postcards from isla holbox

Low-key; low stress; low-rise

By localfocus

Travel details

Location: Isla Holbox

Coordinates: 21°32′16″N 87°13′12″W

Country: Mexico

Isla Holbox lies 120 miles northwest of Cancún off the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. Located at a meeting point of the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, it is separated from the mainland by a 10-kilometer shallow stretch of water, the Yalahau Lagoon, and is accessible by ferry from the small port town of Chiquilá.

Holbox (pronounced oll-bosh), which means ‘black hole’ in Mayan, is believed to refer to the darker waters pooling in the lagoon in its northernmost corner.

The island, essentially a long sandbar, is roughly 26 miles long by 1.5 miles wide and home to some 2,000 residents or holboxeños. Exact dimensions vary following the impact of Hurricane Wilma in 2005.

Travel notes

Isla Holbox is perhaps a misnomer for this beautiful, laid-back island. Exuding colour and warmth from the moment you arrive at its tiny, bustling port, this ‘black hole’ draws you into its embrace, quietly and gently, and is a world away from the throbbing chaos and high-rise hotels of Cancún.

One of a dwindling number of ‘real’ Mexican seaside towns and flying under the tourist radar, so to speak, due to its distance from the mainland and lack of branded resorts, the island has managed to hold onto a sense of authenticity and simplicity. Its spotless, white, coral-sand beaches and mangrove-fringed lagoons are part of the Yum Balam biosphere reserve, home to a vast ecosystem of flamingos, pelicans, ospreys, herons and schools of whale sharks, the world’s largest fish.

Low-rise, boxy buildings, many enhanced with colourful murals on their exteriors, make up the vast majority of residences and local businesses while a series of palapas-style boutique hotels and lodges line the island’s north shore.

During the high season, the population swells by an average of 2,000, at any one time, as tourists and locals mingle and co-exist on this exceptionally inclusive, tiny stretch of land. Dogs are an integral part of island-life and are remarkably well-behaved and controlled.

There are no cars allowed here (a few small trucks ferry construction materials and drums of fresh water along the sandy, unpaved roads) and transport is by means of golf carts and scooters.

Colourful hammocks and the ubiquitous palm-leaf shelters dot the wide, sandy beaches, interspersed with rental shacks for kite boards, paddle boards and loungers. A daily parade of vendors travel up and down the beach each day, the call of ‘cocos frios’ and ‘mango-mangoes’ blending with the sound of gulls and pelicans.

Elsewhere on the island, food is authentically Mexican, freshly-prepared and delightful. Tortillas, tamales, tostados, tacos, quesadillas and empañadas can all be enjoyed with tequila, mezcal, Don Esquis and Tecate.