The Islands of the Yucatan Peninsula

The Cancun/Riviera Maya area is filled with hundreds of beautiful beaches, unique cenotes, incredible resorts, interesting Mayan ruins and three amazing islands. Holbox, Isla Mujeres and Cozumel are all special places to visit on your next trip to the Mexican Caribbean.

Holbox

Holbox is the furthest island to get to from Cancun (but well worth it!). You can take a very small plane from the airport, a helicopter or a two-hour bus/car or private transfer to Chiquila. From there, you hop on a ferry or a private fishing boat, and just 20 minutes later you will arrive in paradise.

The island is rustic, with no roads (just sand!), no cars (the taxis are all ATVs!) and stunning beaches where you can walk into the ocean for what seems like forever, and it will only go up to your knees. The food scene in Holbox is very happening, and their specialty is lobster pizza. Besides relaxing at a beach club or biking around the island, Holbox has a very popular three island boat tour, cooking classes and an escape room. For water enthusiasts, there is kayaking, kitesurfing and in the summer, you can experience the bioluminescence phenomenon as well as swim with whale sharks.

photo by Lori Gold

Isla Mujeres

Isla Mujeres is the easiest island to get to from Cancun. The only way to arrive is by boat (most arrive by ferry, but private boat or catamaran are also options), and there are many different terminals in the Cancun area to leave from. The journey over is under 30 minutes, and you may even spot turtles and dolphins enroute.

This island has gorgeous picture-perfect turquoise Caribbean beaches like Playa Norte, which is studded with hotels and beach clubs to relax at. Renting a golf cart to explore the island in is one of the most popular activities here. There are beautiful cliffs and a lighthouse to explore on the Southern tip of the island, along with an ice bar and a pedestrian-only street with amazing shops and restaurants. For water lovers, there are many beautiful snorkeling spots, an underwater museum that you can snorkel/dive to see and during the summer, Isla Mujeres is the closest place to swim with the whale sharks.

photo by Lori Gold

Cozumel

Cozumel is the most popular island due to the large amount of cruise ships that visit each week. The island has an international airport so arriving there from the U.S. is easy, and it’s a 40-minute ferry ride from downtown Playa del Carmen for those who are already in the Riviera Maya and want to enjoy it. 

It’s the biggest of the islands and has Mayan ruins, chocolate factories, food tours and the Caribbean’s only pearl farm. For water enthusiasts, Cozumel has beautiful beach clubs, amazing snorkeling and world-class scuba diving.

photo by Lori Gold

Lori Gold is a Canadian travel advisor who has lived in Riviera Maya for more than six years. She is the founder of The Resorts of the Riviera Maya, a Facebook group that more than 16k advisors use as a resource.