these experiences. First, the facilities blend in so well with nature; they don’t feel like they’re trespassing on it. Second, everything was extremely simple, generally all-inclusive, and you never felt less than safe.

Chankanaab also has many impressive Mayan artifacts from all around Mexico. Our guide, Felipe Estrada, told us about the Mayan calendar, how Mayans communicated with drums and invented the concept of zero. I, for one, also learned that I can blow a conch shell. Felipe said that I was calling my ancient Mayan ancestors, but since they didn’t come, I think maybe I just ordered a margarita.