Exciting Holidays Isla Contoy and Isla Mujeres Speedboat Day, $199
Quick answer
Exciting Travel Holidays runs a 9-hour speedboat day to Isla Contoy national park and Isla Mujeres for $199 per person, with hotel pickup, lunch and soft drinks.
You still pay a $20 park and marina fee in cash on the day, and the listing holds 4.6/5 from 116+ reviews on GetYourGuide.
Exciting Travel Holidays
Isla Contoy: Paradise Island & Isla Mujeres Speedboat Tour
4.6 (116) · from $199
The Exciting Holidays Isla Contoy tour is a guided speedboat day: an hour out to a protected bird island, a beach lunch, an optional walk and a late stop in Isla Mujeres town.
It is the most expensive day on the Isla Mujeres list at $199, and the price pays for the park crossing and the hotel van, not for party extras.
The detail that changes the decision is the fee and the rules.
The listing adds a $20 cash payment per person for marina and park charges, due at the pier, and bans sunscreen and insect repellent on the day. Both are normal for a protected island, and both are easy to miss. If you want a cheaper, livelier boat, start with the Isla Mujeres boat tours list or the home page.
| Operator | Exciting Travel Holidays |
|---|---|
| Boat type | Speedboat; the listing gives no capacity |
| Price | $199 per person, taxes included (about MXN 3,658 at 18.38, checked 2026-10-16), plus $20 in cash for marina and park fees |
| Duration | 9 hours |
| Timetable | Pier at 9:00, boat at 9:30, Isla Contoy from 10:30, Isla Mujeres from 15:00, back to the pier from 16:30; Thursdays run Isla Mujeres first |
| Pier | Flamingos pier; no street address in the listing, so use the hotel pickup or ask the operator; Isla Contoy on Google Maps |
| Route | Pier, Isla Contoy national park, Isla Mujeres, pier |
| Food and drinks | Grilled chicken or fish lunch, water, soft drinks and beer |
| Languages | English and Spanish daily; German, Polish, Russian, Italian and French on set days |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours before; weather cancellations are rescheduled or refunded |
| Rating | 4.6/5 from 116+ reviews on GetYourGuide |
What is the Exciting Holidays Isla Contoy tour and what do you see?
It is a guided day to a protected island of mangroves, beach and birds, plus an hour and a half in Isla Mujeres to finish.
- Boat crossing: 60 minutes by speedboat from the pier to the island, with a life jacket, water, soft drinks and beer on board.
- Isla Contoy: arrival around 10:30, an optional guided walk from 11:00, then lunch and free time from 12:00 to 14:00. Isla Contoy on Google Maps.
- Snorkelling: weather permitting and short; one passenger found it rushed. Reef condition around Isla Mujeres varies by site, per CONANP's reef monitoring report.
- Isla Mujeres: from 15:00 to 16:30 for the town, the ice-cream stalls and Playa Norte on Google Maps, a 13-minute walk (951 m, OSRM) from the Ultramar ferry terminal on Google Maps. Isla Mujeres on Google Maps.
The island is a national park managed by CONANP, the Mexican protected-areas commission. Its public page lists the park as open daily from 9:00 to 18:00, weather permitting, with marked trails reachable only with a guide.
MXN 225 per person per day is the entry fee listed for Isla Contoy National Park, with lower rates for residents and free entry for children under 12.
Where does the Exciting Holidays Isla Contoy tour leave from?
It starts at a pier the listing calls Flamingos, and the price includes a pick-up from your hotel lobby in an air-conditioned van.
- Confirm the pickup time with the operator; the listing says that a drop-off point different from the pickup is only offered if space allows.
- Be at the pier by 9:00 for the briefing; the boat leaves at 9:30.
- Carry only a small backpack that fits on your lap; larger luggage costs $20 per piece, subject to space.
The listing gives no address, no pickup radius and no van time. Ask for all three when you book.
Park boats also leave from other harbours, so a different pier than the one on a rival listing is normal (CONANP lists Puerto Juarez, Punta Sam and Isla Mujeres as departure points, about 25 km from the island).
What is the route, stop by stop?
The timetable on the listing is the most complete of any Contoy boat I track: eight timed lines from 9:00 to 16:30.
| Time | Step |
|---|---|
| 9:00 | Arrive at the pier, safety briefing |
| 9:30 | Boat leaves |
| 10:30 | Arrive at Isla Contoy |
| 11:00 | Optional guided walk |
| 12:00 | Lunch and free time on the beach |
| 14:00 | Leave for Isla Mujeres |
| 15:00 | Arrive in Isla Mujeres, free time |
| 16:30 | Leave for the pier |
On Thursdays the order flips: Isla Mujeres first and Isla Contoy later, which changes the lunch time and the light on the island. The listing also warns that timings can shift with weather and daily conditions.
How long is it and when does it sail?
It lasts 9 hours and the listing sets the boat departure at 9:30 am, with a Thursday variation.
The return time to the hotel is not stated. The boat leaves Isla Mujeres at 16:30 and the crossing back is about an hour, so I would plan for arrival in the early evening and check the van's drop-off time with the operator. Sunset on Isla Mujeres is between 6:09 pm and 7:33 pm through the year (sunrise-sunset.org), so a departure at 16:30 means you finish the sail in daylight or dusk.
- Languages: English and Spanish every day; German on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday; Polish on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; Russian on Monday and Wednesday; Italian on Monday and Wednesday; French on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
- Book early: at least 48 hours ahead, because weather and the island's limited number of visitors are checked before sailing.
What is on board and what is included?
The ticket covers the van, the boat, a guide, lunch and drinks; the park and marina fee is not part of it.
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Hotel pickup in an air-conditioned van | Included, subject to availability |
| Certified guide, life jacket, bottled water | Included |
| Lunch: grilled chicken or Tikin-xic style fish, rice, salads, chips | Included |
| Soft drinks and beer | Included |
| Marina and national park fees | Not included: $20 per person in cash on the spot |
| Tips | Not included |
| Vegetarian meal | Limited to beans, rice, fruit and salad |
| Extra luggage | $20 per piece, if space allows |
The $20 on the listing is more than the MXN 225 entry fee CONANP shows ($12.24 at today's rate), and the listing does not split the sum. The extra is presumably the marina charge, but ask the operator to confirm.
What are the rules on Isla Contoy?
The rules are tighter than on a normal beach day: no sunscreen, no insect repellent, no smoking, no touching wildlife, and a life vest for snorkelling.
- No sunscreen or repellent on the day, per the listing and CONANP; wear a long-sleeve swim top and a hat.
- Guide required on marked trails, per CONANP.
- Visitor numbers: the CONANP page I opened does not state a daily cap; the listing says only that the island allows a limited number of people, which is why it asks for 48 hours.
- Not suited to wheelchair users or visitors with significant mobility limits, per the listing.
How does the Exciting Holidays tour compare with other Contoy trips?
It is the best-reviewed Contoy day with more than 100 ratings, and mid-priced among the three Contoy speedboats I track.
| Tour | Price | Length | Rating | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exciting Travel Holidays | $199 | 9 h | 4.6 (116) | Hotel van, lunch, drinks, $20 fee extra |
| Ka'ango Tours speedboat | $151 | 8 h | 5.0 (6) | Cancun, Contoy and Isla Mujeres in one |
| ParaViajantes full day | $180 | 10 h | 3.9 (6) | Pickup from Playa del Carmen or Cancun |
Ka'ango costs $48 less but has six reviews. The Exciting Holidays day is the safer buy when review volume matters.
Is the Exciting Holidays Isla Contoy trip worth it versus a Cancun catamaran?
For a national-park island and a guide it is worth it; for a drinks-and-music day, it is not.
- $22.1 per hour - 26% above the $17.5 median, because it includes a protected-park crossing.
- Guided walk and lunch on the beach - the reason people pick it; reviewers rate the food and guides high.
- Short Isla Mujeres stop - 90 minutes; two reviewers want more time there.
- A snorkel is a bonus - not the point; for reef time take the Isla Mujeres snorkelling tours.
Choose this over a catamaran if you want birds, a quiet beach and a guide. Choose a party catamaran if you want music, a slide and an open bar.
When is the best time to go?
March and April have the fewest rain days, and September and October the most, so those are the months where a weather cancellation is likeliest.
| Month | High 2025 | Rain days | Sunrise / sunset | On the water |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 °C (mean 26) | 13.3 | 7:25 AM / 6:27 PM | Showers likely; water activities can be called off |
| Feb | 26 °C (mean 26) | 7.8 | 7:15 AM / 6:46 PM | Mostly dry; best odds of calm water |
| Mar | 27 °C (mean 27) | 5.8 | 6:54 AM / 6:57 PM | Mostly dry; best odds of calm water |
| Apr | 27 °C (mean 27) | 3.9 | 6:26 AM / 7:07 PM | Mostly dry; best odds of calm water |
| May | 28 °C (mean 28) | 10.4 | 6:07 AM / 7:19 PM | Showers likely; water activities can be called off |
| Jun | 29 °C (mean 29) | 14.6 | 6:03 AM / 7:31 PM | Showers likely; water activities can be called off |
| Jul | 29 °C (mean 29) | 9.5 | 6:12 AM / 7:33 PM | Mostly dry; best odds of calm water |
| Aug | 30 °C (mean 30) | 14.2 | 6:24 AM / 7:18 PM | Showers likely; water activities can be called off |
| Sep | 30 °C (mean 29) | 19.1 | 6:32 AM / 6:51 PM | Wettest months; forecast check and a refundable slot |
| Oct | 29 °C (mean 29) | 20.0 | 6:41 AM / 6:23 PM | Wettest months; forecast check and a refundable slot |
| Nov | 28 °C (mean 28) | 15.5 | 6:56 AM / 6:06 PM | Wettest months; forecast check and a refundable slot |
| Dec | 27 °C (mean 27) | 14.4 | 7:15 AM / 6:08 PM | Showers likely; water activities can be called off |
A cancelled crossing is rescheduled or refunded, so the downside is the lost day, not the money.
What do passengers say?
All nine reviews visible on the listing give five stars, so the sample is positive only; the patterns are the guides, the beach lunch and a wish for more island time.
- Guides and crew: praised in 7 of 9 reviews, including language-specific guides.
- Lunch: called delicious in 4 of 9.
- Isla Contoy itself: described as spectacular or unspoiled in 5 of 9.
- Time pressure: 2 of 9 want more time, one on Isla Mujeres and one for the snorkel.
The listing's review summary, based on 49 reviews, says the same: strong guides and scenery, and a wish for a longer Isla Mujeres visit.
Who should skip the Exciting Holidays tour?
Skip it if you cannot go without sunscreen, need wheelchair access or prefer a short trip; the shorter boat tours in Isla Mujeres suit those cases better.
- Visitors who need sunscreen: the ban applies on the boat and island.
- Wheelchair users and anyone with significant mobility limits: not suited, per the listing.
- Vegetarians and vegans: the menu stays at beans, rice, fruit and salad.
- Travellers with luggage: only a lap-size backpack is allowed.
How do you book the Exciting Holidays Isla Contoy tour?
Book on GetYourGuide at least 48 hours before, pick your language day and pay the $20 park fee in cash on the day.
$199 per person for the Exciting Holidays Isla Contoy day: hotel van, guide, lunch and drinks, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
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FAQ
Is the Isla Mujeres tour worth it?
Yes if you want Isla Contoy: $199 buys a guided national-park day, a beach lunch and a stop in Isla Mujeres at $22.1 per hour.
What are the best excursions to take in Isla Mujeres?
For nature, a speedboat to Isla Contoy; for reefs, a snorkel at Manchones and the Underwater Museum; for a party, a catamaran with an open bar.
What should you be careful of in Isla Mujeres?
Sun and rules: UV was forecast at 6.8 and 7.35 for 18 and 19 October, and Isla Contoy bans sunscreen, so wear covering clothes.
How much does the Exciting Holidays Isla Contoy tour cost?
$199 per person, about MXN 3,658 at 18.38 pesos per dollar, plus $20 in cash for marina and national park fees.
What time does it leave?
The boat leaves the pier at 9:30 after a 9:00 briefing; on Thursdays the order is Isla Mujeres first and Isla Contoy later.
Is sunscreen allowed on Isla Contoy?
No; the listing and CONANP both say not to use it, so wear a long swim top and bring a hat.
Is there a daily visitor limit on Isla Contoy?
The CONANP page I checked does not state one; the listing says only that a limited number of people may be on the island, which is why it asks for 48 hours.
Which languages are offered?
English and Spanish daily, with German, Polish, Russian, Italian and French on set weekdays listed in the description.
Can vegetarians eat the lunch?
Only a limited meal of beans, rice, fruit and salad; the main dishes are chicken or fish.
What happens in bad weather?
If the trip is cancelled entirely, you can pick another date or take a full refund.
Sources: GetYourGuide listing (price, timetable, includes, rating, checked 2026-10-17); CONANP, Isla Contoy national park (fee, hours, rules); Open-Meteo climate, marine and forecast APIs; sunrise-sunset.org; Frankfurter exchange rates.
