When you walk around the little village of Holbox you will mostly see other tourists, touristy shops and touristy restaurants. The days are long ago when this place was a nice little fishing village with a unique tradition – as it is mentioned in some travel guides.
But it is still possible to get away from the crowds and find some tranquility. One day we cycled to Punta Cocos and on another day we hiked along the beach towards Punta Mosquito.
Cycling to Punta Cocos
On our way to Isla Holbox western edge, known as Punta Cocos, we cycled on small roads out of the main village. Once beyond Holbox very small airport we met less people. It seems that only a few cyclist or tourists in a golf caddy make all the way to Punta Cocos. While cycling we could witness the still blooming success of Holbox growing tourist industry. Mexican workers buildt one new hotel next to the other.
Finally we arrived at Punta Cocos and cycled for a while along the beach. It was less crowded and a sign told us of another attraction Isla Holbox had to offer at another time of year: turtles breeding on the beach!
A couple of photos later we left Punta Cocos and cycled back for lunch. Our food of choice were some tacos at a small streetfood place at the edge of the village that was run by locals. One streetfood taco is normally around MXN$ 10 (0,50 €) and two of them make a nice meal. Great food for the budget traveler!
Hiking along the beach
The next day we started early to hike along the beach in eastern direction towards Punta Mosquito. When it’s low tide a sandbank appears out of the ocean and you can walk on it for more than 5 kilometers.
Of course the tide was still a little bit high when we got to the place to cross over. With mixed feelings I set my foot into the water. Luckily I was wearing sandals that I could also wear in the water. I followed Brad and we crossed about 200 meters of knee deep water to reach the sandbank. The water was clear to the ground and so I could avoid stepping into slushy seagrass for most of the time.
Once at the sandbank it was amazing to walk along. The reward of getting up early and hiking through the water was that we were all alone! Well, not totally… There were lots of seagulls, pelicans and igrets we could watch close by. Actually lying withing the natural reserve of Yum Balam, Isla Holbox seems to be a great place for birdwatching!
We hiked on until we reached the estuary of a river in the middle of mangroves. The water was too deep here to keep hiking as we had some electronics in our backpacks and couldn’t swim.
It was very nice to walk along the sandbank and see all the birds! On our way back we bumped into lots of other tourists wandering the same way as the tide was very low. Lucky us, we had been so early!
The sunsets of Holbox
One evening we went to the beach to watch the sunset. I didn’t know before, that Holbox is also known for great sunsets but now I know why. Just have a look at the photo. Isn’t it amazing?!
Nice article ! I visited Holbox at the end of July 2022, and besides the not so pretty, unpaved and very muddy when rained streets, it was a paradise with the most beautiful blue water, great food and amazing sunsets. I was IN LOVE ! Even the times that it rained, the water was beautiful & warm. This time around (October 05th 2023) the island was not so busy, more “dirty” than normal, the beaches were full of seagrass and the water was a bit murky. The vibe was different !
We are a bit tired today and will explore more tomorrow…hopefully it will “feel” better tomorrow.
Thank you! Enjoy your time on Holbox! Hopefully the sea grass is not too bad and the water clears up a bit. However I think the island has just a very relaxed atmosphere and I like to think back about my short time exploring it. Enjoy!