All-inclusive resorts have their appeal, especially if what you want is to lay on the beach, swim, read, and have all of your needs taken care of. But you can also use them as a base from which to venture out and explore. I’ve just returned from Mexico and I have lots of tips to share to help you get off the resort and discover the area surrounding Cancun solo.
Cancun, Mexico is home to many all-inclusive hotels. These are properties that offer everything you need on a vacation, so you never have to leave the resort. They offer all your meals (usually buffet-style) and drinks, which may include alcohol, and some have activities and excursions to keep you busy.
The more upscale ones will have infinity pools that mirror the skies and all kinds of entertainment during the day and night plus restaurants where you can make reservations for dinner.
One of our most popular posts is Going to a Resort Alone: How to Enjoy an All-Inclusive Solo. But what’s missing is mixing with and supporting the locals and learning more about the culture of the destination. Some may say that staying in an all-inclusive hotel is a sanitized vacation–and they would be somewhat correct.
It doesn’t have to be that way when you visit Cancun and its surroundings, though. Let’s talk about how you can get beyond the walls of the all-inclusive and enjoy a taste of what the area has to offer. That’s where the real adventure begins!
We will look at how you can visit two of the closest islands to Cancun, Isla Mujeres (Women Island) and Cozumel.
Isla Mujeres, A Treasure Beyond the Sea
Isla Mujeres, with its natural beauty and laid-back nature, is like experiencing a real-life postcard. If you’re visiting Cancun solo, it’s easy to get there. The short ferry ride is your time to get into the island’s rhythm as it’s a completely different feel than the mainland of Cancun.
How To Get There
You can purchase a package deal that includes the cost of the ferry ride as well as other excursions on the island or you can just buy your ferry ticket by itself.
If you’re doing the package deal to swim with the dolphins and visit Garrafon Park, then the ferry ride is already included. You just have to pay a fee when you check-in at the departure port of Playa Langosta in the Cancun Hotel Zone. If your hotel is close, you can just walk or take a taxi to the port.
When buying your tickets at the Garrafon Park website, you will get specific instructions. Please follow them carefully.
Note that if you’re not doing the swimming with the dolphins, your ferry will leave from nearby Marina Aquatours, but will return to Playa Langosta.
If you are going on your own, you will have additional ferry choices.
- Ultramar Ferries Ultramar Ferries operate from Playa Juarez (Cancun Center), Playa Tortugas (in the hotel zone), or Playa Caracol (in the hotel zone) to the Isla Mujeures Hotel Zone (center of town). Check their website for more details.
- Xailing This service goes from Embarcadero (Xcaret Park). You can find more details about the service here.
- Ultracarga If you have a car and want to take the car to the island, you can use this service. It leaves from Punta Sam in Cancun.
Regardless of how you choose to explore beyond Cancun solo, remember to give yourself lots of time. It can take a while to board the ferry as it is usually crowded. Once on the island, you can take a taxi or rent golf carts to get around or just walk. You can buy your tickets online or at the ferry pier.
If the waves are rough–and they sometimes are–be prepared. You may take some kind of motion sickness tablets if you so desire. As I discovered on my trip, the crew is very good about checking on you and ensuring that if you need a sick bag you have one.
What To Do On Isla Mujeres
City Center
Except for the ferry that goes to Garrafon Park, you will be dropped right into the center of town. From here you can walk around, go shopping, eat and also walk to the beach called Playa Norte.
Playa Norte
This white sand beach is located in the north of the island as its name suggests in Spanish. It’s a simple stroll from the center of town. It’s a perfect spot for a relaxing swim or some snorkeling.
Garrafon Natural Reef Park
This park is a worthwhile gem. You can do nothing, i.e. enjoy the beautiful surroundings if you so desire or you can go kayaking, paddleboarding, swimming in the ocean or the pool, zip lining, or attend a Temazcal ceremony which lasts from 45 to 60 minutes. This is a ritual designed to clean the spirit and the body.
You can purchase a meal or if you purchased the VIP option, a buffet-style meal is provided complete with drinks. In addition, there are two shallow pools and one larger one in the VIP area for your additional relaxation. All are complete with great views of Cancun and the ocean.
And when you get done with all that, take a stroll over to Punta Sur and walk the cliffs. The views from this vantage point are breathtaking. Plus, if you’re there early in the morning you can be one of the first to see the sun rise over Mexico as it’s the easternmost point of the country.
Your supplied Guide will tell you all about the Mayan statues atop the cliff and their significance. There’s also a lighthouse, but you can’t get to the top, unfortunately.
You’ll also find local vendors with fruits and eats, plus a local shop atop the cliff. You can rent golf carts to drive around the island here too. The golf carts are the preferred way to get around the island. You will see them everywhere.
Cultural Festival
If you are on the island in February, you will be treated to the Fantasia Tropical Carnival. The Carnival includes a arade down the island’s main street, Av. Rueda Medina, which is right by the ferry terminal. The parade is a cultural glimpse into the island’s culture as the beautifully decorated floats come down the main street right past the ferry terminal. It is a wonderful sight to see and hear.
Cozumel’s Untouched Paradise
Cozumel, the larger of the two islands, offers an even deeper dive into the Mexican Caribbean’s soul.
With world-famous coral reefs that beckon divers from around the globe and a community proud of its Mayan roots, Cozumel is an island that doesn’t just offer sights to see but experiences to be lived.
The island is even more laid back than Isla Mujeres. But it is much farther from Cancun than Isla Mujeres.
How to Get There
Let’s take a look at how to get there first before talking about the island itself.
By Air
In case you decide to fly directly to Cozumel, there is an airport on this tiny island, Cozumel International Airport (CZM). It is served by the following airlines, although there are not as many flights as Cancun:
- Aeromexico (AM-SkyTeam)
- Air Canada (AC-Star Alliance)
- Air Transat (TS)
- American Airlines (AA-oneworld)
- Delta Air Lines (DL-SkyTeam)
- Southwest Airlines (WN)
- Sun Country Airlines (SY)
- United Airlines (UA-Star Alliance)
- VivaAerobus (VB)
- Volaris (Y4)
- WestJet (WS)
Or, of course, you can fly into Cancun, which is served by all those airlines above and more, and then take a shuttle down to Playa del Carmen and take the ferry across.
By Road/Ferry
If you’re already in Cancun, you have to get a shuttle service to Playa del Carmen, which is about an hour away. You can always talk to your hotel’s Concierge or check out Viator.com for the shuttle information. From Playa you have to take one of several ferry companies across to the island.
- Ultramar Ultramar operates a ferry service from the port of Playa del Carmen to San Miguel in Cozumel’s City Center. Check their website for more details.
- Winjet Winjet operates a ferry service from Playa del Carmen to San Miguel in Cozumel City Center. You can find more details about the service here.
- Ultracarga If you have a car and would like to take the car to the island, you can use this service. It leaves from Punta Venado and Sac-Tun which are both in Calica which is just south of Playa del Carmen. You can find more details on their website.
Regardless of how you go, remember to give yourself enough time as the ferries do get busy and you may have to wait for the next one if you are late. You can buy your tickets online or at the ferry pier before boarding.
Once on the island, you can take a taxi or hire a tour operator to get around. If you’re in the vicinity of downtown, you can walk everywhere. You can find transportation information here.
What to Do in Cozumel
Cozumel is only about 184 square miles. Despite that, it’s an extremely popular cruise ship port, so it gets a lot of visitors. It is quite common to see five to seven ships in port at the same time, so bear that in mind when you visit.
The ferries also bring a large number of visitors and locals across the sea daily.
Most of Cozumel is untouched. If you drive down the eastern coast, the beach is on one side and the forest is on the other. It’s a beautiful sight to see.
There are several beaches as you head down the east coast, so feel free to stop by one of them.
At the southern tip of the island, you can visit the Punta Sur Eco Beach Park. It’s an area highlighted by the old Celarain lighthouse. You can walk the 133 steps up to the top for spectacular views. Careful though as it’s quite narrow and very steep and you do need to bend quite a bit to get on the platform for the views. But trust me, it’s worth it.
Along the roadway, you may encounter a crocodile or iguana as they try to cross the roadways. There are signs along the way to remind you of the dangers.
If you go deeper into the Park, you can take a swamp boat on the Laguna Colombia to see the birds and crocodiles. Our Guide mentioned that the birds from the north come down to Mexico, have babies, and then return to the north.
When you get hungry, you can head to the Anemona de Mar Beach Club where you can have an amazing meal while enjoying the beach. You can swim as well as snorkel and also get a massage at the spa that is located on the beach. You won’t want to leave.
Watch out for the Cozumel raccoons though as they just walk right out of the woods onto the beach. Do not feed them!
The excursion to the tip of the island will wipe you out though, so you can either stay in the city for the night or head back on the ferry to your all-inclusive in Cancun. It will be a long voyage, but you can just relax and ponder the day’s events.
City of Cozumel
The city center has many shops and craft markets where you can buy locally made souvenirs as well as clothing.
If you want some excellent food, try the family-owned restaurant called Casa Mission. There are two locations, one in the downtown and the other just outside of the downtown area. I recommend the one outside of downtown as it’s built in the family’s home. You feel like you’ve been invited into the home for dinner.
The place also has the original rooms of the family when they all lived at that location. As a matter of fact, the mom and dad still live there. Great surroundings, excellent service, coupled with great food.
Mayan Culture
I highly recommend visiting Pueblo del Maiz. Step into a world that shows you how the Mayans used to live. You even get to take part, by making food and eating it too, listening to their folk music, getting your face painted as well as playing one of their games as you are taken through the exhibit. It’s an hour or so of deep immersion.
Cultural Festival
Every February around Carnival Tuesday, Cozumel holds a night parade to celebrate the aptly named Cozumel Carnival. As a visitor, you can watch as the beautifully decorated floats go by. It seems like the entire island is out for the festivities.
The revelers are smartly costumed, the music is loud and showcases the culture, food is everywhere and in the end, there are fireworks. It’s a sight to behold.
It is held on the street closest to the ferry port, Av. Rafael E. Melgar, so you have a great view of the ocean and the cruise ships in port.
There are of course many more things you can do while on the island, these are but a few. Check out the Cozumel Tourist Board for more activities.
More Tips for Exploring Cancun Solo
Here are some tips you may find useful.
Arrive at the airport in Cancun at least three hours before your departure as it can get crowded since it is a very popular destination.
If you’re going to head out of the resort, get local currency at the ATM when you arrive. This will make it easier to partake in the local culture as you travel around. Some banks will refund your ATM fees, so check with your bank before you leave. USD will not be refused, but you may get a different rate for it than your bank would give.
You can use companies such as Viator to find tours and transportation options. There’s also a company called Teve Transfers & Tours that you can contact.
The name of the Mexican state for this region is Quintana Roo, and there is tons of information available about things to do in this area. A great resource is the Caribe Mexicano website. This is a resource created by the Quintana Roo Tourism Council. Here are some specific links for Isla Mujeres and Cozumel.
Be conscious of your surroundings at all times. You will see many police officers as you travel the area. Their job is to keep you safe. Call on them if you need them. Follow all local laws and posted health precautions.
I hope that visiting these two islands will give you a better taste of the Yucatan hospitality, culture, and food. Getting off the resort to experience Cancun solo can be a very good thing.
Thank you to the Quintana Roo Tourism Board for their support with this trip. All opinions and impressions are my own and Solo Traveler maintains complete editorial control over all content.
Last updated: 15th March, 2024