Isla Holbox
Isla Holbox, ‘Mexico’s best-kept secret’, is one of the hidden gems of Mexico. It is only accessible by plane or boat and there are no cars, concrete roads or tall buildings. The island is popular because of its incredible hostels, hotels, restaurants and of course its nature. More than 75% of the island is nature; jungle or amazing withe beaches.
This place is a little heaven on earth. The combination of the relaxed vibe, white beaches, clear warm water and typical coloured Mexican houses make this place like paradise. Make sure to rent a bike (most hostels offer bikes) and bike around town and visit all beaches.
If you want to do a longer beach walk, make sure to visit Punta Mosquito, the most Northern part of the island. To get there is just walking from sand bank to sand bank!
Lots of bars and restaurants are located right at the beach. Also hammocks on the beach or in the water are a popular places for a break and to have a drink! In the evening, lots of bars have live music, make sure to walk around to different bars and go check bands playing!
Beware: all bars and restaurants close at midnight!
Try some street food while you wander around the island. The combination of Mexican food and all the seafood at the island is incredible!
Make sure to bring enough cash, there are only two ATM’s at the island and run out of money frequently. Most bars and restaurants don’t accept cards! Withdraw money when you are in a bigger city, that is probably cheaper!
Places I can really recommend:
Hostel: Che Holbox Hostel: Amazing bar, great vibe, nice pool and good food!
Restaurant: Roots: A huge beer garden with amazing food, relaxed outdoor seating!
Restaurant: Taco Queta: Real local food, amazing concept!
Bar: Capitán Capitán Beach Club: Amazing cocktails and food, right on the beach!
In Chiquila you can take the boat to Holbox. There are two different ferry companies who leave every other 30 minutes to the island. The boat trip takes 40 to 60 minutes and costs around 150 Mexican Pesos, a little more than 6 euro.
There are a lot of private parkings in Chiquila to leave your car safely guarded for a couple of days.
By car:
Chiquila ←→ Cancun: 2h, 133 km
Chiquila ←→ Valladolid: 2h, 160 km
Chiquila ←→ Tulum: 2h 30min, 180 km
Chiquila ←→ Merida: 3h 30min, 306 km