The bewildered-looking trio faced a barrage of questions from journalists, after they touched down in Mexico City on a commercial flight from Honolulu.
The men's eight-metre fibreglass boat ran into trouble off Mexico's Pacific coast last November and drifted more than 8,000 km before being picked up two weeks ago.
They were rescued by a Taiwanese tuna trawler near the remote Marshall Islands in the South Pacific.
The three survived by eating raw fish and sea birds and drinking rain water in one of the longest recorded cases of survival at sea.
"It made us appreciate our friends and food," survivor Lucio Rendon told a news conference.
A brass band blaring out raucous local tunes greeted Rendon as he arrived at Tepic airport on his way to his home fishing port of San Blas, where the boat set off.
The other two headed for other towns in Mexico for reunions with their families.
Crying relatives hugged Rendon and stroked his face on the tarmac.
A hotel owner in San Blas slaughtered nine sheep to make "birria" stew for a party with free beer for townsfolk.
"We had faith we were going to get to land and we got here," Rendon said.
Asked whether he would be scared to return to sea, he said, "No fear."
The ordeal has captivated Mexico but questions have arisen in recent days over why they went to sea in the first place and over
two other men who died on board.
A government spokesman this week said the men were to be investigated for possible links to drug trafficking.
Attorney General Daniel Cabeza de Vaca said later there was no immediate evidence they were drug smugglers.
Mexico's Pacific Coast is a corridor for shipping cocaine and marijuana north to the United States.
The fishermen denied smuggling drugs, saying they went to sea to catch sharks.
Fellow local fisherman backed them up.
"Look at us, we can't afford new boats, engines or tackle. If there were drugs here we'd have big trucks and good clothes," said Hilario Sanchez, 45, at the rundown dock the men set off from more than nine months ago.
The survivors have charmed Mexico with their tenacity on the voyage and reluctance to play the role of heroes on their return.
Asked in a television interview if they ever drank their own urine, Rendon shied away from answering.
"My friend's ashamed to say it, but we did," said survivor Salvador Ordonez.
On some days, the men lay still for hours to avoid drawing the attention of inquisitive sharks that circled and thumped their tails against the boat.
At night, birds came to rest on the boat and would tuck their heads under their wings to sleep.
Ordonez, the smallest of the three, became an expert at pouncing to catch them for food.
"My friend here is a cat," said survivor Jesus Vidana.