There are four ways to see turtles in Isla Mujeres. You can see them while snorkeling, while diving, while scouting the beach at night during mating season, and while watching from the cliffs of Punt Sur.
In my time on the island, I’ve done all of these activities on Isla Mujeres and can tell you exactly what to expect and what are the easiest and hardest ways to see and go swimming with turtles on Isla Mujeres. Let’s get started!
My Personal Experience
Turtles on Isla Mujeres are quite easy to find, but you need to know where to look. Having said that, the easiest way to find turtles is to go scuba diving. Most of the turtles hang out in Manchones Reef. Every time I’ve gone diving there, I’ve seen three turtles at least. You can do scuba diving if you have a certification, or you can do a ‘discovery dive’ if you don’t have any experience.
I’ve spent well over two years of my life on the island, and not once have I seen a turtle while snorkeling from the shore. The snorkeling spots are located on the north and western side of the island, and turtles hang out on the east and the south. If you want to see turtles while snorkeling, book a tour.
If you’re lucky, you can see turtles from land. I’ve seen turtles lay their eggs three times. This happens in the May – August period, which is mating season. Playa Publica Media Luna is the spot for that. The cliffs of Punta Sur also provide a direct line of sight to the mating ground. I’ll explain more below.
Closed: The Turtle Sanctuary in Isla Mujeres
Note: at the beginning of 2025, the turtle sanctuary/turtle farm on Isla Mujeres was officially permanently closed.
I visited the turtle sanctuary once back in 2021. I wasn’t a fan of the idea at first, but we (my sister, my girlfriend, and I) did eventually decide to go because it was a turtle sanctuary.
It was a very small place, and it took around 20 minutes to walk around. The ground had small pools where baby turtles were held, as well as shallow basins where larger turtles were held. One of the things that made us question the integrity of the turtle sanctuary was that many turtles seemed way too big to be held in such small pools that often had less than a foot (30 cm) of water.
Also, many of the larger turtles didn’t seem to have injuries whatsoever. Our overall feeling of the place was that many baby turtles were born and raised here and that some of them were released to sustain the local turtle population (which was the goal of the sanctuary to begin with). However, we kind of felt some larger turtles were kept there as well to bring in tourism money. It was a so-so experience.
Diving With Turtles in Isla Mujeres
Want to increase your chances of seeing sea turtles in Isla Mujeres and don’t mind adventure activities? Then scuba diving is 100% your best bet. If you already have your scuba certification, that’s great, just book a trip. If you don’t, you can either get it (that will take 2-3 days) or book what’s called a ‘discovery dive’. Basically, a guide will stay close to you at all times, and you get to dive for the first time in your life.
On Isla Mujeres, I highly recommend Poc Na. I’ve gone diving with Poc Na a little over 10 times in the past five years or so. My girlfriend is a volunteer here, and I’m pretty sure she’s crossed the 200-dive mark with them already. One thing both of us always see when we go diving: sea turtles.
Where to see turtles Isla Mujeres while diving? There are a couple of spots that are best for this: Manchones Reef, MUSA (the underwater museum), and Punta Sur. On a day-to-day basis, Manchones houses a lot of sea turtles. A good thing about Manchones and MUSA is that dive schools go here daily. I would say your chance of spotting a turtle while diving here is close to 80%. Below is a video we took from a turtle near Machones Reef.
The Punta Sur diving spot is a tricky one. First of all, dive schools only go here during the May – July period. That’s because the diving is more advanced (there are very strong currents), and this is turtle mating season. During mating season, turtles come together in the waters near Punta Sur to reproduce. We went diving here in June 2025 for my birthday and saw well over 20 turtles.
The problem with Punta Sur is that local regulations around diving in Punta Sur are a bit blurry. Sometimes dive schools refuse to go there because the local government has made it clear it’s prohibited, other times it’s completely fine again. So, don’t get your hopes up too much, but if you’re here during the May – July period, it can’t hurt to ask.
Turtle Nesting Season in Isla Mujeres
The mating that these turtles do near the cliffs of Punta Sur also leads to pregnant turtles that need to lay their eggs. This means turtles have to come ashore and dig a nest. This is my favorite way to spot a turtle.
Now, I’ve seen a lot of blogs mention that turtles do this on Playa Norte. However, that really isn’t the place where most sea turtles come ashore. That’s because the waters near Playa Norte and Playa Centro are way too calm for turtles. Instead, you’ll find them in the rougher waters near the east side of the island.
Here’s a video I took of the turtle creating a nest at Playa Publica Media Luna. It’s quite dark, but it’s the best I could do without a flashlight:
The main beach in the city center that you want to be at is Playa Publica Media Luna. It’s the beach that’s behind Nilu by Selina (one of the bigger hostels/hotels on the island). I’ve written more about how to find this beach in my best beaches in Isla Mujeres overview.
From the end of May to the end of August, you can spot sea turtles coming ashore here if you’re lucky. I would say June and July are the best months for this. This only happens later in the night. I’ve seen turtles come ashore here a couple of times in my life, and it always happened between 9 PM and 12 AM.
Now, a couple of things:
- RESPECT NATURE. Turtles need a calm, quiet beach to lay their eggs. If a turtle notices something is off they’ll head right back into the ocean.
- DO NOT use a white flashlight or make a lot of noise. If you need to use a flashlight, make sure the light is red. This doesn’t disturb the turtle.
- Keep a minimum distance of 30 feet (10 meters) from the turtle. DO NOT touch them in any circumstance
- Do not enter the beach if asked not to. Volunteers of the local government have the right to protect the turtles from tourists and close beaches. You may also see them take the eggs from the turtle, which they put in a safe and guarded spot on the beach later in the evening. Respect the volunteers and follow their instructions.
What is the best spot to see turtles on Playa Publica Media Luna, you ask? Well, you can either sit in the premises of Nilu by Selina if you’re a guest there. Just stay behind the railing that has been put up.
If you’re not a guest, there’s a boulevard right next to Playa Publica Media Luna (the same boulevard that houses the big ISLA MUJERES-sign, I’ll link the location here). From that boulevard, you easily have the best views of turtles dragging themselves on the beach.
The Cliffs Of Punta Sur
One thing that I wanted to add to this section is that it is possible to see turtles from the cliffs of Punta Sur. From these cliffs, you have a direct line of sight to the mating area of the turtles. You can do this without getting in the water.
To do this, go to Punta Sur and buy access to the rest of the park. That will cost $100 pesos ($5 USD) per person. Walk all the way to the southernmost tip of the cliffs. With your back to the entrance of the park, look left and down near the rocks. I’ll link a short video we made below:
This is the area where turtles mate (I’ll link the exact Google Maps location). During peak season (which is May – July) you’ll see turtles come up for air all the time. Last year (2025), we counted well over 15 turtles while standing here for 10 minutes or so.
Snorkeling With Turtles Isla Mujeres
I’ve written an extensive guide about the best snorkeling spots in Isla Mujeres. However, in it, I didn’t explain how you can see turtles, so let’s do that now.
I’m going to be straightforward: if you want to go snorkeling with turtles Isla Mujeres, you have to book a paid trip.
Turtles in Isla Mujeres don’t often hang around the northern and western sides of the island. Unfortunately, those are the only good sides of the island, with calm water, that provide snorkeling from the shore.
Turtles are much more frequently found on the eastern and southern side, because the water is rougher and they enjoy that much more. However, these sides of the island are not suitable for snorkeling (except for the skatepark spot, which I talk about in the guide I linked a moment ago).
Still want to swim with sea turtles Isla Mujeres? This is what you do: book a paid trip with a local tour operator (Poc Na and Scuba Adventures are good options) and specifically request to go to the Manchones Reef and/or MUSA. As you can see in the video we made, turtles often come up for air, which is ideal for snorkelers.
These spots are located in the national park between Cancun and Isla Mujeres, and it’s where turtles hang out a lot. It’s not a guarantee you’ll see turtles, but your chances will be roughly 50-70% of spotting some turtles. Good odds overall.
Best Time of Year to See Turtles in Isla Mujeres
The best time of the year to see turtles in Isla Mujeres depends on how you want to see them. If you want to do this while snorkeling or while diving, then I recommend the high season for that. From the 1st of January to the 30th of April, the weather in Isla Mujeres is typically warm and calm, which means the visibility in the water is good.
Later in the year, from May to August, it starts to rain more, and it becomes windier. This stirs the sand in the area, which means the visibility can drop significantly if you’re diving or snorkeling. Still, this is a great period to see turtles on land.
September – December is hurricane season, which isn’t great for diving or snorkeling. At that point, mating season is also over, so you won’t see turtles anywhere.
FAQ – Turtles Isla Mujeres
Where can you see turtles in Isla Mujeres?
You can see turtles in Isla Mujeres at the Manchones Reef or MUSA. For this, you’ll either need to go scuba diving or snorkeling with one of the dive centers on the island. During mating season (May – August), you may see turtles at night at Playa Publica Media Luna, where female turtles lay their eggs.
What type of sea turtles live around Isla Mujeres
Isla Mujeres is home to green sea turtles, Hawksbill turtles, and loggerheads. Green sea turtles and Hawksbill turtles are by far the most common ones.
Can you snorkel with turtles Isla Mujeres?
Yes, you can snorkel with turtles in Isla Mujeres. However, you’ll need to take a boat to Manchones Reef or MUSA. Snorkeling from the shore is possible, but you won’t see any turtles because they spend their time at the eastern or southern part of the island, which is unsuitable for snorkeling.
Do turtles nest on Isla Mujeres beaches?
Yes, turtles nest on the eastern beaches of Isla Mujeres. Playa Publica Media Luna is the best example of this. Besides this, turtles nest along the entire eastern coast of the island. However, many of these beaches are harder to access.
Is it safe to swim with turtles in Isla Mujeres?
Yes, swimming with turtles in Isla Mujeres is completely safe. The waters around Isla Mujeres are quite shallow (up to 36 feet/12 meters), and there’s no strong current. The only exception to this is Punta Sur, which has a strong current and is an advanced dive spot.
Do you need a tour to see turtles in Isla Mujeres?
Booking a snorkeling or diving tour increases your chances of seeing turtles in Isla Mujeres. It’s also possible to see turtles nest on land from May to August, but this is often late at night (9 PM – 5 AM), and you need to be a bit lucky.
What should you not do when you see a turtle while snorkeling?
Don’t touch the turtles or swim directly above the turtles. Remember that turtles need to come up for air and actively blocking their way to the surface is extremely harmful.
