Isla Holbox with Kids: One Perfect Week
We spent one week (7 days, 6 nights) in Isla Holbox over spring break. We were originally attracted to Isla Holbox because we (obviously) love Mexico and we also loved the idea of spending a week on an island with no cars. I’ll admit at first I was somewhat concerned by how rustic and dusty (no paved roads means dust) the island felt, but after the first night I quickly fell into the Mexican vacation mode and fell in love with this magical little island.
GETTING HERE/AROUND
The one drawback of Isla Holbox is that it’s not super easy to get here. After flying into Cancun it’s about a 2 hours drive to get to Chiquila. I would recommend spending the first night in Cancun to cut down on travel time. From Chiquila you take a 15-minute ferry to Isla Holbox. There are two Ferry companies who alternate leaving every 30 minutes. The girls loved riding the ferry over to the island. There are air-conditioned seats inside, but we chose to ride up top and enjoy the breeze and views.
Once you deboard the ferry, there are rows of ATV taxis waiting to take you anywhere you want to go. We took a taxi to our hotel, and then from there everything was pretty much within walking distance. We rented a golf cart during our stay to explore some more remote parts of the island, which was a highlight for everyone.
WHERE TO STAY
There are two sides to the island, west and east. I would recommend staying on the East side of the Island, closer to Punta Mosquitos. The beaches on this side of the island were much wider and closer to the action. We stayed on the West side and ended up walking or taking a taxi to beach clubs on the other side of the island most days. Here are some of our favorite hotels from the island.
CasaSandra beach area
CasaSandra: The location and style of this hotel made it my favorite on the island.
Casa Las Tortugas: Great beach and location. There’s also a fabulous beach club you can utilize even if you don’t end up staying here.
Hotel Villas Flamingos: This hotel comes highly recommended for families. The location is very close to Punta Mosquitos, but not a big beach in front of the actual hotel.
Villas Flamingos room overlooking the sea
WHERE TO EAT
We were blown away by the quality of the restaurant in Isla Holbox. From fresh mangos on the beach to high-end restaurants in jungle settings, I don’t think we had a bad meal all week. Find our full list of the best restaurants in Isla Holbox here.
WHAT TO DO
Wading around Punta Mosquitos
Punta Mosquitos: This is one of the most beautiful beaches in Mexico. Walk, bike or take a golf cart out to the point, then wade or walk (depending on the tide) out as far as you can go. Truly spectacular beach.
Take in the sunset. Sunset in Isla Holbox is a spectacle. Not just because it’s beautiful, but because everyone on the island stops what they are doing to watch it go down. The bars and restaurants facing the sunset are packed, as are the beaches. Very fun scene.
Sunset near the pier.
3. Rent a Golf Cart and go exploring: We rented a golf cart for 24 hours through our hotel. While most things in Isla Holbox can be done on foot, we liked the freedom the golf cart provided. It also allowed us to go to places a little further afield, like Playa Punta Cocos. This beach is the furthest point West on the island, and while it only takes about 30 minutes to walk from town, the golf cart made it far more accessible with kids.
Walking dogs from the animal shelter.
4. Adopt a dog for a day (or an hour)
The Isla Holbox animal shelter is nicer than many shelters you’d find in the States. They welcome visitors to take their dogs on walks. The girls LOVED picking out a dog and then walking them around town and to the beach.
5. Try out a beach club
Most days we spent lazing around different beach clubs around the island. All have a spending minimum which we didn’t have a hard time hitting if we ordered lunch for the four of us with a couple of drinks. Our favorites were Mandarina at Casa Las Tortugas and the beach club at Hotel Zomay. Both were kid friendly with the beach club at Hotel Zomay even having even having a small playground.