Mary Undoer of Knots Shrine in Cancún: Hours, Masses and How to Visit from the Airport
Address, hours, Mass times, the ribbons, and how to add it as a stop on your airport transfer.
Mary Undoer of Knots shrine in Cancún: the essentials
Where is the Mary Undoer of Knots shrine in Cancún, and how do you visit it? The shrine sits on Avenida Santuario (formerly Av. 145) in south-west Cancún, about 21 minutes from the airport in free-flowing traffic. It opens daily 8:00–20:00, entry is free according to Escapadas by México Desconocido, and you can add it as a stop on your airport transfer: up to 1 hour for US$30.
In Spanish it is the Santuario de María Desatadora de Nudos, and the image is also known as the Virgen Desatanudos. Between 1.5 and 2 million white petition ribbons arrive there every year, according to Fr. Garza on the shrine's website (2024), and Cancún city hall reported 23,800 visitors a week (June 2025). TT & More is a family-owned Cancún airport transfer company, here since 1993; we wrote this guide so that, if you are flying in, you can fit the shrine into your trip without losing half a day.
Below: where it is, Mass times checked against the shrine's own livestreams, what to see, how the ribbons work, the story of the image, when it is busiest, and how to add it to your arrival or departure.
| Fact | What we know (source) |
|---|---|
| Address | Av. 145 S/N, Mz 1, Lote 1, Polígono Sur, SM 320, postcode 77536, Cancún (official website). The avenue is now called Avenida Santuario (city hall, 30 Jun 2025). |
| Opening hours | Monday to Sunday 8:00–20:00 (official website), holidays included (city hall). |
| Masses | Mon–Fri 12:00 and 17:30 · Sat 10:30 · Sun 10:00 (children), 11:30, 13:30, 17:00 and 18:30 (official website). |
| Entry | Free, voluntary donation (Escapadas by México Desconocido, Oct 2024; the official website mentions no fee). |
| From the airport (T3) | About 17 km, 21 minutes in free-flowing traffic (OSRM). |
| Stop on a TT & More transfer | Up to 1 hour: US$30. Airport → shrine → Hotel Zone or downtown: US$70 per vehicle, 1–8 passengers. |
Where the shrine is and how to get there
The shrine is in south-west Cancún, in the Polígono Sur district, well away from the Hotel Zone. Its official address is Av. 145 S/N, Mz 1, Lote 1, SM 320. The Benito Juárez city council voted unanimously to rename the avenue Avenida Santuario, and the new sign was unveiled on 30 June 2025 at the corner of Avenida Roble (Cancún city hall). Maps may still show Avenida 145, so search for both names.
These road distances from several starting points come from the OSRM router, using OpenStreetMap data, checked on 5 November 2026. They are free-flowing times; city hall calls the avenue a heavily used artery, so allow more in real traffic.
| From | To the shrine | From the shrine back |
|---|---|---|
| Airport, Terminal 3 | 16.9 km · 21 min | 18.3 km · 21 min |
| Airport, Terminal 4 | 19.1 km · 26 min | 18.4 km · 21 min |
| Airport, Terminal 1 | 18.2 km · 23 min | 18.6 km · 20 min |
| Hotel Zone (km 9, Punta Cancún) | 18.5 km · 26 min | 18.9 km · 26 min |
| Downtown (Parque de las Palapas) | 10.3 km · 13 min | 10.4 km · 13 min |
| Puerto Morelos | 38.0 km · 37 min | 37.6 km · 35 min |
| Playa del Carmen | 67.0 km · 55 min | 67.2 km · 55 min |
From your hotel you can also take a city taxi; agree the fare before you get in (our Cancún airport taxi prices guide explains how city taxis work). If you want a private driver there and back from your hotel, you pay your zone's round-trip price plus US$30 for each hour of waiting: with 1 hour at the shrine, US$78 + US$30 = US$108 from the Hotel Zone and US$145 + US$30 = US$175 from Playa del Carmen, per vehicle. Message us on WhatsApp with your hotel and how long you want to stay.
Mary Undoer of Knots shrine opening hours and Mass times
The shrine opens Monday to Sunday from 8:00 to 20:00, and Cancún city hall adds that this includes public holidays. This is the Mass and prayer schedule on the official website. We checked the Mass times and the 18:30 Holy Hour against the shrine's YouTube livestreams from 23 October to 5 November 2026, and they match (on Monday 2 November there was also a 13:30 Mass). The Rosary and the youth Holy Hour do not appear in those livestreams, so those times come from the official website only. The official schedule lists no Mass in English.
- Monday to Friday: Mass at 12:00 and 17:30; Rosary at 11:00.
- Thursday: Holy Hour at 18:30 and a youth Holy Hour at 20:00.
- Saturday: Rosary at 9:00 and Mass at 10:30.
- Sunday: children's Mass at 10:00 and Masses at 11:30, 13:30, 17:00 and 18:30.
Other sources print different Sunday times: the Diocese of Cancún-Chetumal directory (undated) and Escapadas by México Desconocido (October 2024) give 11:00, 13:00, 17:00 and 18:30. We follow the official website because it matches the latest livestreams, but if you are going for a particular Mass, check the shrine's website before you leave. Community Masses are streamed on its channels, and Mass intentions are requested Monday to Friday by phone on 998 688 4290, 9:00 to 14:00.
What to see at the shrine
Want a look before you go? The official website has a 360 virtual tour. The shrine also has a library, contemplative prayer and retreats.
How the ribbons work
According to the shrine's official website, a white ribbon is for your petition: you write your intention and tie it in the tunnel or on the structures. Please do not tie them to the trees. A coloured ribbon is to give thanks for a favour received and goes in the Plaza of Thanks.
The shrine gives out ribbons free of charge; any contribution is voluntary. If you prefer to bring your own, the official website recommends Cataluña-brand ribbon, 2-inch white or 1-inch coloured, written on with a permanent marker.
The story of Mary Undoer of Knots and the Cancún shrine
The original image is a painting by Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner from 1700, in the church of St. Peter am Perlach in Augsburg, Germany, as Fr. Garza told México Desconocido. Pope Francis came across the devotion as a Jesuit priest sent to study in Germany and spread it from Argentina; the shrine says he made it «un fenómeno de fe» (a phenomenon of faith). According to Por Esto (2021), the Netflix series «Me llamo Francisco» brought more visitors.
The Cancún project began in 2015, according to the official website: the Polígono Sur district needed a church, Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo asked for one, a priest had a devotion to the image, which he had come to know in Brazil, and a family donated the land. The shrine celebrated 9 years on 20 March 2025, which dates its start to 20 March 2016; Fr. Garza gave Revista Misión the date of 22 March 2016.
On 31 May 2024, the feast of the Visitation, Bishop Pedro Pablo Elizondo Cárdenas consecrated it and raised it to a Diocesan Shrine in the care of the Legionaries of Christ. It was a Jubilee church for the 2025 Jubilee, and according to EWTN News (1 September 2026) it is now spiritually linked to the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome, with a plenary indulgence on 5 August, 8 December, Marian solemnities, one day a year of your choice and each pilgrimage.
When to go: the busiest days
- Patronal feast, 8 December. The 2024 programme ran 7–9 December: a vigil Mass on the 7th at 20:00 and a consecration to the Virgin after each Mass on the 8th. The official website had not posted the 2026 programme when we checked (5 November 2026).
- Christmas and Holy Week. Almost 100,000 pilgrims at Christmas 2024 and 48,000 in Holy Week 2025 (Revista Misión, June 2025); more than 100,000 visitors were expected for Easter 2026 (Ruptura360, 25 March 2026).
- Sundays. Five Masses between 10:00 and 18:30 (official website), so expect more people.
On weekdays there are two Masses a day instead of Sunday's five. Groups of more than 20 must book by WhatsApp on +52 998 179 4174, according to the official website.
Visit the shrine on the way from the airport to your hotel
Rather go at the end of your trip? The shrine is about 21 minutes from Terminal 3. Make the stop hotel → shrine → airport, and work out when to leave with our guide to how early to get to Cancún airport. For comparison, one tour site, Lokalee, sells a hotel pickup to the shrine from US$83 for one traveller (the price varies by group size; November 2026).
Rules and practical details
- Groups of more than 20: book ahead by WhatsApp on +52 998 179 4174 (official website).
- Pets: allowed on the grounds but not in the chapels; pick up after them (official website).
- Special Mass (for example, for someone who has died): a MXN 2,000 donation, you bring a priest to celebrate it, no choir and not streamed (official website).
- Parking: the official website does not mention it; Escapadas by México Desconocido (2024) says there is parking nearby.
- Dress and photos: we found no official rules. The eTransfers guide (September 2026) suggests keeping quiet during Mass and asking before photographing a ceremony.
- Contact: shrine +52 998 257 7443; office +52 998 688 4290, Monday to Friday 9:00 to 14:00 (official website).
How a TT & More transfer works
We are a family-owned Cancún company that has met travellers at this airport since 1993. Each transfer is one private vehicle for your group at a flat price per vehicle for 1 to 8 passengers. Add your flight number and the driver adjusts to an early or late landing; a delay costs you nothing. Pay by card, PayPal or Mercado Pago, or in cash in USD or MXN, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours before your service.
Your driver waits with a TT & MORE sign: at Terminal 3 by the Margaritaville bar next to the map, at Terminal 2 international at the Welcome Bar, at Terminal 2 domestic right through the exit doors, and at Terminal 4 outside the exit doors at column C. More on our private Cancún airport transfer, Cancún airport to Hotel Zone transfer and group transportation pages.
Photos of the sanctuary: ManuArqui via Wikimedia Commons (1, 2, 3), CC BY 4.0, cropped by TT & More. Painting by Johann Georg Melchior Schmidtner, public domain, cropped.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Mary Undoer of Knots shrine in Cancún?
On Avenida Santuario, formerly Avenida 145, in the Polígono Sur district (SM 320, postcode 77536) in south-west Cancún. The Benito Juárez city council renamed the avenue, according to Cancún city hall (30 June 2025). It is about 17 km by road from Terminal 3 of the airport.
What are the opening hours of the shrine?
Monday to Sunday, 8:00 to 20:00, according to its official website; Cancún city hall adds that this includes public holidays.
What time are Masses at the Mary Undoer of Knots shrine?
According to the official website: Monday to Friday at 12:00 and 17:30; Saturday at 10:30; Sunday at 10:00 (children's Mass), 11:30, 13:30, 17:00 and 18:30. The official schedule lists no Mass in English. There is a Holy Hour on Thursdays at 18:30 and the Rosary Monday to Friday at 11:00 and Saturday at 9:00. The Masses and the Holy Hour match the shrine's YouTube livestreams from 23 October to 5 November 2026.
Is there an entry fee?
The official website does not mention one. Escapadas by México Desconocido (October 2024) says entry is free and a voluntary donation is recommended. The ribbons are given out free of charge; any contribution is voluntary.
How far is the shrine from Cancún Airport?
About 17 km and 21 minutes from Terminal 3 in free-flowing traffic, according to the OSRM router, using OpenStreetMap data. From the shrine to the Hotel Zone (km 9) is about 26 minutes, and downtown about 13. Allow more time in real traffic.
Can I visit the shrine on the way from the airport to my hotel?
Yes. TT & More allows a stop of up to 1 hour for US$30 with prior notice. From the airport to the Cancún Hotel Zone or downtown with the stop, that is US$70 per vehicle for 1 to 8 passengers, one way. Going on to the Riviera Maya? You pay the normal price for your zone plus the time of your visit: for example US$104 to Playa del Carmen or US$185 to Tulum with 1 hour at the shrine.
How much is a trip to the shrine from my hotel?
You pay your zone's round-trip price plus US$30 for each hour of waiting. For example, with 1 hour at the shrine: US$78 + US$30 = US$108 from the Hotel Zone and US$145 + US$30 = US$175 from Playa del Carmen, per vehicle. Message us on WhatsApp with your hotel and how long you want to stay.
How do the ribbons work?
According to the official website, a white ribbon is for your petition and is tied in the tunnel or on the structures, not on the trees. A coloured ribbon is to give thanks and goes in the Plaza de los Agradecimientos (Plaza of Thanks). The shrine gives them out free of charge; any contribution is voluntary.
When is the shrine busiest?
On the patronal feast of 8 December (the 2024 programme ran 7–9 December), at Christmas and in Holy Week. According to Revista Misión (June 2025), almost 100,000 pilgrims came at Christmas 2024 and 48,000 in Holy Week 2025, and more than 100,000 visitors were expected for Easter 2026 (Ruptura360).
Can I bring my pet?
Yes. The official website says pets are allowed on the grounds but asks that they do not go into the chapels, and that you pick up after them.
What is the shrine's plenary indulgence?
According to EWTN News (1 September 2026), the shrine was spiritually linked to the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome, and the faithful can obtain a plenary indulgence on 5 August, on 8 December, on Marian solemnities, on one day a year of their choice and on each pilgrimage.
Do groups need to book?
Yes, groups of more than 20. The official website asks that pilgrimages of more than 20 people be booked in advance by WhatsApp on +52 998 179 4174. Our flat transfer rate covers 1 to 8 passengers per vehicle; for larger groups see our group transportation page.