Visit The Stunning Island of Isla Holbox Mexico

Isla Holbox is an island in Mexico that many have never heard of, making it an increasingly popular place to visit. Located in the state of Quintana Roo near popular areas like Cancun, Tulum, and Playa Del Carmen, this island is the perfect escape from these resort filled areas.

Tucked between the Gulf of Mexico and the Carribean Sea, its truly paradise. Only a mile wide and 26 miles long, you can easily see all that the island has to offer. The name Holbox comes from Mayan people, translated to “black hole”, aptly named after the dark mangroves that cover the island.

Isla is home to beautiful beaches, stunning hotels, home to thousands of birds, delicious food, and more! The island doesn’t have paved roads or cars, making you feel like your back in time. In 1990 the ferry was established for tourists which is why you will notice quite a bit of construction on the island.

I traveled to the Island in December in 2023 and had a wonderful experience getting to know the island, and how to plan your trip there. Let’s get into it!

Located in the state of Quintana Roo, Isla Holbox is north of Cancun, Mexico. North of the Yucatan Peninsula, this nature reserve is a stunning location for beach lovers and foodies.

Getting to the island is left to be desired only for the adventurous, as it is two hours from the Cancun airport. This is why the laid back vibe of the island will attract people looking for a slower pace of Mexico travel.

Getting to Isla Isla Holbox is quite the adventure-and thats part of the reason why I was so attracted to visiting. Because of this it will weed out people unwilling to make the trek, making it more desirable for travelers looking for seclusion away from the hustle of Cancun.

First, you will land in Cancun International Airport and arrange transportation from Cancun to Chiquila. This takes a bit of timing, as the ferry leaves every 30 minutes from 6:30AM to 9:30PM. The cheapest way to get to Chiquila is to take the public transportation, the ADO from Cancun Airport.

The most expensive but more private option is to book a taxi, which could cost you about $200. We took the ADO with no complications! Holbox Shuttle also offers shuttle transportation that is reliable to and from the airport. I booked with them on the way back on a shared for $45USD.

After you arrive to Chiquila, take a short walk to the Ferry Terminal and buy your round trip ticket for $30USD round trip. The ferry from Chiquila to Isla Holbox is about 25 minutes-we sat on the top floor in the sunshine and enjoyed the view!

It is vital that you travel here during the right time because the island can shut down in hurricane season. Rainy season can also shut down power on the entire island, so if you plan to work remote here, you may want to ensure your hotel has a generator for back up power. When heavy rains hit most of the island can loose power, which happened while we visited on the last day.

January-July: If swimming with bioluminescent plankton is high on your bucket list, this is when you will want to plan your visit to the island. Walk through the mangrove forest in the dark to find the lagoon near Punta Cocos to swim with them.

May-September: If your looking to swim with whale sharks that visit the lagoons of Isla, this is the time to go! Hire a guide to take you out to safely and ethically swim with the gentle giants!

June-October: Rainy season! I wouldn’t recommend traveling to the island during rainy season, as the streets will flood making it hard to get around as there is no drainage on the island.

June-November: Hurricane season! Keep in mind that this could increase your chances of the island shutting down completely, canceling your trip. Locals say that the entire island can be evacuated at times. The risk of a hurricane reaching the island is relatively low, but still possible.

December- April: Arguably the best time to visit the island as weather has cooled off and less chances of rainy days as this is dry season. I visited in December and found the weather to be perfect-not too hot and around 70 at night!

From luxury hotels to hostels-there are many options for places to stay on the island. It depends what kind of amenities your looking for, do you want beach access, close to downtown, do you want a pool, reliable wi-fi?

For us, we opted for an Airbnb on the Punta Cocos side of the island, which is where the beaches are pristine and the loudness of the party downtown cannot be heard. Our rental had an induction stovetop, blender, and toaster oven which is great for cooking breakfast, heating up leftovers, ect. Our rental did have Starlink for excellent wi-fi, which was great until we lost power on the last day due to a torrential rainstorm.

If you want to be close to the hustle of downtown, opt for a hotel right in the heart of it all. As I walked the island I took note of Amaite Hotel, Zomay Hotel, or Hotel Mittoz Holbox.

Luxury lodging for a romantic getaway or something special, these are the places to stay. Key places that looked so dreamy; Ser Casandra, Nomade Holbox, Naay Botique Hotel to name a few.

For budget travelers, these hostels are great options. These are top rated; Hostel Tribu Mapache Hostel, Che Holbox Hostel and Bar, Skycamp Camping En Holbox, and Hotel Mittoz Holbox.

If you stay outside of downtown, you it can be a 15-30 minute walk from where you are staying to the heart of Isla. When we arrived, the island had puddles from a previous rainstorm, meaning we had to wade through them to get anywhere.

Walking down the beach is the best option for getting anywhere on the island. It is the fastest way to get from one place to the next while enjoying the scenery. Reason being the island does not have proper drainage, so if it rains at all the roads flood!

Taxis are available on the island, but keep in mind prices are high! From Punta Cocos to downtown we paid $250 pesos or $15 one way. They aren’t traditional taxis, they’re UTV vehicles that can handle driving on the sandy unpaved roads and deep puddles.

If the roads are in good condition, renting a golf cart is a great way to get around quickly! It’s $85-$100 USD to rent a gold cart for the day. Some hotels will offer them for guests to use free of charge. Keep in mind if there are heavy rains rental companies will not allow golf cart rentals.

Rent a beach cruiser! Keep in mind that portions of the beach do not allow biking to protect sea turtle nests. If the roads are in great condition, this would be a wonderful way to get around! Ask your hotel or property manager ahead of time as many offer bikes with the rental! Renting a bike on Isla Holbox costs about $15USD a day.

A big reason for me wanting to travel here-the FOOD! Holbox is known for its incredible ceviche, grilled fish, fresh fruits, and lobster pizza. It’s easy to see this island accommodates for tourists, keeping quality high and delicious. Because of this, prices of food ranged from $14-$25 USD per person.

Favorite Breakfast: If you want good coffee on Isa Holbox, head to Clandistino Cafe, Mr. Happy or Compliento Cafe.

Favorite Beach Bars: Our favorite meals on the trip were at beach bars. Holbox Magico has pink beach beds you can sit on and enjoy drink and lunch. This is at the furthest side of the island on Punta Cocos. Zomay Hotel was a great place to get chairs and lunch 2 for 1 happy hour.

Favorite Dinner Spots: If your looking for upscale dining with craft cocktails, Lumma is the place for you. Bocamar underneath Soulbox Rooftop is a delicious place for dinner and happy hour, in the heart of downtown by shopping.

Favorite Sunset Bars: Isla Holbox rooftop bars are truly the best places to enjoy sunset. During golden hour and sunset the mosquitoes are awful on the island. Going higher up we found was the best way to avoid them! Spirit Holbox and Soulbox Rooftop were out favorite rooftop bar spots to watch sunset.

Depending on the type of vacation your wanting and the time of year you visit, that can alter your plans. I’ve made a comprehensive list of things to do, but here are the bullet points!

Punta Cocos: Looking for more seclusion from the hustle of the downtown area? This is on the West side of the island. Sit in a hammock in the water, wade in shallow blue waters and walk on sandbars!

Punta Mosquito: At low tide you can take the mile walk on the east side of the island to Punta Mosquito. This beautiful sandbar will make you feel like your in the middle of the ocean!

Bioluminescence: If you visiting Isla January-July, this is the best time to view the bioluminescence on the west end of the island. Hire a guide or do a self guided night walk through the mangroves and swim with the beautiful plankton.

It is best to take out cash before making your way onto the island due to the exchange rate being high. Isla Holbox has three ATM’s near the city center! If you use a credit card on the island often times the restaurant will charge a 10% processing fee so paying in pesos can save you money.

CIBanco is the most reliable ATM on Isla Holbox with the best exchange rate. We found the bank didn’t run out of cash either, which can happen on the island. CIBanco is near the ferry entrance.

It’s safe to say, after traveling to Isla Holbox, I can recommend you add this to your Mexico bucket list. Read more on what to do after you book your plane tickets to this tropical paradise!