A 2-Day Isla Mujeres Itinerary – Best Things to Do

In this guide we share a fantastic 2-day Isla Mujeres itinerary that includes relaxing on the beach, seeing some Maya ruins and going on some unique water adventures.

The paradise island of Isla Mujeres is on many travellers’ itineraries when they visit the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It’s close proximity to Cancun, which has a large number of direct flight connections to many countries in North and South America, as well as Europe, makes the island an accessible travel destination. Whilst a lot of visitors might only do a day-trip to Isla Mujeres from Cancun, we highly recommend spending a few nights on the island.

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About Isla Mujeres in Mexico

The small island of Isla Mujeres is located just off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, across from the popular city of Cancun. It’s about 7km long and only 650m wide so you can drive from one end to the other in less than half an hour.

Isla Mujeres was a sanctuary for the Maya goddess of childbirth and medicine, Ixchel, in Pre-Columbian times. In the 16th century the Spanish named the island ‘Isla Mujeres’, or ‘Island of Women’, after seeing all the statues and images of the goddess.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the island became a haven for pirates thanks to its secluded coves and bays that were ideal places for them to hide. Then in the 19th century, Isla Mujeres became a fishing village before starting to attract visitors from all over the world in the 20th century. During this time many hotels, shops, and restaurants opened on the island.

Today, Isla Mujeres continues to be a popular tourist destination, although the island has somehow also managed to keep its laid-back vibe.

In 2015, Isla Mujeres was designated as a Pueblo Magico, or Magical Town. It is one of four Pueblo Magicos in the Quintana Roo state of Mexico, along with Bacalar, Tulum, and Cozumel.

How to Spend 2 Days on Isla Mujeres in Mexico

Relax on Playa Norte

The main beach on Isla Mujeres is Playa Norte, so you’ll want to spend some time on it during your stay on the island. This stunning sandy beach is one of the top reasons people take the ferry to Isla Mujeres from Cancun. Even though we prefer going on a hike to laying on the beach, we totally fell in love with Playa Norte. The colour of the water is insane and it’s also warm and shallow, which makes it perfect for swimming. Playa Norte is more like the beaches we visited on the Caribbean Islands, and not like the beaches in Puerto Escondido on the Pacific side of Mexico, which are known for their bigger waves.

Top Tip. If you want to enjoy the beach without too many people, then head there first thing in the morning, as it gets pretty busy during the day. We noted that around 8:30AM the beach clubs started putting out their chairs and umbrellas, so go even earlier if you want to see the beach in its natural state.

You’ll have to pay if you want to use the chairs. At one stand we saw an all day price of $700MXN. However, you can always bring your own towel and find a spot on the sand for free.

Visit Punta Sur

Taking a trip to Punta Sur should also be on your 2-day Isla Mujeres itinerary. The northern and southern points of Isla Mujeres couldn’t be any different. Whilst you have the dreamy, sandy beach to the north, the southern part of the island is all rugged coastline.

Punta Sur is the highest point on the Yucatan Peninsula, and is also where the Maya Temple of Ixchel was built. There are designated pathways that zig-zag around the coastline and through the remains of the ruin, as well as some sculptures.

Note that you’ll have to pay $100MXN per person to be able to walk around the main section of the area. However, you can still enjoy some lovely views just before the ticket office if you don’t want to pay. You’ll see a small lighthouse here, some sculptures, a few vendors and plenty of iguanas. And, of course, the beautiful coastline.

How to Get to Punta Sur?

Hiring a golf cart for a day is a popular way to get around Isla Mujeres. If you don’t want to drive around yourself, then consider taking a taxi to Punta Sur. They normally have a set rate depending on how far you’re going. Renting a bike for a day is also a good option, although heading there either earlier or later to avoid cycling in the hottest part of the day would be a smart move.

There’s also a local bus that circles around the island. We actually wanted to take this but they seemed pretty irregular, so we started walking in the hopes of flagging down the next one on the way. We ended up walking all the way to the southern tip of Isla Mujeres, which wasn’t fun in the heat and humidity. On top of that, on our way back the bus literally pulled out from Punta Sur just before we could reach the bus stop, so we decided to hop in a taxi instead.

Snorkel with Whale Sharks

Did you know that Isla Mujeres provides a fantastic opportunity to see Whale Sharks in their natural habitat? Between June and September, you’ll find hundreds of them to the north of the island, taking advantage of the plankton and fish-rich waters. So, if you visit during those months, you should definitely go on a snorkeling tour.

Whale sharks are the largest shark, as well as the largest fish, on the planet. Despite their name and size, which suggest that the least thing you might want to do is swim around with them, they’re actually harmless.

Stroll Down Avenida Miguel Hidalgo

Unless you’re staying in an all-inclusive resort, you’ll most likely come to the downtown of Isla Mujeres for food and drinks. The whole area is walkable, but there’s a fully pedestrianised street called Avenida Miguel Hidalgo that you should definitely walk along during your stay.

Now, we walked through it once early in the morning on our way to Playa Norte. That was a mistake as, apart from a few breakfast places, nothing was really open. Not sure what we expected really! Even though some souvenir shops will be open by mid-morning, you really don’t want to be strolling around in that heat and humidity.

Avenida Miguel Hidalgo really comes alive in the evening, when the temperatures are cooler and all the shops and bars are open. We had a much better experience coming back here after watching the sunset on Playa Norte.

Best Time to Visit Isla Mujeres

There are a few things to consider when it comes to the best time to visit Isla Mujeres. The most important one is the hurricane season, which begins from about late May and ends in November. However, it peaks between August and October.

The humidity levels are more comfortable between December and February, and are highest from June to September. Between December and May you’ll also get less rainfall, with the highest chances of rain occurring in September and October. Therefore, generally speaking, the winter months are considered the best time of the year to visit Isla Mujeres. This is why the island will be busier, and likely more expensive, during those month.

However, if you want to see whale sharks then you need to go between June and September. In addition, the sea turtle nesting and hatching season runs from May to September.

Where to Stay on Isla Mujeres

Final Thoughts on Spending 2 Days on Isla Mujeres in Mexico

Even though we don’t travel to beachy destinations too often, spending a few nights on Isla Mujeres felt like a true holiday for us. We loved walking along the sandy beach of Playa Norte and going for refreshing dips in the turquoise water. Seeing the very different landscape on the south of the island was also great, even if we did end up sweating buckets to get there on foot.

Overall, we highly recommend spending a few nights on Isla Mujeres during your trip to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. You won’t regret it.