Holbox

First stop… Holbox. I had read a lot about Holbox before our trip to Mexico and heard some amazing things from a friend but I definitely loved it more than I thought I would. What a magical place!

A small island, Holbox has no cars, just golf buggies! With it’s laid back vibe, white sand beaches and yummy local food it is the perfect stop to spend a few days. We found Holbox to be the cheapest place we went to in Mexico and we loved that it wasn’t ruined by tourism. It is a hidden little gem that reminded me of the Gili Islands quite a few years ago before everyone started going and they became a bit ruined. I would 100% say go to Holbox before tourism takes over!

How did we get there?

After touching down in Cancun in the morning, we didn’t hang around. We bought bus tickets in the airport and caught the airport ADO bus to the downtown central bus station in Cancun City on Tulum Ave which took about half an hour. From here we bought a ticket to catch a different bus to Chiquila which takes about 3 hours. After a journey through the jungle we arrived in Chiquila which is essentially a couple of buildings and a ferry port. If you are hiring a car, there are a few car parks where you can pay to leave your car whilst you are in Holbox. The ferry runs every half an hour and takes 30 minutes to get to Holbox. 

Where did we stay and for how long?

As I mentioned – there are no cars on Holbox – just golf buggies and bicycles and it’s a DREAMY PARADISE! We stayed for 3 nights getting about 3 days in total. This was our first stop in Mexico and in hind sight – our favourite, so we kind of wished we stayed for another day! I would say 4 nights is probably the best amount of time to go for to make sure you have plenty of time to relax.

In Holbox, we stayed in Aloha Studios, a lovely little self-catering apartment just 1 street back from the beach, a 5-10 minute walk from the main square. It was super clean and had everything we needed and we could hire bikes from there to cycle around. Unfortunately we got pretty lost trying to walk from the port to the accommodation and ended up in a sticky hot mess – would definitely recommend paying for a golf buggy taxi as they are super cheap and it’s a lot easier with big bags! 

What did we do whilst we were there?

Holbox has a very laid back, chilled vibe but as well as relaxing, there are lots of good things to do! 

One morning, wake up early (7am or so) and take a walk along the beach. There is almost no one around at this time and you can stroll along with your feet in the waves and suss out the best of the sea swings that the island has! 

We also did a half day boat trip to the nearby islands (there us a full day option too). We did a half day boat trip where they took us out to sea and we swam with turtles and rays which was amazing! Then we went fishing off the side of the boat and with the fish we caught, the guys prepared fresh ceviche for us (a famous Mexican dish). They then take you to a secluded little beach at Punta Mosquito for lunch where they provide an impressive spread including the ceviche!

Holbox is a long, thin island and there are a few walks you can do. To one end of the island you could walk to Punta Mosquito where they say you can sometimes spot the flamingos! However, this is a long long walk so I would check before you go! Otherwise, just through the other side of the town you can walk to Punta Cocos, a secluded beach with a pretty pier, but beware there isn’t really anything there other than the beach so take some water/snacks!

The beaches in Holbox are incredible. Compared to Tulum where there was seaweed everywhere you looked, Holbox was pristine. Hire a sunbed and get yourself a good spot for the day, sit back and relax and have a good people watch at everyone getting their money shot by the famous swings!

After a day at the beach we headed to ‘Alma Bar’ which is a little rooftop bar with a pool right above the beach. You can relax on the hammocks in the pool whilst being served drinks and watching the sunset. This is one of our favourite memories of the trip!

Restaurant recommendations:

Holbox has a lot of great options for eating out. We went to Hotel Mawimbi on the beach for lunch under the palms where I had probably THE best guacamole of my life! We were also recommended a little restaurant in the town square which is famous for its lobster pizza which definitely didn’t disappoint! Casa de las Tortugas is a fancy hotel on the beach front and we went here for a drink on their roof terrace! For breakfast, the place to go is El Jardin, a couple of streets away from the town square towards the port. Run by some ex-pats, they serve great breakfasts but it fills up quickly so get there early!