# Ixchel, the Maya Goddess of Isla Mujeres

> The moon goddess gave an island its name and drew pilgrims from across the peninsula. What's known about her, what isn't, and where to find her today.

By Alfonso G · Published 2026-10-17 · Updated 2026-10-17 · Story

## At a glance

- Who: A Maya goddess tied to the moon
- Where: Punta Sur on Isla Mujeres, and Cozumel
- The temple: Hurricane Gilbert nearly destroyed it in 1988
- The name: The female figures the Spanish found

## Who Ixchel is

![An orange moon rising over the sea](https://yachtvibes.com/_next/static/immutable/media/luna-naranja-mar.2-760e0xp78o6.jpg) (Photo: Benjamin Hibbert-Hingston · Unsplash)

Ixchel is a Maya goddess tied to the moon. Mexico's INAH describes her as the lunar goddess who made her pilgrimage across the sky.

On Isla Mujeres she's also remembered as a goddess of love and fertility.

## Why the island has its name

![Rocky coast with turquoise water under a clear sky](https://yachtvibes.com/_next/static/immutable/media/ixchel-acantilado-2.1xhh2h11p9i_g.jpg) (Photo: Akshay Madivanan · Unsplash)

In the 16th century, the Spanish who reached the island found female figures left as offerings to Ixchel. That's where the name Isla Mujeres, the island of women, comes from.

## The temple at Punta Sur

![A cliff over the sea, with visitors in the distance](https://yachtvibes.com/_next/static/immutable/media/ixchel-acantilado.44x150ek85_4-.jpg) (Photo: Frugal Flyer · Unsplash)

At Punta Sur, the easternmost point of Mexico, are the remains of a small Maya temple dedicated to Ixchel. Hurricane Gilbert, in 1988, destroyed it almost completely: today the foundations and part of the walls remain.

> *A small temple facing the open sea, where the town says the sun reaches Mexico first.*

## Cozumel and the moon's crossing

![A full moon over the sea at night](https://yachtvibes.com/_next/static/immutable/media/luna-llena-mar.2d8cs_j4-ywt9.jpg) (Photo: Guzmán Barquín · Unsplash)

Spanish chroniclers wrote that Cozumel mattered for its sanctuary of Ixchel, which drew pilgrims from different parts of the Yucatán Peninsula.

According to INAH, the ritual crossings from the mainland to Cozumel followed the path of the moon through its phases.

> **Tip:** Many guides say San Gervasio, on Cozumel, was Ixchel's city. INAH notes that no archaeological evidence of that has been found.

## Where to find her today

On Isla Mujeres, at Punta Sur, next to the sculpture park. On Cozumel, at the San Gervasio archaeological site. Either one is a day trip from Cancún.

- [What to Do on Isla Mujeres in One Day](https://yachtvibes.com/logbook/isla-mujeres-day-trip)
- [Isla Mujeres or Cozumel: Which to Visit From Cancún](https://yachtvibes.com/logbook/isla-mujeres-or-cozumel)

## Questions we get

**Who was Ixchel?**
A Maya goddess tied to the moon. On Isla Mujeres she's also remembered as a goddess of love and fertility.

**Where is the temple of Ixchel?**
At Punta Sur, at the southern tip of Isla Mujeres. Hurricane Gilbert nearly destroyed it in 1988; the foundations and part of the walls remain.

**What does Cozumel have to do with Ixchel?**
Chroniclers describe a sanctuary of Ixchel on Cozumel, with pilgrims from across the peninsula. INAH notes there's no evidence that San Gervasio was a city devoted to her.

## Sources

- [INAH, San Gervasio guide (in Spanish)](https://difusion.inah.gob.mx/images/guias/San_Gervasio.pdf)
- [Mexican Caribbean, Isla Mujeres](https://www.caribemexicano.travel/isla-mujeres/)

You see Isla Mujeres from the water as you leave Cancún. Tell us your date and we'll tell you which route is possible.

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