HOLBOX: Come for the beach, stay for the cocktails
Holbox (pronounced like “Hole-bosh”) is the said to be a bit like the Caribbean of Mexico. I kept hearing great things about the island, which is located just northwest of Cancun, so when a friend I had met a few days prior asked if I would be interested in a trip there I did not hesitate.
The island is super small and not nearly as developed as Tulum (where I have been living lately - more about that, here). It’s low key and great if you’re looking for a getaway where you can unplug and relax on a pristine, quiet beach. There’s not a ton to do, but definitely enough to make the trip worthwhile. I think the island is just going to become more and more developed over the next few years with more fun restaurants to check out, hopefully not too developed. The people there were extremely nice. Most of the locals we met told us stories about how they ended up there - most came to visit and just never left.
GETTING TO HOLBOX
To/From Tulum: I believe there are shared shuttles, but I did not take this route. My friend and I opted for a taxi because we wanted to see Chichen Itza and Suytan Cenote on the way. It cost us $6,000 MXN ($300 USD), and was a long day, but worth it. If we weren’t stopping at Chichen Itza, I think a shared shuttle would be the best option. You will be dropped at a port in Chiquila where the ferry boats are to get to Holbox. The ferry takes ~30 minutes and there are two companies that operate - usually running every 30 minutes or every hour. Here is a schedule.
To/From Cancun: Holbox to Cancun takes about 2 hours driving, without traffic. I left Holbox to catch a flight to Mexico City out of Cancun and only decided to book my travel the day before. My hotel had given me one option, a $180 USD taxi from Chiquila to Cancun Airport - annoying. I walked along the main street in town and found a company that offered both shared shuttles as well as private taxis. Unfortunately for me, trying to book something the night before, the shuttle was fully booked for the timeframe I needed. It’s only $380 MXN and runs every 3 or so hours. I ended up booking a private taxi with them that was $2,000 MXN, but I negotiated to get it for $1,800 ($90 USD). Not ideal, but it was super easy and I wasn’t in a packed van for 2 hours.
WHAT TO DO IN HOLBOX
The Three Islands Tour. A 3 hour private boat tour of Isla Pájaros, Yalahau, and Isla Pasíon. The first island, which I think was the smallest is Isla Pájaros. The boat takes you to a manmade dock with a structure of two lookouts to see the 140 species of birds that live on the island. Then, on Yalahau, you spend an hour swimming in a Ojo de Agua centote and it’s super refreshing. It also has the fish that are involved in a “fish pedicure.” The third island is “Passion Island” and often hosts weddings. We booked this tour through our hotel and it was $180 USD together. There is one company that does a catamaran and is around the same price, but the company didn’t have enough groups signed up to operate it the day we were going. There are also “luxury” boats you can book for a higher cost.
Tip: Bring a bluetooth speaker for music. There are no speakers on the standard boat.
Pro Tip: Get a bottle of your favorite cocktail from Casa Las Tortugas. We were drinking this juice on the menu (+mezcal) and were going to order a few for the boat, but they said they could just make us enough for a whole glass bottle. It was perfect.
Sunset at Punta Cocos. This was at the top of my list, but I decided to bike there (like reviews had suggested) and I ran into way too many flooded streets before I ran out of time. The sun sets at 6pm and apparently it’s great to see the sunset from here with a pack of beers.
Swimming with Whale Sharks. They are only around from May to September, so unfortunately missed them and will have to go back. All I know is that they are huge, friendly/safe, and people say it is one of the coolest experiences.
Kayak through the Mangroves. We didn’t do this, but I read a few blogs about how this is a cool tour where you can see some wildlife.
Eat & Drink. See below.
WHERE TO EAT & DRINK
Basico. Cute restaurant with super fun cocktails and decor. We had cocktails/wine and then two of their tacos. We loved the pork one, didn’t love the duck one.
Luuma. We drove by this restaurant on our way to our hotel when we first arrived and decided we had to go there. It’s relatively new and owned by at least one of the partners of Casa Las Tortugas.
Salma. This was the most recommended place when we arrived on the island and throughout our stay. Everyone told us to go to Selma - after 10pm. It’s a tiny bar with an amazing cocktail menu. We had a blast there.
Mandarina at Casa Las Tortugas. My favorite meal on the island. I had the pastor fish and a few cocktails and just enjoyed a dinner on the beach.
Xolo Tacos. This wasn’t on Google Maps and if you’re not familiar with Spanish it’s pronounced (“Sholo”). I had read reviews about Taco Queto, but everyone we asked said to go to this place instead. I went for a quick bite and tried two tacos (one chicken, one cauliflower) and they were good. It was cute and new, but I had to put my headphones in because the music was too much for me, but I think it’s worth checking out because it was recommended by all of the locals we asked.
Tribu Hostel. This was recommended by the owner of Luuma on our way out for the night. He suggested we head there for the rooftop and because it was karaoke night (Wednesdays).
Piedra Santa. Our bartender at Salma has recommended this place. We didn’t make it there, but I did ride by on my bike and it looked very cool - new, hip, etc. I would try this next time.
Roots. We didn’t make it here, but apparently their Lobster Pizza is famous on the island.
WHERE TO STAY
Punta Caliza. This place has definitely been on my Pinterest board. It’s a super cute boutique hotel with a pool in the center. Each room has stairs as well as separate doors that open up to the pool. It was a really cool spot and super quiet because it wasn’t on the main road. It’s not on the beach, but it’s right across the road from it. It was so cute and I wish we stayed there longer.
Casa Las Tortugas. Another picturesque hotel and located right on the beach with plenty of day beds to spend the day at. It’s sort of a treehouse meets beach type of style and super centrally located. They also have one of the best restaurants on-site where you can dine on the beach, Mandarina.
Nomade. Similar to their Tulum location, the owners opened up a spot here in 2022. I am excited to check this out soon.
Tribu Hostel. We didn’t stay here, but we did go to their Wednesday night karaoke at their rooftop bar. If you’re looking for a budget option and a place to meet other travelers, this could be for you.
GETTING AROUND
There are no cars on the island (except for a few trucks). Everyone gets around by walking, biking, or on golf carts. The taxis are golf carts and they are super cheap. It shouldn’t cost you more than $50-70 MXN to get anywhere.
OTHER HOPEFULLY HELPFUL INFO
Bring Cash. I had heard that most places take cash and that there are only two ATMs on the island. I found that most places did actually take card, but I would go prepared and make sure to take out enough pesos ahead of time.
Don’t Expect to Rely on the WiFi. If you plan to work remotely from the island, it’s not ideal. WiFi was scarce and when we did have it it was pretty terrible. I’m sure this will get better over time, but it didn’t work well enough for me.
The Island Is Small, Make Friends. We constantly ran into our hotel staff and locals we met along the way at different bars and while we were just out and about. The people in the island are so friendly - ask them for recommendations on what to do, what to see, etc. too.
xx Em
