Your expert guide to enjoying Holbox with kids
Isla Holbox is an incredibly beautiful small island and if you’re looking for the perfect place to relax with the kids, this is definitely a good option. In this article we’ll take a look at the reasons why it’s a good family vacation location as well as discussing some important things you might want to know before before booking your trip.
Why Holbox?
We first went to Holbox in 2016 and I recently returned to the island to see how much it has changed. Holbox is a very different place today than it was in 2016. It’s grown, it’s more developed and it’s definitely more pricey but it’s still beautiful and it’s still possible to have a laid back family vacation.
What I love: there are no cars on this tiny island, no one cares if you live in the same shorts and t-shirt for a week and shoes are definitely an optional extra. If you want to visit Mexico, want somewhere safe for the kids to frolic in the water and you love island life, Holbox island is a delight.
What I don’t love: the golf carts are bigger and more powerful than they were in 2016. When it rains the whole island feels soggy and the dirt/sand roads turn to mush. Holbox is also starting to feel a little like Tulum‘s younger sibling. It’s getting trendy and cool, and hipster style bars, restaurants & hotels are popping up all over the place.
Handily, it’s still possible to enjoy a laid back island vacation with the kids if you want to, you just have to know how. And you just know that’s what I’m going to share with you today.
❓Wondering whether Bacalar or Holbox are more up your street? Use the MexicoCassie guide to figuring it out to help you choose.
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Where is Holbox?
Holbox is a long, thin island, located just off the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the state of Quintana Roo. It is only accessible by boat from the small village port of Chiquila. Here you’ll find a village that well understands its role in transporting people to the beautiful white sandy beaches and turquoise waters of Holbox. There are numerous safe carparks for those who drive there and there’s an ADO bus park as well as the more informal colectivo bus parks.
🌴 Holbox Island is located within the Nature Reserve of Yum Balam
✈️ The nearest airport is Cancun airport
Did you know that you can take a day trip to Holbox from Cancun & Playa del Carmen ? There are trips that take you around the island, ensuring you get the best of Holbox while staying on the mainland. A great alternative if you don’t have time to get yourself to Holbox for a few days.
Holbox by road
🚗 Chiquila is located at the end of the 5. Be warned: this is not a wonderful road, it’s very much ‘tope’ (speed bump) and pothole heavy and many of these are pretty invisible until the last moment.
Once you reach Chiquila, drive until you find a car park you like the look of – the car parks have guards so it’s well worth paying for the space.
Cancun – 2hr15 to Chiquila
Playa del Carmen – 2 hr to Chilquila
Valladolid – 2hr10 to Chiquila
Mérida – 3hr40 to Chilquila
🚌 Both ADO buses and regular colectivos bring people to Chiquila as well as the transfer buses you can book in advance.
→ Check ADO timetables and buy tickets on Busbud (I no longer recommend buying direct from ADO after they cancelled my tickets and didn’t tell me, forcing me to buy new ones)
Chilquila to Holbox by ferry
🛳 There are 2 ferries (9 Hermanos & Holbox Express) departing alternately every half hour between Chiquila and Holbox. The ride takes about 25 minutes. You can book your journey in advance or you can show up and book to ride whichever ferry is leaving next. It’s never a problem to get a ticket.
Luggage is taken from you and stored at the front of the boat. Don’t forget to pick it up at the other end, as I, um, may have done the first time we visited. (Embarrassingly, the second time I went I also screwed up and accidentally ‘stole’ someone else’s luggage thinking it was ours. Luckily they were very understanding when asking me what on earth I thought I was doing!).
Getting around Holbox
There are no cars on the island so you need to collect your luggage and then grab a golf cart taxi to take you to your hotel if it isn’t walking distance from the port. Young kids will love the golf cart travel.
It’s possible to rent these golf carts or bikes if you don’t want to explore on foot.
👦🏽 Holbox is not a good place to take a stroller/buggy as you can see from photo above. There are some sidewalks/pavements but it’s mostly sand, which is never fun with a buggy.
🔆 ⛈ When to visit Holbox
The dry season runs from November – May and the rainy season is June – October. May is the hottest month, December is the coldest.
Hurricane season is June – November, more or less coinciding with the rainy season. We aren’t saying there will be a hurricane, just that there could be but there probably won’t be. Nortes are wind systems that tend to hit the Yucatán coast once a month or so during the dry season, bringing with them cold, stormy weather. And, of course, when there’s rain, there’s mosquitos so be sure to come with repellant.
⛈ An important note on the rains
The rain turns paradise into a soggy old place! Most of the roads become un-passable without a golf cart or accepting very wet, muddy feet. The island can also start to smell a bit as the water stagnates. Only once enough water has drained into the mangroves that cover the island do the islanders start pumping away the excess water. This makes the discomfort much easier to deal with when you know it’s for the good of the island and the planet, right?
Where to stay in Holbox with kids
There are great family hotels on the island. While air conditioning isn’t imperative since Holbox is coastal, given how humid the island can be, particularly after a rainstorm, it does help.
🏨 MexicoCassie recommended locally owned hotel: Los Arcos – this is a centrally located locally owned hotel in the traditional Mexican style. Rooms have A.C and it’s close to the beach and all amenities.
🏨 MexicoCassie top recommended hotel: Palapas del Sol – staying in one of these 6 beachfront individual cottages is a great option for families who love ocean front views and space to enjoy nature. The hotel has a pool, AC and breakfast is included in the hotel price.
🏨 MexicoCassie top recommended holiday home: Casa Cacahuate – this delightful home has 2 bedrooms, a great garden space and apparently the most incredible showers you’ll find anywhere in Mexico (!). The owners are super helpful and the kitchen is well equipped.
🗺 Or, if none of these strike you as what you need, use my helpful interactive accommodation finder to choose something more suited to your needs.
What to do in Holbox with kids
🏝 Enjoy the beach
Obviously the beach will be a winner for most kids – the Gulf of Mexico’s shallow waters are just perfect for young kids to splash around and enjoy themselves safely. And of course, the beautiful beaches are perfect for building sandcastles and sand sculptures, taking a long beach walk or simply relaxing.
Playa Holbox is the main beach that’s most accessible from town. Playa Punta Cocos is also accessible on foot on by bike/golf cart.
You can either set your family up with your own kit or head to a beach club on the island.
Making informed & ethical choices in Holbox
MexicoCassie beach club recommendation: Mantarraya Beach Club
I highly recommend this low key, laid back beach club out of the numerous beach clubs because it’s the only locally owned beach club on the island. Every other beach club on this small island is owned by non-Holboxeños (locals). By supporting this beach club you’re putting your money directly into the local community and ensuring that locals aren’t priced out of living on their island. Mantarraya might not be as fancy as some of the other beach spots but honestly, it’s great. They have ample shade & sun loungers, the bathrooms are clean, the staff are really friendly and the food is its delicious.
🐟 Actually, the food is better than great – this is the only beach club owned by fishermen so they serve the best and freshest fish of all the beach clubs on the island.
➕ While you’re enjoying your beach fun, you may notice people with street-food carts walking up and down the beach. I recommend you try their wares for 2 reasons:
1. It’s yum – seriously, who doesn’t love traditional beach candy or fresh coconut water?
2. These are also local people and they’re struggling right now. The owners of the big hotels and fancy restaurants are pushing for their removal from the beaches, saying they don’t fit the vibe. I disagree and I implore you to do the same – we should support these local vendors, not force them out of their businesses and their homes.
→ Read the full MexicoCassie guide to Holbox for a more detailed breakdown of spending locally on the island
Beach walks
Sandbank walk to Punta Mosquito
This is one of the most popular things to do on Holbox – walk along the coast from where Playa Holbox ends up to Punta Mosquito. It might not feel possible even when you see others doing it, particularly if you have little kids with you but even at high tide the water only covers the sandbars by 1/2 metre or so – you just have to have trust that it’s possible! At low tide the sand bars are fully exposed.
🚰 Take a little bag on your back with drinking water in case you’re out longer than you expect.
🤿 Swim with whale sharks
If you are heading to Holbox between June – September then you’re in luck as this whale shark season. During this time, the Yum Balam reserva is the shelter and sanctuary for the biggest concentration of whale sharks in the planet. Tours obviously can’t guarantee you’ll see pods of whale sharks but generally people do because all the tour boats work together to locate these magnificent creatures. The activity is tightly regulated by the authorities to ensure the safety of both the whale sharks and people.
We took our kids swimming with whale sharks when they were 9 and 7 years old and it was an incredible experience none of us will ever forget. The kids felt safe and our guides were really brilliant at ensuring they were always able to get the best views and experiences.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended whale shark tour: 8hr small group tour that includes guided swims with whale sharks, fresh ceviche breakfast, beach time and a local knowledgeable guide who will share Holbox secrets as you explore. You may well also see other local wildlife including dolphins, manta rays & sea turtles while at sea.
✨ Bioluminescence
Holbox is a great location for anyone hoping to see the famous bioluminescence. It is generally most prolific over winter and at new moon but it’s also visible at other times of the year.
Warning: even when you plan, show up at the best time things can still go wrong. When I booked to see the bioluminescence in December our tour was cancelled due to high winds.
This is more for the older kids since generally one books a paddle board or kayak tour after dark.
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended bioluminescence tour: take a 2 hour night guided kayaking tour to experience the wondrous sea-creatures.
🚣🏾♀️ 3 Island boat tour
This is probably the most popular and most accessible tours available on the island. Pretty much everyone does it, and everyone offers it. This tour takes visitors to see Punta Mosquito, Isla Pasión, Isla Pájaros & Yalahau, an ojo de agua/cenote that the pirates used to love.
While exploring you’ll see flamingos, pelicans and so many other species of bird (Isla Pájaros alone is apparently home to 35 different species). You’ll swim in the ojo de agua and possibly even see dolphins, manta rays and sea turtles as you explore.
We took our kids on this tour when they were very small and they were entranced, particularly when a small group of dolphins swam alongside our boat for a while.
You can either book in advance or wait until you are in Holbox and find someone when you feel like taking this tour
⭐️ MexicoCassie recommended island boat tour: this is a half day tour around the main points of natural beauty on the island that allows you to experience the wonder of the fauna in the region.
Other great kid-friendly Holbox activities
🏄🏽 Treat your older kids to a 2 hr introductory kite surfing class
🛶 Early evening kayak tour of the mangrove (suitable for over-9s) to watch the sunset over the trees and meet the mangrove animal life.
🐴 Take a guided horse riding tour along the beach and through the mangroves.
Of course, you’ll also be able to rent paddle boards & kayaks as you walk along the beach.
🛍 Kids will love exploring the night market – give them a few hundred pesos and help them pick out some cool souvenirs. The shops around the main plaza will also be fun for the kids.
🎨 As you explore Holbox, be sure to keep an eye out for awesome street art, because the island is really covered in beautiful murals.
Where can the kids play?
(apart from the beach)
The main plaza used to be a lot of fun for little kids, with trampolines, ball pits, foosball tables and more set up. There’s a more genteel air to the plaza these days, which is kind of a shame as my kids were absolutely in love with this run down kid-friendly plaza but it is what it is. Kids can still run around the plaza freely.
Where to eat on Holbox
Likewise with my beach club recommendation, I spent time looking for the locally owned restaurants on the island so that people visiting know how to put their money directly into the local community, supporting the people who are actually from this gorgeous island they’re kind enough to share with us. This list comes entirely from chatting with local people.
→ If you’re travelling with kids, be sure to open up the MexicoCassie guide to feeding kids in Mexico to take the stress out of mealtimes
I’ve only eaten in the first three places named.
Las Panchas – always busy, serves good sea food
Taco Mateo – always busy, serving up really tasty cheap tacos
Mantarraya – this beach club is owned by local fishermen, meaning that fresh fish and top quality food – my prawns here were the best I’ve ever had
El Crustáceo Kascarudo – hidden away from the main tourist area, serving fresh seafood
Viva Zapata – fish, meat & pastas with a cool vibe
BIG Fish – traditional, local food
La Conquista – good empanadas
La Palapa de Victor – a cool beach front restaurant, perfect for sunset cocktails too
El Limoncito Breakfast – traditional breakfast spot on the main plaza
Taco Queto – popular but recently closed down
Important information when visiting Holbox with kids
🚰 You can’t drink the tap water and many hotels don’t provide drinking water. If this is the case, head to Oxxo or any other small store and pick up the biggest bottle of water you can for your hotel room.
🏥 There is one health centre (centro de salud) on the island and there are a few pharmacies including Similares, YZA, 2 nationally recognised brands.
💰 Officially there are a couple of ATMs on the island but I wouldn’t expect them to have any cash in them. Most shops, restaurants and hotels will take cards and I even did a bank transfer for my hotel when I was there recently as their card machine wasn’t working. I highly recommend showing up with plenty of cash though.
Visiting Mexico with kids – a directory
🧳 Packing for a trip to Mexico with kids
✈️ Spring break in Mexico with kids
🏖 Best family friendly beaches in Mexico
🏝 Family fun in Playa del Carmen
✅ Río Secreto with kids – a review
🏝 Chilling in Cozumel with kids
⭐️ 50+ things to do in Mérida with kids
⭐️ Exploring Valladolid with kids
💦 Best cenotes in Yucatán for kids
⛰ Visiting Mexico’s Copper Canyon with kids
⭐️ What to do in Guadalajara with kids
⛰ Oaxaca’s Sierra Norte with kids
⭐️ Exploring around Queretaro with kids
⭐️ Getting to know Cholula (Puebla) with kids
🎄 Celebrating Christmas in Mexico
✏️ A guide to homeschooling in Mexico
🍭 All your kids need to know about Mexican candy
🍦 Finding the best ice creams in Mérida
2 Comments
connie · 17/04/2018 at 9:38 am
i have never heard of holbox, i loved your journey…you write so well… thank you
Cassie · 17/04/2018 at 9:41 am
Thank you so much. You put a grin on my face.
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