Day Trips to Isla Mujeres from Cancun

Isla Mujeres is one of the most visited destinations in the Mexican Caribbean and also one of the islands with the most beautiful landscapes, having Playa Norte, considered one of the ten best beaches in the world, as its main reference. Due to its proximity to the coast of Quintana Roo, visiting the island is one of the best activities among the things to see and do in Cancun.

Isla Mujeres, in addition to its beaches, also stands out for being an ideal area for water sports, snorkeling, visiting coral reefs and scuba diving. Here are the best excursions you can take to this destination.

The excursions to Isla Mujeres by catamaran from Cancun are the most common. With them you will be able to sail through the Caribbean Sea to the island passing by the Coral Reef National Park, where you can snorkel, swim in crystal clear waters and enjoy the coral formations. Afterwards you will have time to tour the island on your own.

These tours generally include hotel pick up in Cancun, buffet lunch with a typical Mexican menu and open bar. You can also choose among the options a visit to the Isla Contoy Natural Reserve.

In Isla Mujeres they usually also include the entrance to the Isla Mujeres Sculpture Space, on the southern tip of the island, which has a viewpoint from which it is possible to see the Caribbean Sea.

Snorkeling equipment is included in the excursions to Isla Mujeres by catamaran. Please note that the island's port has an entrance tax of around fifteen dollars per person, which is not included in the price of this type of excursion.

Details of interest

• Price of the excursion... Starts at 47 euros per person with hotel pick-up, expert local guide and buffet lunch. A visit to Contoy Island can also be included for an extra charge.
• Duration of the excursion... Approximately 7 hours.
• Advantages of this excursion... It is the most common tour, with a good price/quality ratio and you will enjoy free time on the island to get to know it at your own pace.

On these excursions you will enjoy a half day tour to Isla Mujeres traveling by sailboat. This tour also includes a stop for a snorkeling experience in the Caribbean Sea, a visit to the island's Sculpture Space, the permanent assistance of an expert local guide and snorkeling equipment.

The sailing boat tour is more pleasant than catamaran or other Cancun boat excursions, so you will experience a more relaxed trip.

These excursions also usually include an open bar of drinks and the option to hire for an extra amount lunch and photo souvenir service.

These tours, which also include free time on the island so you can explore it at your own pace and see some of the best beaches in Cancun, do not include in the price the port tax that is paid upon arrival at Isla Mujeres and has an approximate cost of fifteen euros.

Details of interest

• Price of the excursion... It starts at 79 euros per person with hotel pick up, expert local guide and open bar. Lunch and photo souvenir service are also available at an extra cost.
• Duration of the excursion... Approximately 5 hours.
• Advantages of this excursion... It is a more relaxing option than the catamaran, it includes free time on the island and you will be able to snorkel.

This excursion departs early in the morning from Puerto Sam in Cancun to the open sea protected areas to see whale sharks.

These sharks are harmless, so if you dare you can swim with them and snorkel on site, always with the assistance of an expert diver, and as a final stop you will visit Playa Norte in Isla Mujeres.

Playa Norte was chosen as one of the ten best beaches in the world and is the most beautiful tourist landscape of Isla Mujeres. There you will have time to tour the beach and the island and these tours usually include buffet lunch and drinks.

These tours include snorkeling equipment and hotel pick-ups, but not the Isla Mujeres port fee, which is around fifteen euros.

It is a good option to get to know the marine fauna of the Caribbean Sea and to swim with sharks in places closer to Cancun than on an excursion to Xcaret or Xel Ha.

Details of interest

• Price of the excursion... Starts at 169 euros per person with hotel pick up, expert diver, lunch and beverages.
• Duration of the excursion... Approximately 5 hours.
• Advantages of this excursion... You will be able to meet the local marine fauna, swim with sharks and visit Playa Norte, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
• Disadvantages of this excursion... It is a very complete tour because you will be able to swim with sharks and visit Playa Norte, but you will have very little time on the island and it might not be enough.

This is the best option if you are traveling with friends or in a group and want to have fun in one of the most beautiful islands in the world.

You can book a cruise from Cancun that includes a snorkeling stop at the coral reefs, buffet lunch and a free time touring Isla Mujeres, all while on the boat you have access to an open bar and a DJ that will play party music.

On Isla Mujeres you will also have access to an open bar at a private beach club provided by the tour operators and the permanent assistance of an expert local guide.

If you are visiting Cancun with children, please note that this tour is only suitable for adults.

These tours usually do not include hotel pick-up, so the cruise departure is from the docks of Playa Tortuga. The price of the tour does not include the port tax that is paid during the entrance to Isla Mujeres, which has an approximate cost of fifteen euros per visitor.

Details of interest

• Price of the excursion... Starts at 78 euros per person with round trip cruise transfer to Isla Mujeres, lunch and open bar included.
• Duration of the excursion... Approximately 7 hours.
• Advantages of this excursion... It is one of the best options if you are traveling in a group or with friends because you will be able to combine fun and a tour around Isla Mujeres.
• Disadvantages of this excursion... This tour is only suitable for adults and children are not allowed.

In this personalized excursion you can travel with your group aboard a private sailing boat in a relaxing excursion that includes navigation through Cancun Bay and arriving to Isla Mujeres.

With this activity you can live a day of adventure to discover the paradises that the Mexican Caribbean exhibits with the assistance of a professional crew.

These excursions include an open bar of national alcoholic beverages and the option to customize the tour within the limits proposed by the tourist service provider.

On a day tour you will have free time to tour Isla Mujeres while the sailboat waits for you at anchor in the harbor. You can also choose to rent a golf cart at an extra cost to make your tour of the island more enjoyable.

If you travel to Cancun in January you can enjoy one of the best climates in the Mexican Caribbean.

Please note that these excursions do not include the port tax that is paid during the entrance to the island and has an approximate cost of fifteen euros. The Cancun Bay tour includes a tour of the coral reefs and enjoy the views of the coastline and Cozumel Island.

Details of interest

• Price of the excursion... Starts at 137 euros per person considering a base group of four visitors.
• Duration of the excursion... Approximately 8 hours.
• Advantages of this excursion... It is the best tour to relax during the navigation to Isla Mujeres while visiting the best sites of Cancun Bay.
• Advantages of this excursion... It is an option that can be expensive for small groups.

Among the different excursions you can choose from to Isla Mujeres from Cancun you will see that the options also involve different means of transportation and that can make the difference when choosing the ideal alternative for you.

If you are looking for an excursion with a sporty sailing spirit and to relax in the company of a small group, sailing boat tours will be the best option, since they are small and fast boats.

If you are looking for an economical and stable option while sailing, you can opt for the catamaran, as it is a much larger boat than the sailing boat, and therefore with many more participants, although keep in mind that this could be a bit suffocating if you want a more private experience.

On the other hand, the cruise is a relaxing and pleasurable option, since being a large boat it does not usually move too much during navigation and usually offers a more complete service than the catamaran, although it can be much more expensive.

You can book the excursions to Isla Mujeres from Cancun online in advance or you can buy them at the office of one of the tour operators in the area once you arrive in Cancun.

I recommend that you buy them in advance to secure your spot, as they sell out during the high season months. If you are traveling to Cancun in April, for example, it is best to plan your excursions in advance.

At the time of booking, I advise you to keep in mind that some tours, such as the party cruise, are only suitable for adults.

Excursions to Isla Mujeres usually last half a day or a full day, departing from Cancun usually in the morning and returning to Cancun in the afternoon or evening.

Isla Mujeres is a destination designed to spend the day and enjoy its beaches, so a tour during daylight hours is usually enough.

The shortest excursions last between four and five hours and the longest last approximately eight hours. The shorter tours may be a good option if you are planning a short stay in the city or if you have plans to visit other Cancun attractions such as the Underwater Museum.

The answer depends on the excursion you book, but in all of them you will see Playa Norte, which is considered a paradise in the Mexican Caribbean, and you will have time to explore the island at your own pace, which will be enough if you have a couple of hours available, since the island is not very large.

You will also be able to swim with whale sharks, enjoy the coral reefs, visit Isla Contoy if you choose that option, snorkel and see Isla Cozumel and the best beaches of Cancun from the bay.

In Isla Mujeres I also recommend you to visit the area of Punta Sur, which has a viewpoint facing the immensity of the Caribbean Sea and a sculptural space.

If you are traveling to Cancun in high season I advise you to book in advance, this way you can ensure a place in the excursion you choose and also know which is the service provider and the activities included in the tour, which will give security to your trip.

Cancun in May, one of the busiest months for tourists, can be cumbersome if you do not have prior reservations, so it is ideal that you have an itinerary in which you plan your trip in advance to avoid delays once you arrive at your destination.

If you dare, I recommend that you do not miss the opportunity to swim with whale sharks and enjoy snorkeling in the protected area, which is one of the most beautiful in the Caribbean Sea.

If you prefer a more relaxed option to get to know the local fauna, you can choose to visit the aquarium at Xplor Multiadventure Park.

It will depend on the excursion chosen, but the cheapest tours are the ones that include the transfer on the catamaran to Isla Mujeres from the port of Cancun and have an approximate cost of 47 euros.

If, on the other hand, you prefer a more complete alternative such as one that includes swimming with whale sharks or a relaxing trip on a private sailing boat exclusively for your group, the options start at 137 euros per person and up.

In all tours you must take into account that the excursions do not include the port tax paid at the entrance to Isla Mujeres, which has an approximate cost of fifteen euros.

Isla Mujeres is one of the most beautiful islands in the Mexican Caribbean and the entire Caribbean Sea, with one of the best beaches in the world and a warm climate all year round. But, besides that, the excursions to the island include very interesting activities such as visits to coral reefs, snorkeling experiences or tours around Cancun Bay.

In addition, the excursions to Isla Mujeres are designed so that visitors can do them during one day, returning to Cancun during the afternoon or at night, which ensures that you do not lose too much time in transfers.

This is ideal if your trip is only for a few days. If that is your case, here is a list of the best Cancun activities in three days.

Isla Mujeres and the surrounding sea is a protected natural area, so it is very difficult to get there on your own. Among the available excursions you can opt for just the transfer to the island or one that includes other activities.

In any case, once you find the tour that best suits your trip, what I recommend is that, if you have the possibility, you opt for one that includes snorkeling experiences or visits to coral reefs, as Isla Mujeres and its surroundings have some of the best in the Riviera Maya.

Also, going on a guided tour you will have the assistance of an expert local guide and his explanations, added to the relaxing experience sailing the Caribbean Sea, which has crystal clear waters and landscapes that will leave you in awe.