One Of The Best Adventures In The Riviera Maya, Mexico
“I’m going to Holbox Island tomorrow morning to meet some young Argentinian friends of mine and camp for the night,” said Kiwi, an older New Zealand traveler I’d met at my hostel a few hours earlier. “You’re welcome to join if you’d like.”
I had just arrived at the hostel in Playa del Carmen at 6:15 the morning before, and had no plans until Friday.
“Sure,” I said, and went to bed. I’d never heard of Holbox, and had no idea what to expect.
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We caught the 10:00 ADO bus to Chiquila the next morning. Along the way, we were able to see some “real” Mexico.
Two and a half hours of Mexican jungle highway, with the occasional small town dotting the way—brightly painted cement buildings, stores and homes, with some neglected grown-in lots and simple dwellings in the residential areas. Typical, perhaps, of Quintana Roo state’s non-tourist inland pueblos.
Our ferry left the dock in Chiquila sometime after noon, and arrived at the island about 30 minutes later.
Isla Holbox.
Elevation: 3 ft.
Population: <2,000
Main industry: Fishing. Lobsters mostly.
Stepping off the ferry, there were some other travelers around the ferry terminal, but not many. The main street—which is still just a dirt road—runs up from the ferry, straight to the beach on the opposite side of the island, about a ten minute walk. The street was busy, but not crowded.
There are few cars on the island, the main mode of transportation being bicycle or golf cart.
We checked into Coconut Campsite, right off the main street. Rows of ready to use tents with hammocks hanging next to them under a palm-thatched shade roof that stretched the length of the compound.
(Here’s a tip: If you stay at Coconut Campground, don’t sleep in the hammock. Its comfortable at first, but after a while you just wish you could lay flat. Also, mosquitoes. Yes, I slept in the hammock.)
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The Town
Colorful, small, but lots to choose from in restaurants and shops. The Centro has a huge, colorfully painted half-dome shaped stage for performances. A spacious basketball court sits on the other side of it. In the evening, we saw about thirty people gather to do CrossFit in the basketball court.
Everywhere around this area, various bars and restaurants abound—Mexican, American, Italian, etc.—and you should easily be able to find one to suit your taste.
For me, I can easily recommend La Tortilleria on the main street right across from the Centro. Good Mexican food, friendly service, free WiFi.
But, experiment. For a small place with such a relatively small number of tourists, there is a lot to choose from.
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The Beaches
Expansive, spacious, and uncrowded. Pale sand, not quite white, and very little seaweed. Blue water like you see on Instagram. White fish swim in the shallows near your feet, and the occasional ray lifts itself from the sand and glides away.
If you want to swim, you have to wade out at least 300-500 meters before it gets up to your shoulders (mind you, I am a little over six feet tall…). Once you get out there though it’s very much worth it. The water is clear, warm, and calm.
In other words, perfect for a swim.
Along the shore there are plenty of places to relax. Hammocks, shade stands, and more open-air restaurants and bars.
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The Nightlife
Keep in mind I was only there for one night. But the party, for the most part, was at the Corner. The Hot Corner, that is.
Loud is the word for the Hot Corner at night. If you want to sleep at night instead of party, stay at a place at least several blocks from this one.
If you do enjoy your nightlife though, this is the party spot. Music, drinks, dancing, and, if you get there early enough, they serve food as well.
If you snoop around you may be able to find a party going on at one of the many neighboring hostels as well.
We found one on the rooftop of a cool place about half a kilometer up the street from the Corner (away from the center of town).
It had a pretty chill vibe, just a few guests relaxing with their friends and their drinks. They had just finished a small art expo not long before, and there were some fresh paintings on easels around the place.
A Charlie Chaplin silent film was playing on a 30-inch TV in the indoor section of the bar. The classic black-and-white action on the screen within the brightly painted, dimly illuminated rooftop atmosphere created a very appealing, almost nostalgic atmosphere about the place.
So, there is something for everyone in Holbox, small as it is. At the moment, it’s not nearly as well-known as it will be. Go there before the roads get paved…
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