Isla Mujeres lies about 15 km off Cancún, a 20-minute ferry ride away. Most reef trips start downtown, a short walk from where the ferry docks. Some trips skip the ferry and collect you in Cancún. Here is how each route works, and which of the Isla Mujeres snorkeling tours from Cancun come to you.
The Quintana Roo tourism board gives the distance and the 20-minute crossing. Ultramar, one of the ferry companies, sells crossings to Isla Mujeres from Puerto Juárez and from two hotel-zone piers, Playa Tortugas and Playa Caracol. Fares and times change, so check them with the ferry company on the day you travel.
Once you land, most meeting points are a few minutes' walk away. The shared reef trips expect you to make the crossing yourself.
Puerto Juárez is the Cancún ferry port that Ultramar names first for the crossing. It is the usual choice if you are staying in the city rather than the hotel zone. CONANP names it as a departure point for boats to Isla Contoy too.
Leave time to buy a ticket and board. If your trip meets at 9am on the island, take a ferry that lands you there by about 8:30.
Punta Sam is on the mainland, in the part of the Isla Mujeres municipality that lies across the water: CONANP's Isla Contoy office has its address on the Punta Sam road there. Several trips use the Punta Sam ferry terminal as their meeting point for guests from Cancún.
Isla Fun Tours runs its hotel pickups for the whale shark day to Punta Sam. Its private whale shark boat and the private yacht also let you meet there instead.
Playa Mujeres, also called Costa Mujeres, is the resort coast on the mainland north of Cancún. The private sailing catamaran leaves from the Atelier Playa Mujeres marina on Prolongación Bonampak. Transport within the Playa Mujeres area is in its fare.
From the Cancún hotel zone or the Riviera Maya, the catamaran quotes transport on request. It sails to Isla Mujeres, so you see the island without crossing on the ferry at all.
These trips collect you on the mainland or meet you at a mainland terminal. Every other trip starts on the island.
| Trip | Where it collects you | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Isla Fun Tours' whale shark day | Cancún, Costa Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, the Riviera Maya | Hotel pickup to the Punta Sam ferry terminal |
| Isla Fun Tours' private whale shark boat | A Cancún hotel | Or meet at the Punta Sam ferry terminal |
| Isla Sea Tours' whale shark days | Cancún, Costa Mujeres, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen | A transfer to the Black Pearl dock |
| The private museum boat | A Cancún hotel | Pickup as an option |
| The private yacht | A Cancún hotel | Or meet at the Punta Sam ferry terminal |
| The sailing catamaran | The Playa Mujeres area | Hotel zone and Riviera Maya transport quoted on request |
See the trips that pick you up or meet you on the mainland, and skip the ferry queue.
Cancún International is the nearest airport, named by CONANP for both island parks. The tourism board sets out the route: from the airport to a ferry terminal, then across to the island's maritime terminal. If you land in the afternoon, plan your snorkel for the next morning.
If you stay on the mainland, a whale shark day or a private boat with hotel pickup saves you the ferry. The pickup table above shows which ones.
The island is small and downtown is compact. The tourism board says visitors get around by golf cart. Most reef trips meet on Avenida Hidalgo, Avenida Juárez, at the Black Pearl dock or across from the ferry terminal. Casa del Buceo's pier on Calle Pescadores is about a five-minute drive from the ferry. Every meeting point is on the snorkeling map.
The distance, the crossing time and the airport route are the Quintana Roo tourism board's, checked 21 September 2026. The ferry terminals are Ultramar's own. Puerto Juárez, Punta Sam and the airport are named by CONANP. Every pickup and meeting point comes from the operator's own description of its trip.
A six-and-a-half-hour whale shark day with a certified bilingual crew, lunch, and a stop at a beach or a reef on the way back. From the downtown pier or the mainland; US$20 each in dock and park fees.
From $160 per person
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Your own boat for up to 12, from the ferry or your Cancún hotel lobby, with the underwater statues at your pace. Soft drinks, water and beer after; US$10 cash each for the environmental tax and dock use.
From $599 per group (up to 12)
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A private yacht for up to six, from the island marina or with pickup from Cancún, with an open bar, snacks, snorkel gear and a floating mat. Wheelchair accessible; bring towels and US$10 each for dock fees.
From $720 per group (up to 6)
Check AvailabilityNext: find every pier on the snorkeling map, read the visitor guide, or compare every trip on Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Tours.