Are you traveling in Mexico? Isla Holbox is a must-see!
You’ll find yourself among backpackers, white beaches, and clear blue water. Isla Holbox Mexico is an island located on the north coast of the Yucatán peninsula and is becoming increasingly well-known among travelers. We visited this beautiful island and in this blog, we share some tips about Holbox. You will read about how to get there, hostels, food, tours, and nightlife.
How to get there?
To travel to Quintana Roo, the state where Isla Holbox is located, take a plane to Cancun. From Cancun, you need to travel to Chiquilá and there you can take a ferry that goes to the island. Already staying in Tulum or Playa del Carmen? No worries, from these places you can easily travel to Chiquilá. You can rent a car to get there or take one of the buses. You can take ADO’s buses or the Holbox shuttle. Pay attention to the times of transport, the buses do not leave all day. Tickets are about 390 pesos for a one-way ticket. The ferry to and from the island goes every 30 minutes. You can easily buy the tickets when you arrive in Chiquilá, and they cost about 220 pesos for a one-way trip. Or buy the tickets on the website of 9 Hermanos or Holbox Express. If you are traveling by car, there are many places where you can park your car safely and the price is about 100 pesos per 24 hours.
Hostels
We spent the nights at the Che hostel, and we definitely recommend this hostel if you are looking for an outgoing-party hostel. Every day they have different activities, like a cocktail workshop, watching the sunset together on the beach, or playing games like a quiz – with some beers. They also have a 30-minute open bar for men and women to start the evening and we can tell you that you will drink even more with the other travelers afterward. You can get a bed in a mixed dormitory or one for women only. Don’t forget your own towel and lock, which you’ll need in most hostels. We paid around 670 pesos per night per person. Other hostels you can find on Isla Holbox, are Tribu Hostel, Mapache Hostel, and more hostel options for Isla Holbox you can find on Hostelworld’s website.
If you are looking for a more luxurious option to stay, you can look at one of the hotels. The price is around 4,000 pesos per night.
Food
At the hostel, you can eat every day for a pretty good price. Breakfast costs 150 pesos, and they serve things like bread, yogurt, and fruit like a general hostel breakfast. In the evening, you can eat tacos or all-you-can-eat pizza for around 170 pesos. The island also has very nice restaurants, where you can have your dinner. If you go to a restaurant for breakfast, you will pay an estimated 350 pesos for an omelet with juice. For lunch, you can go to a restaurant or try fruit on the beach. There are many Mexicans on the beach selling mangoes and pineapples that you can score for a good price. For dinner, we also recommend a budget of 350 pesos, depending on where you go. Ceviches La Chingada is a very good seafood restaurant. They serve ceviche, aguachile – we suggest only trying if you can handle chili – shrimp tacos, and more. We went twice because it was very good. Want to spend a bit more for a fine dining experience? Go to Luuma, it’s a very nice restaurant that serves tapas. The special beer is also very good. Definitely worth a try if you have the budget for it!
Don’t forget to tip 10% on receipt, as this is normal in Mexico. If you are very satisfied with the service, consider giving 15% or 20% and they will be very happy.
Tours
It’s definitely worth doing one of the tours to see more of the island. We went on a tour that goes to three points: cenote Yalahau, Isla Pajaros (Bird Island), and Punta Mosquito. This tour takes about three hours and we paid 600 pesos per person. If you are excited to do a longer tour, you can add other activities, such as snorkeling. You can find these tours by walking on the beach and asking at one of the stalls.
Nightlife in Isla Holbox
We spent our nights in some well-known bars on Holbox. The first one is called The Hot Corner and it’s a bar where you can enjoy a beer while dancing. Besides this, Black Trebol is also a really nice place. In both places, they play reggaeton and techno/house music. Another good place to go to is Mahi and there they play techno music. The party goes on until the early morning. Actually, every day you can find a place to go on Isla Holbox.
Another tip, mosquitos…
We recommend bringing stuff against mosquitoes, especially in the rainy season there are many mosquitoes, which are also active during the day. It is advisable to bring long trousers and a shirt to wear at night, as sometimes they seem to be immune to DEET.
Note: we went in June, the low season, and prices vary depending on the season.