National Commission Promotes Visits to Costa Occidental de Isla Mujeres National Park

Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo — Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) is promoting visits to the Costa Occidental de Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancún and Punta Nizuc National Park during the holiday season, highlighting the area’s underwater attractions and recreational activities.

The commission announced through social media that visitors can admire coral reefs that form “a true underwater museum with colorful fish, mangroves, seagrass beds, and corals.”

Activities available at the park include scuba diving, kayaking, flora and fauna observation, boat tours, snorkeling, zip-lining, recreational towing, and two-seater boat handling. Services include water transportation, guided tours, dive/snorkel operators, tourist marinas, food and beverage outlets, an aquatic museum, and additional tourist marinas.

To reach the park, visitors can travel to Cancún by air or land, then proceed to Puerto Juárez to take a ferry. Ferry service is also available from Cancún’s hotel zone, or visitors can book tours directly to Isla Mujeres through tour operators, with the commission noting these are short and accessible journeys.

Park amenities include banking services (ATMs), temporary solid waste disposal, electricity supply, parking, passenger ground transportation, mobile network coverage, medical and hospital services, drinking water access, docks, and terminals at Puerto Juárez, Punta Sam, and Gran Puerto.

Visitors can also explore nearby archaeological sites including El Meco, San Miguelito, Playa del Carmen, Xcaret, Xelhá, and Tulum.

Travel tips from the commission recommend bringing hats or caps, waterproof cameras, binoculars for bird watching, sun-protective clothing, avoiding sunscreen or tanning lotion, hiring authorized tourism service providers, respecting water speed limits, and not leaving waste in the area.

The park is part of the Great Maya Reef, which belongs to the Mesoamerican Reef System — the second largest barrier reef in the world. Designated as a national park in 1996, the area features turquoise waters where visitors can observe coral reefs and an underwater museum with colorful fish, mangroves, seagrass beds, and corals, making it an ideal location for diving and snorkeling.

The park hosts abundant biodiversity including algae, sponges, mollusks, crustaceans, echinoderms, dolphins, fish, and turtles. Visitors can also observe various species of flora, birds, and crocodiles.