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Isla’s only town still has the look of a Caribbean fishing village, with narrow, sandy streets and wooden houses painted in bright pinks, yellows, greens, and blues. There are plenty of cafés and souvenir shops, and few cars.

This beach at the northern tip of the town is the place where many Isla visitors spend their days, with laid-back beach bars like Buho’s (see Buho’s, Isla Mujeres) for refreshment breaks. With pure white sand and calm turquoise waters, it’s excellent for tranquil swimming.

To the northeast of Isla town, this “secret” beach is in a sheltered inlet that’s even more shallow and placid than Playa Norte, and is wonderful for small children. A footbridge across it leads to the Avalon Grand resort.

One of the largest interactive dolphin centers on the Riviera, offering visitors a range of options for swimming and diving with these ultra-friendly creatures. Other Dolphin Discovery centers are at Cozumel and Puerto Aventuras.

The ruins of a 19th-century mansion built by an ex-slave trader have been transformed into a park, with a small zoo of Yucatán wildlife.

This nature park and snorkeling center is created around a natural, shallow pool. There are restaurants, equipment rental, and swimming and snorkeling opportunities in the rock pool, offshore reefs, or in the swimming pool.

The southern tip of the island has been transformed into a sculpture park, with striking modern art works spread around the wind-blown headland and lighthouse.

Isla Mujeres’ most popular reef for scuba courses and easy diving. Only about 10–12 m (30–40 ft) deep, the waters are safe and have plenty of colorful coral and fish to discover.

An underground river meets the sea at this cave, attracting sharks that come to bask, trancelike, in the mixture of fresh and salt water. A must-see for experienced divers – but don’t wake those sharks!

An uninhabited island about 30 km (18 miles) north of Isla Mujeres, Contoy is an important seabird reserve for pelicans, cormorants, frigate birds, spoonbills, and others. Day trips are run by companies on Isla.