Hotels near Holbox

Holbox is a narrow island off the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula where the streets are sand and the traffic is mostly golf carts and bicycles. Brightly painted houses and murals line the village, and the island lies within the Yum Balam nature reserve. In December the sea is calm and shallow, and you can wade out across long sandbars at Punta Mosquito and Punta Cocos.

Winter is a good time to see flamingos and pelicans in the lagoon behind the island, on boat trips that also stop at a freshwater spring. The whale shark season runs in summer, not December, so the island is quieter. Holbox has only a couple of ATMs, so bring cash, and plan to stay at least one night to make the long journey worthwhile.

Pro Tip: Walk west along the beach to Punta Cocos at sunset, then stay after dark, when the sky over the sandbar fills with stars.