Isla Mujeres is a charming little island with a completely different kind of nightlife than the busy clubs and bars you’ll find in the rest of Mexico’s east coast. Instead, nightlife Isla Mujeres is focused on having a good time with your friends and walking up and down the main street.
A typical evening in Isla Mujeres, after visiting hot spots like the rainbow stairs during the day, might look something like this: have a beer on the beach at Playa Norte, make your way over to one of the restaurants on Avenida Miguel Hidalgo, have some drinks at bars like La Terazza or El Patio, and finish the night at Faye’s or Stingray. Done with the evening? You’ll be back in 10-20 minutes, no matter where you live on the island.
Want to know the ins and outs of Isla Mujeres’ nightlife, where to go, and what to expect? Continue reading!
My Personal Experience
Having spent more than two years on the island, I can tell you that the nightlife in Isla Mujeres is charming in its own way. Because this is a small island, you won’t find big nightclubs anywhere on the island. The same goes for big open-air parties in general: those typically happen every couple of months at most.
If you do want to have a fun night, you’ll spend most of your time on Avenida Miguel Hidalgo. This is the main street in the northern part of the island where the most popular restaurants and clubs are centered. Some bars have live bands, others play major English/Spanish hits.
There are only a couple of bars that are open until 1 – 2 AM. Those are: Stingray, Kokonuts, Fayne’s, and La Terazza. These bars, together with a couple of other ones that we’ll discuss below, are the backbone of Isla Mujeres’ nightlife.
If you are looking for nightlife that has a lot of techno or drum and bass, then Isla Mujeres is definitely not the place. This island is more about the chill vibes and having a good time with friends.
The Main Nightlife Area: Avenida Miguel Hidalgo
As said, most nightlife in Isla Mujeres centers around Avenida Miguel Hidalgo, a pedestrian street in the center of the town. Here, you’ll find a couple of things:
- Restaurants and bars: The street is absolutely jam-packed with restaurants and bars. Most restaurants close around 11-12 PM, depending on the season. However, some bars are open later than that. Especially during weekends in high season. We’ll look at those in a moment.
- Street performers: You’ll see plenty of street performers, especially during dinner time (click here for a short video). Most restaurants have their terrace right on the street, which provides the entertainers with an easy crowd. These street performers mainly do acrobatic acts. Some guys do breakdancing, and then two guys do acrobatics with giant hula hoops. It’s fun to see! If you’re sitting on the terrace, they’ll ask you for a tip when they’re done. It’s voluntary, of course, and even 20 pesos can be helpful.
- Live music: Some bars have live music. Of course, it depends on the day of the week, but you’re most likely to find live music in these places: Stingray, Lola Valentina (they often have a guy playing the trumpet, which is a really nice vibe), Ocean’s, Kokonuts, Fayne’s, El Patio and La Terazza.
Best Bars for Nightlife Isla Mujeres
There are bunch of bars on the island that are worth visiting. I wrote about them here already: The 17 Best Bars in Isla Mujeres: A Guide to Drinking on the Island. However, not all of them are suited for nightlife. Therefore, I’ll only discuss the bars that are suitable for nightlife below:
Stingray – The Only Bar With A Party Vibe
Opening times: Monday-Wednesday, Sunday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM, Thursday – Saturday: 10:00 AM – 1:30 AM.
Stingray is a place where many people end up during their stay in Isla Mujeres. It’s located at the beginning of Avenida Miguel Hidalgo.
It’s a restaurant that turns into a bar/nightclub later in the evening. The building has three floors, but most of the partying happens on the ground floor. The atmosphere is one of alcohol, wooden chairs, and neon light. There are long wooden tables where larger groups can sit, and there are swinging chairs at the bar.
They do have some space for dancing, but there’s also a lot of sitting going on for most of the crowd. Dancing really depends on how late it is. Depending on the evening, there could be a live band, or they’re just playing whatever English/Spanish hits they can get their hands on.
Kokonuts – The Bar That’s Open The Latest
Opening times: 11 AM – 2 AM
Kokonuts is hit or miss these days, depending on the day. I’m saying that because it can be really busy some nights, whereas other nights it will be empty.
Nevertheless, you’ll walk past it anyway on your way to any of the other bars, so I might as well include it on the list. It’s also the only place on the island that’s always open until 2 AM. Therefore, if you’re trying to extend the night as long as possible, you’ll end up here one way or the other.
It’s a good place to hang out, though, and it’s right next to Rock Bar (another bar on this list).
Fayne’s – Rock and Good Vibes
Opening times: 11 AM – 1 PM every day of the week.
Fayne’s is a bar I’ve gone to maybe once or twice. That’s not because it doesn’t have a cool vibe, on the contrary, it’s often one of the liviest bars later at night. However, they mainly play rock music and English hits. The crowd is also a little on the older side, which can be a good or bad thing depending on what you’re looking for.
Fayne’s often has live music as well, and it’s regularly packed. Again, you’ll pass this bar anyway if you’re on the main street, so have a look and see if you like it.
El Patio – Chill and Romantic
Opening times: 4:30 PM – 12 AM every day of the week.
El Patio has a really nice vibe to it. On the top floor, they have an open-air patio where they’ll play live music during dinner time. It’s also a great place to sit later in the evening. The service here is quick, and the prices of the drinks are very reasonable (60 pesos ($3 USD) for a beer, $150 – $200 pesos ($7.5 – $10 USD) for a cocktail or a glass of wine.
The patio on top of the building is really made for sitting, talking, and drinking. However, there’s also a ground-floor area which has an open-air bar. There’s also another area for live music, which they’ll have as well, depending on the day.
Since this bar is open until midnight, and a lot of people hang around after dinner, it’s a really lively place, and I highly recommend it. It’s one of the most vibey activities on Isla Mujeres that you can do at night. However, as with most places on the island, don’t expect a die-hard party. It’s mainly just English and Spanish hits that are being played.
La Terazza – Nightlife Isla Mujeres With Latin Vibes
Opening times: 4 PM – 1 AM every day of the week.
La Terazza doesn’t have a Google Maps listing, but this is the location. You need to take the stairs up to the bar. Once you get up there, you’ll be sitting in a Caribbean-style bar that has, in my opinion, a really nice vibe.
This bar is quite popular, and there are several reasons for that. First off, they have 2×1 happy hour cocktails every day between 4 PM and 9 PM. Also, almost daily, they’ll have live Latin music starting at 9 PM.
They also have a daily food special with 2 beers for 165 pesos ($7.5 USD). Finally, they’re open until 1 AM every day of the week, which means this is one of the bars that’s open the latest.
Rock Bar – A Mix of Expats and Locals
Opening times: 5 PM – 11 PM every day of the week (although they’re often open until 1 AM).
Rock Bar is the watering hole for many of the expats on the island. That’s because the prices here are the best on the island. A beer will cost you 50 pesos ($2.5 USD), and 5 tequila shots might set you back 100 pesos ($5 USD). It’s simply the easiest way to sit on the main street and get drunk.
The bar is really small, and there’s not much space inside. Rock bar is mainly just a bunch of plastic tables and chairs on the side of the street.
Another reason people end up here is that it’s one of the few true bars on the main street that stay open after 11 PM. If you just want shots, a beer, or a strong cocktail, this is the place.
Snappers – Watch Sports and Play Pool
Opening times: 9 AM – 12 AM every day of the week.
Snappers, located at the entrance of Playa Norte, is good for three things: watching sports, drinking, and playing pool. If there’s American Football on and you want to watch it, this is the bar most people will go to.
Besides having TV’s all around the bar, it’s also one of the only places on the island where you can play pool. Good to know: playing pool is completely free, as long as you buy some drinks. You’ll find the pool tables by walking past the bar and looking to your right. You really can’t miss them. Playing pool is how we’ve started many fun nights on Isla Mujeres.
Late-Night Food For Nightlife Isla Mujeres
The late-night food scene in Isla Mujeres is basically non-existent. If you’re going to find anything around 12 – 1 AM, it will be a local food stand that’s still open near the main street. Expect to find churros, marquesitas, and maybe still a taco stand.
There are no late-night pizza or kebab spots, so make sure to eat plenty while the restaurants are still open, or have food at home.
Best Season for Nightlife Isla Mujeres
Nightlife in Isla Mujeres is most active during high season. High season in Isla Mujeres starts on the 1st of January and ends on the 30th of April.
In the May – August period, there’s also still plenty of activity, but there are slightly fewer tourists overall. September – December is hurricane season, and nightlife is highly dependent on the weather. Normally, there’s not a lot to do at this point, and the island is really quiet during the night.
Nightlife for Different Types of Travelers
To give you a little more of an idea of where to go, these are my recommendations for different kinds of travelers:
Couples
If you’re trying to have a bit more of a romantic time, I would say El Patio, Lola Valentina (earlier in the evening), Oceans (also earlier in the evening), and La Terazza are good options. They have a nice vibe that still allows you to have a conversation.
Solo Travelers
If you’re traveling solo, sitting at the bar at Rock Bar, Snappers (if there are major sports events), El Patio, Fayne’s or La Terazza are your best options to sit in a social atmosphere and meet some people.
Party-Focused Travelers
Stingray is your best bet for this; there’s no other place on the Island that I would recommend, since they’re the ones with loud music, cheap alcohol, and a small dance platform.
Older Travelers
If you’re not looking to get drunk like a student, I would probably go to Fayne’s (if you’re into Rock/English hits) or Snappers (if you enjoy watching sports). Sitting at Stingray may also be a good option.
Is Nightlife Isla Mujeres Safe?
Here are the main points you’ll need to keep in mind:
Walking around the island at night, especially in the city center, is very safe. Because it’s a small island, many locals and expats know each other, which means there’s a lot of social control happening. There are different kinds of police as well that actively patrol the center during the night.
For that same reason, theft and violent crime are not really a problem on the island. Of course, still don’t leave your iPhone on the table when you go to the bathroom 😉
Bar owners are fair in general. Check your tab before paying, but again, we’ve never encountered a situation where someone was trying to overcharge us in a restaurant.
Walking through the city center or going to your apartment in the middle of the island is also safe. I’m not just saying that from my perspective as a guy, my girlfriend often travels back herself by taxi or by scooter to our apartment in the middle of the island late at night. I don’t recall ever having a problem with that, and we’ve lived on the island for a total of 2 years.
Taxis are also safe at night. I’m not a big fan of the taxi drivers in general because many of them (not all) will take any opportunity they can get to overcharge. However, they’ve always brought us home without any major problems.
Nightlife Costs on Isla Mujeres
Nightlife Isla Mujeres can be as expensive as you want to make it yourself. However, a good thing is that most places on the island have similar prices. Here’s a rough overview of what to expect:
- $50 – 70 pesos ($2.5 – 3.5 USD) for a beer
- $150 – $250 ($7.5 – 12.5 USD) for a cocktail
- $150 – $200 ($7.5 – $10 USD) for a glass of wine
- $20 – 80 pesos ($1 – $4 USD) for a shot; tequila is always the cheapest
No place on the island charges an entry fee. Also, tipping is expected. I often end up tipping 15%, which everybody always seems more than happy with.
Getting Around Isla Mujeres at Night
How do you get back home after a night out in Isla Mujeres?
If you live in the city center, you can just walk to your hotel/hostel or AirBnB. I guarantee you the walk won’t take longer than 10 minutes.
If you’re staying further down the island, you’ll need a form of transport. If you have rented a golf cart or a scooter, keep in mind that driving drunk isn’t appreciated on the island.
The police are also known for setting up traffic stops late at night. The traffic stop is often set up on the only road that gets you out of the city center, so there’s no way to avoid it if you want to get home. If they catch you, you’ll be fined heavily and may lose your licence.
Buses don’t run anymore after sunset, so your only option is to take a taxi. You can go to the local taxi stand that’s right next to the ferry terminal (the place you arrived on the island). A taxi to the middle of the island should cost $100 – $200 pesos ($5 – $10 USD), depending on how far south you live. If you’re staying in a villa in the south, this should cost no more than $250 pesos ($12,5 USD).
However, keep in mind that the taxis are the only available option at night and that you’ll likely be a bit tipsy/drunk. They know you don’t have any other option to get home. Therefore, they may try to overcharge you. There’s not much you can do about it, except argue 🙂
FAQ
Is there good nightlife on Isla Mujeres?
The nightlife in Isla Mujeres is lively and focused on having chill evenings with friends. Isla Mujeres doesn’t have any nightclubs and also doesn’t host a lot of big parties or festivals. People who are looking for a techno or drum and bass scene will find Playa del Carmen, Tulum, or Cancun suits their needs better.
What part of Isla Mujeres has the best nightlife?
The northern part of the Island, near Avenida Miguel Hidalgo, is the only part of the island that has activity during the night.
Are there clubs on Isla Mujeres?
No, Isla Mujeres does not have any nightclubs. However, there are bars that have vibrant nightlife during high season (January – April).
What time do bars close on Isla Mujeres?
Most bars in Isla Mujeres close around midnight, whereas some bars like Stingray, Fayne’s, and Rockbar may stay open later depending on how busy the bar is.
Is Isla Mujeres nightlife better than Cancun?
No, nightlife in Cancun is much more active than nightlife in Cancun.
Is it safe to walk around Isla Mujeres at night?
Yes, it’s completely safe to walk around Isla Mujeres at night, especially in the city center. Streets are well-lit, and during the night, there’s still a lot of police patrolling the streets. Other areas of the island are safe and well-lit as well.
Do beach clubs on Isla Mujeres stay open at night?
No, most beach clubs on Isla Mujeres close 30 minutes to 1 hour after sunset.
