Why We Recommend It:
Mia Reef is a fabulous, family-friendly 5 Star all-inclusive on a private island just off Isla Mujeres. Its location makes it feel rather exclusive and it has an absolutely pristine stretch of private beach.
As the islet is small and is surrounded on almost all sides by open water many rooms come with lovely sea views.
It’s a friendly, sociable place and, due to the limited size of the islet, can sometimes feel busy, but the atmosphere is always very nicely laid back, and with just two bars it’s not a place for wild nightlife.
Rooms & Suites:
They have 164 rooms, suites, and villas at Mia Reef. Though not particularly spacious all of them are bright and colorful, and display nice touches of pop-art styling.
They range from what they term Basic or Deluxe Double Rooms, through Superior Oceanfront Doubles and Deluxe Ocean View Rooms, and then on to their Beach Front Villas.
The Basic Doubles are good value and pretty similar to the Deluxe and Superior Ocean Views internally, but they lack a view of the sea.
In Mia Reef, this is definitely worth the extra. In a lot of resorts, an ocean view can mean an ocean view in the distance and a bunch of other stuff in between, but here no.
For not a lot extra you can have a Superior Ocean View room or, better still – what we see as the best value – the more spacious Deluxe Ocean View rooms (they can sleep up to 4 if required in two double beds), and see almost nothing but sea and sky from your balcony.
There are larger, more independent villa-type units along the beachfront too. These are more spacious and can sleep up to five in a studio room with two double beds and a sofa bed.
They are the most expensive but with them being at ground level the views are of course not too impressive.
Facilities in all of the above include AC, digital safes, coffeemakers, well-stocked minibars and mini-fridges, cable TV, and blackout blinds.
Bathrooms are surprisingly ordinary for such a top-class resort it must be said. Functional but ordinary – no bathtubs or double sinks for example.
Take a look at your room options now – with prices, reviews, and photos – at Expedia here or at Booking.com here.
Food, Facilities & Things to Do:
The Sarimar is the main restaurant serving giant, international buffets all day with some a la carte options alongside.
Las Marias is fully a la carte and does classic Mexican fare in a classy, semi-formal, dining hall. Reservations are not required.
Cevichería, by the beach, serves fresh seafood including fish tacos and tostadas, and their house specialty: shrimp ceviche.
The Coffee Gallery is a hip coffee shop with snacks, desserts, and of course a whole range of coffees all day.
Guests can come to work on their laptops here. It has comfortable seating, including sofas, and also a pool table.
Blue Moon Snack sits directly on the beach. It does a range of international comfort food like burgers, fries, nachos, wings, hot dogs plus salads and sandwiches.
The Blue Moon Bar alongside it is a casual, friendly, and atmospheric beach bar with nice views across the sea back to Isla Mujeres.
The main pool usually gets overlooked as the private beach at Mia Reef is so nice. It has a swim-up bar though that can be busy all day.
All food and alcohol including some premium brands are all-inclusive at Mia Reef.
Mia Reef can be a fun resort overall – the atmosphere is certainly friendly and sociable – but it’s not a venue for serious nightlife and might be a bit too quiet at night for some.
There is a sauna at the resort and a spa with two single treatment rooms, one deluxe couples suite, and a relaxation lounge (as in most resorts spa treatments are not part of the all-inclusive). There is also a beauty salon and a small gym.
There is a popular kids’ club, for the 4-11-year-olds, with daily activities at Mia Reef and babysitting services are also available.
The resort’s islet location means it’s limited in size and sports activities for adults too seem limited. On-site though guests can go kayaking and snorkeling (and the snorkeling is excellent it must be said) plus beach volleyball, cycling, and pool.
Resort Location:
Mia Reef sits on its own tiny private island just off the northern tip of Isla Mujeres. It is connected by a narrow bridge to the main island, to which cars have limited access. It’s about a 15-minute walk, or a couple of minutes by taxi, from the Isla Mujeres ferry port.
To get to Isla Mujeres from Cancun Airport you must head by taxi or transfer to the Ultramar Ferry or Puerto Jerez Ferry Port in Cancun, then jump on one of the very frequent ferries for the twenty-minute journey to the island.
Mia Reef offers pick-ups from the airport to the ferry station at an additional cost.
Some Guest Reviews:
“The location is unlike any other in Isla Mujeres. The private island beach is small but not as busy as the other areas on the island. The food was very good, as was the service. Gustavo, Isle and Guadalupe took amazing care of us at breakfast and lunch. We went for my friend’s birthday and everyone at the resort made it a special day for her…..”
“Love love loved Mia Reef!! I was skeptical because of the reviews I read but honestly those are complaints that find fault in anything! Our room was clean, nice views, best beach we’ve ever been too! Staff was amazing! Martin served us just about every day! He knew exactly what we wanted without us asking! Kimberly was our dinner server and she performed a really nice dessert show with fire and had the funniest personality! I liked that the resort wasn’t too big so we didn’t walk far to go anywhere. You can rent golf carts there to go outside the resort. Breakfast was our favorite! Dinner at la Parillada rib eye was amazing!! I loved everything about our stay! Definitely coming back and inviting all my family and friends!…..”