Best Things to Do in Isla Holbox

Located on the northern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, Isla Holbox is a true tropical paradise. With its pristine white sand beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and laid-back atmosphere, this enchanting island is a haven for beach lovers and those seeking a peaceful escape. There are no cars allowed on the island and the main ways of getting around on the island are via golf carts and bicycles.

Seaweed: When I visited in May 2023, there has been a lot more seaweed than in previous years and we found that it really harms the experience on the island as there was a big layer of sargassum on almost the entire main beach (Punta Coco was the only place that was almost sargassum-free). Definitely check before you plan to go about the current seaweed situation.

What to do in Isla Holbox

Rent a bike and explore the island

The easiest and most relaxed way to explore the island is by bicycle. There are plenty of shops in the main town that rent out bikes for one or multiple days (expect to pay around 200-250MXN per day). Head out along the main beach Playa Holbox or to the western part of the island that ends in Punta Coco.

Take a walk to Punta Mosquitos

Take a walk from the main beach and head north towards Punta Mosquito, where you will walk for a while through shallow crystal-clear turquoise water to a natural reserve far away from the beach clubs and restaurants on Holbox’ main beach. It is about a 1-1.5 hour walk but truly enjoyable. Bring enough water, snacks and sunscreen as there are no restaurants or the like in this part of the island.

There are also boat tours going to Punta Mosquito and if you do not want to walk back, you can ask the boat drivers if they can give you a ride back to the main beach for a small tip (we paid around 100MXN per person).

Relax in one of the beach clubs

Isla Holbox is the perfect place to spend a relaxed day at the beach. Have yourself served some drinks and snacks throughout the day in one of the many beach clubs on the island. However, make sure to compare prices as some of them charge insane amounts for renting the sunbeds while others offer just minimum consumption.

Enjoy the magical sunsets

Holbox is known for its jaw-dropping sunsets and there are many places on the island to enjoy these. One place I can particularly recommend is on the western tip a bit north of Punta Coco, close to the Naay Boutique Hotel (that also has a beach bar with sunbeds that are accessible for non hotel guests too).

How to get to Isla Holbox

The only way to reach Isla Holbox is by ferry, which leaves every 30 minutes from Chiquila. You can buy tickets for ~230MXN directly at the ticket counter at the terminal. The town has a bus terminal that offers connections to other tourist hotspots in Quintana Roo like Valladolid or Cancun. There is also a direct bus from and to Cancun airport, which however leaves only 2x per day (Check busbud for availability and prices).

Pro tip: There are also several colectivo services available from Chiquila that take you to Cancun downtown, from where you can take an Uber to the airport (and you will end up paying more or less the same as for the ADO direct bus to the airport).

When we researched options to get from Holbox to Cancun airport (as our flight was departing from there in the evening), the only affordable option was the ADO direct bus (apart from private taxis that cost ~150USD). However the last one was leaving at 3:30pm already and we had to leave the island early. In hindsight, the colectivo to Cancun and Uber to airport combination would have been the same price but more flexible and we could have still enjoyed 2-3 more hours on the island.

Recommended Places near Isla Holbox

Valladolid: Best Things To Do in Valladolid, Quintana Roo

Mérida: Best Things To Do in Mérida, Yucatán

Laguna Bacalar: Best Things To Do In Laguna Bacalar

Where to stay in Isla Holbox

We stayed in the main town at Hotel El Pueblito and can really recommend the place due to its central location, good value for money and relaxed backyard atmosphere.

However, if I were to go to Holbox again, I would recommend spending the extra money to stay at one of the places that are directly located at the beach to wake up with a view of the beautiful Caribbean sea in the morning.

Where to eat in Isla Holbox

Breakfast

For breakfast, there are many good options in the main town where you can enjoy delicious food with your feet in the sand. I really liked Copal Cafe, Painapol (cash only) and Bah Bah.

Lunch

For lunch, as you will likely head to one of the beaches a bit away from the town, I would recommend some of the beach clubs to enjoy some ceviche, fish tacos or french fries at the beach. At Punta Coco, we liked Holbox Magico (despite the mixed reviews on Google). On the way back from Punta Mosquito, Mantarray Beach Club is a good option.

Dinner

For dinner, I can recommend La Pinsa for Italian food and pizza. Restaurante Milpa is a good recommendation if you are looking for a more fine dining experience, while I found prices there to be fair. Other places that were recommended to me but which I could not try were Restaurante Mawimbi (closed due to reconstruction when I was there) and Parador 33 (I looked at the menu and found it a bit pricey, but food is supposed to be good).

Another popular and frequently recommended place is LUUMA, even though I thought the food was merely average and quite overpriced, also they served us a bottle of wine that was not cold (and did not replace it upon asking).