A Perfect Trip to Isla Holbox – Repeating Islands

The full title of this article by Meagan Drillinger (Travel & Leisure) is “How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Isla Holbox.” Drillinger says, “This car-free island in Mexico is home to beautiful beaches and one of the largest species on the planet.”

Stepping onto the 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 Yucatán 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 Cancún, 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 Cancún 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 Cancún. From there, you can drive or hop on the ADO bus to the port town of Chiquilá, the last mainland stop before Isla Holbox.

If you rent a vehicle, you’ll have to leave it in Chiquilá since Isla Holbox is car-free. [. . .]

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 gradients of crystal-to-turquoise water extend as far as the eye can see. It’s a good spot to pause and get 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. [. . .]

For full article, see https://www.travelandleisure.com/isla-holbox-mexico-guide-7098386

[Photo above by MARCO BOLDRIN/GETTY IMAGES.]