Isla Mujeres, located a short ferry ride from Cancun off the Yucatán Peninsula, is tame territory. The island is only about five miles long and the atmosphere is unhurried, uncrowded and, except for the precautions you'd take anywhere, not targeted by the U.S. State Department's warnings. Those warnings focus on border areas and Mexico City.

For a good source on safety issues in Mexico, visit the site of "Mexico Mike" Nelson and click on "safety tips." There also are links to other Mexico sites, including a discussion area for contacting people who already have visited your destinations.

A good description of Isla Mujeres, complete with maps of the island's few roads and main town, can be found in the recent guidebook "Yucatan & Southern Mexico," by Nick Rider, a Cadogan guide distributed by Globe Pequot Press (1999).

For really local advice, Mundaca Travel, a travel and real estate agency based on Isla Mujeres, has a Web site and a toll-free number (from within the United States) for inquiries at (888) 420-3613.

I am a recent graduate with a B.A. in graphic design. I work full-time as a Web designer, but I find that there is not a very strong artists' community in my town (Raleigh, N.C.) -- it's especially hard to find young, intelligent artists who are motivated and doing a lot of new and different stuff. Anyway, where in the world are the best artists' communities? Places to be accepted as an artist and also surrounded by inspiring people?

Whether you're looking to relocate or simply vacation, the question of artistic community is neatly addressed in "The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America: Discover Creative Communities, Fresh Air, and Affordable Living," by John Villani (John Muir Publications, 3rd edition, 1998). Besides places you'd expect, such as Santa Fe, N.M.; Key West, Fla.; and Carmel, Calif., the book spotlights a wide range of towns that loom small on the map but large in the realm of artistic possibility.

Most of them offer more than just art -- they have pleasing settings, fresh air and outdoor diversions. Durango and Telluride, Colo., are among them, as are Sun Valley, Idaho; Jackson, Wyo.; Eureka Springs, Ark.; Oxford, Miss.; Athens, Ga.; Beaufort and Hilton Head, S.C.; and Charlottesville, Va. Many of these towns have universities nearby, or tourism industries that help support a hearty arts community.

North Carolina fares well, actually, with four small arts cities: Chapel Hill, Beaufort, Morehead City and Wilmington.

Most of the chapters are two pages long, with descriptions of local lifestyles, the arts scene and basics such as art spaces, art events, hangouts, bookstores and public radio stations. There's also an "art talk" interview in which one or more artists speak to the local scene. The book can be found in stores, on Web booksellers or through Muir at (800) 888-7504.

Next page | The best places in Belize; Java by train