Ready to get off the resort to experience a breezy, adventurous Isla Mujeres day trip? This itinerary pulls together the best things to do on Isla Mujeres and will guide you to some of the best spots on the island.
This small, beautiful and colorful island is easily accessible from Cancun. This Isla Mujeres day trip itinerary will tell you everything you need to know to plan a day full of good food, adventure, and fun.
Isla Mujeres is well worth a visit for any traveler looking to experience a day outside of your resort, a windblown moped ride, and some natural beauty.
This post will take you through the best Isla Mujeres day trip itinerary.
Best Isla Mujeres Day Trip Itinerary
What to bring to Isla Mujeres day trip
Before heading out for the day, you’ll want to pack a day bag with essentials. Here’s what I suggest bringing with you to keep you comfortable and happy for this Isla Mujeres day trip itinerary:
- Small backpack or fanny pack to hold your essentials. I like this anti-theft style with a zipper against your back because it makes me feel a bit safer against pickpocketing
- Polarized sunglasses & sunscreen to protect from those UV rays!
- Water bottle
- A hairband, scrunchie, clips, or bandana to keep your hair out of your face when you’re zipping around on a moped or golf cart tour of the island
- U.S. driver’s license or passport (also for the moped or golf cart rental)
- microfiber towel if you plan on swimming
How to get to Isla Mujeres
From Cancun, Isla Mujeres is an easy 30-45 minute ferry ride. The Ultramar ferry to Isla Mujeres is available departing from Cancun’s hotel zone from Playa Tortugas and Playa Caracol, or from Puerto Juarez farther north. A roundtrip adult ticket will cost you $18 USD.
The ferry schedule depends on the port; ferries from the Hotel Zone run between 9am-7pm, but if you’re an early bird or a night owl, you can take a short taxi ride to Puerto Juarez to catch the ferry to Isla Mujeres as early as 5:30am and depart Isla Mujeres as late as 12am. Check here for the latest schedules.
Once you arrive on the island, you’ll want to head north (take a left at the road outside the port gates) to get to the heart of the island. In the centro you’ll find many shops, restaurants, and further on, a couple beaches (Playa Norte and Playa Sol).
Where to eat in Isla Mujeres
Your first stop on the island should be for breakfast or lunch, depending on what time you set out in the morning, and while there are a ton of cute cafes around, I recommend stopping at Café Mogagua.
This colorful open-air spot has delicious smoothies and even better chilaquiles – which are a must try if you’ve never had them before. Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast made with tortilla pieces that are fried, cooked in salsa verde or red enchilada sauce, and topped with cheese and eggs. Delicious!
Here are my other restaurant picks to help you decide where to eat in Isla Mujeres:
- Mango Cafe – very popular breakfast spot with American & Mexican dishes
- Poc Chuc – budget-friendly lunch
- La Lomita – colorful, traditional spot for lunch or dinner
- Café Mogagua – best chilaquiles on Isla Mujeres
- Xantolo – convenient spot for lunch or dinner on Hidalgo Street
- Los Tacos del Humo – quick taco lunch spot with good vegan options
- North Garden – healthy contemporary Mexican with a forest vibe
- Bastos Grill – great for a romantic date night dinner
Things to do in Isla Mujeres
Now that you’re full, it’s the perfect time to walk around for a while in the northern part of the island, stopping as you wish to check out the shops. The area is popular with tourists, so while you’re not going to find particularly cheap prices, it’s a good spot to buy souvenirs and the shop owners are typically very friendly.
Isla Mujeres golf cart tour
Isla Mujeres is a small island, so scooters and golf carts are the most popular forms of transportation. There are several rental shops along the main road, including Joaquin, which is where I ended up renting from.
If you’re on a solo travel adventure or a romantic getaway and are up for an adventure, I recommend going with a scooter. You can rent a scooter for around $16 for two hours or $30 for a full day. If you are traveling with more than one other person, I’d recommend a golf cart which costs about $30 for two hours or $50-70 for a full day.
You will need a driver’s license to rent, and I recommend renting with cash as opposed to credit card as a personal safety precaution, though most shops do take credit cards.
With your scooter or golf cart secured, you’re now perfectly positioned to set off on a wind-in-your-hair trip round the island. There are a few East-West roads at various points, so you can cut across the island if you want to, and you’ll need to take one of these to get to the next stop on the itinerary. Otherwise, I suggest sticking to the road nearest the ocean as this will give you the smoothest ride and you shouldn’t get lost.
Women’s Beading Cooperative
There is a Women’s Beading Cooperative located about midway down the island. This is the perfect place to stop for unique and beautiful jewelry pieces that support local artisans and the community. They offer colorful beaded necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and more in every color imaginable.
I bought a pair of dainty beaded earrings in the shape of branching coral! This would be a wonderful place to buy gifts.
Punta Sur, Isla Mujeres
If you keep driving along the main road, you’ll eventually end up at Punta Sur. Park your vehicle alongside the others, lock up your helmet, and take some time to explore on foot. This is the most Eastern point in all of Mexico, and this site contains ruins of a Mayan temple to the Goddess Ixchel. This goddess, in the Mayan culture, represents love, the moon and fertility.
To walk along the paths and to the temple there is an entrance fee of ~$2 USD. There is also a plaza with some vendors, and this is a good spot to cool off and enjoy a paleta or fresh coconut water!
From Punta Sur, drive back up along the East coast. Make sure to pause to take in the view! You’ll also pass by some beautiful cemeteries along the hillsides, and a variety of housing.
Playa Sol
End your Isla Mujeres day trip with a spectacular sunset view from Playa Sol. Playa Sol is located at the north end of the island just west of Playa Norte. This slightly quieter stretch of beach is the best spot on the island for sunset-ogling, and also has deeper water and cheaper drinks than its neighbor.
When you’re ready to call it a night, simply return your scooter or golf cart and catch the next ferry back to Cancun.
Alternative Itinerary: Isla Mujeres all inclusive catamaran tour
If you prefer to not explore by yourself, or want to spend more time on the water, you can book a Catamaran day trip to Isla Mujeres that will take you sailing, snorkeling, and spend some time at a beach resort where you eat lunch and have free time.
When I was on vacation in Cancun, I spent one day following the Isla Mujeres day trip itinerary in this post, and spent a second day on a 10-hour Isla Mujeres all inclusive catamaran tour.
The sailing and snorkeling were a blast, but the part of the tour where we were actually on the island was spent at an Isla Mujeres day club, where there was a buffet lunch and time to spend getting drinks or on the beach. This part of the excursion was a little lackluster, in my opinion. If you don’t have another day to spend on Isla Mujeres, I would choose to use that time to explore the island (rent a moped and check out Punta Sur and the Women’s Beading Cooperative) and agree to meet the group back at the boat before it was time to leave.
However, if you prefer an all-inclusive experience, the sailing portion and snorkeling tour made the catamaran trip a great alternative Isla Mujeres day trip itinerary, as sailing is an incredible way to take in all that beautiful turquoise water and ocean breeze.
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