Tortugranja - A Fisherman's Turtle Rescue

Photo: Kirt Edblom from Albany, Oregon, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)

A stop on Isla Mujeres: Town to Punta Sur, a free self-guided tour.

This turtle farm on the Sac Bajo peninsula grew out of a change of heart. Island fishermen once waited on the beaches at night in nesting season and took the turtles as they came ashore. One of them, Gonzalo Chale Maldonado, began persuading others to leave the eggs alone and started protecting nests himself.

His work grew into this center, where for decades eggs were hatched, young green, loggerhead and hawksbill turtles were raised in pools, and hatchlings were released to the sea. Generations of visitors saw sea turtles up close here for the first time.

The Tortugranja was closed by federal environmental authorities in 2021, and as of 2026 local volunteers were still pressing for it to reopen. Check its current status before you come; if the gates are shut, you can still see the site from the road. Either way, the story is a reminder that every turtle nest on these beaches is protected. If you ever see one, keep your distance.

Getting here: Continue south on Avenida Rueda Medina to the roundabout and turn right onto the Sac Bajo road. The turtle farm is on the left a short way along.

Did you know?: Sea turtle hatchlings race to the sea by heading for the brightest horizon, which is why nesting beaches are kept dark at night.

Photo op: From the road by the entrance, frame the turtle farm's sign and gate with the Sac Bajo shoreline behind it.

More on Wikipedia: Green sea turtle · Loggerhead sea turtle · Hawksbill sea turtle

Tortugranja - A Fisherman's Turtle Rescue

Stops on this tour