Isla de la Pasión

Isla de la Pasión was one of the last big things on our Cozumel bucket list, and something we were finally able to accomplish during our last week on the island. This is one of those far away attractions that can only be reached by boat. Normally, this is a place filled with cruise ship passengers and other day-trippers, but when we visited in July it was basically abandoned. We had the island to ourselves, and enjoyed our day in relative peace and quiet. It was a unique experience and one that we won’t soon forget.

Isla de la Pasión is located on the north-west coast of of the island and is the perfect place for both the locals and tourists to go enjoy the sunshine. The day we visited was overcast, but we still soaked in plenty of sunshine through the thin clouds. It looked as if it was going to rain, but fortunately the weather held off for us and we enjoyed the perfect day in solitude. We almost had the island to ourselves – there was 1 other boat with 5 or 6 passengers – but it is big enough that we still felt like we were alone.

We had been trying to visit Isla de la Pasión for quite a while, and we’re glad we waited because it was such a unique experience. It was the second last adventure we had before leaving the island – we had to say Hasta Luego to Punta Sur – and we’re super glad we were able to cross this off our bucket list. We found an incredible day trip to the island (where we could take out dog) and we couldn’t say no!

What makes Isla de la Pasión so amazing?

The beach here is spectacular and there are many places for people to lounge. While we may have had the island to ourselves, we could still picture the place bustling with tourists and imagine the sounds of kids enjoying the activities or the sound of music blaring.

We wandered around the abandoned island and saw this place through a different lens. There will likely never be another time in our lifetimes when Cozumel is so deserted, so we tried to appreciate the silence and the lack of crowds. We were happy to take our own private tour to the island, helping out at least two of the locals who were in charge of our excursion.

We spent a little over 2 years on the island and we probably shouldn’t have left this until the last week, but now we know that when we come back to either live or visit, we should probably make this a priority.

Abandoned Ship “Catch the Waves” on the way to Isla de la Pasiòn

This ship was “relocated” back in 2005 when Hurricane Wilma to this ship on an unexpected journey. The name of this boat was “Catch the Waves” and it certainly took a long journey to its current resting place. It’s been here for 15 years, so it’s actually in pretty good shape considering.

This boat is a rusty example of the power of nature. It was apparently used for dinner trips and cruise ship excursions before it’s unexpected relocation due to the big storm.

Hurricane Wilma arrived on the Yucatan Peninsula in October of 2005 and left a devastating impact on many of the attractions on the island and around the Caribbean. When it hit the island it was a category 4 storm. While the island today has mostly recovered, there are still some remnants of this destructive force, and this shipwreck is one of those.

Where is Isla de la Pasión and how do you get there?

Isla de la Pasión is a tricky spot to travel to, and the best way is to hire a boat tour which will allow you some time to explore. There is a dirt road that travels a pretty bumpy route to a small beach where local fishermen will take you across for 100 pesos. The problem is getting there, as we don’t have a 4×4 and the road is full of holes and puddles.

This is why we took the boat trip. If you’re arriving on the island via cruise ship, this is one of the major attractions that you can do, and based on the facilities we saw, this place is quite amazing.

We chose a smaller boat, and as part of our trip to Isla de la Pasión, we were allowed to go for a snorkeling trip along the north side where we rode along with the currents while our boat captan followed beside us. The currents on this side of Cozumel is quite extreme, so be VERY careful and don’t do this on your own. There have been many stories about divers who have gone out on their own here and never returned.

Even if snorkeling isn’t for you, don’t miss out on a chance to come visit the north side of the island where this beautiful beachfront location will certainly be one of the highlights of your trip to Cozumel.

Isla de la Pasión