Guide: Holbox, Mexico
From Salsa lessons under the flaring sun, to the salty whistle of the Caribbean Sea and crystal waves dancing onto the pristine white sands-we loved every moment on this majestic island. Following our (thankfully) brief stay in Cancun following our flight, Melvyn and I were so excited to visit Holbox and it really didn’t disappoint. Just off the coast of Mexcio, Holbox (pronounced Hol-bosh), can be accessed by ferry from the village of Chiquilá. We took a taxi from Cancun which took around 2 hours. We’re so glad we decided to visit the island whilst in Mexico, it is full to the brim with charm and remains relatively un-spoilt by tourists. You can’t even drive cars around the island which meant we had to master golf carts quickly. What a life skill eh. From meeting some incredible people to sampling some epic food, it was the perfect mix of travel and chill.
Getting there
The best way to get to the island is by ferry from Chiquilá. The ferry leaves every half an hour and you can purchase a ticket when you arrive at the port as we did. Remember to pack the sunscreen as our 20-minute crossing was a very hot and sunny one with limited cover!
You can’t take cars on the island so if you’re travelling this way, you’ll need to leave it in Chiquilá. We opted for a taxi to the village so this wasn’t an issue for us and there is also a bus you can take from both Cancun and Tulum. When you arrive in Holbox, a golf cart taxi can take you to your hotel for around 60-100 pesos. We were staying at the far side of the island by Playa Punta Cocos so ours was a little more pricey. If you decide to walk, be careful of any flooding.
Where to stay
We were only on the island for 5 days (majorly wish we’d stayed longer), so we only stayed at one hotel which was the wonderful El Nido. We chose to stay here due to 4 main factors; design, location, eco ethos and they had a dog (Carlo the Frenchie). The boho feel is right up our street and we loved our stay here. Each room has an en-suite, balcony/patio and macrame chair for balmy evenings watching the sunset. The hotel also uses solar panels and asks guests not to use any large electricals during their stay.
Of course the location was also a winning factor for us. El Nido is situated just a few minutes from the famous sunset spot of Playa Punta Cocos, in the Yum-Balam nature reserve. We were even lucky enough to see our first experience of bioluminescence here which we’ll never forget. The hotel is perfectly quiet and peaceful. Only the sounds of birds tweeting kinda quiet. As well as this, we were a few minutes from downtown and you can also rent bikes from the hotel. As I mentioned earlier, the roads are prone to flooding and do have several pot holes among them so be careful if you opt for bikes but it’s also a great option.
We also had a great experience with the staff here and enjoyed our chats by the pool and all the recommendations they gave us. They also offer really lovely lunches from tacos to pasta, as well as tasty cocktails! So whether you want to leave the hotel and explore or chill for the day, you’re covered. On the higher end of our budget, we paid around €200 a night but the hotel really gave us the perfect end to each magical day here and it was worth every penny.
Mosquitoes! Wow. When we say beware of the mosquitoes, don’t take this lightly. Make sure you’re prepared for any moment which may leave you walking back past mangroves at dusk. Make sure you carry some high quality Deet and cover yourself up as Dengue Fever does still occur in Mexico.
Where to eat
Our favourite topic. As well as some of the fantastic street vendors, Holbox is home to some pretty special restaurants. Via recommendations by our hotel staff and by walking around downtown, we discovered and would recommend the below;
Roots- the island’s best pizza with an awesome atmosphere
Foodie Market– for more than one cuisine if you can’t decide!
Luuma- the boho dream and outdoor beach garden, super tasty tacos and cocktails
Mandarina- one of the best sunsets we saw on the island and again amazing food! This one is a bit more fancy and you need to book. A big winner for local ingredients.
La Playa De Ñaña- epic burritos on the beach! Be careful here as we didn’t realise you needed cash to pay and had to head back to the one cash point by the main square to get some.
La Playa De Ñaña
Muruva Beach Club
Luuma
Luuma
What to do
Beach Walks
Sure this is an activity for every beautiful island but the water here is the clearest we’ve ever seen. We loved driving along the perfect white sands and hopping from spot to spot across the island in our golf cart. We rented ours from Punta Caracol Golf Cart Rental but there are many spots around. Just be aware of the pot holes! One of our favourite walks was along the sandbar at low ride towards the nature reserve of Punta Mosquito.
Bioluminescence
Our first experience of this mind-blowing phenonium! We were lucky enough to see this on two occasions, once from Playa Punta Cocos and another time from Playa Holbox with a member of staff from the hotel who quickly become our friend and knowledgeable tour guide! You obviously have to visit these spots at night so pack the mosquito spray and cover up. Whilst Playa Punta Cocos was great, it’s a popular spot for this so you may encounter big groups when you visit.
Beach clubs
Although they can be expensive, if you’re looking for a chill day you’re in luck. We only visited one which was Muruva beach club towards Punta Cocos. We recommend getting the tacos and cocktails here and there are plenty of shade spots to avoid the midday heat. We had a perfect spot at the front, great for those tan-read-dip-lotion rotations.
Sunsets
Our favourite sunset spots were definitely at the quieter side of the island, by Punta Cocos. Here you’ll have a totally unspoilt view of the sun setting all to yourself, as you sip a cold beer at one of the local bars, Holbox Magico was our go to. Second to this, we loved the sunset from Mandarina. If you decide to have dinner here, make sure you book it at the right time to catch this.
The Hot Corner
Where to even start. I’m sure if you ask anyone about Holbox, this place will come up time and time again. One of the best party spots on the island, The Hot Corner is situated in the middle of town, close to the beach. Imagine travelers and locals alike learning to Salsa and dancing the night away to Reggae and beats played by local bands. This spot is so popular it spills out onto the street and the corner really becomes a night-long party (well until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays).
Whale Sharks
Sadly we visited in April so this wasn’t available to us but if you’re visiting during the summer months from June to September, this may be one activity you want to add to your list!
Punta Mosquito
The downtown Basketball court, great to watch local games at in the evening.