The island where pirates, goddesses, and salt traders once met

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Off the Yucatán coast, Isla Mujeres sits at the intersection of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Once a sacred Maya site for the goddess Ixchel, this small island has evolved from a pirate haven into a global tourism destination, shaped by shifting tides of trade, conquest, and climate.

Long before the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, the island was a vital part of the Maya province of Ekab. The Maya utilized the island's interior lagoons, known as salinas, to produce salt. This resource was not merely a dietary staple for food preservation and medicine; it functioned as a form of currency. The island also held deep spiritual significance, serving as a sacred site for Ixchel, the Maya goddess of medicine and childbirth. A temple dedicated to her once stood at the site of the present-day Hacienda Mundaca.

The island's geography made it a strategic sanctuary for maritime travelers. During the start of the 19th century, the mainland's shallow lagoon offered pirates a protected area for salt trading, hull cleaning, and enduring severe storms. Notable figures such as Henry Morgan, Jean Lafutie, and Hernán Mundaca frequented these waters. Mundaca himself established a large hacienda on the island, though his personal ambitions—specifically his attempt to marry a local woman named Martiniana Gómez Pantoja—ended in personal regret.

Today, the island's character is defined by a tension between its historical roots and modern development. While the 1970s brought substantial tourism, the island remains vulnerable to the elements. Hurricanes like Gilbert in 1988 and Wilma in 2005 have left lasting scars, including the destruction of a Maya temple on the southern tip. While the economy has faced recent challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, the island remains a vibrant hub for everything from world-class sailfish fishing to the underwater art of the Cancún Underwater Museum.

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