Isla Mujeres, Caribbean coastal municipality in Quintana Roo, Mexico
Isla Mujeres is a Caribbean coastal municipality in Quintana Roo that covers an elongated island with sand beaches, coral reefs and shallow lagoons. The administrative area also extends over smaller uninhabited islands nearby.
Spanish seafarers landed on the island in the early 16th century and found clay figurines dedicated to the Mayan goddess Ixchel. The modern village developed during the 19th century when fishermen and traders settled permanently.
The name translates as Island of Women in Spanish, a title given by early explorers who discovered religious artifacts from the Mayan period. Fishermen still bring their daily catch to the main beach and sell it directly to restaurants and visitors.
Ferries run regularly from the mainland near Cancún throughout the day and bring visitors across in about twenty minutes. Most of the island can be explored on foot, by bicycle or with small motorcycles.
An underwater park off the southern coast holds more than 400 sculptures that offer corals and fish a new home from the seabed. Parts of the park lie shallow enough for snorkelers to visit.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
