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				“Island of Women” Coastal Outdoors By Phil H. Shook Offering the same white beaches and turquoise seas but a slower pace from Cancun's party atmosphere, tourist traffic and highrise glitz is nearby Isla Mujeres (Island of Women), one of the many small gems of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. A taxi ride from the Cancun airport to the Puerto Juarez dock and a leisurely trip by ferry across a short stretch of sparkling Caribbean transports the traveler to an island with a touch of Hemingway's old Key West and Havana. The story goes that Isla Mujeres got its name after Spanish explorers landed there in 1517 and found female statues on the shore believed to be offerings to the Mayan goddess of love. From the moment one steps off the ferry at the municipal dock, this popular but more lightly traveled resort destination about 10 miles from Cancun conveys a soothing island life style. Golf carts, mopeds and bicycles outnumber the cars on this 5 mile long by 2.5 mile wide island. A small business district with shops and side street restaurants is surrounded on all sides by palm-shaded beaches, marinas, open air palapa bars and gently breaking surf. The palm-lined Avenida Rueda Medina on the western shore runs the length of the island's six block business district offering views of pangas pulled up on the beach and sleek yachts moored in the marina. For the offshore angler, beachcomber, diver, or student of Mayan culture, Isla Mujeres has a host of daily adventures to offer.. It also offers the opportunity to do a whole lot of nothing in just the right setting. A top choice for swimming and sunbathing is Playa Norte Beach located within easy walking distance of the ferry landing at the municipal docks and all the downtown hotels. Playa Lancheros, another attractive beach, is on the Caribbean side of an island lagoon that is served by local buses. Worth a visit is the remains of a Maya temple, believed to have been built to pay homage to the moon and fertility goddess, Ixchel. The location is on a lofty bluff on the southern end of the island just beyond the lighthouse. Later, back on the beach it is appropriate to toast the occasion with Mayan drink called Xtabentun made from local herbs and honey. The legend is that Xtabentun , a smooth liqueur with a distinct licorice flavor, was concocted by the Mayans as an elixir for their gods. Garrafon National Park, located at the southern end of the island offers a pleasant swimming beach as well as excellent snorkeling amid swarms of colorful reef fish. In addition to restaurants and bars, the property includes a swimming pool, kayak and beach chair rentals, changing rooms, rental lockers, and showers. There is an admission fee at the park. Boatmen can be hired for snorkeling at Machones Reef, where a bronze cross was erected in 1994, and in Bahia de Mujeres on the southern tip of the island near the lighthouse. Cuevas de los Tiburones, the Caves of the Sleeping Sharks, is the most famous of several dive sites off Isla Mujeres. A number of dive shops on the island offer trips, equipment and classes. The waters off Isla Mujeres have offered explosive offshore big game fishing for years and more recently it has become a center for the growing interest in bluewater fly fishing. The waters off Isla Mujeres are among the few destinations this side of Morocco or Venezuela where the offshore flyfisher has a reasonable chance of hooking and landing a white marlin over a long weekend trip. And at a cost of about $175 per day, per angler, for a group of four fly fishers to charter a top quality boat, captain and crew, it rates as a singular bluewater bargain. The prime period for white marlin action off the island is May through June while the peak time for sailfish is December through June. December is a good time to target king mackerel along with sails. Dorado and bonito (little tunny) are most prolific beginning in March and running through June, while spring breakers will find sails, dorado, wahoo and bonito in good numbers from March through May. April 2003