Welcome to The Weekender, Coveteur’s travel series where seasoned globetrotters share their insider guides to top destinations across the world. Read on for the best spots to eat, stay, and enjoy.
By the time my husband and I finally made it to Isla Holbox for an escape-NYC-winter getaway back in March, I thought we may be too late. I’d been hearing whispers of the island’s sunny, rustic magic for years, and wondered if everything I’d heard about it—that it’s one of the last laid-back beach destinations reminiscent of old Mexico; that it’s brimming with natural wonder and wildlife; that we should go now before it becomes the next Tulum—would still hold up. Fortunately, it did: Isla Holbox is truly the perfect spot for a mellow, eco-conscious island getaway that still feels like a step back in time.
Located six miles off the Yucatán peninsula’s northern coast, in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Isla Holbox (pronounced “ohl-bosh”) is an actual tropical paradise. The island is only about one mile wide, but it’s around 26 miles long and very flat. It’s also home to one continuous stretch of easy breezy beach bars, shady palapas, turquoise water everywhere you look, and incredible (and incredibly protected) wildlife. As part of the Yum Balam biosphere reserve, a protected nature reserve that was established in 1994, Holbox—which means “Black Hole” in Yucatec Maya—is a special ecosystem known for its abundance of pelicans, flamingos, and whale sharks (but only during the right season, from June through September). While it’s not completely undeveloped, it’s nowhere near the level of more touristy nearby beach towns like Tulum, Cancún, and Playa del Carmen, thanks in large part to its status as a conservation area. Holbox does not have high-rises or chain hotels or even cars, for example—it’s mostly bikes, golf cart taxis, and the occasional work truck—and many of the streets are still muddy and unpaved. The best fact of all? Unless Mexico changes its laws or declassifies the area as a nature reserve, Holbox will likely (and luckily) stay a little bit untouched, and continue to exude that timeless island feel that’s harder and harder to come by these days.
Getting there is a bit of a trek, but not because of distance—it’s more because you have to take multiple modes of transportation until your toes are in the sand, cocktail in hand. The journey begins with a flight to Cancún, followed by a two-hour car or shuttle ride (private or shared) to the port city of Chiquilá, where you will catch a 20-minute ferry to Holbox (tickets cost around 150 pesos or $7, and you can buy them at the port; ferries leave every 30 minutes). The final leg of transit is a golf cart taxi to your hotel, or you can walk if you’re staying close to the ferry port. (You can also take a chartered air taxi from Cancún to Holbox if you’ve got the cash or a big group willing to pitch in.)
There’s plenty to do once you get to Holbox, or you can do nothing at all. Hammocks and swings are everywhere on the island, including in the water itself, and they seem to beckon wherever you go. My husband and I were in Holbox for four nights total. We spent two days straight chilling in hammocks and lounging on the beach, and the other two days “doing things” (which, let’s be honest, still revolved around the beach). So, while it’s perfectly acceptable to laze about, bask in the sunshine, and drink your weight in mezcalitas, here are some tips for exploring the island, too.
Where to Stay
Ser Casasandra
The entrance of Ser Casasandra.
Photos: Courtesy of Annie Daly
Inside the property.
The room.
Centrally located just a 10-minute walk from town, Ser Casasandra is the perfect home base for exploring all Holbox has to offer. Translated from Spanish, “Ser Casasandra” means “to be at Sandra’s house,” and that’s exactly what it feels like when you’re there. The owner, Sandra Pérez Lozano, is a Cuban artist and art collector, and she and her husband (also a Cuban artist) originally built the property as their beachside thatched-roof home back in 1999. When they lived there, they came to love hosting their friends so much that they decided to open up their compound to the public. Today, the house-turned-hotel—which has expanded since its early days and recently completed an extensive renovation—draws inspiration from Yucatecan architecture and is meant to be a peaceful sanctuary, helping guests relax and reconnect with nature and themselves. It certainly helped me!
With thoughtful and conscious design touches (think locally-sourced cedar and mahogany wood, handmade textiles, and colorful hammocks made by local artisans), art pieces from renowned artists on the walls (many of which are Sandra’s own or from her personal collection), and a mix of eclectic furniture, Ser Casasandra feels more like your loveliest art friend’s bohemian beach hideaway than an actual hotel—in the best way possible. But the more typical luxury hotel amenities are there, too. The 17-room property has one private villa, a lovely pool bordered by bright magenta bougainvillea, three gourmet yet laid-back restaurants (two in the hotel; the other right on the beach), and a spa, AHAL Holistic Center, that offers a variety of holistic treatments and morning yoga classes from Wednesday to Sunday each week. The staff even plays Sandra’s own curated playlists throughout the day, which vary from light jazz during morning breakfast to Manu Chao and Jorge Ben Jor at happy hour—the perfect soundtrack for relaxing with an ice-cold mezcalita.
What to Do
Chill at the Beach—Especially During Sunset
The beach during sunset.
Photo: Courtesy of Annie Daly
Playa Holbox is stunning. The water is super shallow, meaning you have to walk quite far out to even reach your knees. This makes for some pretty epic photos in addition to swimming, because it looks like you’re literally walking into the horizon. The sunsets are also beyond gorgeous, as the sun drops directly into the ocean every night and paints the sky in all shades of pastels. One of the best spots to watch the sunset is at Punta Cocos, on the western tip of the island, though it’s honestly incredible from any vantage point along the shoreline.
Walk Along the Famous Holbox Sandbar to Punta Mosquito
The sandbar.
Photos: Courtesy of Annie Daly
A flock of birds at the sandbar.
You can’t leave Holbox without doing this—it’s a must! Punta Mosquito is a remote nature conservation area at the end of Holbox’s famously long sandbar. While all of Holbox is part of the Yum Balam Biosphere Reserve, Punta Mosquito is even more protected, as large parts of it are blocked off to travelers entirely. It’s home to all sorts of wildlife and marine life, from pelicans to eagles to turtles to flamingoes (if you’re there from around April to October). But the best part of this excursion is the journey to get there: You quite literally have to walk along the sandbar—which is about 50 feet from shore—for an hour or so to reach the reserve! There are lots of pretty starfish in the water along the way, so it’s fun to keep an eye out for them as you go.
To get to the sandbar, you can walk, bike, or take a golf cart to Las Nubes de Holbox on the eastern tip of the island, and then walk straight out to sea from the shoreline. There are usually a couple other people around doing the same thing, so you’ll know you’re in the right spot when you see others wading out in search of more shallow waters. Once you make it to the sandbar and eventually get to the preserve—which you’ll be able to see way in the distance when you begin—the best thing to do is take in the insane views, hang with the birds, and just be before you start your trek back. (Also, don’t go beyond the conservation signs.)
Pro Tip: Bring snacks and sunscreen in a backpack. My husband and I were envious of the people we saw who were more prepared than we were! We did not get it together enough to pack provisions, and definitely got a bit thirsty and sunburnt by the end, as the walk is about an hour each way. It’s also best to go around sunrise, around 7 a.m. or so, as the sandbar is most accessible then—and you also get that sweet golden morning light.Take a Bioluminescence Kayak Tour at Night
There’s a growing body of research out there that shows that seeking out moments of awe is one of the best things you can do for your well-being. Knowing that, be sure to book a bioluminescence kayak tour while you’re in Holbox—there are tons of signs for them in town and your soul will thank you for it! The waters around Holbox are filled with large amounts of phytoplankton, which is a type of microalgae that floats at the top of the ocean and starts to sparkle when it gets hit by any sort of movement, whether that’s from a wave or from a nearby swimming fish. When you go out on a kayak tour at night, your guide will lead you to places that have the most phytoplankton, and then instruct you to wave your hand around in the sea—and your hand will literally start to glow. I’m not sure how all of the other tours work, but our guide then invited us to abandon our kayaks (she anchored them) and go night swimming in the middle of the dark sea so that our movements lit our whole bodies up in sparkles. As in, my leg was glowing white in the middle of darkness. It was one of the coolest, most surreal travel experiences I’ve had in a while—one that prompted me to put my whole life in perspective and wonder: Why do I even care about so many dumb little things when I could be chasing more epic moments like this? And more importantly: What can I be doing to help the earth so that moments like this don’t disappear entirely?
I don’t have photos of this epic event because I didn’t want to bring my phone out in the kayak, as I had a feeling that would take me out of the moment and I wanted to just be in it! But also, it was dark out, and because I am not a National Geographic photographer who knows how to capture millions of tiny little glowing phytoplankton, they probably would’ve been crappy anyway.
Take a Three Islands Boat Tour
Isla Pasión (Passion Island).
Photos: Courtesy of Annie Daly
Yalahau Lagoon.
As you now know, Holbox is known for its wildlife, and that’s what you’ll see firsthand on the Three Islands boat tour. It brings you to Isla Pájaros (Bird Island), Isla Pasión (Passion Island), and Yalahau Lagoon—and you can also stop and go swimming off your boat along the way. The main draw here is the flora and fauna: Isla Pájaros is a protected area that’s home to around 140 species of birds, including but not limited to herons, frigates, spoonbills, pelicans, and flamingoes (you’ll only see them if you’re there in season). The island is not accessible by foot, so you have to get off the boat and climb a rickety ladder to a wooden treehouse-like viewing point to scope the scene.
On the flora front, Yalahau is a crystal-clear natural pool of freshwater surrounded by mangroves and other vegetation (and, confusingly, it’s also the name of the entire body of water between Holbox and the mainland). Lifejackets are required upon entrance to the lagoon, and it was a bit crowded when we went, but the cold, refreshing water made it worthwhile. It’s also said that the ancient Maya considered this water to be a healing and sacred fountain of youth, so I was all in for that as well—scientific proof or not.
The last stop on the tour is Isla Pasión, which doesn’t have much, but that’s the point. It’s completely uninhabited and stunning in its simplicity: just white sand, turquoise water, lush greenery, and wide open sky. Once my husband and I got out of our tour boat, we didn’t even take any photos of the island because we found a nice little spot to chill and ended up getting lost in the moment. Isn’t that what island time is all about?
Pro Tip: I wasn’t in Holbox during whale shark season, but if you are, you should definitely go on a tour to go swim with them! We are already planning our return trip and will be factoring that timing into the equation.Where to Eat & Drink
Mojito Beach Club
Ceviche.
Photos: Courtesy of Annie Daly
Chile relleno tacos.
Remember when I told you that my husband I spent two days straight chilling on the beach? You can thank Mojito for that. The delicious lunch restaurant—which is part of Ser Casasandra but is also open to outside guests—makes it possible to hold it down on the beach all day long. It’s one of those vibe-y toes-in-the-sand palapa spots where you can and should eat in your bathing suit, and the only thing better than the dappled light coming through the thatched roof is the food itself. The menu is a mix of Cuban and local Mexican, and though you truly can’t go wrong, standouts IMO were the fresh mixto ceviche, fish pastor tacos, chile relleno tacos, and tostones with guacamole (quite possibly my favorite of them all).
As for day drinking, I love ordering Casa Madero wine whenever I’m in Mexico, especially the dry rosé, so I was happy to see it on the menu at Mojito (and throughout Ser Casasandra). Though you may not associate Mexico with wine—likely because they don’t export much of it—it's really tasty when you’re there. Servers often recommend Casa Madero, as it’s one of the top wineries in the country.La Combi
The bar at La Combi.
Photo: Courtesy of Annie Daly
We stumbled upon this place while we were strolling the streets in town looking for a fun place to chill with a beer and a mezcal before dinner. It’s not trendy or chic or one of those “IYKYK” places in any way; it’s just colorful, twinkly-light fun—but that’s the point. When we first sat down, it was still pretty early in the night (around 7:30 pm or so), and we had plans to head to Básico—a popular plant-based spot our server at the hotel had recommended—for dinner. But one beer led to another, and then another, and pretty soon, we had made new friends at the bar, and a live band came on, and we were committed.
Our “happy hour” at La Combi ultimately turned into many happy hours and led to one of those perfectly random island nights—the kind that make you wonder if you’re even really living back at home because life should always be this fun. But let’s save that existential crisis for another time—the tl;dr is that La Combi is a great non-pretentious spot to drink and you should definitely go. We also saw that The Hot Corner nearby had a similarly fun live-music vibe and seemed like a solid gathering place.Street Food Carts on Holbox’s Main Square
Street cart burritos.
Photo: Courtesy of Annie Daly
Not surprisingly, my husband and I ended up missing our dinner at Básico entirely, as the kitchen closed around 10 p.m. and we were still drinking like we were 22 again at La Combi. Not to worry: The street food in Holbox is amazing! There are a ton of carts lined up around the plaza in the main square in town, and they serve everything from tacos to quesadillas to burritos to tortas to marquesitas to fries—so we went wild and ordered far too much food from multiple vendors. No regrets—this was one of my favorite meals of the trip. My favorite order was the vegetarian burrito, which was filled with mushrooms and topped with crema, pickled onions, and cheese. I love how traditional burritos come with goodies on top of the tortilla rather than simply wrapping everything up inside.
Pro Tip: Though we didn’t make it to Básico, our server at the hotel—who’s lived in Holbox for about 10 years—highly recommends it! His other go-tos: Salma for high-end regional seafood and cocktails in a chic bohemian atmosphere, and the very Insta-worthy Luuma for a fancier cocktail spot and ambience. Ser Casasandra’s dinner restaurant, Ser Esencia, is also an incredible nod to modern Yucatán cuisine and is regarded as one of the best spots to eat in all of Holbox. Don’t forget to order a carajillo nightcap!
