If you’re planning a trip through Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, Isla Holbox is definitely worth adding to your route. This colourful little island was the first stop of our Yucatán road trip and the perfect place to slow down for a few days.

Think sandy streets, colourful murals, tropical beaches, golf carts instead of cars and, very importantly, lots of good food.

We spent a few days in Holbox and these are our favourite places, food spots and practical tips.

How to get to Isla Holbox

We travelled to Holbox after spending our first night in Cancún. From Cancún, we drove our rental car to Chiquilá, where the ferries to Holbox depart.

Since cars aren’t needed on Holbox, we left ours at Lot El Pescador. We paid just 50 MXN per day, so 150 MXN for three days. Most other parking lots we saw were around 100 MXN per day, which made this one a great find.

From Chiquilá, it’s a short ferry ride to Holbox. Two companies operate the route: 9 Hermanos and Holbox Express. Together they offer departures approximately every 30 minutes and the journey itself takes around 25 minutes.

We took the 9 Hermanos ferry. As of October 2026, a one-way adult ticket costs 330 MXN, meaning you can expect to pay around 660 MXN per person for the return journey. The price and journey time are currently the same with both ferry companies.

You can simply buy your ticket at the ticket counters near the pier in Chiquilá. There’s an indoor area on the ferry as well as an open upper deck, and your luggage is stored separately by the crew.

Good to know: ferry schedules and prices can change, so check them again shortly before your trip. There is usually no real reason to choose one company over the other. Just take whichever ferry is leaving next.

Arriving on Holbox

Once you arrive, you’ll immediately notice one of the things that makes Holbox different: there are no normal cars driving around the island.

Instead, you’ll see plenty of golf cart taxis waiting around the port. Depending on the distance, a ride generally costs around 100 to 200 MXN. If you’re travelling light and staying around the centre, walking can also be an option. Our hotel wasn’t far at all so we just went there on foot.

Don’t expect perfectly smooth roads either. Most are sandy and can become very muddy after heavy rain.

Where to stay in Holbox: Casa Barbara

We stayed at Casa Barbara Holbox, which turned out to be a really convenient base for our time on the island.

The biggest advantage for us was the location. It’s in the centre of Holbox, within easy walking distance of restaurants and shops, while the beach is only a few blocks away. It is around two blocks from the arrival port and four blocks from Playa Holbox.

The hotel itself feels like a little tropical escape from the busier streets outside. There’s a garden filled with greenery and an outdoor swimming pool, which is especially nice when you want to cool down after exploring the island. And apparently we weren’t the only ones who enjoyed the hotel. On our last morning, we suddenly had a raccoon visiting our balcony. Definitely one of the more unexpected wake-up calls of our Mexico trip.

What to do in Holbox

One of our favourite things about Holbox is that you don’t really need a packed itinerary.

Simply wandering around the centre is part of the experience. You’ll find colourful buildings, street art, sandy streets and plenty of little restaurants and cafés along the way.

Take a 4 Islands Tour

One of the best ways to discover more of Holbox and its surroundings is by taking a 4 Islands Tour. Instead of staying around the main beach and town, you head out by boat to discover some of the quieter, more natural parts of the area.

Depending on the tour operator, the exact itinerary can vary. Tours usually take around three hours, although longer versions are also available. We booked one with Xtreme Holbox through GetYourGuide.

The first highlight, and our favorite stop, is Yalahau Lagoon, where you can swim in a natural freshwater spring surrounded by nature. Keep in mind that the entrance isn’t included in this particular tour and currently costs 200 MXN per person.

Another stop is Isla Pájaros, or Bird Island, a protected nature reserve that’s home to many different bird species. You can spot pelicans, herons and other native birds here, and flamingos are sometimes present too. Of course, you’re visiting them in their natural habitat, so sightings are never guaranteed.

Next is Isla Pasión, a small island with white sand and shallow turquoise water. It’s a peaceful spot to enjoy the scenery and a completely different atmosphere from the busier centre of Holbox.

The final highlight is Punta Mosquito, one of Holbox’s most famous sandbanks. Depending on the tide and weather conditions, you can walk through the shallow, clear water and enjoy beautiful views of the surrounding coastline.

What we liked about the tour is the variety. In just a few hours, you get beaches, sandbanks, wildlife, mangroves and a freshwater swimming spot, so you see a very different side of Holbox than you would by simply staying around the town.

Explore the colourful centre of Holbox

Don’t rush through the centre just to tick off sights. Wander around the sandy streets, look out for the colourful murals and street art and stop somewhere for a taco, margarita or coffee along the way.

It’s small enough to explore on foot and some of our favourite moments were simply walking around without much of a plan.

Spend some time at the beach

Of course, you can’t visit Holbox without enjoying the beach. We loved combining our days of exploring with some time to relax, swim or grab something to eat by the sea.

If you’re looking for a quieter part of the island, Punta Cocos and Punta Mosquito are two places to keep on your list.

See the bioluminescence, but manage your expectations

Holbox is famous for its bioluminescence, where tiny organisms in the water produce flashes of light when the water moves.

We were really excited about this beforehand, but honestly, our experience wasn’t as impressive as we’d expected.

It’s one of those activities that can look incredible in photos and videos, but what you actually see depends a lot on the conditions. So while it’s definitely something unique to try if the timing is right, we wouldn’t plan our entire Holbox stay around it.

For us, it was interesting to experience, but it wasn’t one of the highlights of our time on the island.

And that’s probably the best advice we can give: go with realistic expectations and see it as a bonus rather than a guaranteed magical experience.

Where to eat in Holbox

And now one of our favourite parts of visiting Holbox: the food.

We tried quite a few places during our stay, from local tacos and empanadas to ceviche by the beach.

El Tuch

One of our first food stops and already a good one.

Go for the nachos with guacamole and combine them with one of their margaritas. What made the margaritas extra special was the Mexican Jamaica salt around the rim. We loved this so much that we went on the hunt for it to take home.

Taqueria Mateo

If you’re looking for a simple and affordable place for tacos, save Taqueria Mateo.

The tacos are prepared fresh right in front of you. Nothing overly fancy, just exactly the type of local taco stop we like to find while travelling.

Capriccio Café

A lovely option for breakfast. We went for an omelette with chorizo, but the surprise here was the passion fruit cheesecake. Even if cheesecake isn’t normally part of your breakfast plans, we won’t judge.

Gaviotas

Fresh ceviche with a view of the sea. Sometimes you don’t need much more than that. Gaviotas is a nice choice if you’re looking for seafood and want to combine lunch with some beach time.

Empanadasia Conquista

One of our more local and budget-friendly discoveries.

We stopped at Empanadasia Conquista for breakfast on our final morning before taking the ferry back to Chiquilá. The empanadas were tasty, very affordable and it felt much more like a local spot.

Definitely one to save if you’re looking for a cheap breakfast before leaving Holbox.

How many days do you need in Holbox?

For a Yucatán road trip, we’d recommend around 2 to 3 nights in Holbox.

We stayed for two nights, which felt like enough time to explore the island, enjoy the beach, try several restaurants and still have moments where we weren’t rushing from one thing to another.

If your main goal is relaxing by the beach, you could easily stay longer. But as one stop on a bigger Yucatán road trip, two nights worked well for us.

Visiting Holbox during rainy season

Something to keep in mind when planning your trip is the season.

We travelled through Yucatán during the rainy season, and when it rains here, it can really rain. Because many of Holbox’s roads are unpaved, they can become muddy and large puddles can form quickly.

That doesn’t mean we’d avoid travelling during rainy season, but we definitely recommend packing shoes you don’t mind getting dirty and keeping your daily plans flexible.

A tropical rain shower is much less annoying when you haven’t planned every minute of your day.

Practical tips for visiting Isla Holbox

Bring some Mexican pesos
Cards are increasingly accepted, but having cash is useful for smaller restaurants, taxis and local businesses.

Ferry
The crossing from Chiquilá takes around 25 minutes. In October 2026, an adult ticket costs 330 MXN one way.

Leave your rental car in Chiquilá
You won’t need it on Holbox. We parked at Lot El Pescador and paid 50 MXN per day.

Getting around
Walk when you can. Golf cart taxis are available for longer distances and typically cost around 100 to 200 MXN from the port depending on your destination.

Bring mosquito repellent
Especially if you’re travelling during the wetter months or spending time outside in the evening.

Be prepared for rain
During rainy season, sandy roads can quickly become muddy. Shoes that can handle water are much more useful than your nicest white trainers.

Don’t forget sun protection
Even the short ferry crossing can mean plenty of sun exposure if you sit on the open upper deck.

Don’t overpack your itinerary
Holbox works best when you actually leave some time to do nothing.

Is Isla Holbox worth visiting?

For us, yes.

Holbox isn’t some completely undiscovered Mexican island anymore, and you definitely won’t have it all to yourself. But it still felt completely different from the other stops on our Yucatán road trip.

We loved the colourful streets, the food, the beach and especially the slower pace. Three days gave us enough time to experience the island without feeling like we had to rush.