Located off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula – around 3 hours from Cancun. Isla Holbox is home to beaches with soft white sand and turquoise water, and all the buildings are painted in bright colors. It’s charming, colorful, and unlike any place I’ve visited before.
It’s a sleepy kind of island – and you likely won’t come across any cars here because the streets are made of sand. So you’ll likely be walking everywhere (barefoot preferably), or you could hire a golf cart or bike (like we did).
Yep, Isla Holbox, or Holbox Island, is one of my favorite places to visit in Mexico (we spent 2 months backpacking the Yucatan Peninsula a few years back). This teeny-tiny island boasts. One of our favorite activities we did here was kayaking through mangroves where we saw crocodiles, flamingos, rays, and pelicans as we paddled along. And, of course, swimming with whale sharks!
Our Favorite Things We Did on Isla Holbox
As I said, we spent 5 days on Isla Holbox – which may sound like a lot for a sleepy island. But, honestly, we wished we had spent longer here, as we really felt relaxed at the end of the 5 days. We were more than happy lazing on the quiet beaches and wandering the car-free town center, but we are really glad we did a whale shark tour and went kayaking through the mangroves, too.
1. Kayak through the mangroves
If you’re like us and you’re eager to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Holbox, a mangroves kayaking tour is the perfect choice. We navigated through the island’s veins to explore the mangroves of the Kuka River, where we saw crocodiles, snakes, rays and horseshoe crabs (prehistoric creatures).
This half-day small group tour is the tour we did and we rate it. It really is a great way to see this unique ecosystem. You’ll get to see flamingos, eagles, frigatebirds, roseate spoonbills, white pelicans, herons, and more. All while observing three distinct types of mangroves. What I really appreciated about our guide, too, is that he ensured that all species are respected and undisturbed.
2. Swim with whale sharks
If you plan to visit Holbox Island between May and September, then swimming with whale sharks is a must-do. These huge creatures are the largest fish in the world; they can reach lengths of up to 45 feet (14 meters). And swimming next to them is a bucket list experience, to say the least.
This full-day snorkeling with whale sharks tour that departs from near the Holbox sign is the one we did.
On the boat ride out to where the whale sharks are located, you’ll keep an eye out for other fascinating creatures like giant manta rays and sea turtles. Then, with your local guide, you will slip into the water in pairs to swim alongside the whale sharks. On your return journey, you’ll stop near Cabo Catoche to snorkel at the ‘cuevones’ reef. Then, you’ll head to Santa Paula for a refreshing swim and savor freshly caught ceviche before heading back to Holbox.
3. See bioluminescence
You can see bioluminescent waters at night here on Holbox, a magical phenomenon that makes the ocean glow. We went to see it on our third night at Punta Cocos on the western tip of the island.
4. Rent a bike to explore the island
As I said, there aren’t really any cars on Holbox, so the best way to see the island is to rent a bike. There are a few bike rental stores in the town, or you may be able to hire a bike from your hotel (that’s what we did).
We spent a full day on our second day cycling most of the island; we didn’t see it all – as I said, it’s 26 miles long. But we did find some hidden gem beaches like Punta Cocos.
Now, I will add that it can be tough cycling the mostly sandy paths on the island, so if you prefer, you can also rent a golf buggy to explore the island – again, there are a few stores in town that you can rent these from. And you don’t need prior experience (they’re pretty easy to drive).
5. Relax on some hidden beaches
On the day we rented our bikes, we were keen for some crowd-free sunbathing, so we set off in search of the beaches in Yum Balam Nature Reserve. The receptionist at our hotel told us the beaches over here were crowd-free and had more of a rustic/wild feel. And she was right.
We also came across Punta Cocos on our bike ride, and I think this may be my favorite beach on the island. It’s the furthest beach from town (pretty much on the opposite side of the island), and it’s home to one quirky beach bar – Holbox Magico -its bright pink hammocks are what caught my eye.
I will add that although Holbox Island has significantly less sargassum seaweed than other nearby destinations like Canc̼n, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum Рyou will still likely come across it on some of the lesser-known beaches on the island.
6. Wander the town
Holbox town is small (tiny even); instead of pavements, it’s a sandy street, and there aren’t any cars to watch out for – just golf carts. You can even walk around here barefoot!
We came here most mornings for a wander and to grab a coffee from Complemento. Then, we’d stroll over past the various street art murals and walk back to town for some lunch – we tried Rosa Mexicana (we ate here twice) and Capitán Capitán Beach Club and both were awesome.
7. Birdwatch
And if you’re into wildlife, especially birdwatching, you’re in luck – Holbox is packed with cool bird species like flamingos, frigates, and pelicans.
There’s even Isla Pájaros (aka Bird Island), which is home to over 100 different species of birds, including pink flamingosm herons, pelicans, etc. It’s located a short boat ride from Isla Holbox in the Yalahau Lagoon. You can’t actually step foot on the island, so the best way to see these various birds is from the popular Three Islands Boat Tour, which is around 3 hours long.
Getting to Isla Holbox:
Isla Holbox, also known as Holbox Island, is a long, thin island (it’s 26 miles long but only 1 mile wide) on the Northern coast of the famed Yucatan Peninsula. It’s over two hours from Cancun International Airport, and the closest mainland town is Chiquilá (it’s from here you get the ferry to the island).
There are two ferry companies that operate this route – and one runs on the hour and the other on the half hour. So, it’s safe to say there are regular ferries going back & forth to Isla Holbox daily.
We took an ADO bus from Cancun to Chiquilá (this took around 1.5 hours) and from there we hopped on a ferry to Holbox, which takes about 45 minutes. Our total journey time was around 3 hours. From what I remember, the ferry cost us $300 MXN each way.
Alternatively, you could book a private transfer as far as Chiquilá from any other towns in Yucatan – this is pricey at around $135 per taxi (that will fit up to 4 people).
Where to stay on Isla Holbox:
We booked 5 nights at Holbox Dream Beach Front Hotel, and it was a bit of a splurge, but still reasonably priced considering it’s right on the beach (we paid around $70 USD per night). It’s a 4-star hotel with a pool that looks out onto the ocean, and as I said, it is just steps away from the beach!
If you’re on a budget, Tribu Hostel is an excellent choice. This colorful, social hostel is just 50 meters from the beach and offers rooms for around $50 USD per night.
Search for hotel availability on Isla Holbox here:
What month should I visit Isla Holbox?
The best and most popular time to visit is between December and March – we visited most recently in February and the weather was warm (around 25 Celsius / 77 Fahrenheit) and it wasn’t humid. But it was busier than we expected – not Cancun busy, but we found the restaurants in town to be busy and the main beach, too.
From March to May, it gets hotter and more humid, but it’s not quite the rainy season yet. The wet season here starts from mid-May and continues into November. During these months, you may experience tropical storms, and there will be more rainfall (although the rain typically doesn’t last long). There will be more seaweed on the beaches at this time, too.
As I said above, if you’re keen to see the whale sharks, remember the season here runs from May to September. We’ve also visited Holbox Island in May – and I’d say this is the second-busiest time to come to the island.
Thanks for Reading!
I really hope you enjoyed reading about how I spent 5 nights on Isla Holbox. It honestly is one of my favorite spots in Mexico; I just love how chilled out it is, and I can’t wait to return soon with my daughters – I reckon they’d love it!
You can also read my other Mexico blog posts here –
- How We Spent 3 Days in Merida, Mexico
- 8 Fun Things to Do in Valladolid, Mexico
- How to Spend 3 Days in Palenque, Mexico
- 11 Best Things to Do in Bacalar, Mexico
- How to Visit Chacahua, Mexico: The Ultimate Guide
- Our Experience Visiting Chichen Itza + 16 Things You Need to Know
Last Updated on October 22, 2026 by snaphappytravel