Top 10 things to do in Holbox
Holbox is a small island in the Yucatan located between the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.
Today it is a little paradise with a relaxed atmosphere, between long beaches and colorful murals.
The main square is the heart of the village and around it you will find pretty little shops, cafes, restaurants which eventually lead to the beach, all surrounded by street art.
But what can you do in this little corner of paradise for a top-notch stay?
1) Rent a golf cart or bicycle
First think first, in Holbox you get around on foot, by bike or by golf cart.
Personally, I preferred the bicycle and its rather funny use: big dials as if you were driving a Harley Davidson, no brakes (well, you end up understanding that you brake by operating the pedals in reverse).
And it's still a lot cheaper to rent than a golf cart.
24-hour rental directly from the hostel: 200 pesos
The golf cart is not profitable unless you rent it to several people to get into these types of prices.
2) Relax on the beach club facilities
Holbox rhymes with its many beach clubs all along Holbox beach.
For hundreds of pesos (Holbox remains a very touristy destination), you can enjoy the many facilities on the beach.
To cite among others: THE Mandarina Restaurant & Beach Club from the hotel Las Tortugas House
Attention lovers, this is THE spot to enjoy a good homemade cocktail in front of the magnificent sunset.
If you plan on spending the whole day at the beach, you can even take a Day Pass: you pay a fixed rate for access to the facilities (deckchairs, shower, towels, wifi) and part of it can also be used for food and drinks.
We are talking about passes in the 500-600$ all the same but you should know that everything is more expensive than in the rest of the Yucatan in Holbox.
You have to pay for heaven 😉
3) Discover Punta Mosquito
Located on a tip of the island, there is turquoise water and fine sandy beaches, filled with small shells, 2km from the nearest hotel.
I had my own Koh Lanta there (yes yes I know it doesn't take much) with one of the travelers from the hostel where I was sleeping. We got caught in a full on downpour right in the middle of our journey to the sandbank, backpacks on our heads, walking across the sea, water up to our chests (moral: you either have to be big or not carry anything ^^).
You can get there from the hotel The Clouds which is the start of the path after having left your bike or cart there.
4) Admire a sunset at Punta Cocos
Another beach located at the other end of Punta Mosquito is Punta Cocos.
Little frequented, quite wild, with its colorful hammocks worthy of postcards.
In the evening, you can normally witness the bioluminescence phenomenon when it is pitch black and it is not a full moon.
This phenomenon is supposed to be best seen from June to October.
Tested at the end of May, we waited a while and everyone left pretty empty-handed I must say. We didn't see anything or you had to be in the middle of the water to hope to see a small point of light.
I find it hard to believe that this is offered as an excursion in this case (or else you have to go in the middle of the night although it was quite dark when we were there briefly).
5) Take part in an excursion around the Island
- Island of the Birds (with its 35 species of birds as its name suggests)
- Cenote Yalahau
- Passion Island
These are the most popular excursions offered by tours on the island.
6) Go snorkeling or kite surfing
No big speeches about it, there are all sorts of tours or organizations offering outings to explore the seabed.
I haven't done any so I wouldn't know the best person to advise you on these activities.
7) Donate your time and love to the animal shelter
Finally an activity that was close to my heart: going to cuddle and spend time with the animals at the shelter.
Founded in 2009, it mainly receives dogs (but some cats present on site) who have suffered from mistreatment and cruelty.
The shelter therefore takes them in and once they are in good health, they are adoptable.
I have to say that some of them had major psychomotor problems, it was heartbreaking.
Many were asking for hugs, attention, big balls of love.
You can even walk the dogs on the beach every day, in the late afternoon.
No need to make an appointment or anything. You come and offer your help, it will please the many volunteers, and any volunteering is good to take for them.
If you are passing through the island, here is the link to the refuge website:
https://www.refugioanimalholbox.com/
8) Stay in a youth hostel
There are many accommodation options all over the island, from simple campsites to 5-star hotels, there is something for every budget.
I stayed at Mapache Hostel, which clearly has the best value for money. And his rave reviews that I had read before my arrival quickly convinced me.
It is possible to reserve tents, a place in a dormitory or even private teepees for 2 people.
The super complete breakfast is also included in the reservation.
The hostel has hot water and pressure (and believe me, out of the other accommodations I stayed in during my road trip, this is one of the first times I could take full advantage of it, it's a bit of a rare commodity)
Activities are offered by the hostel staff every day.
Many are young students on vacation who will not resume their studies until the start of the school year, people who want to travel before starting a new job or first experiences of life abroad.
They work at the hostel for room and board. It's a great deal!
If when I was younger, I had been more in this phase of travel/exchanges like Erasmus etc, I would clearly have benefited from an experience like this.
It's easy to meet people there: as soon as I arrived, I made friends with people of all nationalities: Netherlands, USA, Canada, Sweden, Latin America, France.
Being at the beginning of the low season, the rates in tent are 42$ per night, in dormitory, 35$
For my part, I treated myself to a private teepee. Just to have the right combination of shared places and moments and my privacy (and let's not lie to each other, I'm over 20 and having a minimum of comfort for me is not a luxury ^^).
9) Taste the local specialties
There is no shortage of restaurants, bars and cafes on the island.
The island's specialty is lobster pizza (I didn't try it because it's still quite an expensive dish).
Some addresses worth the detour:
- PAINAPOL (Italian, seafood): https://www.facebook.com/Painapolholbox/
- BLACK BEARD (Seafood): https://www.facebook.com/barbanegrahbx/
- ARTE SAN (Vegan): https://artesanovegangroup.com/
10) Get in the mood to the sound of live bands
Whether along the bars at sunset on Holbox Beach or in the bars of the main square once the sun has set, the island beats to the sound of music as soon as it gets dark.
My favorite: a small bar on the corner, one street from the beach, with a band playing popular Latin songs of the moment.
With one of these covers of a Coldplay song in Latin version: really a superb atmosphere!
People were sitting all along the main square either listening to the band or dancing in the middle of the street.
Once the evening is well underway, return to the beach where the nightclubs are located.
The most famous remains Salma. Because a few pictures are worth a thousand words, here is the link to their website:
I only spent 2 days in Holbox and you can go around the island very quickly.
However I think it is the ideal destination if you want to recharge your batteries even for a long weekend.
It's super chill: you can just as easily stay and relax on the beach, lounge around in your hostel/hotel, go for a bike ride all over the island, or explore the seabed.
It's as if time stood still, the pace of life was so peaceful. Far from our stressful daily lives.
The internet can be unstable at times (but the hostel wifi has always been good for me and I haven't tried it outside to be honest), so all the more reason to disconnect for a few days.
On the other hand, it is a destination to avoid between July and October because it is the rainy and hurricane season 😉
But on my bucket list to definitely do it again with friends!
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