Description:
This long, narrow island lies off the coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, 12.8 kms (eight miles) northeast of Cancún. The island is close to many coral reefs.
Cruisers Highlights:
Good diving and cheap grocery shopping. Cancun underwater museum, created by English sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor is nearby; Cruisers Net VHF. Ch: 13 (hailing channel for cruisers); Isla Mujeres Cruisers Facebook Group.
Entrance Notes and Cautions:
- This port can be closed if a hurricane is imminent due to the heavy seas over the shoals. However, arriving boats are permitted to enter.
- Call Isla Mujeres Port Captain on VHF Ch. 16 just outside the red buoys at the entrance to the harbor/anchorage and ask for permission to enter (if you just call ‘Port Captain’ the Cancun Port Captain often replies so you need to be specific).
- If you arrive after hours on a Friday and wish to anchor, you won’t be able to clear in until Monday morning. If you go directly to a marina, you can clear in at once.
Position:
21° 14.23’N, 86° 44.63’W (port entrance)
Last updated: January 2023
Next Section: Profile: Clearance
Related to following destinations: East Coast (Mexico), Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Port Navigation
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The following 8s not correct;
“daily cruisers’ net VHF Ch. 67 Mon-Sat 0800hrs Eastern Standard Time.”
There is a cruisers net, but it is currently not daily, and held on VHF Ch.13 which is also the hailing channel for cruisers in Isla.
There is also a good Facebook group with loads a info:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1580270735543853/?ref=share
Be aware that INM Isla Mujeres now requests that boats entering or exiting at the island require that an Excel file be completed prior to visiting their office. Send and email with the boat name to [email protected] to request the file, fill it out and return it to make the process faster.
Posted on behalf of Phil Magistro:
Here’s my take, having come down the coast and talked with agents in Isla Mujeres, Puerto Morelos, and Puerto Adventuras, chatted with other cruisers and read as many blogs and websites as I could find. It is simple, relatively cheap, and very easy to clear in or out of Mexico at a marina in Isla Mujeres. Our total cost for clearing at El Milagro Marina was $170, plus $60 for the TIP. In Puerto Morelos and Puerto Adventuras, we were told that the agents would have to come from Cozumel.
We haven’t stopped in Cozumel, so I can’t say firsthand. I’m told that Xcalac has a Port Capitan but no immigration officer. Furthermore, from discussion with marina staff, it sounds like we may sail south and anchor as we wish AFTER clearing out of Mexico in Puerto Adventuras, as long as we don’t intend to stop in any marinas. To clear out in Puerto Adventuras is reportedly “expensive” due to the cost of officials coming from Cozumel, but I haven’t gotten a number on what “expensive” means. We are looking into sharing the cost with other southbound cruisers on the same timetable.
For southbound cruisers heading from Isla Mujeres to Belize, thereby, the best bet I think is to clear in and out of Mexico in a marina in Isla Mujeres and head south without going to a marina, or clear in, in Isla then clear out in Cozumel before heading south if you intend to stop at marinas along the coast.
Sincerely,
Phil Magistro
Reported by SV Scraatch
Scraatch, 56ft Sundeer, with two on board arrived at Isla Mujeres ( off Cancun ) from Belize for the slowest and most paper-intensive check in met anywhere worldwide in 12 years cruising.
The Port captains office and Immigration office are close together opposite the main ferry terminal. Both speak some English but we found the port captains office totally unhelpful and monosyllabic while immigration was cheerful and helpful. There is a small dinghy dock across from Port captain, 1st one south of ferry dock.
The procedure is as follows:- prices in Peso, Mx, at about 20 to US dollar. At every stage, all your photocopies will be stamped by each department.
1. Take to Port captain IN DATE originals and 5 photocopies of Zarpe, Crew list, Ships registration and each passport. (Photocopy shop 2 blocks along and 1 back )
2. Be sent to the hospital to find, or better ask for attendance at the office of, ‘international Sanitorio’ for crew medical clearance. Mx150 for taxi or Mx50 tip for attendance.
3. Go to immigration office – go to the bank to pay Mx585 per person – return to immigration. Collect and keep receipts. 6-month visa given.
4. Return to port captains office for agricultural clearance, an official in attendance mornings.
5. Ask for customs attendance, probably from Cancun by ferry, wait. Visiting clearance for up to 10 days. Longer is a different procedure for temporary import that has to be done in Cancun.
6. Start Port captain clearance – go to a bank to pay Mx980, keep receipts – return and wait. Eventually, after Port captains signature you are done.
Total 4 hours 1st day and 6 hours 2nd day and about $120 total.
Just as well that we cruisers have time on hand…
Check out is simpler with only 2 sets of photocopies for immigration and Port captain.
Note, items mentioned or on papers but not physically checked …..
Agriculture .. full fumigation needed if arriving from the south… next time.
Health… No discharge of grey or black water in Mexican waters.
Other… $50 fishing permit needed for any fishing in Mexican waters. From Cancun?
Customs …. can only clear for 10 days…
Customs …. in theory, you need a photo of ships VIN number, not the registration. Older boats may not have one……
Temporary Import for more than 10 days is a different department and process.
Brian Simm
Another report
On the same day, a new American arrival reported that his anchor rope, no chain, was cut in the night and 30ft boat ended up on the beach. No confirmation of cut or breakage of rope. $400 to be towed off the beach, no other harm done.
Reported by SY Sea Bear:
We sailed from Cuba to Islas Mujeres, Mexico arriving on Monday, May 29th with no pre-arrival registration. We went to a lovely tiny marina, El Milagro, where all boats have a dock space, free water, and cheap electricity for $1/ft. The atmosphere is great here, very relaxed and welcoming.
If you stay here, the agent fee is only $50USD (instead of $75).
It was very easy, and straight forward. All the required officials came to the marina, and no one needed to come aboard – the inspection was done from the end of the dock. We were checked in and had all of our paperwork back within 24 hours.
Our friends who sailed with us decided to do it themselves. While they saved the $50, it took them 5 days and numerous visits to various offices to accomplish the same thing. For us, this was $50 well spent.
Posted on behalf of Ken Simon:
I followed the link for “Boating in Mexico” on noonsite, which has very detailed instructions for getting an entry permit online. I followed all of these instructions: made the payment online, and sent my documents with my receipt to the listed email address for the customs authorities in Cancun, which is the nearest customs office for where I want to go, Isla Mujeres. I sent my email in both Spanish and English, twice in the last week. It came back with an automatic message, in Spanish, which said the mailbox is full.
I then emailed the manager, Brad Wareing, of the marina where I will be staying on Isla Mujeres, Marina Paraiso. He said he had never heard of this online procedure, although his marina is one of three places on Isla Mujeres for officially clearing into customs. I then emailed the Mexican consulate nearest me in Michigan; no reply.
I think others should be warned that there is a problem with this online procedure, at least for Cancun. I very much doubt now whether the customs people on Isla Mujeres will honour my receipt for 996 pesos when I arrive there.