Excellence Playa Mujeres gives a couples session three settings in one walk: a calm, pale beach facing Isla Mujeres, the resort's long shaded walkways, and, if you book one, a rooftop terrace suite where we can shoot in total privacy at golden hour. For most of the year the sun rises from behind Isla Mujeres. Sessions start at 245 USD.
Excellence Playa Mujeres is one of the resorts that put this quiet corner north of Cancún on the map: adults-only, all-inclusive, with a wide beach and a golf course instead of a busy road. For a couples session that means space and calm. It also offers something most resorts do not: suites with their own rooftop terraces, which turn into a private set above the palms. Here is how we plan a session there, spot by spot and hour by hour.
The Session at a Glance
- ResortAdults-only, all-inclusive, by the Excellence Collection
- BeachWide, calm and pale, facing east toward Isla Mujeres
- Private setRooftop terrace suites, including two-storey categories
- Around itGreg Norman golf course and an inland marina
- Best hoursSunrise most of the year, and the hour before sunset
- Our sessionsFrom 245 USD, gallery in 1 to 3 business days
If you only read one line: book the hour before sunset, start on your terrace if you have one, and finish at the water's edge as the sea turns blue.
The Rooftop Terrace: a Private Set
Excellence Playa Mujeres sells suites with their own rooftop terraces, including two-storey categories where the terrace sits above the bedroom. If you have booked one, it is the most private place on the property to be photographed, and the one we use first. Nobody walks through the frame, there is a view over the palms toward the sea, and the warm light of the last hour falls across the terrace from behind the resort.
On the terrace we work slowly: coffee or a glass of wine, the two of you on the daybed or at the railing, the soaking tub if it has one, then a few wider frames with the coastline behind. Fifteen minutes here relaxes most couples more than any amount of posing advice, and the photos have an intimacy the beach cannot give. Robes and bare feet are fine; this part of the session is meant to look like your holiday, not a production.
If your suite does not have a terrace, a sea-view balcony works on a smaller scale, and we can shoot the same quiet moments in the room by the window.
The Beach and the Walkways
From the suite we walk down to the beach, which is why we usually book this session for the late afternoon. The sand here is wide and pale and the water is calm and shallow enough to step into, with the low line of Isla Mujeres across the channel. Because the beach faces east, there is no sun in your eyes at the end of the day: the shoreline falls into soft, even light and the sea goes from turquoise to deep blue as we work.
Between the two, the resort's shaded walkways and colonnades give clean architectural frames, and they are our fallback if the sun is still strong. On the land side, the golf course designed by Greg Norman and the inland marina offer green and nautical backgrounds; both are working areas, so we use them only with the resort's agreement and outside of play or boat traffic.
Sunrise and Sunset by Month
Times for this beach on the 15th of each month in 2027. Quintana Roo keeps the same clock all year.
| Month | Sunrise | Golden | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:27 am | 5:54 pm | 6:26 pm |
| March | 6:56 am | 6:27 pm | 6:57 pm |
| May | 6:09 am | 6:47 pm | 7:18 pm |
| June | 6:05 am | 6:58 pm | 7:30 pm |
| July | 6:14 am | 7:01 pm | 7:32 pm |
| September | 6:34 am | 6:21 pm | 6:50 pm |
| November | 6:58 am | 5:34 pm | 6:06 pm |
| December | 7:17 am | 5:35 pm | 6:08 pm |
From this end of Playa Mujeres, Isla Mujeres stretches across the eastern horizon, and for most of the year, roughly August through April, the sun comes up from behind the island. Around the summer months it rises over open water just to the north of it. Either way, a 6:30 am session gives you an empty beach and a glowing horizon, and it is the best choice for couples who hate the heat. For the evening, start about 50 minutes before sunset so that the rooftop and the beach both get good light.
Access for a Staying Guest
If you are staying at Excellence Playa Mujeres, our photographer comes in as your invited guest: you give the front desk the name and the time a day or two in advance, and we check in at the lobby. For a short private session for two, a staying guest is very seldom asked for the outside vendor fee that resorts apply to weddings, but we confirm the resort's current policy in writing before your date. Note that adults-only means the photographer must also be over 18, which we always are.
Not staying here? Then the photographer is a visitor and a day pass usually applies. Our guide to bringing an outside photographer to a resort covers both situations, and the Playa Mujeres vendor fee comparison explains how the charges work for weddings.
Playa Mujeres Couples, Through Our Lens
Real IVAE Studios sessions on Playa Mujeres and the island across the channel. The calm water and soft evening light are what you can expect at Excellence.
Collections and Prices
Every collection includes editing and a private 4K gallery, delivered in one to three business days.
| Collection | Time | Photos | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spark | 35 min | 15 | 245 USD |
| Glow Hour | 45 min | 25 | 325 USD |
| Essential Flow | 60 min | 35 | 395 USD |
| Creative Runway | 75 min | 50 | 475 USD |
| Visual Story | 90 min | 70 | 575 USD |
| Full Experience | 90 min | Full gallery | 725 USD |
With a rooftop terrace in the plan, we suggest Creative Runway: 75 minutes is enough for the terrace, the walkways and the beach without rushing the light. Without a terrace, Essential Flow covers the beach and the walkways comfortably. More options on our couples photographer in Cancún page and in the Excellence Playa Mujeres wedding guide if you are planning something bigger.