I have mixed feelings about Holbox Island. We stayed in a lovely hotel (Tierra Del Mar) and ate some delicious meals (particularly at La Barracuda). The beaches are beautiful and can be accessed from anywhere on the island. The water was warm, shallow, and gentle like a pool. We enjoyed kayaking out to the mangroves and seeing the flamingos. But I was expecting a peaceful, car-free island. Instead, there are lots of gas-powered, noisy ATVs and bars playing loud music at all times. It was also expensive for Mexico. The largest drawback is the huge pools of water that form in the road, sometimes covering the whole block. They are much larger than puddles. We rented bikes to ride to Punta Cocos, but had to walk them through the water on the roads often up to our thighs. The standing water can smell like sewage and breeds lots of mosquitoes. I am glad we visited Holbox, but I am not sure that I would return.

Holbox is definitely overrated. It is beautiful but so far away from being the "Maldives in the Yucatan." We stayed for 10 days and below is our honest feedback. The good -- beautiful beach, amazing sandbar/sand, blue water, bioluminescent tour was definitely worth it. The bad: 1. Price is sooo expensive. So many tourist traps for restaurants and clothes are more expensive than NYC and more generic than Amazon. You aren't getting a cheap vacation. 2. Unbelievably awful infrastructure. During the 10 days, it had daily outage of water and electricity. So definitely do NOT work there remotely. You would be so stressed out daily. And there is flooding... 3. No car? Oh no, there are soo many golf cars and gas ATVs. I even saw real sedans a couple times. Whenever rained, it would flood the entire city, and there are barely any sidewalks. You have to be careful not to be splashed by these cars. When it's sunny, you have to walk carefully on the streets too. Also when it rains, it doesn't dry for 10 days as the roads are uneven and have a lot of holes. 4. Doesn't feel authentic at all. In summary, I think this island is being destroyed by tourism. It is beautiful but didn't invest in infrastructure to support the flood of people. It is overly priced. I wouldn't go back.

The island itself is not as the pictures appear. It is rainy season now and all the streets are flooded and walking through them is perilous. There are potholes that make the driving dangerous much less the walking. Taxis are side by sides if that tells you anything. The nice areas are good!!! The food is great! But it is trashed up beyond belief. Do not expect to find a toilet seat in public places. They simply aren’t there. The street lights are few and far between so bring a flashlight. Their growth has over run the current infrastructure so many things Americans take for granted are difficult. Walking around is the hardest. Bring water shoes!!! Or better yet muck boots. Expect to Wade knee deep water in the roads to get where you are going. All that being said, I felt safe here. The locals are helpful and some speak English so that is helpful. Would I come here again? No. But for what it is, it has pretty areas and the offered activities were nice. There are little stores on every block, that is NICE! Prices are on the higher side but hey, it is an island. If you have mobility issues, this isn’t a good choice. Consider a resort if you come here so you aren’t needing to walk around town to get places.

This Island is pure unspoilt magic. The beaches are long and on some days we walked without seeing anyone for hours. The wildlife is amazing, so many different species we’d never seen before, birds, fish and lizards. Roosting flamingoes were one sight we will never forget. As there are no cars it means that the walk into town is a strange one as the golf buggies go by and the independent small bars and stores are so interesting. We will definitely be back, it has renewed our faith in all that is real.

OMG. This was the best trip we could have imagined. Holbox is a sandbar. Yes its not modern and that's the point. The streets are dirt. No cars, but people have to get around so, yes, there are small utility vehicles and golf carts. If you go in the summer it's very hot.(Duh!) The beach beds were $50 US for two beds under a canopy and the $50 is applied to food and drink purchases. There are few tourists compared to most resort areas in Mexico. The beaches are beautiful where you can walk out 1/4 of a mile out and sit down on the sand. It might be a tad more expensive than other areas but it's well worth it. I never heard loud partying while I was there. Absolutely beautiful.

Getting to the island- not too difficult from playa del Carmen . it’s around 2hours and a 30min ferry ride available every half hour. Taxis from the pier to the furthest hotel is around 200 pesos (350 pesos if raining). Early morning 6am price is (300 pesos, not raining ) The island - very basic and un commercialized yet, although we saw the first SUBWAY downtown. Major constructions all around, 2ft sidewalks are new and being built around downtown. walk in a single file as the dirt roads themselves are for the taxis and lots of pot holes. Beware not stepping on any wet clay as it can be slippery. NO above shoes period. You may have trouble with golf carts if it rains and floods. Better to take their jeep taxis. It’s for some people who prefer the rustic environment and vibe but not for others who prefer more modern infrastructure. There are a few chic and trendy restaurants in town namely, Luuma, Carmita raw bar etc etc. The beaches are awful. Stacked with sargassum seaweed in front of resorts. Our resort is at the end of the stretch and they cleaned up so it wasn’t as bad, most resorts have them and it smells awful. Some resorts are also separated by the main thoroughfare so you will be having jeeps back and forth while you are sunbathing or just hang on the beach lounges. Check with your resort if their beach front is by the road / separated by a road. Plan in advance. Our taxi did not arrive on-time even though we booked it for 5:50am . We almost missed our 6:30am ferry to catch our flight in Cancun.

Amazing island. So beautiful. Better beaches than Barbados. So blue long and wide. Not for everyone so do your research before you go. Can’t believe negative reviews. Not my experience at all. We did a two centre holiday with a five star hotel for the second part so was a nice contrast. Loved the vibe in town. Live music spilling out into the streets

Great place for those looking to hide for a while. Equally a great day out from Cancun, Playa Del Carmen or Puerto Morelos. A laid back island with nature, beaches, bars and restaurants. Plenty to do for a day or likewise a bit longer.

I had not heard of Holbox Island before my friends told me about it. I was blown away by the beautiful beaches, nice shops, amiable locals and visitors, good food and more. Really enjoyed a horseback riding tour through the mangroves and along the beach. The lounges along the beach are fantastic, as was a beachside Mayan massage. I stayed about a 20-minute walk to town, at a pretty hotel (Villas Tiburon) with an excellent rooftop pool overlooking the beach. Enjoyed being away from the downtown and walking to and from town either along the sandy road or along the beach. The Island does not allow cars (only motorbikes, motorcycles and golf cart-like vehicles) and has some water drainage problems on the streets following rainstorms. That, however, did not decrease my enjoyment of this gorgeous, laid-back place. Feels like a throwback to the 70s, in some ways, because of its hippy vibe. Felt safe to walk alone at night. I met such wonderful people while visiting, most of whom were locals or European (and many Argentinians). I think that most travelers from the U.S. have not yet found out about this hidden gem!

We had an amazing time despite the water problems. We arrived first week of December. Used the Ado bus service from airport to Chiquila. Comfortable ride took some drinks and snacks. We would return probably not with kids. Enjoyed some adult time with my wife. Nice restaurants in the heart of the city and transportation was easy. We stayed on the western edge of the island at an amazing hotel Casa HX highly recommended. I don’t think it was cheap but not high end expensive either.