Tourist Attractions in Isla Mujeres

The Turtle Farm

The soft sand of the Isla Mujeres makes for an ideal hatching ground for the giant sea turtles that lay their eggs every year from May to September. These gentle creatures have long been killed for their tasty meat and durable shell while their eggs were dug up for food. Consequently their number dwindled at an alarming rate raising concern about their conservation and hence this Turtle Farm was set up enable their federal protection. The eggs are carefully placed in pens to protect them from predators and the newly hatched turtles are placed in tanks until they are strong enough for being released into the wild by the local school children. It is one of the most popular Tourist Attractions in Isla Mujeres.

Mayan Temple and Lighthouse

Sitting at the southern tip of Isla Mujeres, the Mayan temple is dedicated to the Mayan Goddess Ixchel, the Mayan Goddess of Fertility. For centuries, Mayan women came to Isla Mujeres on yearly pilgrimages to pay homage to the Goddess and seek her blessings. The temple also doubled as a site to send signals to the mainland. However, Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 partially destroyed the Mayan temple and the surrounding area which has been renovated recently.


Sometimes the Lighthouse keeper allows the visitors to climb to the top (remember to tip) from where a panoramic view of Isla Mujeres awaits you.

Hacienda Mundaca

Originally covering almost forty percent of the island, Hacienda Mundaca was built by a retired pirate and slave trader Fermin Mundaca. The structure dates back to as early as 1858, and is surrounded by effervescent gardens including the solar clock garden called "The Rose of the Winds".

A true romantic, Mundaca dedicated his hacienda to a local belle, La Triguena (the brunette) who was 37 years younger then him, in a fruitless effort to woe her, she however settled for a life partner much closer to her own age.


The legend has it that this drove Fermin Mundaca to madness and he died alone in Merida. The empty tomb of this hopeless lover still awaits him in the Isla Mujeres cemetery, carved with skull and cross bones- a reminder of his pirating days and words meant for his love, "As you are, I was. As I am, you will be".

Other important tourist attraction in Isla Mujeres are Casa de la Cultura and Parque Natural Garraf n.

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