Costa Mujeres, Cancun - all you need to know

Costa Mujeres is a modern resort area on the mainland north of Cancún, directly opposite the island of Isla Mujeres.

You won’t find a town, a promenade or a traditional tourist centre here. The coastline consists mainly of large all-inclusive resorts, a golf course, marinas and undeveloped areas of mangrove forest.

Administratively, Costa Mujeres is no longer part of Cancún, but lies within the mainland section of the municipality of Isla Mujeres.

However, hotels and booking websites commonly list it under the destination ‘Cancún’.

View the best resorts in Costa Mujeres

How did we get on here?

In our opinion, Costa Mujeres is the best choice in the Cancún area for a classic resort holiday, but one of the worst bases from which to explore Cancún itself.

Choose this destination if you want to spend most of your time in a high-quality hotel, by the pool and on a quieter beach, or if you’ll be hiring a car.

The resorts here are generally newer, more spacious and quieter than the hotels in the Zona Hotelera.

It doesn’t make much sense to go to Costa Mujeres on a day trip without a hotel booking.

Access to the beaches is complicated and there is practically nothing outside the resorts. For a typical day on a public beach, Isla Blanca is a better option; we describe this in a separate section.

Costa Mujeres or Playa Mujeres?

Both names are used quite interchangeably, and individual hotels often confuse them.

The term ‘Playa Mujeres’ usually refers to the southern part of the area around the golf course, where the Atelier, Excellence, Finest and Dreams resorts are located.

The name Costa Mujeres is more commonly used by the resorts further north, such as Grand Palladium, Majestic, Catalonia, Planet Hollywood and Riu.

For the average visitor, it is effectively a single, continuous resort area.

Costa Mujeres vs. Zona Hotelera

	Costa Mujeres	Hotel Zone
Accommodation type	large all-inclusive resorts	resorts, standard hotels and apartments
Beaches	quieter and less crowded	Wider choice, with strong waves in places
Restaurants outside the hotel	almost none	wide choice
Nightlife	only within the resorts	clubs and bars in Punta Cancún
Public transport	Very limited	Frequent R1 and R2 buses
Trips in the surrounding area	Longer journeys	easier transport
Atmosphere	quiet and secluded	busier and more touristy
Best for	relaxing at the resort	a first visit and exploring Cancún

Beaches and swimming

The beaches at Costa Mujeres have fine white sand and generally calmer waters than the open coast in the southern part of the Hotel Zone.

Its location opposite Isla Mujeres provides some protection from the waves.

However, individual sections vary. In the southern part around Playa Mujeres, the sea is generally calmer, whilst the resorts further north towards Isla Blanca are more exposed to the open Caribbean.

All Mexican beaches are public by law. A practical problem with Costa Mujeres is access from the mainland.

There are virtually no signposted public access points, car parks or continuous coastal paths between the large, enclosed resorts. You will not usually be allowed through the hotel grounds without a booking.

Seaweed and sargassum

Thanks to its location opposite Isla Mujeres, Costa Mujeres tends to have fewer problems with sargassum than Tulum, Playa del Carmen or the open southern part of the Hotel Zone. However, it is by no means an area where seaweed does not occur.

The highest risk is usually from around April to October.

In years with a strong sargassum season, this coastline can also be affected. Large resorts clean their sections of beach regularly and often use containment barriers, but the results vary from hotel to hotel and can change within a single day.

Where to stay

In Costa Mujeres, choosing a specific hotel is more important than the exact part of the coast. You’re unlikely to venture outside the resort, and you’ll be using the services, restaurants and evening entertainment directly at the hotel.

Unless meals are automatically included, we would usually opt for an all-inclusive package. The savings from a room without meals can quickly be eaten up by expensive hotel restaurants and taxis to Cancún.

Catalonia Grand Costa Mujeres

We stayed at the Catalonia Grand Costa Mujeres All Suites & Spa.

We arrived here after a stay at the considerably more luxurious Impression Isla Mujeres, so the difference in quality was, understandably, significant.

The Catalonia itself, however, wasn’t a problem, and as a classic large all-inclusive resort, it performed well.

The hotel has spacious suites, several restaurants, two main swimming pools, and both a family area and a quieter section. We’d mainly choose it if it were noticeably cheaper than the more luxurious alternatives in the area.

It is situated in a very quiet area, about 35 minutes’ drive from the centre of Cancún.

Majestic Elegance Costa Mujeres

Majestic Elegance Costa Mujeres is ideal for travellers who are looking for a higher standard than a typical mass-market all-inclusive resort, but still want a large resort with plenty of restaurants and activities.

The hotel welcomes families with children, whilst also offering a separate ‘Elegance Club’ area for adults only. It is therefore a good all-round choice for both couples and families.

Atelier Playa Mujeres

For couples looking for a more luxurious and peaceful stay, we would recommend Atelier Playa Mujeres.

The resort caters exclusively to adult guests and, unlike most large all-inclusive hotels, places greater emphasis on design, cuisine and service. It is situated in the southern part of Playa Mujeres, so it is also slightly better located for trips to Cancún.

Compare all resorts on Costa Mujeres

How many nights to stay

Costa Mujeres is ideal as a relaxing stopover on a longer trip around Mexico.

Two nights are enough for a short break after a sightseeing tour.
3 to 4 nights are ideal when combined with Isla Mujeres, Valladolid or other parts of Yucatán.
Five to seven nights make sense if an all-inclusive resort is to be the main focus of the entire holiday.

How to get from the airport

Cancún International Airport is approximately 28 to 37 km away, depending on the specific resort. The journey usually takes 35 to 60 minutes, or longer in heavy traffic.

There is no direct public transport from the airport to Costa Mujeres.

The most convenient option is a pre-booked private transfer. When booking, select your exact hotel and check that the selected fare zone actually includes Costa Mujeres.

We describe other options in the section on transport from Cancún Airport.

Transport to Cancún

The easiest options are Uber, DiDi or a taxi. Depending on the location of your hotel and traffic conditions, allow for a journey time of approximately 30 to 50 minutes.

Check with your hotel in advance about the official taxi fare. Resort taxis tend to be significantly more expensive than a ride booked via an app, although the availability of Uber or DiDi may be limited at more remote resorts.

It’s practically impossible to walk between individual hotels. The distances are long, the grounds are usually fenced off, and there are often no pavements along the main road.

Public transport

Public transport is mainly used by hotel staff and isn’t very user-friendly for tourists.

From Zona Hotelera, you can take the R1 bus to El Crucero and then change to a colectivo (minibus or microbus) marked ‘Punta Sam’ or ‘Costa Mujeres’. Always tell the driver the name of your specific hotel before boarding.

However, all minibuses terminate roughly halfway along Costa Mujeres at this roundabout, and there is no public transport further north.

Not all minibuses pass by every resort, and the entrance to your hotel may still be quite a distance from the main road. We do not recommend using this transport if you have suitcases.

Ferry to Isla Mujeres

The UltraCarga ferry, which is primarily intended for transporting cars, departs from the port of Punta Sam for Isla Mujeres.

Pedestrian passengers can also use it, but the crossing is slower and services are significantly less frequent than from Puerto Juárez.

If you are not travelling with a car, it is usually more practical to take a taxi to Puerto Juárez and use one of the frequent passenger ferries. An alternative is an organised catamaran trip with pick-up directly from your hotel.

Practical information

Outside the resorts, there are almost no shops, restaurants or evening entertainment.
Before you arrive, check exactly what is included in the all-inclusive rate.
ATM withdrawals and currency exchange at hotels often come with unfavourable terms.
There is sometimes an additional charge for excursions and transfers from Costa Mujeres.
If you’re leaving early in the morning, book your transport the day before.
Without a car or a taxi, you’ll find it practically impossible to get between the individual resorts.
If you’re heading to a public beach, go to Playa Blanca rather than the enclosed hotel complexes.