Live your paradise Island DREAMS on Isla Holbox off the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsular. Pronounced "Hol-bosh", Holbox is a a gorgeous escape from the garish touristic spots of Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, this cute little island offers water based activities that will take your breath away along side delicious eateries and wellness activities! This is my personal no.1 coastal destination in the whole of the Yucatan State.
- Snorkel with whale sharks in the morning, soak up the sun in the afternoon, eat delicious cuisine with sea views at sunset, and swim through bioluminescent waters in the evening, enjoy live local music at night, then don't forget to dance on the beach and have a midnight swim!
The easiest way to reach Holbox Island is by public ADO bus, leaving from the main central station in Cancun, or if you're coming from the other side, Merida. You take the bus to the port of Chiquilá, then it's a short and enjoyable 25 minute ferry ride to paradise (people have been known to spot dolphins on the way so keep a look out!). Alternatively, you can arrange a shared shuttle or taxi transfer from Cancun to the port, or hire a car. Find out why I think public transport is best and how to book it, in the "What To Do" section of this guide.
The perfect get-away from Cancun, I 100% recommend Holbox above Isla Mujeres (an island opposite Cancun)... Holbox is more authentic and less like Cancun (which is now a tourist trap and very Americanised...) read on to find out more about why I think Holbox is amazing, and all my best recommendations and tips on where to stay, what to do and where to eat, for an INCREDIBLE time there!!
How many days?
If you have:
7 days in Mexico - relax for 1-2 nights then head to Chichen Itza.
If you want to be relaxed, stay 2 nights, but if you have a lot of other places to fit in, it can be done in 1 night with an early start and late finish.
Day 1:
- Relax at the beach on arrival, maybe even treat yourself to a beach massage for £12-15. Swim in bioluminescence at 8,30, 9.30 or 10.30pm.
Day 2:
-Whale Shark Snorkling Tour or dolphins depending on the season, dinner and music at dusk.
Day 3: enjoy a delicious relaxed breakfast, catch the ferry back to the mainland.
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14 days in Mexico - Stay 3 nights:
In Ella-
Day 1: Arrive by bus/ferry,
Day 2: yoga and/or massage on the beach, chill, bioluminescence after dinner.
Day 3: whale sharks or dolphins at sunrise, dinner and music at dusk.
Day 4: enjoy a delicious relaxed breakfast, catch the ferry back to the mainland.
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1 month in Sri Lanka- stay 4 nights and do it all!
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TOP TIP 1: Check the season - July/August September are Whale Shark Season, at this time they migrate and feed on surface plankton near the island so it’s an ideal time to spot them - you are guaranteed to see multiple whale sharks and manta rays in August and trust me it’s a bucket list moment!
TOP TIP 2: Check the Lunar Phase and try to plan your trip so it lands on a New Moon (no light showing) or near to one. Bioluminescence is best seen between March - September & needs as much darkness as possible to be visible, so the later at night you go, the better and the less light from the moon, the better.
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HOT TIP: if you're going to Holbox between March - September, try to organise your stay so it's over (or very close to) a new moon, so it's dark enough for you to see the islands natural bioluminescence!! - pure magic!
WHERE TO STAY:
These are the absolute loveliest places to stay in Holbox and you will have the best time at any of them:
An absolutely dreamy beach front spa hotel this boutique accomodation oozes style and laid back chic. Complete with several different restaurants serving absolutely delicious food, a bar, outdoor pool, hot tub, and a beautiful section of beach which is well maintained with lovely sunbeds and tropical beach sun shades and the location of the hotel is perfect. La Casa De Las Tortugas is the most idylic oasis to relax in on Holbox. It’s also a family run hotel and you can really tell how much care has been taken over the little things - it does tend to get booked up early so if you can afford to stay here, do yourself favour and just book it, it will be one of your most memorable stays in Yutucan.
Set in the heart of Holbox, this is not the quietest location and they do play music in the main areas during the day but it's a stunning design and a great place to stay if you enjoy a serious vibe.
A lovely guest house set 400m from the Holbox's main beach and 2.9 km from Punta Coco, Casa Mech offers a beautiful rooftop pool, a garden and inner courtyard along side their lovely rooms.
Accessible via private entrance, all rooms have air conditioning, soundproofing, desk and ensuite bathroom with shower. Some rooms feature a terrace and/or a balcony, and there is a coffee shop on-site!!
A bicycle rental service is available at the guest house to make it super easy to explore the rest of the island away from the inhabited part!
It's worth noting, couples particularly like this place and rate it highly.
Beautifully designed and set only 200 metres from the quieter end of Holbox beach, Casa Noma-Noma is an idyllic accommodation with a peaceful vibes, sea views, free WiFi and free private parking. This accommodation features a terrace and a swimming pool for guests to enjoy and every room is equipped with a balcony to take in the scenes morning or night!
All units are air conditioned and include a seating and/or dining area, and ladies - the private bathrooms also include a hair dryer!
À la carte and continental breakfast options with warm dishes, local specialities and pancakes are available daily at the bed and breakfast. There is also a lovely coffee shop on-site for us coffee addicts!
This lovely bed and breakfast boasts a variety of wellness options, including spa facilities, wellness packages and yoga classes. Sightseeing tours are available near the property and a bicycle rental service is available at Casa Noma-Noma itself!
This is the best place if you want to truly relax and prefer to stay in a quieter setting away from the thick of things.
Beautifully designed interior decor and located 600 metres from the Holbox beach, ALCOBAS DEL MAR provides rooms at a great price that come with air conditioning and a private bathroom.
The hotel features an indoor pool and concierge service and all units at the hotel are equipped with a flat-screen TV and a safety deposit box. Each room has an en-suite with shower and free toiletries, rooms at ALCOBAS DEL MAR also provide guests with free WiFi.
A stylishly designed hostel, Che Holbox Hostel & Bar has a garden, shared lounge, a terrace and restaurant. The property is located within 700 metres of Playa Holbox and has a 24-hour front desk, shuttle service, a shared kitchen and free WiFi throughout the property. It's a great place to socialise and make friends!
There is the option of daily breakfast including continental or American options.
Set within 200 metres of Playa Holbox and 2.3 km of Punta Coco, Barco Verde Hostel offers rooms in Holbox Island. Free WiFi and a shared kitchen!
Cute decor and a chill but sociable vibe with lovely staff, all rooms are complete with a private bathroom and air conditioning, some rooms also come with a balcony.
Bikes can also be rented from the hostel to help you explore the island!
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WHAT TO DO:
How to get to Holbox Island:
In my opinion the best and safest way to get to Holbox Island is by public ADO bus to the port town of Chiquilá, then take a short 25 minute ferry.
Other options include a shared shuttle from Cancun to the ferry port Chiquilá - this will cost over £100 per person.
Another alternative would be to take a guided tour from Cancun- which if you are going the shuttle bus route will actually work out better value. The last, most expensive option would be to take a private transfer:
But in my honest opinion by far the best value is the public bus... The ADO buses in Mexico are some of the best I've travelled on in the world, they are efficient, clean, safe aaand have USB charging points and air conditioning! You can pop heavy luggage in the luggage hold and it's ticketed so no one can run away with your bags. You're able to reserve your seats in advance using the Bus Bud website or App (I highly recommend downloading the App so you can keep track of bookings/tickets, and search up bus times... Google is also very accurate in terms of telling you where to pick buses up from and when they leave, their route & stops etc, so definitely worth checking also...)
Book your bus from Cancun, Playa Del Carmen or Merida to Chiquilá port town. My advice would be to book a morning bus, they generally are more likely to be running on time, there's less traffic, sea conditions tend to get worse in afternoons and if you're going in the rainy season it's usually always clear and sunny in the mornings, so makes for a nicer ferry ride, with a chance of spotting dolphins!!
Once at the ferry port, ferries run every 30 minutes. There are two different ferry companies - one runs on the hour, the other runs 30 minutes past the hour, if you want to get a return ticket, you don't have to book the time, but you do have to make sure to catch the same ferry company on the way back, so do factor that into your timings. There is no need to book ferry tickets in advance, you can just buy it on arrival at the counter :) and as arrival times are difficult to predict with Mexican traffic... I definitely suggest waiting until you arrive!
These are the two different ferry companies and their timetables:
HOT TIP: Check the season you're going in! Check the Lunar cycle! & Check the weather forecast!
Doesn't matter if it's Dry season or Wet Season, both have their merits! -What might be the worst season for weather, may be the best season for sea-life! ;-)
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Bioluminescence season = March - September
This is one of the most magical beautiful experiences I've ever had in my life and if you have the opportunity to see it, do not miss it!! You need it to be dark, so try to organise your time in Holbox so it falls over a New Moon, or as close to a New Moon as possible. If you have to go to the island over a Full Moon, skip this activity because you just won't be able to see it.
I really suggest going with a tour rather than trying to see it on your own because our guide made it exciting and gave us really cool facts and explanations, he also had activities while we were in it, which made it ridiculously magical and it wouldn't have been the same if we'd been wondering around by ourselves, the guide made the experience extra special.
These are the tours I personally recommend, I did the Kayaking one and it was amazing, friends did the other and really loved it as well:
Whale Shark season = June 11th - September 17th (BEST months = July + August)
A bucket list activity, snorkelling with Whale Sharks is something I'll never forget! If you happen to go in July and August, don't miss this activity... We were lucky because there were so many whale sharks we were able to swim with 2 different ones, and there were no other boats with us. Only 2 people were allowed to be in the water with the shark at any one time and I really appreciated how sternly the captain told us if we touched one we would go straight back to shore immediately - they genuinely had a huge amount of respect for the creatures.
The sharks themselves were so totally unfazed and chill, they didn't seem to give two hoots we were there! Such a beautiful unforgettable experience:
-Beach Massages: - if chill is your thing, you can get paradise worthy beach massages at a number of places if you just wander along the ocean front on Playa Holbox! Prices range from $300-700mxn (around £11-25 / $15-$35 usd) for an hour of relax with sounds of the ocean in the background!
-Hire dune buggies or bicycles and go exploring round the uninhabited parts of the island for the day!
WHERE TO EAT:
Holbox is no stranger to delicious cuisine, there are cute coffee shops and restaurants on every corner, serving up a smorgasbord board of different cuisines and tastes, these are just a few of my favourites:
I was recommended to go to this place by multiple people for some of the best tacos in Mexico, and then I ended up accidentally meeting the owner while eating at a streetfood stall one night! (also recommend in here) a Mexican who moved here from Mexico City for the Island lifestyle several years ago, he’s created one of the best eateries on Holbox whivh is loved by locals and visitors alike and has a great vibe - highly recommend!
Gorgeous cuisine in a beatiful setting overlooking the beach, this is a great place to dine for evening - top tip - book 15-30 minutes before sunset so you get to watch it over the ocean and see the beautiful lighting light up!
The best streetfood in Holbox, possibly Yucatan! Their tacos are tasty, and cheap - what’s more to like! This little place opens each night on the square, it’s around $1/£1, they get 4.8 on google reviews & trust me - I ate here twice and they taste delicious!
Hot Corner is the pre-show, you can eat, drink and dance here until 12/12.30pm each night. Music is a mix of live local music with DJ sets - which were great when I was there! It’s an authentic haunt, popular with both locals and tourists alike which makes for a cool fun vibe! After Hot Corner closes, the after party comtinues at Bikini Bottom on the beach.
After Hot Corner closes, the after party continues at Bikini Bottom, a little bar with a big attitude, situated on the beach front it will be completely deserted until the moment Hot Corner closes. When reveleres head round the corner to the beach for a little dancing in the sand. With great DJ’s and a lovely setting, this place is a vibe & it stays open until the small hours. Don’t forget to top the night off with a skinny dip in the sea! :)
Hi, I'm Alice! I have a fondness for seeking out unique, once in a lifetime, once in a destination experiences. I've personally explored 32 countries to date. My favourite destinations so far have been Flores in Indonesia, Varanasi in India, Nyungwe in Rwanda and Chiapas State in Mexico -because they were all a little off the beaten path and totally magical!
I'm an experienced solo traveller and a small group travel leader! I love trying new things, connecting with locals, hiking through nature & seeing different cultures unique and quirky traditions! I work as a freelance Travel Coordinator for the global adventure travel company WeRoad ( https://www.weroad.co.uk/ ) leading small group adventure tours to worldwide destinations several times a year. If small group travel with fab vibes is your jam, you're welcome to use my discount code: INCOORLEAKEALI for 10% OFF ANY of their tours. If you prefer doing your own thing and customising your own bespoke trip, read on... because you're in safe hands with these guides!
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