Holbox or Isla Mujeres for Your Photoshoot? How the Two Islands Compare

We photograph both islands, and couples and families ask us the same question every week: which one? The honest answer depends on how much time you have and what you want the photos to look like.

Getting There

Isla Mujeres is about 20 minutes by ferry from Cancún, so a sunset session fits easily into an afternoon trip from the Hotel Zone. Holbox needs a drive of two to two and a half hours to Chiquilá and a ferry across the lagoon; for a sunset session we recommend staying at least one night.

How They Look

Isla Mujeres has turquoise Caribbean water, white sand and a colorful town; its north end gives calm water and a sunset over the bay. Holbox is paler and wilder: very shallow water, long sandbars at low tide and sand streets with golf carts instead of cars. If you want the pale, almost white look of shallow water, choose Holbox; for classic turquoise, Isla Mujeres.

Crowds and Pace

Isla Mujeres is busier, with day-trippers and golf carts, so we choose the hour and the stretch of beach carefully. Holbox is quieter by nature, especially outside whale shark season, and its western tip at sunset is the island's main gathering point.

Sunset

Both islands give a sunset over the water, which most of the Cancún coast does not. On Holbox, at Punta Cocos:

Which One to Choose

Choose Isla Mujeres if you are staying in Cancún and want an island session without changing hotels; see our Isla Mujeres photographer page. Choose Holbox if you are staying on the island or can spend a night, and want the quietest, most distinctive photos; see our Holbox photographer page.