Isla Mujeres History

      For centuries Isla Mujeres was a shelter for pirates, until the Lafitte brothers were expelled in the early 1820's. After that, the isle was only occupied a few months of the year by a handful of fishermen from Campeche, Yucatan, and Cuba.This is evident from statements such as those of American John L Stephens, the "Father of Mayan Archaeology", who visited the island in 1842. He said there were only two huts and a shelter made from branches, inhabited by three fishermen and two natives, who were fishing for turtles. The three fishermen told him nostalgic tales about the good times they'd once had with the Lafitte brothers. Less definitive reports from visitors in 1825 said there were about a dozen huts.       When Mexico's War of Independence ended in 1821, the Spanish regime was ousted, and the Yucatan acquired statehood in 1824. There were constant disputes and regional clashes during the following decades, wi...