Isla Holbox is without a doubt, in my top 3 favourite places in Mexico. And to think i never knew it existed until i got to Mexico. That’s what i love about traveling, you don’t even know about some of your favourite places in the world yet.
In this guide i’m going to give you accomodation recommendations, the best things to do on the island, and some other top tips to make sure you’re prepared and have the best time! Enjoy!
General tips
- Take mosquito repellent, the brand ‘OFF’ seems to work really well
- There is only a couple of ATMS on the island, all of which often run out of cash, so if you plan on visiting for a few days, bring enough cash with you
- It is extremely hot, and the sun is very strong so load up on high SPF suncream!
- Isla Holbox is very safe, and a great location for solo travelers
- Seaweed season is from July-September, although it never gets too bad in Holbox
Where to stay in Isla Holbox, Mexico?
Isla Holbox is a small island with only a handful of hostels to choose from, so i’ll list them below and what to expect from each one, so you can decide on what your looking for.
Che Holbox, Isla Holbox
Che Holbox hostel. Only a short walk from the ferry and about 5 minutes walking to the main town and beach. They have activities for the guests everyday, including games, free cocktail classes, sunday funday, ladies night every single night (free drinks for half an hour). Che is a known party hostel chain in Mexico, so if that’s what you’re looking for, they are the best on the island!
Tribu Hostel
Tribu hostel is located one block away from the beach and is located centrally. They offer dorms and private rooms for guests, and have their own escape room game located on the property! They also organize tours and events daily for guests to join in, so there’s always something to do.
Hostal Holbox
Excellent location, and one of the cheapest hostels on the island for our budget backpackers. They have A/C in all of the rooms, even on a budget price, with wifi too. Hostal Holbox is only 2 blocks away from the beach. If the only thing you’re looking for is a budget place to stay, this is perfect for you!
Barco Verde Hostel
Barco Verde is perfectly located just a few blocks from the beach, and anther hostel that offers dorms and private rooms for guests, all with A/C. A more chilled hostel if that’s what you’re looking for. Be aware that they do not have a kitchen, however they do organise family dinners in the evenings and you can store food in the fridge.
Mapache Hostel
Mapache hostel offers dorms, tipis and camping at their hostel and also offer a free breakfast included. A more chilled vibe hostel and only around a 5 minute walk from the beach
What to do in Isla Holbox, Mexico?
Punta Mosquito
Punta mosquito is a gorgeous strip of white sand that goes straight through the ocean that you can walk along. You will have the blue ocean on either side of you. I highly recommend going really early around 8am/9am when the tide is low and it’s easier to walk through. Otherwise the water can get as high as your hips and you’ll have to carry your things on top of your head. Also once you get the the little bit of beach there is nothing there in terms of shops/restaurants, it’s completely natural, so take your own water/food/drinks if you plan on staying a while. It can take around 45 minutes to walk to Punta Mosquito across the ocean so get that sun cream on!
If you take on of the tours that include punta mosquito, they will take you there really early around 7am and there’s a high chance you will see the flamingos! You won’t be able to see them if you go by foot, as they are on the part of the island that is closed off for protection as a nature reserve. You will however see them from the boat.
Entrance fee: Free if you go by foot, you can just walk along the sandbank.
Bioluminescence
You can go and see the bioluminescence near the beach of playa coco, you can either take a taxi and then walk over to the lagoon where you can see the bioluminescence. The lagoon is to the left hand side once you get to Punta Coco. The taxi ride shouldn’t cost you anymore than $200MXN pesos, this is a cheaper way than doing a tour if there are 3 of you. Only 3 people can get on one of the taxi buggies. Once you get there, there is no entrance fee, it is free. Go around 12pm/1am.
You can do an organised tour, which will cost you around 200MXN per person.
TIP: The closer to a full moon you are the more vibrant the bioluminescence will appear. If you go when there’s a new moon or waning crescent, there’s a chance you might not see much.
Also if you want to go completely free, you can always swim into the ocean at playa holbox and swim out a bit around 12pm/1am, and there’s a good chance of seeing the bio there too.
Punta Coco
Punta coco is one of the most popular spots on Isla Holbox to watch the sunset. There’s also lovely restaurants with hammocks in the ocean that you can chill on. I would get there an hour before sunset to get a good spot!
Rent a buggy for the day and explore the island
You can rent a buggy on the island for half a day or even just a few hours. I paid 700MXN pesos for 4 hours and it was plenty. It works out super cheap if there is a group of 4 of you so you can split the cost of it. Just be warned, some of the buggies don’t have a break, so you just have to come off the gas 10 seconds before you want to stop HAHA. I got mine from willy’s and couldn’t recommend him enough, shoutout to willy!
Sunday Funday at Che Hostel
Oh yes, the famous Sunday fundays at Che hostel! And yes you guessed it, they’re every sunday. The hostel is open to anyone who wants to join in, wether you are staying there or not, everyone is welcome! One of the many reasons i love Che. Enjoy the pool, order food, play games, enjoy the bar and plenty of free tequila shots are handed out! You can’t go wrong.
Visit the animal shelter and walk a dog
Isla Holbox has a beautiful animal shelter full of dogs, you can go along and take a couple of dogs out for a walk along the beach. It gets very hot in Holbox, so you can either do this early in the morning or in the evening. In the afternoon the dogs stay in as it’s far too hot for them to be walking,
Swim with whale sharks
Swim with whale sharks off the coast of Mexico, they come seasonally, so you will only be able to do this between June – September. Although peak season is July- August.
Price: $3000 MXN / £130 GBP
3 points tour
Visit the 3 neighbouring islands and lagoons around Isla Holbox on a day tour, refreshments and water is usually included. One of the islands is full if pink seashells
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