Island of the Dolls tour review
5.0 from 140 reviews at MX$1,100 pesos for two hours, leaving from Liga de Veteranos in the north rather than the Nativitas docks. The operator’s own description says it visits “the original Island of the Dolls”. At least two replica doll islands are documented, visitors are routinely taken to them, and no source I have could settle which island any particular boat reaches. I report the claim as a claim and tell you what to ask.
A reviewer raises the replica problem before I do
“This excursion was so much more than just the Island of the Dolls (and to be clear, you will go to the real Isla, not the fake one). Alan and Adrian were amazing and it was great to hear context from someone who is a Xochimilco native. The ride to and from the island was entertaining and the drinks were delicious. I would highly recommend!”
Read that twice. A customer volunteering, unprompted, that this is the real island tells you the question reaches customers — and it is also the one thing a passenger has no way of checking from inside the boat. El Universal reported in February 2026 that at least two replicas exist, one in the Apampilco canal and another in the Parque Ecológico near Cuemanco, and that visitors are routinely taken to them. The custodian family holds a copyright certificate from the Registro Público del Derecho de Autor for the name. A family does not register a name nationally over a problem that is not happening.
What to do about it: before you board, ask whether the island is the one in the Laguna del Teshuilo, which is where the authentic island sits, inside the protected natural area. Ask it out loud, at the dock, before money changes hands. I am not adjudicating this tour either way, because I cannot.
Two hours, against a reported one and a half to two hours each way
El Universal reports a trajinera from the central docks taking 1.5 to 2 hours each way to the island, which is a four-hour round trip. This tour is two hours in total, and it leaves from a pin well to the north of Nativitas. A reviewer puts a number on the crossing.
“I do recommend eating breakfast before arrival, as you will have the option to drink some traditional mezcal and tequila on the 15-20 min ride to the island from the dock. I highly recommend you participate in the drinking games as it’s a good way to taste some traditional Mexican drinks and learn about the history of mezcal”
Fifteen to twenty minutes against one and a half to two hours. Both figures are attributed and I am not going to quietly reconcile them. Departing much further north in a faster boat would explain it, and the vessel is not stated anywhere I can check. What I can say is that whatever this boat is, it is not doing the same journey El Universal described.
The arithmetic against hiring your own boat
Reported figures, published as reported, with the tariff maths shown so you can check them: a four-hour round trip from the central docks at the official MX$750 an hour per boat comes to about MX$3,000, plus island entry at MX$100 for Mexicans and MX$150 for foreigners, per person and separate from the boat. So for foreign visitors, per head:
- Two people: MX$1,500 each plus MX$150 entry = MX$1,650. This tour is cheaper.
- Three people: MX$1,000 each plus MX$150 = MX$1,150. Still marginally more than MX$1,100.
- Four people: MX$750 each plus MX$150 = MX$900. Hiring wins, and keeps winning.
The crossover is four people, and it is one person later than the crossover for a standard canal trip because the island run is long. Above four, agree the trip with a boatman directly and do not book anything through me. This is a different product from the standard one-hour canal ride and must be agreed before boarding, whichever way you go.
What the other reviews are about
“We booked the 9AM tour which was perfect, as you don’t have to worry about traffic on the way to Xochimilco. It was a total of 6 visitors (including my friend and me) which allowed for a very intimate trip, and allowed you to get to know the other visitors as well as speak with the guides.”
“The morning boat ride down the canal was beautiful and peaceful with delicious drinks. The island itself was unbelievably cool to get to explore and learning the history made it that much better.”
“Really great tour with Alan. We got lots of really great history and information about the area and some fun extra activities on the boat. I enjoyed learning about “the scorpion””
The history you will be told, and which part of it is documented
Julián Santana Barrera is documented: 26 October 1914 to 2001, he worked the chinampa and began hanging discarded dolls there in the 1950s, and his descendants maintain the site. The drowned girl is not documented. Every source frames her as legend or as Santana’s own account, and nobody cites a death record, a police report or a newspaper report. Sources also disagree on how Santana himself died — heart attack on the island at 86 in one account, drowning in the same spot in another. The drowning version closes the story neatly, which is exactly why it deserves suspicion. The family has not debunked any of it; the accurate word is uncorroborated. More on Isla de las Muñecas.
What works
- 5.0 across 140 reviews, a real if modest sample
- Island entry, transport to the island, a guide and tastings are in the price
- Two hours total, far shorter than a trajinera run from the central docks
- Reviewers describe small groups and calm morning canals
- Wheelchair accessible, per the operator
Worth knowing
- The “original island” claim cannot be verified, and replicas are documented
- The vessel is not stated anywhere, so the two-hour timing cannot be explained
- Food is excluded and one reviewer advises eating first, because of the tastings
- MX$1,100 is the joint highest price here; from four people up, hire a boat
- All ten visible reviews are five stars, so the sample cannot warn you
Ask two questions at the dock before you get on: is this island the one in the Laguna del Teshuilo, and how long is the crossing. Both answers are free and both are things you cannot check afterwards.
Who it suits
One to three people who want the island specifically, in the morning, without organising a four-hour trajinera hire and a negotiation. For four or more, hire directly. For the canals themselves rather than the island, the traditional trajinera review is cheaper by MX$473.80 a head.
Also on the water
Cheapest & best ratedXochimilco: Traditional Boat Sightseeing Tour, Culture and Fun
The party boatMexico City: Xochimilco Boat Party with Unlimited Drinks
Frequently asked questions
Is this the real Island of the Dolls?
The operator says it visits the original island. At least two replica doll islands are documented and visitors are routinely taken to them, and no source I have could settle which island a given boat reaches. Ask at the dock whether it is the island in the Laguna del Teshuilo, and ask before you board.
How long does it take to get to the Island of the Dolls?
El Universal reports one and a half to two hours each way by trajinera from the central docks. This tour runs two hours in total and departs from further north; one reviewer describes a fifteen to twenty minute ride to the island. Both figures are attributed and neither explains the other, because the vessel is not published.
How much does the Island of the Dolls cost without a tour?
Reported figures: about a four-hour round trip from the central docks, which at the official MX$750 per boat per hour is roughly MX$3,000 for the boat, plus island entry of MX$100 for Mexicans or MX$150 for foreigners per person. For four or more people that beats booking. For two, it does not.
Is the story about the drowned girl true?
It is not documented. Julián Santana Barrera and the dolls are documented; the girl is not, and no source cites a death record or a police report. Sources also disagree about how Santana himself died. The family has never debunked the legend, so the honest word is uncorroborated.