Plaza La Isla

Plaza La Isla is an open-air shopping and entertainment complex on the Nichupte Lagoon in the Hotel Zone of Cancun, at kilometer 12.5 of Boulevard Kukulcan in Quintana Roo, Mexico. The mall combines international and Mexican brand stores with restaurants, bars, a cinema, and a lagoon-front boardwalk, and it is laid out around open walkways rather than enclosed corridors, so visitors move between shops in the open air. Attractions within the complex include an aquarium and a large panoramic Ferris wheel that gives views over the lagoon, the Hotel Zone, and the Caribbean beyond. Tickets for the aquarium and the Ferris wheel are sold separately, while entering the plaza itself is free. Restaurants range from casual cafes to sit-down seafood and international kitchens, many with terraces facing the lagoon, and prices are higher than those in downtown Cancun. The plaza is mostly an evening hangout and shopping stop rather than a sightseeing destination, and a typical visit lasts between one and three hours. It opens daily from about 10AM to 10PM. Late afternoon into evening is the best time to come, when the heat eases and the lagoon sunset can be seen from the boardwalk and the upper levels of the Ferris wheel. Weekday mornings are very quiet, with only a few shops busy, while weekend evenings and holiday periods bring the largest crowds, when restaurants can have waits. For photographs, the sunset view over the Nichupte Lagoon from the boardwalk is the main subject, and the Ferris wheel lit up at night is a recognizable skyline feature. Air-conditioned shops and the cinema make the plaza a good option on very hot or rainy days. Visitors who plan to shop should compare prices with downtown markets, where souvenirs are usually cheaper. The R-1 and R-2 buses along the boulevard stop at kilometer 12.5, and the plaza has taxi stands and parking.