Located just off the coast of Cancun, Isla Mujeres is a place where you can finally let go of all your worries, soak up the sun, and embrace your inner beach bum. Whether you’re looking to swim with the local whale sharks or you simply want to lounge on the beach, Isla Mujeres has got you covered.
Join us as we explore the magical land of Isla Mujeres. Where the sand is white, the water is crystal-clear, and the only thing you need to worry about is not getting a weird tan line. Let’s go!
How to get to Isla Mujeres
Cozumel to Isla Mujeres
I was coming from Cozumel to meet up with my friend in Isla Mujeres. I took the ferry from the Cozumel ferry terminal to Playa del Carmen. There are two ferry operators operating this route: Winjet ($7) and Ultramar ($10). I highly suggest NOT booking the ticket in advance and booking on the spot to see which operator is leaving the soonest.
From the Playa del Carmen ferry terminal I walked to the ADO bus station and took a bus to downtown Cancun for about 100 pesos. Then, I took an Uber to Puerto Juarez ferry terminal roughly 150 pesos. From there, I got a roundtrip ferry ticket for 540 pesos, went through security and got onto the ferry. The ferry takes about 20 minutes to cross. Once I made it to the Isla Mujeres ferry terminal, I found a taxi that took me to my hostel for about 200 pesos.
It’s an expensive journey but it was the only option I had.
Cancun to Isla Mujeres
From the airport you will have to take the ADO bus to downtown Cancun for roughly 100 pesos. There are private vans and shared shuttles, but the ADO bus would be the budget option. From downtown Cancun you will have to Uber to take a taxi to the Puerto Juarez ferry terminal and continue as I have advised above.
From downtown you will simply have to Uber or taxi to the Puerto Juarez ferry terminal and continue as I have advised above.
Where to stay in Isla Mujeres
There are a handful of hostels in Isla Mujeres but the most popular and the one I stayed at is Nomads Hotel, Hostel, and Beach Club. Nomads is a bougie hostel with a private beach, restaurant and bar, and tons of amenities. I stayed in the 24 bed female dorm, which sounds like a lot of beds, but it was actually quite comfortable. There were privacy curtains and lockers. There were 4 bathrooms in the room that were all cleaned every day. Overall, it was a great stay.
The hostel has parties certain nights of the week. There is a dance floor and DJ and some nights it gets very loud and fun. There is also a long dock with chairs at the end, perfect for star gazing at night. In addition, there is a fully equipped kitchen in the hostel. I was able to rent bikes, book a whale shark snorkeling tour, and book several other activities directly through the hostel.
The location of the hostel is a bit away from the center of the island. It’s about an hour walk from the ferry terminal and even longer to the bars and restaurants in the center. Punta Sur is a 25 minute walk from the hostel. With a bike or a taxi, it is very easy to get around the whole island.
What to do in Isla Mujeres
Snorkel with Whale Sharks near Isla Mujeres
Whale Shark Snorkeling through Nomads Hostel
Whale shark season in the Yucatan peninsula runs from May to September when the waters are warm and the feed is thriving. There are many tour for swimming with whale sharks leaving from Isla Mujeres, Cancun and Holbox. I was able to book a snorkeling tour right from the Nomads Hostel for $125 USD. I had to pay a deposit at the Nomads Hostel for which they gave me a voucher. The day of the tour I woke up early and made my way to the meeting spot by 8am. It was about a 10 minute walk from the hostel. I paid the remaining balance in cash and then boarded the boat.
Ride to the Whale Sharks near Isla Mujeres
The boat ride was about an hour and a half long and also stopped near Cancun to pick up more tourists. The ride went out to open water and oh man, seasickness was SO real. Almost everyone on our boat was feeling queasy and some where even vomiting over board. Luckily, I was ok and didn’t feel the symptoms of seasickness too bad, but this is definitely something to be aware of. At one point in the ride you are able to see a whole swarm of boats heading to the whale shark area. It almost seems like a race to reach the whale sharks.
Swimming with the Whale Sharks near Isla Mujeres
And then finally! The moment I had been waiting for, swimming with whale sharks near Isla Mujeres! When we got to the spot, there were already several boats there. They gave us life jackets and only two people were allowed with the tour guide in the water at a time. We have two or three chances to swim next to these magnificent creatures, each chance was anywhere from 15 seconds to 2 minutes with the whale sharks before they swim away. The remainder of the time we are on the boat waiting for our turn.
Swimming next to these gentle giants was AMAZING. It felt so surreal and it definitely went by much faster than I thought. The tour guides would drop you right in front of the whale sharks and then you have to swim as fast as possible to keep up with them. They look like they travel slow but in a blink of an eye they will be gone. It was a pretty good workout! There were several whale sharks swimming in the area and there would only be 2 people swimming with each whale shark. The tour let us know they are operating ethically as possible by limiting the number of people in the water and the hours they operate, which is generally early in the morning.
Relaxing at Playa Centro
After swimming with the whale sharks, we made the hour and a half ride to Playa Centro at Isla Mujeres. We enjoyed the warm beaches and swum around. The tour guides also offered us some delicious ceviche, chips, salsa, sandwiches, margaritas, and water. After about 30 minutes at this beach, the tour stopped near Cancun to drop off a few people and then dropped me and a few others off at our meeting point.
Bike around the Island
I was able to rent bikes from Nomads Hostel for about $10 USD for the whole day. Some of the bikes were very old and the brakes didn’t work, so I definitely had to test drive a few before picking one to rent for the day. From there, I rode my bike to Punta Sur which only took about 15 minutes to bike to. Punta Sur is the southern most point on Isla Mujeres. It is an ecological park that has a 30 pesos entry fee and amazing viewpoints. There is no beach access from here but there is a restaurant and a few shops nearby for food and souvenirs.
I later biked up to the north of the island to check out the beach located here. The beach is very crowded and busy and there are limited shady spots. There are chairs to rent but I’m sure it might be quit expensive. I rode my back back down the east coast of the island and the beach was filled with sargassum. Which didn’t look too appealing so I continued on my bike ride back to the hostel.
Snorkeling Tour
During my stay here I had also heard great things about snorkeling MUSA, an underwater art museum off the coast of Isla Mujeres. I hoped to book this through the Nomads hostel which would have been $45 USD per person but it was booked up. I ended up finding this tour through Viator for about $47 USD. This tour took me to the Lighthouse Reef, Manchones reef, and finally the MUSA museum. We were also given margaritas while on the boat. The boat ride to these spots was not far at all and the tour ended at a beach club where we were given a decent lunch with fish, salad, rice, pasta salad and more.
The snorkeling was fantastic, as I got to see a variety of fish. The boat operator was throwing fish food into the water which was attracting fish and made it much easier for us to see the fish. The MUSA museum was cool but definitely not worth the hype. It’s cool, but not THAT cool. Overall, for the price and what we got, I think this tour was well worth it.
There is a TON of things to see and do around Isla Mujeres. For more activities check out this 2 day itinerary in Isla Mujeres.
Where to eat
There’s several places to eat around the island, with most of them being in the busy central area at the North of the island. Here’s a list of a few of the spots I had my meals at that I would highly recommend:
- Samura Isla Mujeres – right across from Nomads Hostel and has decent Asian cuisine
- Marakame Isla Mujeres – right across from Nomads Hostel and a great spot for brunch
- Los Mariscos de Humo – great spot for fish tacos in the busy town North of the island
Where to Next?
I was incredibly happy to see my friend from home here at Isla Mujeres. It always feels a little more relaxing seeing a familiar face from home. After a wonderful 4 days in Isla Mujeres, I had to say good bye to my friend and move on to my next destination. Recommended by several other travelers, the quaint city of Valladolid was my next stop. I was going to be in an area filled with cenotes and one of the Wonders of the World, Chichen Itza. Follow my adventure to the beautiful city of Valladolid!