Holbox

Isla Holbox is an island in Quintana Roo, better known worldwide as the Mexican Caribbean.

Understand

Holbox Island, population 2,000, is 38 mi (61 km) north-west of Cancún, where the Caribbean Sea meets the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the 154,000 square kilometer Yum Balamecological reserve. It is known in particular for its whale sharks.

Get in

By ferry

From Chiquilá. There are two companies that operate from the dock, very similar boats, similar prices, and leaves at the same time. Take your pick. Costs M$140 (one-way) and runs daily at 06:00, 08:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 16:00, 17:00, 19:00, and 21:30. On weekends it also runs at 15:00 and 18:00. It takes about 25-30 minutes. With two or more people you can charter a fisher's boat for the same price.

By car

From Cancún (follow signs on the road), take Hwy 180 (called Merida Libre) or Avenida José López Portillo, direction to Merida. Keep to the right when the road separates. At El Ideal, turn right to Kantunilkin, and you will arrive in Chiquilá, where the road ends.

By bus

There are three buses daily from Cancún to Chiquilá and back on Mayab and Oriente. They leave from the main Cancun ADO terminal at 7:40 am, 9:40am, and 12:50 pm (as of Apr 2017) and the price is MXN125 per person. On Mayab (the first two) there is no luggage storage under the bus, and you'll need to take it aboard. The bus may or may not be full so there may be a chance to place your luggage in an empty seat, however, that is not always guaranteed. The bus takes between 2 hours 40 minutes to 3 hours.

From Mérida you can take a night bus at 23:30, arriving in Chiquilá at 05:30, passing Valladolid around 02:30. If you prefer traveling during the day, you can take a bus from Mérida or Valladolid to Tizimín and change there to a bus to Chiquilá.

Get around

The island of Holbox is very small and there are no paved roads, only sandy paths. There are very few cars on the island and most people get around by walking, bicycle, or golf cart.

See

Sunset in Punta Norte, Holbox.

• Birdwatching. You've got a good chance to see flamingos and lots of other birds if you walk the beach west or east away from town. (updated Nov 2017)

Do

• Whale Shark Tours, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 8-14. Tours depart daily from late May through September, with peak season in July and August. Most tours leave at 08:00, returning around 14:00. Requires a one-hour bouncy boat ride, depending on the weather, but passes dolphins, flamingos, and maybe turtles and manta rays. Ceviche lunch included, and snorkeling at a well-used reef with potentially cloudy visibility. Small and cheap tour companies only allow visitors three times in the water with the sharks, no touching is allowed. Standard shared tour price is US$120-133, although cheaper deals may be found. Anyone charging less than the standard rate may not be a completely legitimate business and thus may not be following all regulations designed to protect the whale sharks. US$133. 

Buy

Credit cards are increasingly accepted but it is best to take along enough cash for your stay. The most accessible ATM is on the first floor of the city hall, on the main plaza.

Eat

• La Serenita (The Little Mermaid) (off the main plaza, on the northwestern corner.). Very local place, specialized in antojitos (panuchos, sopes, tacos, chalupes, all M$10 each). 
• Las Panchas (next to the Palapa hotel, north of the main square). 08:30-18:00. Large portions of homemade Mexican food - mostly seafood (ceviche, lobster, shrimps, etc.) but huge tacos also. beer M$25-30, guacamole $40, grilled fish $100. 
• Los Peleones (on the central square). 16:30-23:30. With a rooftop terrace overlooking the central plaza, this friendly, lucha libre-themed place serves fresh seafood, Mexican classics and home brewed beer at very decent prices. Margarita M$65; mains M$130-490. 

Drink

Sleep

• Casa Sandra, Calle Igualdad s/n, ☎ [phone]. Boutique hotel. US$228 and up. 
• Holbox Dream, ☎ [phone]. US$60-88. 
• Hostal Y Cabanas, Calle Plutarco Elias Calles s/n (At the very end of the fifth street from the pier.), ☎ [phone]. Unique, fresh and cozy, the campground is 80 m from the main beach and offers to backpackers the possibility to sleep on hammocks or beds in small wooden cabañas protected with mosquito nets, as well as within tents on the soft sand of the garden. Includes all basic comforts such as hot water, electricity, and ventilators. Additional to communal kitchen, laundry, BBQ grill and toilets, the camping provides also a fully equipped house for families and small groups who desire a bit more privacy. Starting from: tents, US$8; hammocks US$10; beds US$12; private cabañas US$45. 
• Hotel La Palapa, Av. Morelos 231, ☎ [phone]. It offers island-themed rooms and suites, all of which have balcony/deck, Internet connection, and private toilet and bath. Massage service, restaurant and bar, and recreational activities (whale shark viewing, sunbathing, snorkeling, and windsurfing). US$69 and up. 
• Ida y Vuelta, Calle Plutarco Elias Calles s/n Entre Robalo y Chacchi (Near Elements), ☎ [phone]. Nice palapa huts with fan and hammock, sand floors, shared bath (M$300), air-con rooms (M$400). Dorm beds (M$100). Shared kitchen. Free Wi-Fi. The owners are Italian, multilingual, and can help arrange tours and other activities. M$300. 
• Tribu Hostel, Av. Joaquin Coldwell (3 blocks from the pier and 40 m from the beach), ☎ [phone]. Brand new hostel with dorm rooms, private rooms, kitchen, Wi-Fi, book exchange, cinema, bike rental, tours, laundry. US$28-40. 
• Villas Flamingos, Calle Paseo Kuka s/n, ☎ [phone]. US$139-606. 

Connect

Go next

The ferry from Holbox to Chiquilá runs at 5:00, 7:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 15:00, 16:00, 18:00 and 20:00, and on weekends also at 14:00 and 17:00.

Buses from Chiquilá:

• To Cancún: 05:30, 07:30, 13:30. The trip takes 3.5 hours and costs about M$83.
• To Merida: 05:30. The trip takes almost 7 hours and costs M$150.
• To Valladolid: 05:30.
• To Tizimín: 05:30, 07:30, 13:30, 16:30. The trip takes 3 hours and costs about M$70.

Tizimín has two bus stations where you'll find busses to several destinations, including Valladolid. In Valladolid you can catch plenty of buses to Mérida, so you can consider spending some hours here and move on in the evening.

The buses are run by Autobuses del Noreste en Yucatan, are second-class and stop at a lot of places during the journey.