How to Take the Ferry from Cancun Airport to Isla Mujeres: A Detailed 5-Step Guide
- bluefusiontravel
- Feb 27
- 3 min read
While researching the details of catching the ferry from the Cancun airport to Isla Mujeres, I had trouble finding anything that was the level of detail I was looking for. Most things said to leave the airport, head to the ferry, and get on. It’s so easy. After experiencing it, yes, it was that easy, but I’m sure I’m not the only person who wanted more details before actually experiencing it. So here it is in five easy and detailed steps.
Decide how you want to travel from the airport to the ferry.
After landing at Cancun International Airport and going through immigration and customs, you'll finally reach the transportation area after navigating the hall of timeshares. Avoid eye contact with “helpful” people in this area, and head straight out. It's best to have a plan in place. The most popular options are taking a taxi upon arrival, scheduling a shared ride in advance, or arranging a private ride beforehand. Many transportation companies in the area are eager to provide you with a ride, but after a long day of travel (at least for me, coming from the West Coast), the last thing you want is to sort out your next step upon arrival. This is not the right time for that.
There are several transportation companies in Cancun that you can use to pre-arrange services. I used USA Transfers, which I found reliable and trustworthy based on previous experiences. You can schedule your ride on their website and choose to pay either when booking or in US dollars in cash once your ride is complete.
Decide when and how to buy your ferry tickets.
You can purchase tickets to Isla Mujeres at the ferry terminal or in advance. I bought mine in advance because I wasn’t sure how long the line would be. Since we were traveling with our luggage, I decided to have tickets ready so we could head straight to the boarding area.
You can purchase your ferry tickets online directly through Ultramar, or most transfer companies allow you to add them to your transfer purchase. I checked the Ultramar website directly and found various ticket types available. Because of this, I opted to include them in my transfer with USA Transfers. We received our round-trip ferry tickets once we were escorted to our van. I trusted them to know which ferry ticket was best to buy. I didn’t mind paying extra for someone else to handle it. Sometimes, it’s about convenience, not just cost.
Enjoy the ride.
After a quick 20- to 30-minute ride, during which we drank our cool beverages and ate the snacks I had pre-purchased, our driver pulled into the parking garage of Puerto Juarez Ferry Terminal. We paid and tipped him before heading to the ferry. Since we already had our ferry tickets, we went straight to the boarding area after being dropped off. Ferries run approximately every 30 minutes, so there’s never a long wait. I noticed a long line of people needing to buy tickets. I was glad we had ours, as it was one less thing we had to worry about.
Board the ferry to Isla Mujeres.
Once the ferry arrived, we boarded it. That easy.
Pro tip: if you’re traveling with luggage, you must board the ferry from the back entrance, not the forward. There is an area in the back for luggage storage. The porters will take care of it for you.
Find a seat and enjoy the 20—to 30-minute ride to Isla Mujeres. Once you arrive, you can exit the ferry from the back and wait for your luggage on the dock right by the exit. The porters will take your luggage off the ferry and down the ramp for you. You can then head down the dock
You have arrived.
Once you walk down the dock and out of the ferry entrance, go left, and you will find a taxi stand. Now, this is one time I don’t recommend pre-arranging transportation. The island is small, and taxis are readily available to service those coming off the ferry. Verify the cost prior to getting in the car. When we went in February 2025, the price was 150 pesos, a little over $7.
That’s it! So easy. Our longest wait for transportation that day was waiting for our van to arrive at the Cancun Airport to bring us to the Puerto Juarez Ferry Terminal. We breezed through immigration in less than 10 minutes that day and went straight through customs without being stopped.
Want to know more about our experience in Isla Mujeres? Stay tuned, as I’ll share some of our adventures in the coming weeks.
Are you ready to plan your adventure to Isla Mujeres or anywhere else in the Mexican Caribbean? Contact me, I can help!
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