Isla Mujeres: Town to Punta Sur
Isla Mujeres is a sliver of an island, about 7 kilometers long and in places only a few hundred meters wide, a short ferry ride across the bay from Cancun. This tour starts where you step off the boat, wanders the small grid of the town, takes in Playa Norte, then follows the island south past salt ponds and a sheltered lagoon to the turtle farm, the old Mundaca estate, a calm beach on the west shore, and finally Punta Sur, the island's rocky southern tip.
Allow about four hours with stops. The town and Playa Norte are easy on foot. For the run south, most visitors rent a golf cart or take a taxi; there is one main road, so it is hard to get lost. Bring a hat, water and reef-safe sunscreen, and carry some cash for entry fees. Beaches in Mexico are federal land, open to everyone. Check current hours where noted, and remember the last ferry back.
10 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
Plan your visit
- Route: 10 stops · about 7.4 miles · walking, plus a ride for the longer legs
- Time: about 4 hours at an easy pace, with stops
- Start: Ferry Dock (directions)
- Cost: free tour
- Audio: narrated - tap ▶ Listen at the top of any stop
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
More tours nearby
- Cancun: Downtown and the Hotel Zone (8 mi) - From the town square locals love to the Maya ruins and open-sea beaches of the 22 km Hotel Zone, a city built from scratch since 1970.
- Cozumel: San Miguel and the Island (53 mi) - A day loop from the ferry plaza to Maya ruins, the wild east coast, the southern lighthouse and the reef-lined west shore.
- Chichen Itza Self-Guided Tour (124 mi) - Ball courts, sky-watching towers and a pyramid that plays with sunlight - a walking loop through the great Maya city at your own pace.