Some links on our site may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
Isla Mujeres is a 20 to 30 minute ferry ride from Cancun, which makes it an easy day trip and a worthwhile overnight. Take the boat from Puerto Júarez for the most departures, rent a golf cart at the dock, and spend the day between the beach at Playa Norte and the sculpture park at the southern tip.
I would book the Puerto Júarez ferry and skip any tour that bundles the crossing. We have done island days like this with nieces and nephews along, and the plan that works is the plain one: one beach, one cart, one reef stop, back on the boat before dark. The water is colder than it looks on the first dip, and the sun on a boat deck is stronger than it feels.
How to get to Isla Mujeres from Cancun
You have two ferry choices and one car option. Ultramar runs boats from Puerto Júarez on the mainland side, from Playa Tortugas at Boulevard Kukulcán kilometer 6.5, and from Playa Caracol at kilometer 9.5. All three land at the same terminal on Isla Mujeres, according to Ultramar’s own route page.
Pick the pier by where you sleep. Puerto Júarez wins on frequency. The Hotel Zone piers win if your hotel is on the strip and you do not want the taxi ride north.
Isla Mujeres ferry schedule
A local guide to the island, updated in February 2026, lists boats from Puerto Júarez every 30 minutes from 5:30 am to 6 pm, then hourly until 11 pm or midnight depending on the season. The same guide lists eight crossings a day from Playa Tortugas and Playa Caracol, starting at 9 am with the last return around 6:30 pm. That late-afternoon cutoff matters if you are staying on the strip.
The guide puts the adult fare from Puerto Júarez at $290 MXN one way, plus an environmental fee of about $34 MXN. Ultramar’s page notes that schedules and rates change without notice, and that a ticket stays valid for six months on the route you bought. Each ticket covers one bag up to 25 kilograms.
Car ferry to Isla Mujeres
Most people should leave the car on the mainland. Vehicles cross on a separate cargo ferry, Ultra Carga, from Punta Sam, a short drive north of Puerto Júarez. The local guide lists three or four crossings a day, a required advance reservation and an arrival 45 minutes early.
That is a lot of effort for an island you can cover in a rented cart. If you are driving to Cancun anyway, take the passenger boat from Puerto Júarez instead.
Isla Mujeres golf cart rental
A golf cart is how most people get around, and it is the one rental worth making. The island is small, the roads are flat, and the cart carries beach bags, a cooler and tired legs. Two island rental companies list their rates on their own sites.
Prisma Golf Carts lists a standard cart at $75 a day and asks for a valid driver’s license. Its counter hours are 9 am to 8 pm. Isla Mujeres Golf Cart Rentals lists $80 a day or $90 for 24 hours, with pickup at the ferry dock or delivery to your hotel. It holds one driver’s license as a deposit and sets the minimum driving age at 18.
Island rental guides add two rules to follow. Carts stay off the beaches and off the downtown waterfront walkway, and the driver gets zero tolerance for alcohol. Fuel is usually included, but confirm that when you reserve.
Things to do in Isla Mujeres
Four stops fill a day without feeling rushed: the beach, the reef park, the southern tip and the underwater museum. You will not do all four in one day. Choose two, and leave the rest for an overnight stay.
Playa Norte
Playa Norte is the beach to start with. It sits on the north end of the island, a short walk from downtown, and it is a public beach with no entry charge. The water is shallow and calm, and the sand is soft enough to sit on all afternoon.
Bring shade and water, and go in the morning before the day-trip boats fill up.
Garrafon Natural Reef Park
Garrafon is the island’s big reef park, on the southern end near Punta Sur. It is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm, per the park’s own site. Its snorkel water is the draw, and the kayaks and ziplines are the add-ons.
Garrafon sells packages, not a bare gate ticket. On the date checked, its Royal Garrafon package listed at $99 for adults with a buffet, drinks, five outdoor activities and round-trip transport from Cancun, and a $300 MXN dock fee on top for guests 6 and older. The site was showing a discount on the date checked, so confirm the figure before you book.
Punta Sur
Punta Sur is the southern tip of the island, a cliff edge with a sculpture park and the remains of a small Maya temple to the goddess Ixchel. A Mexican tourism guide lists it open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Ride the cart down in the late afternoon, when the light is softer.
Check the entry fee at the gate. Wear shoes you can walk in on rough limestone, and take water.
MUSA underwater museum
MUSA is a field of sculptures on the seafloor, and the work of artist Jason deCaires Taylor. Snorkelers float over the figures from a boat, and divers go lower. The Manchones site is the one that runs from Isla Mujeres.
MUSA’s tour page lists the Manchones snorkel tour from Isla Mujeres at $70. Certified divers pay $157 from the island, and beginners without a certificate pay $189.
Isla Mujeres whale shark season
Whale shark season runs in the summer, roughly mid-May through September, with July and August the busiest months. Exact opening and closing dates change each year, so ask your operator for the current window. The encounters happen offshore, off the northeast coast of the island, on a dedicated boat trip.
The rules are strict and worth knowing before you pay. An island dive operator describes a limit of ten visitors per boat, two swimmers per shark at a time, a certified guide on every trip, and no touching or flash photography. The trip is snorkel-only. I would book only with an operator that shows a federal environment ministry inspection, and I would skip any bargain that promises a guaranteed sighting.
Isla Contoy tour
Isla Contoy is a national park about 30 kilometers north of Isla Mujeres, and it is the full-day trip I would pick from the island. It became a national park in 1998, and visits are capped at about 200 people a day. You can only go with a licensed tour company, so there is no showing up and paying at the gate.
One island tour operator lists the standard group trip at $115 per person for about six hours, with lunch, water, snorkel gear and life jackets. Some areas ban sunscreen, so bring a long-sleeved rash guard. Book ahead, because the daily cap fills in high season. The park fee is usually charged separately, and its current amount is something to ask the operator.
Isla Mujeres day trip cost
Here is what the operator pages list on the date checked, in the order you would use them.
| Stop | Cost | Time | How to get there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferry from Puerto Júarez | $290 MXN one way plus about $34 MXN fee | 20 to 30 minutes | Ultramar, boats every 30 minutes by day |
| Ferry from Playa Tortugas or Caracol | Higher than Puerto Júarez; see Ultramar’s rate table | About 30 minutes | Hotel Zone piers, 9 am start |
| Golf cart | $75 to $80 a day | All day | Rental counters near the ferry dock |
| Playa Norte | No entry charge | Half a day | Cart or a short walk from downtown |
| Garrafon Natural Reef Park | $99 listed, plus $300 MXN dock fee | 10 am to 5 pm, Tue to Sun | Cart south, or package transport from Cancun |
| MUSA snorkel from Isla Mujeres | $70 | Tour length varies | Boat tour from the island |
| Isla Contoy tour | $115 per person (one operator) | Full day | Licensed tour boat only |
| Punta Sur | Entry fee at the gate | Open daily 10 am to 6 pm | Cart to the southern tip |
Is Isla Mujeres worth a day trip?
I would do Isla Mujeres as a day trip first, and stay overnight only if you want Contoy or a whale shark boat. A day gets you the beach, a cart loop and one water activity. A night lets you do Punta Sur at a slower pace and catch the island after the day boats leave.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, per the National Hurricane Center, and it overlaps whale shark season. Check the forecast before you book a boat trip in late summer. If reef is your priority, our Cozumel snorkeling guide covers the bigger island across the water.
Staying in the Hotel Zone makes the Playa Tortugas pier convenient, and our Cancun vs Playa del Carmen comparison helps you choose a base. Pack for sun and salt water; the Mexico packing list has the full run-down.
Isla Mujeres travel tips
Is Isla Mujeres safe?
Isla Mujeres is a calm island, and most visitors move around by golf cart and on foot. The State Department’s Mexico advisory lists Quintana Roo at Exercise Increased Caution, and levels change, so check it before you go. Use normal city sense and keep valuables out of sight on the beach.
How long is the ferry to Isla Mujeres?
The ferry takes about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the pier. The Puerto Júarez crossing is the shorter one. Add time for the ticket line and the walk to the dock.
Can you swim with whale sharks in Cancun?
Yes, in season, with a licensed operator. Boats leave from Cancun and Isla Mujeres in summer, and the trips follow federal rules on swimmer numbers and touching. Confirm the season dates with your operator before you pay.
Do you need a golf cart in Isla Mujeres?
No, but you will want one. The island is small enough to walk across, yet the distance to Punta Sur is long in the sun.
Prices are approximate, current as of publication, and change frequently — confirm the latest price with the retailer before buying.
Published October 18, 2026.
Photo credits: (1) featured, Aerial view of Isla Mujeres and the… — dronepicr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (2) Puerto Juarez ferry terminal seen from the… — Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (3) Golf carts lined up at a rental shop on… — Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (4) Playa Norte beach on Isla Mujeres — René Bongard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (5) Statue of the goddess Ixchel at Punta Sur… — Kar Almaguer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons; (6) Underwater sculpture Urban Reef at the MUSA… — Andy Blackledge from Scottsdale, AZ, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.