Isla Holbox has surprised us in a really good way. It only took us one night to understand Cancun was not our thing and a few minutes to realize Holbox definitely is! If you’re heading to the Yucatan Peninsula, you can’t skip this bucket list destination, filled with natural beauty, white-sand beaches, and turquoise waters! It was one of our favorite places during our trip to Mexico, and we can’t wait to tell you all about it.
How to Get to Holbox?
Many people asked us how to get to Holbox. It’s super easy, and it shouldn’t be a reason to keep you from visiting this incredible place. It is located north of Cancun, far enough from the big resorts and all-inclusive hotels. It’s part of a vast Ecological Reserve called Yum Balam, so we advise you to do your best to support local businesses and preserve its environment and culture.
While there is a small airport on the island, we don’t recommend you arrive by plane since it is super expensive. Instead, catch the public bus (ADO) to Chiquila which is only three and a half hours away from Cancun. The buses from Chiquila also depart from/to Tulum, Playa Del Carmen, Valladolid, Merida and other places. Once you arrive, you need to buy a ticket from one of the two Ferry Companies that operate the journey to the island. The ride lasts for about 20 minutes and costs 180MXN at the time of writing.
As we had rented a car, we simply drove to Chiquila, passing through many small towns and beautiful roads. We left our car in one of the many parking lots before hopping on the ferry, and to be honest, we were a little concerned about it. However, as soon as we arrived at Chiquila, we understood that these parking lots are probably the main source of income for those locals, and they don’t want you to have a bad experience. Just make sure you don’t leave anything inside the car, and expect to pay around 50-100 pesos per day.
hOW TO GET AROUND IN hOLBOX
In Isla Holbox, there are no paved roads but only sandy ones. When it rains, it can be bothersome to walk around trying to avoid the gigantic water-based puddles. But other than that, these dirt roads give a certain “island vibe” that we actually enjoy. You won’t see any cars in Holbox: only bikes and golf carts. You can decide to rent one of them, walk, or grab one of the golf-carts taxis that will take you around the island. We walked everywhere and only rented a bike when we went to places a little bit farther from the center. We advise you to do the same to keep it a car-free island: golf carts are very noisy, and we prefer to be active even during vacations.
Important Tips when visiting Holbox
- Bring cash with you! We find this important all over Mexico, but in this case, keep in mind that you’ll be on an island with only one ATM.
- Don’t Rely on Wifi – We were warned about the lack of signal in Holbox, so we were pleasantly surprised to see that it actually wasn’t that bad. Our hotel had pretty steady wifi as well as many places around the island. However, we were there in a vacations mood. We didn’t need the internet for anything else rather than posting some pictures and talking to the family. If you’re planning on remote working from Holbox, it might be a good idea to contact the place you’re staying and ask if their Wifi signal is strong enough.
- Book your hotel in advance! There are many options of places to stay, but the good bargains and cool hotels get fully booked in a second.
- Don’t trust weather forecasts. It rained when we expected a clear sky and the other way around. Embrace the tropical climate and don’t make strong decisions relying solely on the forecasts.
Where to stay in Holbox
Despite being a small island, there are two main different areas where you can stay: in the center of the village or on the beach strip. The hotels along the beach are, in general, more expensive and have a resort kind of vibe. Bear in mind that if you stay at the far end of the strip, you might have to walk 15 to 20 minutes to get downtown.
We opted to stay in the center of town, and we’re glad we did! It’s very lively, full of restaurants and cafes, and we could easily walk everywhere. We saw some hotels close to Punta Coco, but we don’t recommend them unless you plan to stay by the pool most of your days.
Best things to do in holbox
It’s funny because we thought we would be spending our days in Holbox just laying on the beach, doing nothing at all. How wrong were we! You could totally opt to sip margaritas by the sun, but you could also fill your days with many other things! These were the best things we did during our time in the island:
- Have breakfast at Painapol – delicious healthy breakfast, with a wonderful ambiance, and great service.
Swim with whale sharks – unfortunately, we weren’t there during the peak season to see these marvelous creatures. Holbox is one of the best places in the world to swim with Whale Sharks so definitely give it a go if you’re there in the summer – June to September.
Check the amazing street art all over town
Head to the stunning Punta Mosquito – Go all the way until the end of the beach strip, and you’ll find a long sandbank. It’s best reachable at low tide and it’s a beautiful walk where you might see flamingos, manta rays, and pelicans. It’s also a kitesurfing heaven!
- Try the delicious fresh fruit sold on the beach
- Enjoy the happy hours and grab some margaritas in the many beach bars
- Give some love to the sweet animals of Refugio Animal Sanctuary – this was a highlight of our stay at Holbox! They are doing a wonderful job taking care of the abandoned and injured animals. You can help in many ways, like buying some cool stuff in their store or simply taking the dogs for a walk!
- Grab a coffee (or something sweet) at Clandestino Coffee Shop
- Hop on a bike and head to Punta Coco – on the southern side of the island, you’ll find Punta Cocos. The beach was pretty much empty while we were there, and everyone says it’s the perfect place to watch the sunset. By night, you can join one of the many bioluminescent plankton tours.
- Have a Taco’s night – If Tacos don’t come up to your mind when you think of Mexico… you’re doing it wrong! We couldn’t get enough of Mexican delicious food and Holbox is filled with many places to eat until you drop. Taco Queto is a very popular place to eat very good (and cheap!) tacos. If you want something more fancy go to Barba Negra, inside Holbox Food court. You can thank us later!
- Try the Marquesitas sold on the street – Street food is a big thing in Mexico. In Holbox, you’ll see many stands selling “Marquesitas” which is probably the best way to end any meal!
- Join one of the many Boat tours – It was very windy during our time in Holbox, so we decided not to go on any boat tour. Nevertheless, we heard it can be a fun way to spend your time while on the island! You can visit Yalahau Cenote, Isla Pajaros (Bird island), Passion Island, or even kayak through the mangroves!
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