Isla Contoy Eco Adventure

Badge of Excellence

Cancun, Mexico

Great choice

10+ bookings last month.

8 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Reef Snorkeling in National Park from Cancun with Beachside Lunch

Cancun, Riviera Maya & the Yucatan

4.7

(2,021)

Reef Snorkeling in National Park from Cancun with Beachside Lunch

from $44

Cancun, Riviera Maya & the Yucatan

Isla Mujeres Catamaran Snorkeling and Open Bar Adventure

from $20

Puerto Morelos Snorkel, Town Walk, Tequila Tasting & Beach Lunch

Cancun, Riviera Maya & the Yucatan

3.5

(10)

Puerto Morelos Snorkel, Town Walk, Tequila Tasting & Beach Lunch

from $39

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Visit the island of Contoy on a sailing and snorkeling tour from the mainland. Sail along the Mexican Caribbean to reach the ecological reserve and discover its stunning flora and fauna. Strap on your provided snorkel gear to explore the Ixlache reef, refuel with an included lunch and open bar on the island, and enjoy free time to shop in downtown Isla Mujeres.

Take a sailing and snorkel tour to Contoy Island
Discover the island’s beautiful flora and fauna
Enjoy a delicious lunch and open bar at a local spot
Hotel pickup and drop-off included from Cancun and Playa del Carmen

What's Included

Roundtrip transportation from most hotels in Cancun and Playa del Carmen choosing the correct option
Light breakfast and sterilized snorkeling gear
One-hour visit to Isla Mujeres Downtown and walking to Playa Norte beach (optional)
Stop at Ixlache Reef for a 30-minute snorkeling (activity for adults depending on the weather)
Two and a half hours at Contoy island including a tour with a Certified Guide
Buffet lunch (vegetarian options available)
Open bar (water, soft drinks, beer and cocktails)

All Fees and Taxes

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

We will confirm your exact pickup time and location on the day before the activity.

Meeting point

Contoy Adventures
Carretera Punta Sam, Supermanzana 86 Manzana 9 Lote 1-Km. 4.1, 77400 Cancún, Q.R., Mexico
Departure Point: Our own private marina is conveniently located in Punta Sam right next to the Isla Mujeres ferry terminal and the Villa del Palmar hotel Return point: Tour ends when our vans take you back to your hotel.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Contoy Adventures

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Dress code is casual and please do not forget your swimsuit!
The tour is operated by a multi-lingual guide and crew.
Stroller accessible

Isla Contoy is a protected area with certain restrictions aimed at the conservation of the environment.
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
No service animals allowed in Contoy Island.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Dora_R

Highly recommend the tour. I was a little worried when booking given some reviews but I had the best experience. We were picked up and returned to our hotel in professional and punctual manner. The tour was AMAZING! Isla Muerejes was a great 1:20h stop where you can go to the North beach and swim in crystal clear water. Next you will go towards Isla Contoy (1:30h away), halfway there you stop at the reef for snorkeling. Snorkeling was beautiful, guides were excellent and felt very safe at all times! Isla Contoy is amazing and a must sea, I’ve been to many ‘paradise’ places but this color I’ve never seen. It’s so preserved and beautiful. We had about 2:30h here with a nice lunch. Ride back was also excellent the crew is so FUN! They’re making drinks, in a good mood, dancing and singing with the passengers. Loved them!

Reviews

4.4

based on 202 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Contoy is nice, but…

Enrique_E, Apr 2025

The snorkeling is very short and not relaxing as you need to keep moving the whole time with the tour guide. You cannot venture or swim on your own. Rules are very strict and any deviation can land you in “boat jail”. Not to mention that every single tourist and tour company in Cancun are at the same spot… there must have been hundreds of people snorkeling. It is so bad that the tour guide lost my girlfriend in the big shuffle. I had to point it out to them so that they would not leave her behind. I found this unacceptable from a safety standpoint. Isla Mujeres is a giant gift shop… a complete waste of time from a cultural standpoint. You will hear more English and see more tourists here than anywhere else. Contoy Island is the main attraction and what a disappointment it was. We only got to spend 2 hours on the island and they have extremely strict rules. For starters, the area of the island you are allowed to walk on is very limited. You can only walk around with your tour guide and the walking tour is less than 15 minutes by foot. Yes, the island is very beautiful, but it felt to me like I was in a beautiful cage as I was not allowed to do much except stay in the little beach area by the boat dock. I did bring my camera gear to photograph exotic bird species as the tour advertises 700+ bird species on the island. We counted 4. For the price you pay, and the time you spend going to and back from Contoy island this tour is absolutely not worth it. All tour guides were very nice, friendly and really funny. They kept the energy very positive throughout the tour and really put a lot of effort to make sure everyone was either very well hydrated or drunk or both. A note about the speakers on the boat, they are awful and loud… high notes pierced my ears as if they were being stabbed. Thank God I had an extra pair of ear plugs to put on. The playlist was good and fun… I am just referring to the loudness of the speakers… they were extremely loud to the point of not being able to have a conversation with the person next to you.

We had a wonderful...

DianaRosaria_M, Apr 2025

We had a wonderful experience. Our guide was great!The island is gorgeous. I really recommend this trip

Not good if you are 60 or more and you want make snorkeling

PASCAL_P, Feb 2025

We have chose this tour to make snorkeling When you chose this activity it's not indicate that it's not possible to make snorkeling if you are more than 60 years old and it's not indicate in the condition when you pay Only when you are on the boat the guide inform you but it's to late.. It must be writen in the conditions before to pay Don't chose this activity if you are more than 60 and you want to make snorkeling

Response from Host, Feb 2025

Dear Visitor, We are so sorry for your inconvenience, but we would like to know where you booked our tour. All of our web pages inform about the snorkeling age; in fact, you can snorkel by signing the responsive. We are sorry that you did not ask for this. Don't hesitate to get in touch with us directly, and we will let you know about our retribution for your bad experience. Thank you. Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Excellent Contoy

WILFRID_D, Aug 2024

Nice boat and Contoy island is great for its beach and wild fauna in the area. Team was professional

Just Okay

William_B, Jun 2024

Music on boat too loud and annoying. Weird beverage served on boat- tasted like warm, fake Tang? No one warned us about age 60 age limit for snorkeling until we were at sea. That’s ridiculous as I am a much better swimmer than many of those I observed snorkeling. Crew was fun. Boat ran well. I experienced it, just a marginal recommend from me as Mujeres is just a souvenir stop. I would not tell my friends to take this trip- too much loud boat ride for too little result.

Awesome Day

Karen_R, Apr 2024

Great day! We enjoyed our full day of Snorkeling, Isla Mujeres and Isla Contoy. Boat was great. Not over crowded at all. Crew was fabulous. While a long day from pick up to drop off, it was well worth it (we were in Playa Del Carmen).

Response from Host, Apr 2024

Dear Visitor, Thank you so much for your review, we are happy that our tour exceeded your expectations! We hope to see you soon again in another adventure with us. Best regards Contoy Adventures

Brilliant trip and excellent crew!

Polina_Z, Dec 2023

Brilliant trip to Isla Cantoy, stopping off for snorkelling and Isla Mujeres. As we travelled in the winter it was quite rough seas but the crew made us all feel really comfortable! They looked after us, serving drinks, playing good music and even dancing with us at the end! We loved our experience!

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Dear Visitor, Thank you for your kind review, we are always working on exceeding our customer's expectations. Please, contact us again if you come back, to take you on another experience. Best regards Contoy Adventures

We felt that we didn’t...

CATHERINE_H, Dec 2023

We felt that we didn’t get much value for what we paid. It’s a long boat ride from Isla mujeres to Isla contoy, 1 1/2 hours. The snorkelling wasn’t that great. We couldn’t snorkel from the island for some reason and had to stop for a short snorkeling on our way out but not a lot to see. Once at the island, the meal was good but very small dessert and no coffee or tea served. The nature hike was less than 30 minutes. We thought there would be more information about the flora and fauna. We only saw two species of birds, some iguanas and some hermit crabs. The beach however, was very nice. Another 1 1/2 hours back to the port. Lots of booze served on board if that’s your thing.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Dear Visitor, Thank you for your comments, we are always willing to hear our customers recommendations, to get better day by day. The ride from Isla Mujeres to the Ixlache Reef, which is the snorkeling stop before arriving to Contoy, is 45 minutes, and from there to Contoy 15 more minutes, maybe you felt it was more because of this snorkeling stop. Contoy is a nature's paradise, but unfortunately sometimes you can see 2 or 3 species, or sometimes you can see tens of different species, mother nature is a factor we can't control. Alcohol on board is for whoever wants to drink, we don't think that this is something worth mentioning, of you like to drink or not, it is your choice, we serve for whoever wants. Thank you again for your comments, and we hope to see you soon, in another adventure with us! Best regards Contoy Adventures

Staffing are attentive...

Nipaporn_R, Sep 2023

Staffing are attentive and friendly. But, we did not get to see many birds or wildlife as expecting.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Dear Visitor, Mother Nature is unpredictable, we have been going to Contoy Island for over 8 years, and some days we can find hundreds of birds, and the next one very few, but this is the beauty of this kind of tours, you were one of the lucky 150 people that are allowed in this ecological reserve and natural park each day to enjoy not only it's fauna, but also it's beautiful landscapes and incredible beach! We hope that you have the chance of coming back soon to take you once again in this unique and exclusive adventure! Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Experience to die for.

Justin_A, Apr 2023

The dwhole trip was amazing. The boat ride was a little rocky but nothing you can do about it either. The captain mini missed the rocking excellent. Food and drink both ways all you can drink alcohol. The snorkeling was amazing but the two hour on the private island was breath taking. Sea life everywhere, and I mean huge starfish. No crowds. Social media posters dream location. Lunch on a private beach was also a nice treat. Would highly recommend this trip. Just realize it is a whole day excursion. Try to arrange you own transportation. We were in a van for 2 hours each way because we had to stop at so many hotels. Otherwise an amazing trip

Great tour-clear blue water sea and fun guides!

Dora_R, Mar 2023

Staff were friendly,...

Brian_M, Feb 2023

Staff were friendly, helpful and entertaining. We were impressed by the whole operation. We would highly recommend

Isle Contoy is special

Jeff_c, Jan 2023

Isle Contoy was beautiful. Boat Captain, crew and lunch were great as well. Only 1 hour on Isle Mujeres is not enough time to do much and would have appreciated the suggestion to immediately rent a golf cart and drive around for the hour which we didn't do but in hindsight should have. Highly recommend.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Dear Visitor, Thank you very much for taking the time of writing your review, the Isla Mujeres visit is just a 1 hour stop, the main event on this tour is Contoy, next time we can take you on our Isla Mujeres all-inclusive tour so you can explore the whole island! Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Not a good way to explore Contoy Island

Vadim_B, Jan 2023

The crew made this trip enjoyable, but the trip itself was not worth it. Snorkeling is a bad joke, Contoy Island turns out to be out of reach apart from the small area near landing. There is an extra $15US per person "port fee".

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Hello and thank you for your kind words about the crew, about the snorkeling, we go to Ixlache reef and we are subject to Mother Nature's will, sometimes we found thousands of fish and sometimes we don´t, Contoy Island is a national park and ecological reserve, that is why you are not allowed into the whole island, it is meant to be an ecological friendly tour and we respect that, the $15 USD per person, yes it is the dock fee that all boat tours have to pay. Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Avoid Viator

Paolo_B, Dec 2022

We were unable to make the tour as planned due to the misleading information provided by Viator, which then refused to refund us. The information provided is misleading in that Viator advertise that the tour lasts approximately 8 hours and it starts at 8:30am. The day before the tour, when the guy who was supposed to pick us up contacted us (and when it was already impossible to get a refund based on viator policy), we found out that the tour did not start until 9:45am. He told us that we would not be back at the deck before 6pm and that they would leave us at the hotel at 7:30pm. We had other commitments and this was too late for us. We asked to be refunded and Viator denied our request. This is very unprofessional, given that it was the misleading information provided by Viator that caused a damage to us. We chose Viator's tour precisely for the timing, as the GetYourGuide tour says "approximately 9hours". I recommend everybody to avoid Viator.

Response from Host, Feb 2023

Hello Paolo, Sorry to hear about your experience, but rating our tour with 1 star without even taking it is totally out of place. We also think that booking a whole day tour, the day you are leaving as you explained to us, (you had to be at the airport at 6 pm that day) is rather irresponsible, you should have joined us a day before. We are sorry about your situation with Viator but we all have our policies, we hope that, whenever you come back, you join us in the tour so you can rate it with knowledge o what it is all about. Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Unforgettable experience

Karine_G, Sep 2022

This was the most amazing day trip!! The whole day felt surreal and is an experience that we will never forget! The guides and all the people on the boat were amazing and so knowledgeable and made the whole experience brilliant! We first went to Isla Mujeres where we could walk around and look in the shops, we only spent an hour here but I think that's plenty of time. We had a meeting point inside a jewellery store where they gave us free tequila shots (we had to stop ourselves, cause they kept trying to give us more and more) and the island was very pretty. We then got taken out into the reef for snorkelling which was brilliant! Our guide provided the best information and made sure we had a great experience. He kept us safe and it was such an amazing snorkelling experience. They provided life jackets, flippers and snorkel gear for everyone. Our final stop was Isla Contoy which was breathtaking!! The pictures we took don't look real and it was an actual paradise. We had the most amazing time on the beach and in the crystal blue waters. We had an added bonus of one of the guides giving us a walking tour of the island which was absolutely beautiful. The food was great and the drinks (alcoholic) didn't stop flowing on the boat. The staff and guides made it the best experience and were partying with us on the boat ride back to the port. Worth every penny and more and we would 100% recommend this trip.

Response from Host, Sep 2022

First of all, let me thank you for taking the time on writing this very detailed review, in Contoy Adventures we are constantly working on giving the best service to all of our customers. Isla Contoy is truly a nature's paradise and we are so glad that you enjoyed your visit, we hope to see you soon on this or any other adventure with us! Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Isla Contoy

Veronica_S, Jul 2022

Very attentive crew. Enthusiastic and informative trip. The lunch was good and plentiful. Isla Contoy is beautiful. Do wear bug repellent for an enjoyable visit on the island. I was so happy I booked this excursion.

Good day-trip for drinking and shopping. Nature not so much.

Daniel_B, Feb 2022

The on board service with free drinks was good. Staff very friendly in general. The experience could have been better: unnecessary shopping stop in Isla Mujeres (1h is not enough to see anything other than their partner shopping site). Also, despite very good weather conditions we were not able to do the snorkeling experience - very disappointing! The island is very beautiful and nice! Yet, the accessible area is very small (must be the reason for the 100 pax limit).

Response from Host, Apr 2022

Dear Daniel, First of all let me thank you for taking the time for writing your review, we appreciate each and every opinion always to get better, we will pass your kind words to our crew. It is very important to mention 2 things, the first one is that the stop in Isla Mujeres is a mandatory stop, Contoy Island belongs to the municipality of Isla Mujeres, Contoy is a virgin island, therefore this stop represents a chance for the locals to sell their Contoy souvenirs and memories. The second thing is that you mentioned that there was no snorkeling despite good weather conditions, we understand your confussion, the issue here is not wether it's a sunny, cloudy or rainy day, the main factor is the wind, you can have a beautiful day but, the wind makes it unsafe to snorkel, the activity is canceled by the Port authorities, not us, sorry that this eas one of those days. We hope that you have a chance to return and we will be happy to take you in better wind conditions so you can enjoy the complete experience, once again thank you very much for your review. Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Amazing day

Igor_J, Dec 2021

Really good adventure for a day . Isla Contoy is amazing. Lots of wildlife. Beach with only few people around. Highly recommended 👌

Isla Contoy - a must see

Deanna_R, Oct 2021

Moses was a wonderful guide! There were four languages spoken on this trip and Moses and crew did a fabulous job of keeping everyone engaged. All parts were beautiful but our favorite was the tour on Isla Contoy. The frigate birds were glorious and such a treat to observe in their natural habitat. Moses was so knowledgeable about the history and biodiversity of the island. It was a magical experience. Easily the best part of our cancun vacation. If bird watching isn't your thing, the opportunity to spend time on an island that is not inhabited by humans is a really rare occurrence. Beautiful white sands, the varied blues of the ocean, very little human impact....a truly unique experience. 100% recommend and if we are able to return, we will.

Would not recommend

Katharine_V, Dec 2020

The staff were all wonderful. However, there was only one snorkeling component (not two like advertised), the water conditions were terrible (sandy, choppy, very crowded), and Contoy Island is mostly off limits save for a short trail and a small beach. You cannot explore much of the island and the museum leaves a lot to be desired. None of this is the staff’s fault, but I’d suggest management be more up front with communication to customers about the state of things like the snorkeling spots’ exposure to bad weather and restrictions on Contoy Island.

Response from Host, Jan 2021

Dear Visitor, First of all let us thank you for your review, in Contoy Adventures we take into consideration all comments always to get better! This been said, weather is unpredictable and totally put of our control, the wind conditions change by the minute and the snorkeling depends on this, we could not go to the other snorkeling spot for your own safety, which is our biggest concern. The agencies that sell our tour in all the different hotels are constantly been briefed on all of our tours, in fact all of the salesman have been in our tour so they know all the limitations, consider that this is a tour to a Virgin Island and Natural protected area, it is impossible that all areas are open to the public. Perhaps our Isla Mujeres tour could have been more suitable for you, Isla Mujeres is vibrant and a big island where we visit different spots, we hope you go with us in another adventures perhaps to Isla Mujeres on your next visit to Cancun! Best regards Roberto del Castillo Contoy Adventures

Amazing Experience

Nathan_T, Sep 2020

The Crew was absolutely amazing and they attended to all our needs. The knowledge about the Island was very interesting and Isla Contoy itself was so beautiful.

This trip is a must!

Aleksander_K, Nov 2018

Fantastic atmosphere. Professional and entertaining staff. Trip well organised. Delicious lunch and amazing snorkeling experience.

Better to stay on the beach than see the lagoon

Maria_D, Dec 2025

I think all the tours are similar, so look for a low price and a big boat in case there is waves / the lagoon did not like and there were many mosquitoes, better to stay on the beach of island contoy, the food very well. Free time island women 1 hour and total time island contoy 3 hours. Snorkeling was not good, there was bad weather and we were stopped near the island but not on the reef

Auto-translated