Welcome to Casa Pastel
Your Vacation Home on Isla Mujeres!
TEENS ARE ON VACATION TOO And while everyone enjoys eating and having fun, teens need to do it in their own way. It's not annoying unless you've never been a teen. Mixing family fun with cool behavior is a tricky walk. Lucky for all of us, Isla Mujeres has plenty of teen and tween friendly stuff. Guaranteed to bring back that long lost smile! A PARQUE BY ANY NAME IS STILL A PARK LITTLE GARRAFON PUPPY LOVE AT ISLA ANIMALS There is always a roomful of wriggly, warm puppies and older dogs who love visitors. You can take a few with you for a walk to the doggy beach or just hang out in the A/C and enjoy a good dose of puppy love. Donations are welcome. A bag of kibble is always a good gift. This one is a sure winner for a big smile. HALO - DELPHINO'S CLINIC FOR CATS  Although Delphino is a vet to all creatures great and small, his office is a cat's haven. There is a special caged area set up so visitors can spend time with the most adorable kittens and island cats. Delphino is fluent in Spanish, English, and French. He studied in Paris. He is usually busy with his practice, but if you get a chance to chat with this remarkable man, take it. Donations to HALO (HELP ANIMALS LIVING OVERSEAS) are tax deductable for US tax filers. It's a registered non profit. Donations keep the animals happy, healthy and well fed. Make it a stop on your trip. You'll be happy you did.
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Parque Los Suenos - you can lounge around and fill up on tacos and cheese fries or gear up to snorkel in the reef waters. The fish are colorful and totally non threatening. They offer breakfast and all-day grill from 11AM - 9PM. Food is not inexpensive, but it is good, servings are generous and, considering there is no entry fee for the park, it's a great way to relax for the whole day on a budget. Just keep an eye of the soda refills. You pay for each drink. Seriously, kayaks, swimming in the Caribbean, a rope swing and easy climbing wall to test your skills and show off a bit? Snorkeling gear available with a smile. It's absolutely tween or teen heaven. Parents can sit in the shade while the kids have a great time. Be sure to tip the staff who work hard to make your day fun.
Don't forget to apply the sunscreen and bring rashguards. A white T shirt has an SPF of 7. If it's wet that drops down to a 3! Shirts that are rated SPF 50 are a better match for the Caribbean sun. Don't make it an issue. Make the surfer rash guards available and if you see a sunburn starting, let the decision be theirs. A cool shirt or a bad burn?
Garrafon de Castillo, or as everyone calls it, Little Garraffon, is a great place for kids. Teens love the freedom to swim and snorkle freely. Jumping off the stone wall makes for some great selfies. There are more fish at this beach than at the big Garrafon park. Probably because they know people are allowed to feed them. 
It's great snorkling for experienced divers as well as first timers. The food is good and you can either sit up top and watch the fun or laze on the beach and have your orders brought to you. Warning: the beach chairs and umbrellas go early. If you arrive late, you get to sit in the full sun unless you bring your own umbrella. We usually take a table upstairs and let the kids enjoy the fun. But you can still pop down to take a turn in the water. It's clear and the fish are colorful. Really a great time. Our teens usually opt for a return here at least once. 
A sure winner for the whole family unless you are allergic to dogs! Isla Animals is the islands answer to neglected strays. The group has been active on the island for decades. It's volunteer and it's 
wonderful. 
Who needs to go downtown? Yes, the Punta Sur area has its own live music scene! You'll find it at The Joint -- just a stone's throw away from Garrafon Park heading down the road from the park entrance -- with regularly scheduled performances by popular music group, The Sol Rockers, and other local bands. Their frozen mojito gets raves even without the alcohol. Yes, the tire swing works! 
Isla Mujeres' own open air cantina is a hot spot for fun no matter how old you are. The open air, live music vibe is a turn on no matter how young or old you are.
