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Looking for a list of the top things to do in Isla Mujeres, Mexico? I’ve got it right here!
You may be on a tight schedule, trying to squeeze every second out of your precious vacation time. I get it – you only get so many days in paradise! And after multiple trips to Isla Mujeres, I know just how many things there are to do here.
So to ease the stress and help maximize your time, I’ve put together this list of the best things to do in Isla Mujeres. You’ll get to snorkel or scuba dive in clear Caribbean waters, rent a private boat, go fishing, or catch a dreamy sunset. Let’s dive in!
Quick Pick: Our Favorite Activity
Don’t have time to read the full article?
Our personal FAVORITE thing to do is this snorkeling tour from Isla Mujeres! You’ll see tons of marine life, coral, and enjoy a day at sea. Check out the 1,000+ 5-star reviews and book this tour here.
Tip: This tour is popular – secure your spot now and get FREE cancellation 24 hours before you go!
Best Things to do in Isla Mujeres
1. Go snorkeling
Without a doubt, one of the top reasons people come to Isla Mujeres is to snorkel! We love swimming in this goregous ocean, and snorkeling just takes it to the next level. The water is truly crystal-clear around the whole island, and the reef around here is filled with wildlife – I was so impressed with all of the colorful fish!
For the best snorkeling, you should join this Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Tour which includes stops at three unique locations. You’ll get to see the largest coral reef in the area called the Manchones as well as an underwater museum where you can see over 500 sculptures on the ocean floor! They also give you time to swim in a shallow reef, which gets you up close to the tropical fish and other marine life.
After you’re done swimming, the tour includes a fresh seafood lunch at a beach club restaurant where you’ll get to taste BBQ “tikin xic” – a Mayan-style fish that is super delicious. This entire experience is memorable and great for families with kids. It’s also really reasonable at $51 USD per person for 3 hours of snorkeling, leaving time for other activities!
Check out this tour’s 1,000+ 5-star reviews and book your spot here!
2. Swim with whale sharks
Without a doubt, swimming with whale sharks around Isla Mujeres was one of the most exciting adventures we did here! Whale sharks are such magnificent animals, and swimming near them is truly a humbling experience.
These gentle giants aren’t actually sharks at all, but are the largest fish in the world, growing up to 32 feet (10 meters). Thankfully their diet consists of small fish, shrimp, and plankton, so we’ll be keeping our toes!
I recommend booking this full-day whale shark tour, so you’ll have plenty of time to get up close to these amazing creatures. We took this tour and were so impressed by our guide who knew where to go to find these humongous fish, and we even saw dolphins and manta rays too. That said, they can sometimes be tricky to find, so the more time you have, the better.
The 6-hour tour includes lunch and snorkeling equipment for $160 USD per person. These fish are only in the area at certain times of the year, so this tour is only available from May until September.
This tour is popular – book your spot now and get FREE cancellation 24 hours before you go.
3. Relax on a catamaran
Live a life of luxury for a day aboard your own catamaran! I love sailing on catamarans – it’s a fantastic way to get out on the water and get that sought-after tan too. Catamarans also offer a calm sailing experience, so no need to worry about sea sickness (something I often have to think about).
On this Private Sailing Catamaran Adventure, we sailed around the coast stopping at great snorkeling spots and Playa Norte as we spent the day at sea. An open bar, snacks, snorkeling equipment, and standup paddleboards were included for $271 USD per person for a group of four – which we felt was a great price for a private boat! We even got to stop at a swanky beach club, which was a fun addition to the day.
It’s everything I needed after a busy few weeks of work, so if you’re looking for a way to unwind, this is it! Bring your music, towels, and sunscreen, and hang out under the sun with your family and friends, safely guided by the experienced crew.
4. Check out the Underwater Museum (MUSA)
Just beneath the surface of the waters off Isla Mujeres is an incredible museum that is completely underwater. With no rooms or walls, the only way to see this museum is by snorkeling or scuba diving.
The Underwater Museum of Art was created to draw attention to and protect the coral reefs in this area. A sculptor created incredible life-sized structures (there are more than 500!) of people holding hands in a circle, a car, a man watching TV, and so much more! The hope is that marine life will take over these sculptures to form a complex reef structure.
The best way to get up close to the underwater museum is by scuba diving. If you’re a certified diver, this scuba diving tour gets you a two-tank dive to explore the museum. We did this tour and saw all the incredible sculptures and a variety of fish, turtles, rays, and coral.
We also got to explore the Manchones Reef, as mentioned before, so it was a great way to dive into the beauty just off of Isla Mujeres (literally!). This whole experience was 4.5 hours, and for divers like us, this was one of the most memorable experiences we had. It’s $130 USD per person and includes all the necessary equipment.
Secure your spot now and pay later when you book in advance here.
If you don’t want to scuba dive, snorkeling is another way to see the museum, and it doesn’t require any special certification. This underwater museum and reef snorkel tour takes you to the underwater museum as well as other coral reef areas.
The snorkeling equipment is included, along with snacks and a margarita – that’s my kind of tour! All of this for only $48 USD per person is a great deal! Plus, this is one of the most top-rated tours in Isla Mujeres, so you know it’s good!
Book your snorkeling tour online here with FREE cancellation options!
Why We Book Tours with Viator
Viator is a trusted online booking system for tours around the world! We almost always book our tours using Viator for a couple of reasons:
- Free cancellation on most tours – Most of the tours on Viator allow you to cancel and get a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. This is handy in case plans change, or if booking an outdoor activity, the weather forecast is looking grim.
- Reserve now and pay later – You can secure your spot on some of the most popular tours well in advance and not pay until closer to the day of the tour.
- Lowest price guarantee – If you happen to find the same tour at a lower price elsewhere, Viator will refund you the price difference.
- Pay in your chosen currency – Avoid costly international transaction fees by choosing to pay in your home currency.
- Peace of mind – When booking with tour operators you find in person on the street or in small booking offices, you are often promised one thing and given another. This online platform holds tour operators accountable with a written description of inclusions as well as the opportunity for customers to leave reviews.
Check out the Viator website here! Or, for more info, read our detailed review about Viator here.
5. Go fishing
The Gulf of Mexico is one of the best places in the world to go fishing. Every time we head out on a boat here, I’m shocked at how much we catch! Pretty much anywhere you cast a fishing rod near Isla Mujeres, it’s only a matter of minutes until you catch something.
You don’t need to be an experienced fisherman to catch fish here, but it does help to have a guide showing you the ropes. This private half-day fishing tour has a professional at the helm to take you to some of the best fishing spots near the shoreline. You’ll cast a line for barracuda, snapper, grouper, and more, depending on the time of year.
This tour is $450 USD for up to six people, so as you can see we put together a nice crew and caught a lot of fish! Kids are also welcome on this experience (and sometimes have better luck than the adults!). The tour includes all the fishing gear you’ll need, drinks, snacks, and pick-up from your hotel.
This tour offers FREE cancellation when you book in advance – check it out here
6. Go scuba diving
Scuba diving is one of the best things to do in Isla Mujeres and truly in any part of the Yucatán Peninsula. I’m PADI certified and have done plenty of dives, but each time I go beneath the water, I discover something new. No two dives are ever the same!
What’s great about scuba diving near Isla Mujeres is that many of the popular dive sites are in shallower water that doesn’t have much of a current. This is especially good for newbies to scuba diving.
When diving here, keep an eye out for whale sharks, manta rays, and turtles. You simply have to experience the spectacular coral reef here, which is the second-largest in the world.
Diving is possible almost any day here with an average of 300 good diving days a year! This means whenever you plan to visit, you should be able to get a dive in. The water temperature is consistently warm too.
The tour I have personally gone on and recommended is this popular scuba diving experience. This tour is for people who are already PADI certified. Lasting around 4.5 hours, it includes all of your gear and a guided dive to the underwater museum! It takes off from Isla Mujeres and you’ll visit two dive sites, so you can make the most of the experience.
After going on this tour for ourselves, we thought it was well worth $130 USD.
Check availability and book this PADI certified dive here.
If you’re not certified, don’t worry, you can do this 5-hour discovery dive! No previous diving experience is required, and an expert diver will take you to the depths of the underwater museum (which is pretty shallow, so not difficult for beginners). This is a great way to dip your toes into the world of diving (literally!) and if you like it, you can get certified too.
This discover dive is $169 USD and is available from May through October.
This tour is likely to sell out – book your tour in advance to secure your spot.
If you want to become certified, then you’re in luck! You can do this PADI certification course that includes 2 days of class instruction, confined dives for learning, as well as dives in the ocean. By the end, you’ll have your PADI open-water certification!
This tour is highly recommended and can be booked for $550 USD.
Reserve this tour now and pay later when you book it here!
7. Private sunset cruise
Who can say no to a sunset cruise? Especially when it’s on the Caribbean waters off of Isla Mujeres! This private sunset cruise will certainly make for a memorable experience, not only for the incredible views but also because of how fun it is!
I love that this is a private cruise so you truly feel like a VIP. You can take off from Isla Mujeres and spend about 5 hours cruising around the island, stopping to snorkel, explore North Beach, or relax on board. They provide snacks and beer (plenty of it) and all the snorkel equipment too.
But best of all the crew is super friendly and accommodating, so if you want to have a chill boat ride or a lively experience – they are prepared for either! This tour can accommodate 8 people in your group and it’s a flat fee of $450 USD, so if you have more people in your group it’s pretty cheap per person.
You can book this luxury sunset cruise here, before dates sell out!
Getting to Isla Mujeres
The easiest and most popular way to get to Isla Mujeres is by ferry from Cancun. I recommend taking the Ultramar ferry. The best departure point is from Puerto Juarez and this high-speed ferry gets you to the island in about 30 minutes. The ferry departs every half hour from 5:30 am to 6 pm, and then every hour until 11 pm. You can grab a round-trip ticket for about 540 pesos ($32 USD).
If you’re flying into Cancun and heading right from the airport to Isla Mujeres, there are a few different options you can take. If you’re staying in a hotel on Isla Mujeres, it’s pretty common to arrange transportation directly through them.
However, if you don’t have transportation booked when your plane touches down, you’ll want to make your way to Puerto Juarez to catch the ferry. You can either book a private shuttle, take a taxi, or the most budget-friendly way is by taking the ADO Airport Bus to downtown Cancun for about $5 – $7 USD per person. You can then catch a taxi to the ferry docks which should cost under $10 USD.
And if you’re in the popular Cancun Hotel Zone, there are closer spots to catch an Ultramar ferry at either Playa Caracol or Playa Tortugas. You’ll want to check departure times though as these ferries aren’t as frequent as the ones from Puerto Juarez. If you want to depart from Puerto Juarez, it’s only a 20-minute taxi ride away from the Hotel Zone or you can take the bus.
You can also join one of the tours to Isla Mujeres from Cancun that will take you right to the island, so you can skip any hassle of planning your own transportation. These are perfect if you’re staying in Cancun and want to see Isla Mujeres without booking accommodation, as you’ll be back in Cancun by the end of the day!
This half-day luxury catamaran tour to Isla Mujeres combines some of my all-time favorite things – getting to explore somewhere new, a luxurious boat ride, and an open bar! What I particularly love is that this tour is super flexible – you can choose to either go on a guided tour of the most popular sites or explore yourself. Just make sure you’re back in time for the gourmet lunch.
Tickets for this tour cost $139 USD per person, with the option to start at 8:30 am, 11:30 am, or 2:30 pm. My recommendation would be to go for the early one, as you’ll be back in Cancun in time to grab some food and get ready for an evening in the city!
With over 2,000 positive reviews, it’s a good choice. Book it for yourself here!
Where to Stay in Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Now that you have the best things to do in Isla Mujeres planned out, you need a nice place to stay! There are a decent amount of options, despite being an island, but I’d recommend booking your stay ahead of time so it doesn’t fill up. Here are a few recommendations for a variety of budgets:
Lotus Beach Hotel – $$$
This is not a cheap option (at all!) but it is one of the most luxurious hotels in Islas Mujeres. Lotus Beach Hotel offers everything you can expect from a 5-star hotel that’s located right by the beach (and then some more!). Their rooms are very fancy, and their beach club is fancier still. If you’re looking for a high-end experience, this is it.
Lotus Beach Hotel has a wide variety of amenities such as Wi-Fi, pools, a bar by the pool, bike rental, snorkeling, and anything you’ll need on the beach (including an umbrella, chairs, and towels). In addition to that, they also offer other relaxing services such as massages, couple massages, solarium, hiking, and diving, among others.
Rooms here at Lotus Beach start at around $455 USD per night, but this can be higher during the higher season. I’d suggest booking Lotus Beach Hotel online in advance to avoid missing out!
Izla Beachfront Hotel – $$
Izla Beachfront is a luxurious 4-star hotel with private beach access. It’s around $300 USD, depending on the dates of your reservation. It is absolutely gorgeous, super comfortable, very clean, and they have amazing service. They also have a pool, solarium, wellness center, two on-site restaurants, room service, and WIFI!
You can book a room here at Izla Beachfront for around $300 – $550 USD per night.
Casa de los Sueños (Kin Ha) – $$
Located right next door to the fantastic Kin Ha restaurant and beach club, Casa de los Sueños is a boutique hotel that offers a stunning range of contemporary rooms, bespoke massages, as well as direct access to the Caribbean Sea! During your stay, you’ll also have access to all 4 swimming pools (including one just for guests), as well as some of the tastiest food at Kin Ha.
Rooms here typically start at around $215 – $350 nightly, with room types ranging from double rooms up to the presidential suite, which is perfect for special stays and honeymoons! You can check available dates and book your room online here.
Selina Isla Mujeres PocNa – $
Selina Isla Mujeres PocNa is a budget-friendly hostel/hotel that’s within walking distance (under 2 minutes!) of the beautiful Playa Norte. It is an absolutely stunning property, complete with a huge pool and outdoor bar and restaurant area. Sometimes they even host events like yoga, live music, or even DJs! It’s the perfect place to socialize and meet travelers from all over the world.
You can choose either shared or private accommodations. The private rooms range from budget to luxury – almost like a 4-star hotel stay!
A bed in a dorm here starts at $40 USD per night, and you can book a private room for around $125 USD per night. To secure your stay in advance, I’d recommend booking online either on Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Renting a Car in Mexico
Undoubtedly, one of the best ways to get around Mexico is in a rental car.
I struggled to get around by bus and taxi for the longest time. But after renting a car in Cancun in 2023, I never looked back. It allowed me to explore the country without worrying about tours or taxis. It was why I fell in love with Mexico and eventually decided to live here periodically.
I refuse to use local services whenever I rent a car in Mexico. The truth is they sometimes can’t be trusted or come with hidden fees (or costly insurance that doesn’t make sense.) There are even rental car scams! So instead, I use Discover Cars, the company most experienced travelers or ex-pats in Mexico recommend. Read my honest review of Discover Cars here for more details!
The rates on Discover Cars are cheap, too, with the average rental costing around $25 USD per day. Full coverage insurance can be added for an extra $10 USD a day too.
Driving in Mexico also only requires a driver’s license using the Roman alphabet. If yours uses another like Japan and China, you simply need an international driving permit.
Insurance is required, but if you book with Discover Cars and get the full coverage, that’s all you need! Oh, and being over 18 is required, and if you’re over 25, your rental will be much cheaper!
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
If you’re looking to save money on travel insurance, we currently use and recommend SafetyWing. We’ve been using their coverage since 2018 and they’ve had our backs when we needed emergency flights and got sick overseas.
SafetyWing is one of the cheapest providers out there and covers everything from medical costs to lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency flights. A huge difference we’ve found between them and other companies is that they let you take out a policy AFTER leaving your home country. We’ve also found it handy that it’s a monthly payment rather than a lump sum, and you can get a refund for unused time.
SafetyWing has helped us out in some scary situations before and their affordable coverage has given us peace of mind. You can read our honest review of SafetyWing for all the pros and cons.
Thanks for reading!
Hopefully, this guide to Isla Mujeres has inspired you to plan your own trip to this amazing island. We love how close it is to Cancun, but it feels like escaping to a completely different world. The laid-back vibe here combined with stellar views and unique things to see and do keep us coming back.
If you’ve been to Isla Mujeres or have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments below! Also, check out some of our other Mexico posts for inspiration:
15 BEST Beaches in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
16 BEST Tours in Cancun (that you don’t want to miss!)
22 BEST Places to Visit in Mexico: From Hidden Gems to Top Attractions