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    The islands off Mazatlán's northern hotel beaches, seen from the shore, Isla de Pájaros, Sinaloa

    Photo by Tereso Hernández, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

    Isla de Pájaros

    Island Mazatlán, Sinaloa Municipality of Mazatlán Mazatlán and southern Sinaloa

    The northernmost of Mazatlán's three islands, a protected seabird colony with the main brown pelican nesting site in the bay, seen from boats only.

    Reached by boat from Playa Gaviotas, Zona Dorada: 15 min each way. How to get there ↓

    Near here

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    Plan your visit to Isla de Pájaros

    Where to stay near Isla de Pájaros

    Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Isla de Pájaros.

    Hotels in Isla de Pájaros Houses on Vrbo

    Tours to Isla de Pájaros

    Day trips and guided outings from El Rosario often include Isla de Pájaros; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Tours from Mazatlan Old Town Mazatlan Segway Tour ★ 5.0 (396) · From US$72
    Find tours on Viator GetYourGuide

    How to get to Isla de Pájaros

    • Reached by boat from Playa Gaviotas, Zona Dorada: 15 min each way.
    • From Mazatlán: about 10 min by road (~7 km)
    • Nearest airport: Mazatlán (MZT), 45 min by car to El Rosario
    Rent a car at MZT Flights to MZT

    Route, map and directions ↓

    Links open a partner site. We may earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.

    Tours from Mazatlan, near Isla de Pájaros

    Old Town Mazatlan Segway Tour ★ 5.0 (396) 2 h From US$72
    Mazatlan City Sightseeing Tour with Shopping Time and Lunch ★ 4.6 (307) 5 h From US$40
    Mazatlan Sightseeing and Golden Zone ★ 4.6 (172) 4 h From US$30
    Mazatlan Sightseeing and Beach Activities All Inclusive ★ 4.3 (184) 6 h From US$76
    Barrio Bites tour ★ 5.0 (155) 3 h From US$88

    Tours, prices and ratings from Viator, checked weekly. We may earn a commission if you book.

    About Isla de Pájaros

    Isla de Pájaros, Bird Island, is the northernmost of the three islands lined up off Mazatlán's hotel zone, north of Isla de Venados and Isla de Lobos. It is a small, steep island of about 0.4 km² and 1.1 km in length, covered like its neighbors in thorn forest and grassland with scrub, and it is part of the Área de Protección de Flora y Fauna Islas del Golfo de California, the federal protected area that has covered the gulf's islands since 1978. Unlike Venados, it has no visitor beach: it is a sanctuary, and people see it from the water.

    The name is earned. A study of the bay's islands carried out between November 2014 and May 2015 by researchers from CIAD and CONANP counted 59 bird species around the five islands and islets of the bay, 15 of them breeding, and Isla de Pájaros held the most breeding species, ten. The researchers did not even land on it, to avoid disturbing the nesting colonies. Brown pelicans nest only here among the bay's islands, from January to May, with up to 596 active nests counted in March 2015; an earlier estimate put the colony at 850 nests in 2006 and ranked it as the most important for its population segment on the Mexican mainland islands.

    Great blue herons build their nests in the treetops, with up to 50 nests in March, and great egrets, snowy egrets, cattle egrets, night-herons, white ibis, black-bellied whistling ducks and American oystercatchers also breed on the island. Magnificent frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies, which do not nest here, gather around it in large numbers. The best way to see all this is on one of the boat, catamaran or snorkeling tours from the Zona Dorada that circle the three islands, or with binoculars from the beach on the mainland; winter and spring, when the herons and pelicans are nesting, are the liveliest months.

    How to get to Isla de Pájaros

    Drive from Mazatlán to Playa Gaviotas, Zona Dorada: 10 min, 7 km

    The island is seen on boat tours that leave from the beach in the Zona Dorada, on Playa Gaviotas, and circle the three islands; the island lies just north of Isla de Venados, which is about 2.3 km and some 15 minutes by launch from the hotel-zone beach. Landing is not part of normal visits.

    Reached by boat from Playa Gaviotas, Zona Dorada: 15 min each way.

    Directions to Isla de Pájaros on Google Maps

    Distances are in a straight line; the road is usually longer.

    Where to stay Hotels in Isla de Pájaros Compare hotels, posadas and guest houses in Isla de Pájaros. See prices →

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    From the nearest cities to Isla de Pájaros

    • Mazatlán · 7 km by road, 10 min to Playa Gaviotas, Zona Dorada, then 15 min by boat
    • Culiacán · 218 km by road, 2 h 50 min to Playa Gaviotas, Zona Dorada, then 15 min by boat
    • Tepic · 282 km by road, 3 h 35 min to Playa Gaviotas, Zona Dorada, then 15 min by boat

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic or stops. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Before you go to Isla de Pájaros: hours, prices and tips

    Best time of day
    January to May, when brown pelicans and herons are nesting. Huitzil, Revista Mexicana de Ornitología · checked Oct 2026
    Rules
    Protected area: visit only with authorized operators, between 9:00 and 17:00, and do not disturb the birds. Luz Noticias · checked Oct 2026

    Hours and prices change, especially around holidays. Each fact links to where we checked it.

    Visiting Isla de Pájaros: what to see and do

    Circle the island by boat to see the brown pelican colony, nesting from January to May.
    Look for great blue herons nesting in the treetops in late winter.
    Watch frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies gathering around the island.
    Combine it with a stop on the beach of neighboring Isla de Venados.

    Plan your trip

    Places to stay in Isla de Pájaros

    Compare hotels, posadas, and rentals in and around Isla de Pájaros.

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    Tours & activities

    Day trips and guided outings from El Rosario often include Isla de Pájaros; with a local guide you can get there without a car.

    Viator GetYourGuide

    Rental cars

    Pick up a car at MZT (Mazatlán): about 45 min by road to El Rosario, then 69 km more to Isla de Pájaros, on your own schedule.

    EconomyBookings Discover Cars

    Flights

    The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Mazatlán (MZT), about 45 min by road from El Rosario, the base for Isla de Pájaros.

    Kiwi.com

    Travel insurance

    Medical and trip cover for Mexico, by the week or month.

    SafetyWing

    Mobile data

    Signal can drop away from El Rosario: download a map of the way to Isla de Pájaros before you set out, or carry an eSIM with data.

    Airalo

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    When to go to Isla de Pájaros warm

    Isla de Pájaros shares the climate of El Rosario, 69 km away. The best months to visit are January, March, November, and December.

    See the month-by-month climate of El Rosario

    The closest Pueblo Mágico: El Rosario

    Ornate stone gateway of the Panteón Español in El Rosario, Sinaloa warm
    Sinaloa El Rosario

    El Rosario is the Pueblo Mágico closest to Isla de Pájaros, with places to stay, food, and more to see.

    Also close to

    Closest to Isla de Pájaros

    Near Isla de Pájaros

    Drive times by road from OpenStreetMap, without traffic. Times marked ~ are estimated from the straight-line distance.

    Location from OpenStreetMap. Written by Puebloteca.