Looking for an adults only, all-inclusive.
Would love to hear recommendations and why.
Thanks!

The only all-inclusive there now is Zoetry. Palace is being sold as of 3/31.

Zoetry won't be adults only but it's not likely kids will be there. Very quiet resort focused on wellness. No shoes, no loud music at pools, etc.

I love IM but with Palace closing I prob wouldn't stay there.

We leave for IM Sunday morning for a 6 night stay at Mia Reef. Beyond excited. Will report back.

Isla won't have any huge resort style all-inclusives like Cancun will. Part of why some people enjoy it. Privilege Aluxes is probably your best bet. Close to town and walking distance to a lot. It's located on north beach - one of the best beaches in the world. As far as the hotel itself goes, it's small and wont be your typical AI. I've never personally stayed there (my parents own a condo on the island), but everyone I know that's stayed there has had good things to say. You will want to venture out for most meals... there won't be some huge resort with 5 restaurants on-site to choose from. Saying that, there are very good restaurants on the island to dine at. I can give a list of recommendations just PM me. Definitely rent a golf cart to explore the island daily. Lots of cool bars/restaurants are located on the south side of the island which you can get to via golf cart. Isla is a great place even though it has gotten busier over the years. I've never had any trouble there and my family has been frequenting since 2007.

As mentioned above... I wouldn't recommend AI for Isla. It will take away from the island experience. Spend the day on the beach at a Playa Norte beach club and then hop around on the golf cart (or walk to Hidalgo) for all of your drinks and meals, you won't regret it.

Is it necessary to speak spanish when visiting Isla? Sounds like a cool trip with everything being so close. Kinda like a downtown big city vacation but with a great beach and island flair?

No Spanish necessary. It is not a big city downtown area. More like a quaint fishing village vibe.

I wouldn't call it big city downtown, more like small town with a lively town square, except in this case it's more of a single street - Hidalgo.

And +2 on not going AI in Isla, it's such a walkable/golf cart-able island the best part is the easy access to various restaurants and bars. We've stayed at Hotel Ixchel and Playa Arena and were happy with both, great Playa Norte location. I would also consider Villa La Bella if you want a super relaxed scene, you have to visit their bar regardless.

BYO-floatie for the ocean.

Totally do not go to an AI.

Food scene is really good and not overly priced.

You can walk the north end of island and get a cab to take you to south side if you don't want to mess with a golf cart

Playa Norte is definitely not a world class beach though.

It's nice but has lost some of its luster from erosion and encroachment of hotels on the beach.

Wife and I stayed at house on windward side near the navy with private infinity pool.

Had an amazing time strolling into town for food then, picking up sixer, then drinking in the pool or on the beach.

Isla has awesome food and the "restaurants" are part of makes the island so special. I definitely wouldn't do AI. We love Privilege Aluxes and stay there when the kids aren't with us (it's adult only). We never do AI though. I can give you several food/drink recommendations if you need them. Feel free to email me at: username@live.com

how long does it normally take to get from Cancun to the island? Is it an all day journey? Cancun is nice because you can arrive at the airport and literally be on the beach in under an hour after the plane lands.

~20 mins to the ferry dock, then ~30 min ferry ride (perhaps the happiest 30 mins of your trip), then just about everything on the island is 2-10 mins cab from Isla ferry dock.

East Dallas Ag said:

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~20 mins to the ferry dock, then ~30 min ferry ride (perhaps the happiest 30 mins of your trip), then just about everything on the island is 2-10 mins cab from Isla ferry dock.

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The ferry ride is definitely an experience. The water color between Cancun and Isla is awesome! Sit up top on the ferry and get the best view and a good breeze.

Pro tip, get a beer in the ferry terminal and drink it while watching the turquoise water go by.

I think the ferry's also sell them onboard. At least ours did. Although we left from the Playa del Carmen ferry, not the the one north of Cancun.

They are expensive on the ferry but there is a convenience store at the ferry landing that sells them cheap. The margs at the ferry bar are actually pretty good as well.

Short notes on mia reef. We are there now.

Breakfast is great, lunch very meh... Haven't had dinner here yet
This resort is 100% about the location, which is just amazing.
Everything here is... fine. But with this location, the business man in me is furious about the unfulfilled promise of what the resort could be. It's like they just mail it in here. Hard to complain about anything, but nothing outside of the location, to rave about.
Enjoying it but next isla trip will be different

We've never stayed at Mia but it seems like I never hear anything good about it other than the location. From many comments it seems run down and deteriorating quickly.

Drink a Soggy Peso marg for me, EyeGuy!

We definitely hit the peso. Very cool, what I would always imagine margaritaville to be. Our favorite hang out so far has been the joint

The thought of an island of women is equally intriguing and terrifying.

So nearly everything is cash here. And dollars take a big hit on value. We underestimated how much we needed and I stumbled on remitly. Great exchange rate (better than the bank) and very easy.

The Joint is great, but seriously you have to go to the bar at Villa La Bella. Cadillac Margs and the best pina colada Ive ever had.

Go eat a nice dinner and sit at the bar at Casa Sirena. They'll have live music and great food. Mar Bella is also another great place for a nice meal. Pricey but worth it.

Javi's Cantina is another great dinner spot. Javi and Marla are great people (Marla graduated from Auburn so if you go give her a hard time). Javi is one of the few local Isla natives that has a restaurant there. Top notch food and service. There's usually live music in the courtyard area too. It's our favorite place to sit.

Leaving for Isla tomorrow, can't wait!!! I wrote down the restaurants recommended (Casa Sirena, Mar Bella, Javi's Cantina, The Joint, and the bar at Villa La Bella). Any other restaurants y'all recommend? Good breakfast places?

We are staying at Nautibeach on North Beach. We have reservations for catamaran snorkel trip, and the swim with the dolphins. Any other recommendations things to do, and places to eat appreciated, thank you!

We've never had anything bad at Lola Valentina, great variety of margaritas too.

Lolo lorena is a great experience, Belgian/french chef cook from her home, reservation only.

Limon is another good nice option, chef cooks from a grill in a courtyard, massive lobsters and steaks.

For breakfast... Mango Cafe. Phenomenal. If you want to rile some people up, on the way out, tell the line that they are out of French Toast. May cause a riot.

I'll also echo EDA, Lola Valentina is phenomenal. Though, I will say.... I did have something bad there. The waiter convinced me to get a Diablito to drink. I still don't know what the hell this thing really was, but it was loaded with tamarind and had cucumber bitters. And they lit it on fire when they gave it to me. I made about five or six passes at it trying to figure out if I liked it or not. I came to the conclusion that I hated it. Cool part was that the waiter said that he wouldn't charge me if I didn't like it and he was true to his word. Otherwise, it was a wonderful meal and I did pay the mariachis to sing a couple songs for us. Rancho Grande for me and.... something I don't remember for my wife.

She got a seafood stir fry dish.... basically a paella. She loved it but it was way too much food for one person. I got the Picanha and I loved it. They gave me a true rare steak for once.

I agree Mango Cafe is awesome (stuffed poblano, breakfast quesadillas, french toast). All great. Lola Valentina is also fantastic for breakfast. Both have great fresh juices as well.

Aside from the ones already mentioned, DeNuccios is also great spot for a nice dinner and on the south side of the island. Also, go get a cheeseburger at Madera for lunch one day... you won't be disappointed, I promise. As far as downtown Hidalgo goes, Olivia is a fantastic restaurant for a nice dinner. I also enjoy Rolandi's for Italian and sitting at the bar at Oceans. Oceans is a decent spot to watch a game too if the Aggies happen to be playing that night. I'd prob avoid the places by the ferry. Lots of restaurants on that main stretch but nothing I find very good. Oscars is also great place to have some drinks/pizza and watch all the golf carts go by. Enjoy!

Went over NYE and had a great time. Only places I would add to this list would be:

-Samura: some of the best sushi I've had in a long time (yes, I know, Sushi in Mexico. But it was great) and the place itself is super cool

-Snappers: very Americanized, fun sports bar that has pool tables and live music. Assuming you want to watch games, it's a good spot. Food is pretty generic.

-Kin Ha: this was our favorite breakfast spot. Great food, beautiful ocean view, and pretty quiet. We stayed on the southside of the island so it was convenient (not far from The Joint)

For those in the know looking at Airbnb's it seems the most are in the middle and south. Prices seem fair and many are with their own pools. The island also seems more quiet and relaxing the further south you go??? Would renting a house in the southern part of the island be a good idea? How are the beaches down there? Would it be one of those things where you'd have to constantly make a golf cart trip north for any type of restaurant/bar?

Also curious how expensive groceries/beer are on the island for stocking up a house?

Definitely quieter on the south end but the beaches aren't great down there at all. You will likely end up going to Playa Norte to the beach. There are several restaurants scattered out all over the island but again there are more on the north end. Groceries and beer are super cheap. There are several small grocery stores and one big grocery store on the island. It's close enough to Cancun that everything is cheap. Mexican beer is like $2.50-3.00 for a 6 pack.

Is there a large group going with y'all?

We are kicking around the idea of an extended family trip or possibly just wife and I. Playa Norte beaches seem way too crowded and loud for our tastes. That's why I was curious about the southern end.