Temple of Ixchel - Mexico's First Sunrise
A stop on Isla Mujeres: Town to Punta Sur, a free self-guided tour.
You have reached the end of the island and, in a sense, the start of Mexico. This rocky point is the easternmost spot in the country, the first place in Mexico the sun touches each morning.
The low stone ruin on the cliff was a Maya shrine, traditionally linked to Ixchel, goddess of the moon, childbirth, medicine and weaving. Tradition holds that Maya women traveled here to honor her, and the island's name comes from the female figures the Spanish found in shrines like this one in 1517. Guides sometimes say the temple also served as a lighthouse for canoes; take that as legend. Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 destroyed most of what was still standing, so only a little of the structure remains.
Stay behind the railings: the cliffs are high and the surf below is rough. Then look east, out over nothing but open Caribbean. Islanders gather here to watch the first sunrise of each new year.
Getting here: From the sculpture park, follow the path along the cliff toward the point. The temple remains stand at the end.
Did you know?: Isla Mujeres holds a sunrise ceremony at Punta Sur on New Year's Day to greet the first light to reach Mexico.
Photo op: Stand on the path just inland of the ruin and frame the old stone walls with the sea and the open horizon to the east.
More on Wikipedia: Isla Mujeres · Ixchel · Hurricane Gilbert
Stops on this tour
- Ferry Dock - Arriving on the Island of Women
- Main Plaza - The Heart of Old Dolores
- Town Cemetery - The Pirate's Empty Tomb
- Playa Norte - Shallow Water and Long Sunsets
- Laguna Makax - Salt Ponds and a Safe Harbor
- Tortugranja - A Fisherman's Turtle Rescue
- Hacienda Mundaca - A House Built for Love
- Playa Lancheros - The Calm West Shore
- Punta Sur Sculpture Park - Art on the Cliffs
- Temple of Ixchel - Mexico's First Sunrise