There is something about vacationing in a foreign country that convinces you of imaginary wealth; as though any bridling financial problems are temporarily lifted for that one week so you to live the way you've always imagined. Cancun splurging comes in the form of oceanside lounging, or soaking in the amenities of a luxury resort, or even casting out large sums of money on things you could have probably purchased back home, but for reasons unknown you don't think twice about it.
However inevitable overspending may be, doing so is only the sign of a great vacation. And the route to you take to getting there is as long or as short as you make it in Cancun. Plaza La Isla, the Yucatan's largest and most eclectic shopping experience, is proof.
The Plaza was erected around and along a lagoon and its architecture mimics villa-style design—lapping scales of terracotta shingles and a number of muted pastels coating the shops' exterior. Either side of the lagoon is lined with palm trees and walkways, spoiled only by the occasional cross-bridge.
Populating La Isla are 150 shops, restaurants, and night clubs, as well as a movie theatre and an aquarium. Its most influential selling point to tourists is its diversity, as Plaza La Isla ranges from Mexican Souvenir shops, to retail clothing stores, to consumer electronic boutiques, to several well-known luxury jewelers. The shopping truly offers something for everyone, and of any budget.
Housed within this mass of shops and activities are a few of the mall's more notable amenities that keep visitors pumping into the plaza and speaking high praise of their experience. La Madonna, although not the choice-recommendation as far as restaurants go, is unparalleled in its cocktails and lavish atmosphere. La Isla Aquarium, an unexpected attraction for many visitors, is home to turtles, sharks, sea anemone, and evening dolphin shows.
While providing tourists with an array of activities unique to Cancun, ones that could consume entire days and wallets, the Plaza also offers American-styled restaurant-favorites to its already toppling list of dining options. A Planet Hollywood, Johnny Rockets, and even two McDonalds are posted up in La Isla to satisfy home-sickness.
Plaza La Isla is conveniently situated among the resorts of Cancun's Hotel Zone, at KM 12.5. From where we were staying, ME Cancun at KM 12, we simply walked along Main Avenue and arrived within minutes. It's the one place that consistently tops the to-do lists, the travel logs, and the Cancun reviews—and for good reason, too. The proof is in the expansions, the empty pockets following a week's vacation, the busses and taxis that spend their days ushering tourists from hotel to mall, mall to hotel.
