Exploring Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Written By Nichole Hinton

This post has been updated on January 4, 2024.

TIME NEEDED ON THIS ISLAND: A long weekend (3 nights)

Note: My review of this trip took place from August 21 - 25, 2011 when Isla Mujeres was just becoming a tourist destination. A lot has changed since then with a lot more options of where to stay, dine, and play, which are now included in this post.

The below information is a complete guide of the best places to stay, the top rated places to dine and drink, and all there is to see and do.  We’ve also included transportation tips, as well as a summary of the history of this beautiful island!

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Where to Stay

It's "off-season" in Cancun right, so packaged, all-inclusive deals are CHEAP! After much research, my friends and I selected three-year-old resort. It's situated towards the west end of the six-mile island, with beautiful blue water and plenty of white sand. Upon arrival (think two airplane rides, a shuttle, a ferry and walking two blocks to get there), we were greeted with champagne and... UPGRADES! Our friend Michael was upgraded to a beautiful Premium room, complete with three-person jacuzzi tub on his balcony. Kate and I were upgraded to a Deluxe Suite (almost 1000 sq. ft.), with an expansive living room, full kitchen and gorgeous spa bathroom. Our view was just as amazing.

OTHER OPTIONS:

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Where to Dine & Drink

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Things to See & Do

Day Trips

Garaffon de Castilla Beach

Playa Norte, the main beach on the island, can get a bit crowded. Garaffon de Castilla offers more peace with a lot less people. For a fee of 100 pesos ($5), visitors can enjoy access to lounge chairs, showers, change rooms, and snorkel gear.

isla contoy

About 18 miles away from Isla Mujeres is Isla Contoy - a great day trip with white, sandy beaches and a lot of bird species! To book a boat ride for the day, click here.

spend a day in Avenida Miguel Hidalgo

One of things I love best about Isla Mujeres is that it is not commercialized.  You can't find a single Starbucks, Burger King, or other fast food/dining establishment.  The closest thing to it was the 7-11 on one of the corners.  In addition, most of the people can speak (broken) English, but it gave me a chance to use the Spanish I know to get around.  Kate, myself and our new friends set off in search of food and after speaking with their diving instructors, were given a recommendation to try El Poc Chuc.  This is definitely a must-eat.  Everything, down to the corn tortillas, was hand-made.  The food was so delicious that we wish we had tried it sooner.

After we ate, we decided to do a little shopping/haggling (something else I don't get to practice much).  After visiting MANY jewelry and specialty stores, I settled on a place called Pau-Pao for a commissioned pendant.  I fell in love with the intricacies of the Aztec calendar and found many sterling silver pendants, encased in gold plating.  After a lot of negotiating, I had them encase the pendant in 14K gold instead.  It's such a beautiful piece.  To read more about the Aztec calendar, click here.

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Historical Exploration

Mayan Ruins

More than plenty of time was spent by/in the pool, over the course of our time there.  However, our second full day in and we made some new friends.  We agreed that we needed to go explore and thus decided to take a taxi cab ride to the other end of the island to go find the Mayan ruins.  As it turns out, the ruins are a bit harder to find and they are significantly less impressive than those you see in other parts of Mexico.  The site we ended up visiting was Goddess of Ixchel.  It looked more like a fort than anything else. 

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Underwater Adventures

Cancun Underwater Museum of Art (MUSA)

Made up of over 500 statues and various other structures, MUSA is located on the seafloor surrounding Isla Mujeres and Cancun. You must be SCUBA-certified.

Open Water Certification Course - PADI

Learn to SCUBA dive at Isla Mujeres with a 3-day course that includes four open water dives. Class size is limited to six students to maximize one-on-one attention from SCUBA instructors, so you can transition smoothly from classroom to coral reefs. Practicing dive skills in confined water prepares you for open-water dives that include trips into the protected marine reserve.

Whale Shark Adventure

Get up close and personal with the world’s largest congregation of whale sharks during this small-group snorkeling excursion, available only from May until September. Travel comfortably on a well-equipped boat into the Caribbean Sea, with snorkeling masks and gear included. Let staff guide you to the whale sharks’ meeting points, then hop into the water for a unique immersion.

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Unique Experiences

Beach Photoshoot

You will explore the most attractive locations on the beaches of Isla Mujeres, accompanied by a professional photographer, posing for a series of high-end images. In addition to learning about this island, you’ll leave with the perfect snapshots for sharing on social media and with friends and family back home.

Watch Incredible Sunsets

I've seen some beautiful sunsets in my day but to see such a large, red fireball dip into the ocean never gets old.  It also makes for some great lighting, during an impromptu photo shoot.

Yoga Class on the beach

Taking a yoga class on the beach is something we all think is a great thing to do, but few actually do it. I’m here to tell you, it’s a totally different way to practice and somehow, feels even more amazing.

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How to Get Around

GETTING TO ISLA MUJERES

In order to get to the island, you must fly into Cancun’s airport and take a pre-scheduled transfer to the ferry. From there, take the 15 minute ferry ride to the island. To grab your roundtrip tickets for the transfer and the ferry, click here.

GETTING AROUND ISLA MUJERES

Rent a Golf Cart and Tour The Island

One of the easiest (and best) ways to tour the island is by renting a golf cart. Expect to pay $30-$45 USD for the day (gas is included). There are a lot of rental places to choose from!

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A History Summary

Isla Mujeres was considered a sacred place by the Mayans, and it continues to hold significance today. The island’s history dates back 1500 years when it served as a sanctuary for the Mayan goddess Ixchel who was associated with the moon, happiness, medicine, and fertility. A temple, dedicated to her, was built on the southern tip of the island, which also served as a lighthouse. However, during the Mayans’ time, they would come to worship or collect salt. The island remained a sanctuary until it was “discovered” by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba in 1517.

Today, the island is visited by tourists from around the world.

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Nichole Hinton
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