The Collected Traveler

Posada Mawimbi, Isla Holbox

Before I return to the rest of my Liguria report, here is a short post about Isla Holbox, off the north coast of the Yucatan peninsula where I just spent five nights.  Admittedly, until a few years ago I'd never heard of Holbox; it wasn't until friends Al and Risi went and raved about it that it was on my radar, and then a short while later it was featured as one of the '52 Places to Go' in 2016 in The New York Times and an article appeared in Travel + Leisure.  Holbox is not undiscovered, but there are still plenty of people who've never heard of it.  

Like many wonderful places in the world, getting to Holbox takes a little extra effort. After a flight to Cancun (my husband and I flew on Jet Blue, which left New York's JFK Airport exactly on time and overall was as efficient as an airline experience can be), you have a choice of taking a small plane to the island (a few companies are Aerosaab, AX Transporter, and Flights Holbox; flying time is about 35 minutes) or driving two hours to the coastal town of Chiquila, from where a Transporte Maritimo 9 Hermanos or Holbox Express ferry takes you to Holbox (the only difference between these seems to be the schedule, with one departing on the hour and the other departing on the half hour; the ferry ride is about 20 minutes, and the current schedule may be found at The Holboxeno, which is also a good site for finding out about goings on). Chiquila is the largest town along the route from Cancun to the coast and it's a fairly bustling, colorful place not without some charm (it is also spelled sometimes with the accent on the a -- Chiquilá -- and sometimes not). The only other town of any size is Kantunilkín, which I mention because if you want to stop along the way , this is your best bet. The staff at many Holbox hotels will arrange round-trip transportation for guests (including the van and the ferry) as well as the golf cart pick-up at the Holbox ferry (the only cars and trucks on the island are for services; everyone gets around by bike or golf cart, or walking). Posada Mawimbi, where my husband and I stayed, arranged all this transportation for us and it was very smooth. An online search will turn up a number of companies providing affordable transportation to Chiquila, and I believe that even if you haven't reserved in advance, it's possible to arrange for the ride on the spot at the airport. 

So far I haven't been able to find much background information about Holbox other than that the name translates as "Black Hole" in Yucatec Mayan; the island was originally settled by a handful of Maya families and in the 18th century it was a refuge for Spanish and Italian pirates who were in the area (some of the pirates stayed on and adopted a different lifestyle, and their descendants developed the town on the island); and that most of Holbox, 26 miles long, is part of the Flora and Fauna Nature Reserve, established in 1994, called Yum Balam ("Lord Jaguar"). The reserve encompasses 154,052 acres of shore and off-shore territory, and from May to September Yum Balam is the sanctuary for the world's largest concentration of whale sharks. Additionally, the reserve is home to 420 bird species (35% are migratory species) and endangered species including jaguars, tapirs, crocodiles, monkeys, and Hawksbill turtles plus over 70 different species of reptiles and amphibians. Only 16% of the island is populated, and about 5,000 people live on Holbox. As an aside, I also learned that though there is still some inconsistency, the word Maya tends to be used as a noun and an adjective describing the people and their culture and the word Mayan refers to the language.

One of the most common phrases used to describe Holbox is that "it's not for everyone," which is true and worth repeating. If you are someone who cannot separate yourself from your phone you may be disappointed (WiFi is spotty, often slow, and sometimes doesn't work at all). If you want to wear fine resort clothing and shoes, there aren't many if any places where they're appropriate (there are no paved roads, just sand, so flip flops and very casual sandals are the only shoes necessary). Generally, as the island is somewhat fragile, toilet paper is not put in toilets but rather in garbage cans provided. And if you're looking for a raging night club scene, you won't find it on Holbox. I found Holbox refreshingly unique, but it may be helpful to know that I am not a desert island person, meaning that I am not looking for a totally remote place. I like islands that have just enough places to eat good, local food and that have distinctive places to stay and that are fairly lively, with enough going on that I can choose to do or not to do.

I really enjoyed staying at Posada Mawimbi (which translates as something like "waves of the sea"), opened 16 years ago on the Northern beach coast, directly next door to Casa Las Tortugas, which is also a lovely inn with a small pool in its center that receives much more publicity.  Mawimbi has a cozy, family vibe, and the welcome brochure in each room introduces each staff member with a photo and his or her name (the three resident dogs, Sammy, Zoe, and Goliath, are included).  I liked that on my first day, I saw a guest holding his young son in his arms embrace with one of the staff.  It seemed genuine, and I had the feeling that this gesture was not unusual.  During my stay there was another guest who'd brought her dog, Alfie, and it seemed that she lived there because she was so familiar with everyone; later I learned that she comes every year.  Guest rooms are not large but are big enough (though there is not a lot of open counter space) and are bohemian-charming, with nice cotton bed spreads, colorful curtains, ceiling fans, air conditioning, and ceramic tiles.  Like most of the lodgings on the island, Mawimbi is in the palapa style, and the staircase to the second floor is made of pretty cedar wood.   

Breakfast is included in the room rate, and it was delicious and substantial -- one portion changed every day (it could be scrambled eggs, oatmeal, Nutella crepes, or bread and cheese -- but there was always sliced mango, papaya, kiwi, banana, and pineapple as well as delicious yogurt, coffee, tea, fresh orange juice, and a salad of spinach, tomatoes, and pecans.  

Lying on one of Mawimbi's lounge chairs in the sand and looking up at the palm trees and blue sky and listening to the exotic birds (notably the grackle) is among my favorite memories of the island.  Las Tortugas and Mawimbi mark the beginning of the hotel zone on the Northern coast, meaning that the town of Holbox, with its numerous restaurants, bars, cheap lodgings, shops, and places to rent golf carts (carritos de golf) is contained within a very small part of the island.  As you head east down the beach there are more hotels, the last one being Las Nubes, one of the more recent inns to open.  From its wooden outdoor terrace, there is a staircase that leads right down into the water, and from here you can wade across to a sandbar.   

In the opposite direction, towards town and the airstrip, the beach is not as wide (in some spots there is no beach at all), and the vibe is more lively.  To each his own: if you want quiet, head to the hotel zone; if you want what action there is on the island, head west.  At least one of the budget lodgings in town permits guests to use the facilities at one of the hotels in the hotel zone, a nice compromise.   

Some hotels I visited are Ser Casasandra, which is not directly on the beach but has its own designated beach area and also has a lovely pool and is quite distinctive (also, its outdoor boutique, Arte Sano, an outpost of the original in Tulum, is small but offers very nice selections such as quality cotton and linen items, jewelry, leather sandals, straw bags, etc.); Tierra Mia, also not on the beach; Villas HM Paraiso del Mar; and Punta Caliza.

Holbox has been described as a hippy-dippy kind of place, but this doesn't mean it's the equivalent of Goa or Kathmandu in the 1960s.  Visitors of all ages come to Holbox, including  a number of families, lots of Europeans, and lots of Spanish-speaking visitors (though I don't know if they were from other parts of Mexico or from Spain or the U.S.).   I was also surprised at both the number of restaurants there are on Holbox and how many really good meals we had.  Among the places we liked are Barba Negra for outstanding and memorable tacos (notably the fish Mayan style, cauliflower, and fish Baja style); Big Fish, a new place serving fish caught that day (delicious tuna tostadas, ceviche, and aguachile, a preparation with lime juice, jalapeno, and onions) and shots of artisanal mescal; Rosa Mexicano (no relation to the New York restaurants) for shrimp aguachile; La Isla del Colibri for fantastic smoothies served in large stemmed glasses (great decor, with nearly every inch of wall space covered with artwork, some original and others copies of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo paintings); Viva Zapata for a huge and perfect seafood platter with a whole grilled fish, crabs, clams, shrimp, ceviche, and octopus; Et Voilà

 (despite the French name, it's a fully Mexican menu); and El Chapulim (the word translates as either a grasshopper or cricket) for fine dining -- there is no menu but the chef comes to the table to tell you about the night's dishes.  We had a local fish filet in a creamy sauce with very thin asparagus, baby potatoes, and a fruit salad and a rice dish with seafood in a chipotle sauce -- all delicious.  We also enjoyed watching the sunset from the rooftop bar at Casa Las Tortugas, where the sushi is excellent, and at Coquitos Beach Bar for micheladas, a beer and tomato juice drink with spicy salt around the rim of the glass.  Note: no matter where you eat, no one is in a hurry, so sit back and chill.    

We didn't anticipate that Mardi Gras would be celebrated on the island, though there is not a parade; rather, stages are set up on certain streets for the bands and then the costumed dancers perform in front of the stages.  The festivities do go on until about 4:00 a.m. and yes, if you are staying close to town you will hear the music.  

Seeing flamingos, fishing, visiting Isla Pajaros (Bird Island Sanctuary), kiteboarding, kayaking, and swimming with whale sharks (the largest fish in the world and very gentle) are among activities to do while visiting Holbox but my husband and I didn't do any of these (it wasn't the season for whale sharks in any case).  We felt confident that we were going to convince some friends and family members to join us next year, and that we would postpone these activities until that time.  However, we did wade out on a series of sandbars to the point where we couldn't go any further (there are signs indicating the beginning of the nature reserve).  Sometimes the water was sloshing around our ankles, other times we were knee-deep.  It was magnificent, and we can't wait to do it again.      

As there is no book I know of about Holbox to recommend, here are links to sites and articles that were each interesting or useful in one way or another:

Isla Holbox, Mexico Travel Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Isla Holbox

Skip Tulum by Victoria Lewis and Low-Key Architectural Glory by Paul Jebara, Fathom

Where the Streets Are Paved With Sand by Michelle Higgins, The New York Times

Escaping to Mexico's Best-Kept-Secret Island by Kate Maxwell, The Wall Street Journal

Isla Holbox: Electric Island, by Antonia Quirke and Chris Moss, Conde Nast Traveller

The Ideal Beach for Eco-Tourists in Mexico by Ceil Miller Bouchet, National Geographic Traveler

(Ceil, who is a very good writer and my friend, also wrote the piece on Holbox for the '52 Places to Go 2016' noted above;  

Ultimately, even more than what I read, it was the photograph of the Holbox "sign" below that made me want to go.  It immediately caught my attention, and it was so whimsical, and seemed to capture a certain spirit I look for in a beach destination.  (There are two of these signs actually, both on the Northern beach coast as you walk east, and as you can see hammocks are often strung between two letters.)  So the photo made me buy a plane ticket, and maybe it will inspire you, too, as well.  As other writers have wisely noted, go soon.