Top 10 Things to do in Holbox, Mexico

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Hol-Bosch is how you correctly pronounce Holbox, but I'm calling it Island Paradise! This little island north of the Yucatan Peninsula is a unique place in the world, it compares to no other tropical island!

We'll tell you exactly why we love Holbox so much in this extensive ‘Top 10 Things to do' in Holbox, Mexico.

First, let me tell you a little about Holbox

Isla Holbox is a thin-shaped island, north of the fishers town Chiquila. You can get here by car (can't take it with you), by ADO bus, by collectivo bus or by private plane. It's about a two-hour drive from Cancun. When you arrive in Chiquila, you can take a tuk-tuk to the harbor and then you take your luggage on the Holbox Express ferry for a 20-minute ride. They boat every hour up and down. So, when you arrive on this island, you will notice one peculiar thing: there are no cars here!

You get around on your own golf cart, take a taxi golf cart, or rent a bicycle or motorcycle. There are only a couple of trucks there who supply the island with heavy stuff like machinery, water, food, and construction materials. And there are no concrete roads, only sand roads! Therefore, having a motorcycle accident lawyer on standby, is really not a bad idea when traveling with a motorcycle.

The kinds of people that go here? My goodness, we've seen every possible type of human here. From all over the world, and all sorts of types. From retired sun lovers to influencers, from hippies to stoners, and from rich spoiled tourists to veteran world travelers. And they all love Holbox.

So, now you know that you have arrived on a very special island. It's time to get informed about the hotspots, must-do's, and must-sees!

Pro-tip: The WIFI kinda sucks everywhere, but that's a good thing. It's a perfect location to go ‘offline' for a couple of days. You can still buy a WIFI-pass for two bucks at restaurants so you can get wifi in and around a dozen restaurants. It's slow but enough to get by for information and such.

Just stroll around Holbox

Just walking around the center of Holbox is so much fun! You can walk around the sandy streets and blocks surrounding the main square a couple of times and you will discover a new restaurant, boutique shop, tourist info center, bar, and more. You can get around on foot easily here.

The houses and shops in Holbox may be weathered and beat-up, but they are all so charming and atmospheric. And, just as in Cancun, there are colored houses and beautiful mural art everywhere you look. The Mayan girl mural art was just jaw-dropping…

You can walk around the town for about two-three hours and you will have seen every street, but you will keep discovering new hotspots. And the town changes significantly after 6 pm with different restaurants and shops, so be sure to also checkout Holbox in the evening.

And another tip to close this one-off; there are so many cool luxury hotels close by the beach. Just walking past them is a fun activity (and if there is nobody in sight, maybe you could even lay down here for a short nap as we did! 😛 ).

Rent a bicycle

An absolute must when visiting Holbox; rent yourselves a bicycle and travel with ease through this cute little island. You’ll see the entire village, beaches and ‘countryside' within a good two hours of cycling. That seems like a long ride, but with the wind blowing through your hair and all the things you will encounter along the way, time will fly by!

A bicycle costs about 2 dollars an hour (gets cheaper when you rent longer) and the rental offices are practically everywhere.

If you are also looking for a great hotel, hostel, or Airbnb rental in Holbox, be sure to check out our recommendations.

Beach life Holbox

Are you ready to chill? I'm serious, are you ready to really relax? The lovely beaches of Holbox are perfect for anyone who loves beach life. There are many great beach clubs where you can relax, eat, drink, and chill (maybe even in a hammock?), and there are also many great places to just lay down your towel and sleep/chill on the beach. The water is not that blue or spectacular on the beaches, even quite shallow and calm, but still nice enough for a short swim or to cool down a bit.

These long beaches are perfect for your morning workout, for watching the sunrise and sunsets, and for romantic long walks. The colorful Holbox letters are also a fun touristic extra to pass by (and be silly tourists for a moment).

Pro-tip: Next to Capitan Capitan, there is a massage parlor with a very good massage therapist named Daniel. We went to him three times in one week! Ask for him and thank us later.

Go kitesurfing

There is a specially designated area for kitesurfing. And there is a whole community of cool dudes and chicks who love this sport. If you're into watersports, definitely plan a couple of moments to have a blast with kitesurfing on Holbox.

Walk with stray dogs

There are a couple of dozen dogs on the island, especially in town. And after a couple of days, you will start to recognize some of them. They have become regulars in town, and all the locals know them by name. Some have a leash, and some are really ‘free'. But some sad stray dogs had some bad luck. They might have gotten sick, had an accident, or were just born kinda weird. But luckily, there are some good samaritans on the island that have a nice shelter for them. And you can take these cute dogs out for a walk!

You can make their day by taking them to the beach and show them some love. The dogs could be missing a leg, an eye, or just walk funny, but they all love attention and a good time.

Rent a golf cart

Oh my, we didn't expect this to be so much fun! Rent yourself a golf cart for about 8 dollars an hour and have a blast driving with this funny wobbly ride. You will get around the island pretty fast, so renting this golf cart for about two or three hours is perfect. We guarantee you will laugh out loud a couple of times!

Eat everywhere!

Holbox has many cool hip restaurants, with prices ranging from unbelievable cheap to unbelievable expensive. These restaurants and bars could even be next to each other, so be sure to check out the prices before you order the whole menu (like we kinda did on our first day, oops..).

Also, don’t forget to check out all the hidden roof terraces. Usually, there’s nobody there and you can enjoy a nice view from up there. Hello, palm trees!

We have many excellent suggestions, so be sure to check out >> The 7 best places to eat in Isla Holbox, Mexico

Go out and have the time of your life

There is live music everywhere and there are little bars (outdoor and indoor) on every corner. We were on Holbox during Covid-times in January 2021, but we imagined this would be a heavenly place for party people who love a drink or two. Or ten.

If you are single and ready to mingle, you will find love in paradise… 🙂

ps; looking for a great hotel, hostel, or Airbnb in Holbox? We got you!

Punta Coco & Punta Mosquita

If you are looking for a (very) quiet spot, this is the place to be. Punta Coco has a mini beach club and a swing, and some seats. Don’t expect too much. It's a 15 min bike ride from central Holbox or 5 minutes with a golf cart. It's a great place to do some mediation, yoga, or even some deep soul-searching!

Punta Mosquita (haven't seen any mosquitoes by the way) is like a nice long walk down the beach, but you're feet and ankles are in the water while walking towards the nature reserve. The shallow water makes up for some cool vistas. It kinda reminded us of the salt flats in Bolivia.

It's not the most exciting walk you've ever made, but it's a fine trip to make if you have a morning to spare. You might even see a colorful crab, a cool baby ray, and some flamingos if you are lucky.

Pro-tip: The infamous hammocks in the water are no more…

Your bucket-list location is waiting for you. But first, you´ll need a ticket up in the air!

Be sure to check out our cool Instagram Stories for more atmospheric videos and pictures!

Extra seasonal options

There are tourist stalls everywhere that sell different kinds of tours, and some of them are really interesting. We were unlucky because January wasn't the season to swim with whale sharks, see the blue-colored bioluminescence in the sea, and go on the 3-island-tour to watch flamingos and other cool typical island-stuff.

But, if you are in the right season, be sure to take on one of these tours. We've heard from locals that there are all worth the time and money.

Conclusion

All in all, as you have read, we absolutely adored Holbox. It's safe, it's relaxed, and it's very affordable. At least, for now, because Holbox is gonna be the next Tulum, and we think it's gonna boom in 2022 as the next go-to travel spot!

This unique little island made it into our top 7 favorite travel destinations of all time. The vibe and aesthetics are just unmatched. Holbox feels somewhat like a social experiment, or maybe even like a tropical version of the movie The Truman Show with Jim Carrey. It isn't a movie though, it's really a unique paradise with a very unique look and feel. We're coming back for more, especially if we need absolute relaxation.

Pro-tip: If you're going, stay at least a week to really get that relaxing island vibe into your soul.