Wild places and wildlife · All year
Isla Contoy and Isla Mujeres
The bird reserve at Contoy, which limits its visitors, then the afternoon on Isla Mujeres. Picks up in Cancún.
4.6 · 116 reviews on GetYourGuide
Villa ExperienceExperiences · Isla MujeresOctober 2026
The Mexican Caribbean · Contoy, whale sharks and the reef
The best day here is Paradise Island: Isla Contoy and Isla Mujeres, because Contoy caps its visitors and few boats are allowed in. The other two are the Whale Shark Adventure in season and the three-stop snorkel over El Farito, Manchones and the MUSA sculptures.
3 tours · checked 16 October 2026
Wild places and wildlife · All year
The bird reserve at Contoy, which limits its visitors, then the afternoon on Isla Mujeres. Picks up in Cancún.
4.6 · 116 reviews on GetYourGuide
On the water · All year
Three stops from Isla Mujeres: the lighthouse reef, Manchones, and the MUSA sculptures standing on the sand.
4.5 · 57 reviews on GetYourGuide
Wild places and wildlife · All year
Out from the island to swim with whale sharks, in small groups, with a meal aboard. Runs in whale-shark season only.
4.7 · 50 reviews on GetYourGuide
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Stay here
18 bedrooms sleeps 48
6 bedrooms sleeps 16
6 bedrooms sleeps 16
Frequently asked
In whale-shark season only. The boats go out from the island while the sharks are feeding in the waters north of it, and the operator sells no date outside that window.
Two. The whale shark trip and the three-stop snorkel both leave from Isla Mujeres. The Isla Contoy day picks up in Cancún and crosses from the mainland, so it is the one to book if you are staying on that side.
The snorkel tour is the easiest with children: three sheltered stops and short swims. Isla Contoy is a long day but a gentle one. The whale shark trip has an operator minimum age.
All three book on GetYourGuide. We choose them and keep the list checked; the operator holds the booking, the payment and the cancellation terms. We earn a commission on the links, as the page says at the bottom.
The Friday edition
Every Friday: the week’s stories from Punta Mita, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and the Riviera Maya, with the practical pages and the tables. No offers unless you ask for them.
