Day 38: Tulum - How to go to Holbox, a paradise in Mexico
Today is the day when all our searches on how to go to Holbox, one of the paradises of Mexico, will be put into practice starting a new stage in this trip to Mexico in 45 days, in which we are sure, we will know one of the most incredible places in the country.
Having a practically complete morning of transfers, we get up early at 8 o'clock to be in the breakfast room of the Ginger Hotel, our accommodation in Tulum these days, for when there are a few minutes to 9 and after loading our luggage , return to take our rental car in Mexico, leaving behind the best beaches of Tulum, to set off towards Holbox.
How to go from Holbox
Considered by many to be one of the last paradises of Mexico, this small island is much more accessible than it may seem at first glance.
We leave you the data of how to go to Holbox, one of the places to visit in Mexico essential.
- How to go to Holbox from Tulum:
To go to Holbox from Tulum you must reach Chiquilá, a small town that is 180 kilometers away and 2:15 hours away from Tulum.
How to go from Holbox
When you arrive in Playa del Carmen, about an hour from Tulum, you must follow the indications and take the payment road (100 pesos per car) and continue to Chiquilá, the place where you take the ferry to Holbox. The journey will take you approximately 1: 15h more.
Once in Chiquilá you must follow the signs until you reach the jetty, from where ferries depart to Holbox.
There are two companies that do the route from Chiquilá to Holbox Island: Ferry 9 brothers and the Holbox Express ferry.
Both have a price of 140 pesos per person and route and you can only buy the one way trip, to buy the return one directly in Holbox.
Ferries depart in half-hour intervals and with combined schedules, so we recommend that when you go to get yours you look at both one and the other, since companies are facing each other, and take the one that most Approach your schedule.
How to go to Holbox
The journey time between Chiquilá to Holbox on the ferry is approximately 30 minutes.
Ferry from Chiquilá to Holbox
Ferry. How to go to Holbox
The total times per section is: Tulum-Playa del Carmen (1h) - Playa del Carmen-Chiquilá (1: 15h) - Chiquilá-Holbox (30-minute ferry)
- How to go to Holbox from Playa del Carmen:
The journey to Holbox from Playa del Carmen is the same as from Tulum, only eliminating the first part of the previous one.
Another option is to book this Excursion to Holbox Island from Riviera Maya.
- How to go to Holbox from Cancun:
To go from Cancun to Chiquilá, it is not necessary to go through Playa del Carmen, being able to take Highway 180D until it intersects with Highway 5, which you must take towards Chiquilá.
The full journey will take you more than 1 hour and a half.
Another option is to hire this Excursion to Holbox Island from Cancun.
We arrive at Playa del Carmen shortly before 10 in the morning where we take the payment road that indicates the direction of Holbox and where after paying 100 pesos and travel several kilometers surrounded by vegetation and an incredible sky, when it is 11: 30 in the morning we arrive in Chiquilá, where the first thing we do is find a parking lot to leave the car, since in Holbox, cars are not allowed, so we have to leave it here the days we are on the island.
We are only 200 meters from the pier from which ferries depart and we already find three or four options to leave the car. We recommend you not to go around many times since they all have the same prices: 50 pesos for 12 hours and the full day 100 pesos.
In our case, we enter the Five Brothers Parking Lot directly, which is the closest to the jetty, approximately 150 meters away and where for seven days we negotiate a price of 600 pesos.
As we see the negotiation we believe that we could have adjusted the price a little more, but the truth is that we do not even try it since we believe that these days, it is a more than reasonable price.
Parking in Chiquilá
From here we walk approximately 100 meters to meet the two ticket offices of the two companies that make the itinerary from Chiquilá to the island of Holbox: Ferry 9 Brothers and the Holbox Express Ferry, both with a price of 140 pesos per person and route.
As we mentioned earlier, it should be noted that both leave at half-hour intervals, so it is worth checking the schedules of the boards, since we have also seen how both companies, when tourists arrive, say they leave in The most opportune schedule.
Something that should also be taken into account is that the premises that have small boats and that offer to take you from Chiquilá to Holbox for a much lower price are placed in the immediate vicinity of the ticket offices, which also include a tour.
We believe that you have to be very careful with this, since in addition to the ferry being much safer, it is also much more comfortable, especially on days when the sea is not calm.
Jetty from Chiquilá to Holbox
A few minutes past 12 o'clock when we embark on the Nine Brothers Ferry with our bags and set our course for our new destination on this trip to Mexico for free.
The journey from Chiquilá to Holbox is 30 minutes, which we are enlivened by an original singer and beautiful views of the island, which serve as an aperitif of what is to come and that we are already intuiting as we approach this incredible place.
How to go to Holbox
We arrive at the Holbox jetty after 12:30 and directly after taking the bags we walk 20 meters to reach the place where the golf carts that act as taxis on this island are located, since access to vehicles is not allowed of motorbikes, where we take one that for 30 pesos takes us to Holbox Dream Beachfront Holbox Dream Beachfront by Xperience Hotels, which they say is one of the best hotels in Holbox and which will be our accommodation in Holbox next week and that is only 800 meters
We arrive in less than 5 minutes, after a walk through some of the streets of this small town, which gives us some of the images we know, will accompany us the next few days, by the time we are at the hotel, check-in fast, in which they inform us in detail of the hotel facilities, confirming that our room will be ready from 3 in the afternoon.
Seeing this, we decided that with the time it is, it is best to find a place to eat, deciding on a new place, recommended by the hotel receptionist and that is none other than Blackbeard, which will become in the next few days one of our favorite restaurants in Holbox.
We ordered three tacos each, with shrimp and fish, plus lemonade and Jamaican juice for 330 pesos. An incredible price for those who are so far the best tacos we have tried on this trip to Mexico for free.
Tacos in Black Beard
In addition to some incredible dishes, we have to say that they have an exquisite service, something that gives this small place much more charm if possible.
After this energy recharge, and as we will be five full days on the island of Holbox, we decided to take the rest of the day with great peace of mind, to have a first contact taking a walk through its streets, enjoying the atmosphere and of course , making endless stops in all the street art shows that we find, which are not few, and that we will enjoy with more tranquility in the coming days.
Holbox Island
Holbox Island
There are a few minutes to 6:30 pm, the time of sunset at this time of year, when we go to the Coconut Beach Club, which is the beach club of the Holbox Dream Beachfront Holbox Dream Beachfront by Xperience Hotels, Where we stay, to enjoy a unique sunset, which we are sure, we will repeat the next few days.
Sunset in Holbox
After this magical moment of the day and with the stomach again warning us, we decided to go to dinner at El Chapulín restaurant, another of the most recommended restaurants on the island, where they have no menu as such, since they work with fresh produce and day.
The procedure to choose is somewhat curious, since first they offer you a drink with alcohol or without alcohol, among which you can choose different cocktails and refreshing drinks, then with the presence of the chef at your table, choose one of the dishes that he offers you.
Tonight we choose a natural lemonade, a chapulín cocktail, prawns with green mole, fish of the day, chocolate cake and two coffees for 1050 pesos.
Although a little more expensive than the average of what we have been eating these days on the trip, the truth is that both the quality and attention are impeccable, so the price is more than justified.
And so, when a few minutes past 10 at night, we end today's day, in which we can say, without fear of being wrong, that we have reached paradise.
Day 39-43: What to see and do in Holbox
