Experience with Holbox Island
 

We are seeking info about travel to Holbox; impressions, lodging , anything. from what I have read this sounds like my perfect destination but would love to hear from Fodorites.

Been there twice. We stayed at: http://www.hotelpuertoholbox.com/ and Hotel Esmeralda. Preferred Puerto Holbox. Interestingly, on our first visit to Holbox we paid too much by mistake at Hotel PH. We booked it the next year, but they emailed us and advised us to reconsider our stay because the beachfront was in bad shape due to a hurricane. We ended up at Esmeralda. But Geronimo from Puerto Holbox remembered us from the year before a

oops..
anyway, he refunded us our overpayment in cash 1 year later. Its been a few years, but Holbox is one of those places where you feel like you're at the ends of civilization but yet just a couple of hours from Cancun. The beaches were/are deserted and the restaurants are funky and their hours are uncertain. If you want nightlife, don't go. If you want sand streets and isolation, book it now. We also did a fishing trip that cost us about $20 for 4 people. We caught about 50 fish; gave some to the locals, and had our guide (El Diablo) cook us up our catch for about $12 with all the fixins, plus his share of the fish and wine. It will always be one of our favorite places in Mexico. Well worth the effort to go, if you like quiet and isolation.

baldone: sounds perfect. How did you travel from Cancun?

We arranged pick-up at the Cancun airport through our hotels each time. It is indeed a drive (2 1/2 hours?) from Cancun, and not cheap. Your driver will take you to Chiquila, where you either need to catch a ferry or (preferably) take a lancha pre-arranged by your hotel. When we stayed Hotel Esmeralda, we were dropped off on the beach right in front of our hotel and hauled our luggage out of the boat and up the beach. When we stayed at Hotel Puerto Holbox, they had arranged our water taxi but we got dropped off at the pier and had to find the hotel on our own. A local in a golf cart knew our hotel and gave us a ride for free. Again, its been a few years so I imagine some things have changed by now, so be sure to contact your hotel for advice. You can also take a 5 passenger Cessna from Cancun. Last we knew, there are no ATM's on the island, and you may not be able to use credit cards even at your hotel, except when you book in advance online. That may have changed as well.

thank you. I hope things haven't changed too much!!