Most people who have researched beach holidays in Mexico will have heard of Cancún or Tulum, perhaps as locations for American bachelorette parties. Islands nearby include Cozumel and Isla Mujeres.
All of these locations are beautiful. But they do have reputations as being rather party-and-nightlife-focused. What if you still want to go to a Mexican paradise beach but would prefer a quieter time and earlier nights? Look no further. Isla Holbox is the island for you.
A quiet island
Perhaps I’m getting old but I just don’t want to stay out late and drink any more. I also have an aversion to resorts because I don’t think you get any sense of a place’s culture if you’re confined to a resort. Many of the world’s popular paradise beach areas seem to be one or the other of these, particularly in the Caribbean and South East Asia.
Therefore my ears pricked up when I heard of Holbox. A white-sand turquoise-sea palm-tree-lined beach island where you can freely access the whole island and actually get some peace and quiet? Sounds perfect to me. Bonus points that it’s not especially straightforward to get to as that helps exclude the crowds.
Where is Holbox and how do you get there?
Holbox is a long, thin island on the north side of Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula.
You can get to Holbox most easily by flying into Cancún. From Cancún Airport, you’ll need to book a transfer to Chiquilá, where you can catch the ferry to Holbox.
You can book your transfer on GetYourGuide and your minivan will meet you at the airport exit. The transfer takes two and a half hours.
At Chiquilá, you can buy your ferry ticket at the booth next to the ferry terminal. The ferry from Chiquilá to Holbox takes 20 minutes.
What to do in Holbox
Honestly, when I went to Holbox I just relaxed. I largely spent my time going for walks on the beach or simply lying on a sun lounger with a book, swimming in the sea, and eating fresh fish and delicious tropical fruits. I had just been travelling around South America for 10 weeks and needed a bit of a break!
On one day, we walked down to Punta Mosquito (where the island turns a right angle). That far down the island, the beach was practically empty. It almost felt like we had discovered a secret place, as it felt wrong that somewhere so beautiful could be so deserted. And we saw nine flamingos! Again, insane that hardly anybody else saw them too.
You can sign up for various tours which you’ll see advertised along Holbox’s beaches. The three islands tour calls in at Punta Mosquito and two other islands. And at night you can do a bioluminescence kayaking tour where you can stargaze at the clear night sky at the same time.
Pros and cons
You might be reading this article so that you can compare Holbox to the other islands off the Yucatán peninsula. To help you, I’ll outline the pros and cons of Holbox, as I see them.
Pros of Holbox
Holbox is quiet. First, it is vehicle-free, other than motorised golf carts. More generally, it seems not to be a hugely popular or well-known destination. There were times when we had an entire stretch of beach basically to ourselves. It seemed crazy to me that somewhere that beautiful could be that deserted. I went in early December, which is admittedly right at the start of the peak season, but I am sure Holbox at that time of year was quieter than Cozumel.
The food is also great. In particular the seafood and fish are wonderfully fresh. The tropical fruits are also to die for – the freshest and tastiest fruits I had ever had!
Finally, Holbox doesn’t feel like a place that non-Mexicans take over for their beach holidays. It still feels like a place where people live. Outside the main town are ordinary houses, a main square, some little restaurants and even a primary school.
Cons of Holbox
Everywhere has its downsides. One of Holbox’s is that it is harder to get to than the islands directly accessible from Cancún or Tulum. But the plus side of that it is that Holbox is likely to be less crowded than its rival islands.
Holbox is also less developed than some of the other similar destinations on the Mexican coast. Its roads are dirt tracks so when it rains they flood and can become very muddy. Whether or not you experience this will depend on the season. It did rain overnight when I was there in early December so we woke up to large puddles on the roads.
Another downside is that Holbox has mosquitos. But you would get mosquitos anywhere along that stretch of Mexico’s coast. Bring insect repellent and/or hope for a bit of a breeze to blow the mosquitos away.
How long to spend in Holbox
Don’t get me wrong, I love being near the sea. I think there is no more relaxing sound than waves lapping on a beach, and nowhere calmer for my mind to wander than contemplating the entire world being joined by the sea.
But a few days of this is enough for me personally. If you have the time, I recommend spending up to five full days in Holbox to see and do all of the things I’ve listed above and to have some “nothing” time.
If you’re planning to combine your trip to Holbox with other parts of Mexico, check out my two weeks in Mexico itinerary.
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