How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Isla Hotbox

This car-free island is home to beautiful beaches and one of the largest species on the planet.

Stepping onto the sun-bleached shores of Isla Holbox is like entering a secret club you wish you'd heard about years ago. At 26 miles long and only one mile wide, this skinny fingernail of an island is located off the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, right where the turquoise of the Caribbean Sea swirls into the green of the Gulf of Mexico. Sandy streets, buildings bathed in Caribbean colors, and the sputter of golf carts — one of the main modes of transportation on the island — set the tone for a place unlike many others in Mexico.

Truth be told, Isla Holbox is less of the rustic island escape it used to be. The allure of its Instagrammable hammock groves, yoga pavilions, and palapa-thatched bungalows worked well, and today, there are considerably more tourists and mainstream hotels than in years past. Still, this sun-soaked island, where cars are unwelcome and bare feet are preferred, is a worthy getaway from the mainland crowds of Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum.

How to Get to Isla Holbox

Part of the charm of Isla Holbox is the legwork required to get there. The distance from Cancun helps to weed out the volume and preserve an idyllic atmosphere.

Isla Holbox has a tiny airport for private planes, but most travelers will first land in Cancun. From Cancun, you can drive or hop on the ADO bus to the port town of Chiquila, the last mainland stop before Isla Holbox.

If you rent a vehicle, you'll have to leave it in Chiquila since Isla Holbox is car-free. There are small lots where parking fees are negotiable. You can also taxi to the ferry terminal, but be prepared for steep fares. ADO is the most convenient and cost-effective option.

ADO is one of the largest bus companies in southern Mexico. Their buses — which leave for the port town of Chiquila from around the Cancun region, including the downtown terminal, airport, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum — are safe and comfortable with wide, reclining seats and air conditioning. You can book tickets online, via the ADO app, or at the ticket counter at various bus stations. For reference, one-way tickets from Cancun to Chiquila cost roughly 344 pesos (or $20), and the ride is about two hours.

The next step is to hop aboard the ferry that leaves every hour from Chiquila and shuttles passengers to Isla Holbox. The ride is just a 15-minute skip across the calm channel on a comfortable (and air-conditioned) catamaran. Tickets are roughly 220 pesos (or $13).

Best Things to Do on Isla Holbox

It's easy to see why Isla Holbox was a backpacker's paradise for so long. Sandy streets are lined with thatched-roof buildings splashed in electric colors like neon green, pink, turquoise, and canary yellow. Visitors and residents get around using golf carts, ATVs, and beach-cruiser bikes, while rhythmic island music spills out of open-air cantinas.

The island’s buzzy Centro district can feel overwhelming for travelers looking to slip off the grid. But if you venture to the furthest beaches from downtown, you'll be able to find a slice of solitude.

One thing cannot be denied about Isla Holbox, though — its beaches are spectacular. Your first stop should be Punta Mosquito, which sits at the tip of the elbow-like bend on the island's northernmost point. Silky white sand and endless gradients of crystal-to-turquoise water extend as far as the eye can see. It's a good spot to pause and get yourself centered and acclimated to "island time," which is very much a thing here.

No matter where you stay on the island, you will be blown away by the powdery beaches and calm, shallow, impossibly clear water. Most of the water around Isla Holbox is only about waist-deep, and you'll find colorful groves of sea hammocks to wade out to.

While the energy on the island is relaxed, those who want a bit of activity will find plenty to do. Perhaps one of the top reasons people visit Isla Holbox is to see the magnificent whale sharks between mid-May and mid-September. These gentle giants, which can grow up to 40 feet long, migrate to the area to mate and feast on plankton during the summer. Eco-friendly tour operators like VIP Holbox take curious adventurers out to safely and ethically swim alongside these beautiful creatures for a humbling encounter with one of the largest animals on the planet. Keep your eyes peeled for other gorgeous marine life, like sea turtles and manta rays.

The calm coastline is perfect for kayakers and stand-up paddleboarders. And if you're lucky, you might see the waters around the island's southern shores light up when the sun goes down, thanks to the ethereal glow of bioluminescent plankton. Tip: The best time to see this phenomenon is between July and January.

No matter the time of year you visit, pack mosquito repellent. The island is part of the Yum Balam Nature Reserve, which consists of wetlands, mangroves, and lowland jungle where mosquitos thrive.

Where to Eat on Isla Holbox

Most of Isla Holbox's restaurants and bars are located in the Centro district. This is the most congested part of the island, but it's also the most densely concentrated in terms of restaurant variety.

As to be expected, the best things you'll eat on Isla Holbox come right from the sea. Whether you're dining on sea bass sashimi at Ser Esencia or folding up slices of wood-fired lobster pizza at rustic-bohemian Roots, the seafood on Isla Holbox is delicious.

The flavors continue as you tuck into tasty, plump, and succulent meat-and-veggie tacos at Barba Negra, or dig your toes into the sand while snacking on ceviche in a swing seat at the beachfront bar and restaurant Raices. Las Panchas is an island favorite, particularly for the fresh fish and shrimp tacos. Regulars also love Milpa, a family-run restaurant known for its top-tier tasting menus, fit for a Michelin-starred dining room but in a decidedly laid-back setting.

Best Places to Stay on Isla Holbox

Hotels on Isla Holbox range from eco-lodges to boutique beachfront hotels. And even though the island has become well-known, a boho vibe permeates.

Luxury travel company Journey Mexico sends its clients to Ser Casasandra for the best overall experience, dining, and service. The focus on art at this boutique hotel is meant to make guests feel like they're staying in a beachfront gallery with supreme ocean views. Rooms are rustic-chic, with tile floors, crisp white linens, and exposed beams on the ceiling.

For a romantic getaway, Nomade Holbox offers 30 suites made with sustainable materials. For those who remember the "before" days of Tulum, this hotel will feel familiar — jungle tree houses, oceanfront suites, and luxury glamping tents help guests connect with nature. Every angle of the hotel is like a picture-perfect shot on a highly curated Instagram feed.

"Even if you're not staying there, it's worth stopping by for a day pass or lunch or dinner," said Zach Rabinor, CEO and founder of Journey Mexico. "It's a privileged location, the architecture is truly admirable, and their wellness program is very special."

Rabinor points to Nomade Holbox as one of the best places to dine on the island. Tip: Order the restaurant's signature Chilly Queen cocktail (Ojo de Tigre mezcal, Ancho Reyes liqueur, strawberry, basil, cranberry juice, and sour orange).

Head away from downtown to discover Punta Caliza. Suites topped with A-frame palapa roofs sit clustered around a shallow turquoise pool, so it feels like a secret aquatic village. Inside, the rooms are evocative of cozy bungalows, with tile floors, wooden accents, and crisp, white linens.

Perhaps the furthest you can get from town is the Robinson Crusoe-style Las Nubes. This hotel provides an "edge-of-the-earth" feeling, as it is the last stop on the island before the beach is swallowed up by mangrove jungle. A collection of thatched-roof bungalows is clustered around a small, turquoise-colored pool. The Master Suites are the accommodations to book here, thanks to their bright, airy spaces and terraces with ocean views. Wade out to the sandbar to savor the gorgeous turquoise waters. While the island's vibe has changed in recent decades, this spot proves you can still find some pockets of peace.

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