A first-time guide to Isla Holbox, Mexico

20.12.2024 - 15:51 / lonelyplanet.com / Isla Holbox

Dec 19, 2024 • 7 min read

Isla Holbox (pronounced “holl-bosh”) still retains the feel of the Yucatán Peninsula’s coastline before the arrival of mass tourism in the 1970s.

Until a couple of decades ago, only a handful of local fishing families inhabited the island. And while there has been a noticeable rash of development in recent years, it remains a sand-streets, palm-trees-and-golf-carts kind of place.

Sure, you can now find yoga studios, vegan-friendly restaurants and trendy bars here. But the town’s proximity to wilderness and laid-back aesthetic set it apart from other destinations in the region. The star attractions are natural setting and gently shelving beach, lined with chaise-filled bars.

Perched at the tip of a promontory of forest-covered, fractured islands in the northeast corner of Yucatán, Holbox is still only accessible by boat. It’s this relative isolation that has preserved much of the settlement’s charm, and which makes it stand out.

November through March are cooler, less humid months to visit Isla Holbox. During this time, the region sees little rain and calmer seas, although accommodation prices peak during the Christmas and spring-break seasons.

Lower prices attract visitors to resorts along the Quintana Roo coastline during the hurricane season, between June and November. During this time, there’s often more rainfall, and temperatures climb to a balmy 86°F (30°C).

Yet Holbox is a riskier destination at this time since buildings on the island lack the sturdiness of the bigger resort hotels, and there’s a genuine risk of getting stranded during a hurricane, given that the only way to and from the town is by boat.

Nonetheless, nature is at its best during this time. The bioluminescence is resplendent during the summer months on either side of a new moon, and the tiny organisms responsible for the phenomenon are what attract whale sharks to the region between May and September.

It depends on your desired pace – for Isla Holbox a place to slow down and mellow out. The ideal spell is a two- or three-night break, which factors in the travel time to get to get here, allowing room to fit in a spot of snorkeling, a boat tour around Punta Mosquito and plenty of lounging on the beach.

It takes a bit of planning to get to and from this isolated spot. The ADO bus company runs multiple daily services between the main bus stations in downtown Cancún and Mérida to the dusty town of Chiquilá, on the mainland.

From there, you’ll take either the Holbox Express or the 9Hermanos ferry from the pier one block north of Chiquilá bus station to Isla Holbox (ticket booths for both are located right outside the bus station). Holbox Express runs hourly departures on the half-hour between 6:30am and 9:30pm, while