★★★★★
The private museum boat
Picked up at our resort, a ride around the island's coast, a snorkel with fish right up close, then 40 minutes in a shallow swimming spot.
Allison H. · February 2025
Private Isla Mujeres Snorkeling Boat to the Underwater Museum
Reefs and the museumIsland or Cancún pickupPlus US$10 fee, cashYour group only
A boat, a captain and a guide for your party alone. You pay one fare for the boat, for up to 12 people, and the day runs at your speed. Your guide picks the reefs and takes you to the underwater statues. You can start by the ferry on Isla Mujeres or be collected from your hotel in Cancún.
Your own boat, your own pace, and the statues
Only your group aboard
No strangers and no waiting: the boat, the captain and the guide are yours.
One fare for up to 12
Priced per group, so a family or two share one fare.
The underwater museum
The statues of MUSA, plus the reefs your guide chooses on the day.
Island or Cancún start
Meet by the ferry on Isla Mujeres, or ride from your Cancún hotel lobby.
Drinks on board
Soft drinks and water all trip, and beer once the snorkeling is done.
4.9 from 80 reviews
Four hours on the water with a guide who works for your group alone.
A boat for your group only
This is the private version of the reef-and-museum trip. The boat carries only the people you book, up to 12 of you. Ashley J.'s party of four had a boat, a captain and a guide to themselves while the shared boats nearby were packed. Annie O.'s group was two families, with two boys of ten.
The boat is simple, and that is fine. Sineys described wooden bench seats under a canopy for shade, snorkel gear in good condition, and water, soft drinks and beer. Annie O.'s boat was bigger than expected, with the back covered. Bring a towel, since towels are not supplied.
From Señor Frog's, or from your Cancún hotel
On Isla Mujeres, you meet outside the Señor Frog's store, across the main street from the ferry terminal. So if you cross from Puerto Juárez that morning, you step off the ferry and walk over the road. The trip ends back there.
From Cancún, choose the hotel option and a driver collects you from your hotel lobby. Allison H.'s family was picked up at their resort, driven to the boat, and then crossed to Isla Mujeres by water. The mainland start and the ferries are on the getting there page.
The statues at your pace
Your guide seeks out the reefs on the day, and the museum is the one fixed stop. The statues stand on the sand at the Manchones gallery, about 8 m down, and you see them from the surface. On a private boat you stay as long as you like, or move on when you have seen enough.
Not everyone takes to the statues. Kim S. found them odd, and one lone car on the sea floor stranger still, which was no fault of the crew. The reefs are what most families remember: fish close enough to touch, though you must not. What lives there is on the snorkeling spots page.
What US$599 buys, and the US$10 each on top
The fare is per group, for up to 12 people. It covers the boat, the captain and guide, the snorkel gear, soft drinks and water, and beer after the snorkeling. Split between a full boat, it comes close to a shared fare per head.
Each person also pays US$10 in cash on the day, for the environmental tax and dock use. That fee is per person, not per boat, so a group of 12 brings US$120. Tips and towels are extra. Your guide takes GoPro photos as you swim, and you can buy the files after. Why a listing's fee is not the park's own charge is on the visitor guide.
Families, beginners and anyone who would rather stay aboard
A private boat suits first-timers. The guide works for your group only, so nervous swimmers get patient help in and out of the water. Stephanie L. and a partner chose not to snorkel at all, and the crew took them around the island instead.
That freedom is what you pay for. Children can stop when they are cold, strong swimmers can go again, and nobody waits on strangers. Every private boat, from the yacht to the catamaran, is compared on Isla Mujeres private snorkeling tours.
How your four hours run
- Pickup or the meeting point. Your Cancún hotel lobby, or Señor Frog's by the ferry.
- Aboard and fitted. Gear, life jackets and a plan for your group.
- The first reef. Picked by your guide for the day's weather.
- The underwater statues. As long as your group wants over the museum.
- A second stop. Another reef, or a shallow spot to swim and rest.
- Beer on the way in. Once the snorkeling is done.
- Back where you started. The meeting point, or your hotel.
Who this suits: a family or a group who want the boat to themselves
Book this if
You are a family, a group of friends or two families together, and you want nobody else aboard. It suits beginners and mixed swimmers who need a patient guide, and anyone who would rather set their own pace. Split across a full boat, the fare per head is low.
Book something else if
You are two people on a budget: the three-stop reef and museum trip costs $63 each. If you want sails, an open bar or a longer day, look at the private yacht or the sailing catamaran from the mainland. You need to use a wheelchair? This boat is not accessible; both of those say they are.
What the fare covers
In the fare
- A private boat for your group
- Snorkel equipment
- Soft drinks and bottled water
- Beer after the snorkelling
Not in the fare
- Environmental tax and dock use: US$10 cash per person
- GoPro files (sold separately)
- Tips
- Towels
Meeting at Señor Frog's, or in your hotel lobby
On the island, the meeting point is outside the Señor Frog's store on Avenida Rueda Medina, across the main street from the Isla Mujeres ferry terminal. The trip ends back at the same spot.
From Cancún, book the hotel option and the driver meets you in your hotel lobby; the time comes with your confirmation. Bring cash for the fee, US$10 per person. The ferry terminal and the other meeting points are on the snorkeling map.
Know before you go
- Bring US$10 each in cash. The fee is per person, even on a private boat.
- Bring towels. They are not supplied.
- No lunch is listed. Drinks are in the fare; eat before you board or after on the island.
- Budget for photos. The guide's GoPro files are sold separately.
- Mind your health. It is not advised for back problems, pregnancy or heart conditions.
- Not wheelchair accessible. The yacht and the catamaran say they are; ask them first.
What travellers say about the private boat
★★★★★
The private museum boat
Relaxing, with guides who knew the fish. The statues felt odd to us, which is no fault of the crew.
Kim S. · June 2025
★★★★★
The private museum boat
Patient help getting in and out of the boat. We chose not to snorkel and boated around the island instead.
Stephanie L. · March 2023
Frequently asked questions
Is the price per person?
No, it is per group, for up to 12 people. The US$10 cash fee is per person on top of it.
Can we add whale sharks?
Not on this boat, which stays on the reefs and the museum. The private whale shark boat runs a six-hour day in season, or you can join the shared whale shark day.
Do we all have to snorkel?
No. The boat is yours, so anyone can stay aboard. Stephanie L. and a partner toured the island by boat instead.
Can you pick us up in Cancún?
Yes. Choose the hotel option, and a driver collects you from your hotel lobby. From the island, you meet at Señor Frog's by the ferry.
Is food included?
Drinks are included, but lunch is not in the listing. Eat before you board, or on the island afterwards.
What if I need to cancel?
You get the full fare back if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start. Inside those 24 hours the fare is not refunded.
Other ways to snorkel Isla Mujeres
Ready for a boat of your own?
Check the dates still open for the private museum boat, one fare for up to 12, with gear and drinks in the fare, and free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability