Trip to Mexico in November 2023: Isla Holbox – Why the rumor of paradise literally stinks
The Riviera Maya in Mexico attracts tourists in droves to Cancun, Tulum and Playa del Carmen all year round. If you’re looking for less hustle and bustle, you may have already heard the insider tip of Holbox. What you should know before traveling to “paradise”.
Did I step in poop? That smells terrible. On the way to the main beach I check my flip flops in disgust to see no excrement.
100 meters further on Playa Holbox I see what stinks here. Unfortunately, it cannot be overlooked: almost the entire beach is covered with seaweed. Strictly speaking, they are brown algae (Spanish: Sargossa). They wobble in the shore water and rot on the warm sand.
At 30 degrees under the Mexican sun, they produce disgusting fumes. I quickly learn a new Spanish word: apesta (German: stinks).
Although I only arrived on Holbox from Chiquila two hours ago, this is already the second setback. The muddy and flooded streets had already fallen short of the high expectations of a paradise. If you want to get to your destination dry, you have to rent a golf car and drive yourself, because taxi drivers wave you off with a nice grin in these conditions.
Not as idyllic as hoped, it probably rained recently. It’s good that the optimist in me prevailed and I didn’t book the ferry back straight away. Looking back, it was the right decision.
Dream beaches and animal joys: love at second sight
Because after the initial disappointment passed, I still learned to love the island. You just have to discover the right beaches. In the east, the sandbanks of Punta Mosquito are worth sunbathing; flamingos can often be observed here.
In the west towards Punta Coco you can spot iguanas on the way and find shady spots to chill out and swim. No seaweed in sight. Fantastico! These photos are known from Google image searches.
What else pleased me: raccoon visits to the kitchen of the accommodation. I caught two of them red-handed one night as they were climbing onto the fridge with the avocado they had stolen. A highlight for animal lovers.
Speaking of fauna: Many people come to Holbox to marvel at whale sharks. However, the best time for this is in the summer; in July you have the best chance of seeing the gentle giants passing by.
A kayak tour at night is also exciting to get closer to the phenomenon of bioluminescence. What impressed me more than the slightly bluish plankton was the brilliant starry sky – including the Milky Way.
If hanging out on the beach of your choice becomes too monotonous in the long run, I recommend the Three Island Tour, including swimming in the Cenote Yalahau. The boat trip often takes you to a bird island and with luck the last stop saves you the long and somewhat tedious walk to Punta Mosquito.
Further tips and information for a trip to Holbox
The days of the untouched fishing village are long gone, there is wild building going on everywhere outside the exclusion zones for the national parks, and everything is being geared towards more tourism. If you still want to get an idea of how beautiful it really once was here, you should hurry up.
If you plan to stay longer, you should have enough cash. Taking off is not that easy on the island, or sometimes it doesn’t work at all for a long time.
It’s a myth that there are no cars on Holbox, but golf carts and bicycles still dominate the unpaved streets. But you can also explore everything on foot.
Holbox Island (pronounced Holbosch) – location and size
Holbox is located on the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo. The island lies on the Yucatán Strait, which connects the Gulf of Mexico with the Caribbean Sea. The island is around 42 kilometers long and up to 2 kilometers wide. In summer you can marvel at passing whale sharks.
Away from the center and the main beaches, shopping is difficult and restaurants are also few and far between. If you are heading for beaches outside, you should definitely pack provisions. In addition to numerous small general stores, there is also a slightly better-stocked supermarket on the road connecting the ferry port and the main beach.
Bioluminescence: If you walk to the lagoon near Punta Coco, you can see plankton glowing in the dark for free. Just drag your hands through the water. But: Take a flashlight with you and allow for the 45-minute walk back.
Punta Mosquito: Find out when the tide is out and when the tide starts and go early and with lots of sunscreen on, otherwise you’ll have to wade through the deep water with your luggage. There is no chance of shadows at the destination.
Accommodation: There should be something for every price range – from hostels near the center to luxury hotels right by the sea.
Conclusion: Holbox’s biggest problem is the high expectations of the island – fueled by one-sided reports on social media. It was certainly an insider tip years ago and is still a good alternative to Isla Mujeres. Despite the seaweed and mud roads, I ended up staying five nights instead of the two planned before heading off to Cozumel to snorkel.
Surf tip: You can see highlights of my two-week trip to Mexico – including the raccoon attack in Holbox here on Instagram see.