Isla Holbox-Trip Review
 

In planning this trip, I saw that there wasn't very much information on this board about Holbox, so I wanted to write a short review for anyone else searching for information.

About Us: We are in our late 20s and like to snorkel and free dive. On vacation, we like things quiet and we like to be active.

Xaloc Resort

We really liked the resort. The staff was very helpful and friendly. They organized our RT transfer from Cancun airport to Holbox which included a private van with AC, a private boat, and golf cart taxi. We also arranged 2 whale shark tours through the resort and used their kayak for a day. We included half-board in our package which included a 4-course dinner each night. The food was very good, especially the soups and the fish (esp ceviche).

All the rooms here are individual bungalows. Ours was an oceanfront room overlooking one of the pools and the beach. This pool is adults only. The rooms have no AC, but they have ceiling fans and louvered windows on all sides to let the cross breeze through. We had no problems with temp, but we do live in TX. They provided window fans on request for some of the rooms while we were there.

Whale Shark Tours

We arranged 2 whale shark tours through Xaloc. We wanted 2 tours since we were hoping for good photos and wanted more than 1 shot. Our captain and guide (David and Julian) were great. We were picked up from in front of the hotel in the AM. The first tour, there were 6 of us on the tour and the second tour, there were only 4 of us snorkeling.

Whale Sharks: Only two people at a time are allowed in with the guide and the whale shark, so our small groups were very nice. The first day was not great- the sharks were moving quickly and everyone was < 5 minutes per swim. The second day was much better. Our guide was in the water following sharks for over an hour with our two groups rotating in and out. We were prob in the water for about 1 hour with the sharks- 15 minutes on the first day, 45 on the second.

In addition to the whale sharks, we saw a large pod of dolphins, several manta rays, and a few sea turtles and sting rays. David and Julian were always looking for things in the water and were willing to spend time so everyone could see everything.

Isla Holbox

We were only here for 4 days total, with 2 of those days whale shark tours, so we did not do too much else on the island. We did take the kayaks out and paddle down to the eastern tip of the island past where the golf cart roads end. We ended up on a secluded beach with lots of sea shells.

Pictures from our trip (mostly of the whale sharks) are on webshots with the same username as here.

http://community.webshots.com/user/lhkwfu

Hope that helps anyone looking for info on Holbox.

Oh yeah, and since I can't edit, an additional piece of info for anyone going on a whale shark tour:

You have to wear a life vest in the water unless you are wearing a wet suit. We were very happy that we brought our wet suits since we didn't know this before we left.

Enjoyed your pictures - thanks for sharing!

Always wanted to go to Holbox because I'd heard the shell collecting was so good. What was your experience? Did you notice alot of shells on the beach?

Another shell collector here! Thanks for the report and the photos.

Your pictures are fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing your trip! I am just starting to think about doing this same thing! I love snorkeling and have heard about snorkeling with whale sharks. What time of the year did you go? I was thinking June but I'd like to couple this experience with a few of the Mayan sites and was concerned that June maybe too hot for the inland adventures... thanks again! I can't wait till we get to go!

Thank you so much for your report on this little talked about place. Sounds like a perfect place for some fairly quiet relaxation on the beach. Was the water calm/safe enough to just go out and swim? Hubby isn't a beach person but those whale sharks might interest him. If not, do you think it would be an okay place for a solo female?

Thanks everyone for such nice comments. I'll try to answer all the questions.

Shelling- We aren't really into shelling, so I'm speaking from very limited experience. On the main beach (where all the resorts are) there really weren't a lot of large shells- just a few here and there. When we kayaked down to the end of the island, there were many more. There were a ton of 3"+ scallop shells, we found some urchins, whelks, cone, tulip, and snail shells. Most of these are in the 2-3" size range and they're intact and in good shape.


Jenn- We went mid-July. They run whale shark tours late June-August, so June could work. We live in TX, so I'm probably not the best person to speak to the heat when visiting ruins...but June would definitely be better than July or August.

Suzie- The water in front of the resort was calm and safe for swimming. There is a clearly marked boating lane, and everything inside that lane is pretty shallow and really calm. Even during the storm that blew through, the water didn't get very choppy at all. I also think that the island is fine for a solo female traveler.