Meagan Drillinger
Those who think Cancun is not relaxing enough should consider a visit Isla Holbox. This small island, just north of Quintana Roo, off the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, sits where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean Sea. The island is 26 miles long and one mile wide, ringed with white- and coral-sand beaches.
Holbox's location and pristine seclusion has left it teeming with wildlife, from whale sharks, manta rays and dolphins to lobsters, octopuses, eagle rays and sea turtles. In fact, Holbox forms part of the Yum Balam Natural Reserve. Boating is one of the top activities on Holbox, and daytrips skirt the coast and visit Pajaros Island, a bird sanctuary. Other highlights include the Yalahau lagoon, where dolphin sightings are common. From May to September, swimming with whale sharks is a popular activity.
"Isla Holbox is a very laid-back island, far from development," said Ximena de Cordova Cole, public relations manager for the Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau. "It's a very relaxed experience, but at the same time you have luxury-oriented hotels with boutique, beautiful and relaxed styles."
But beyond wildlife, Holbox is a true hideaway that is perfect for romance travel, where it's all about unplugging on what seems like your own private island.
Where to Stay
There are a handful of boutique hotels on the island, designed for couples that want nothing but privacy and endless stretches of sand. Casa Las Tortugas (www.holboxcasalastortugas.com) is a boho-chic hideaway, with thatched palapas, earth tones and billowing white curtains. Beach beds and hammocks add to the relaxed vibe, with hand-painted bowl sinks and natural stonewall showers. Room categories include standard rooms, a Master Suite, Ocean View and Pool View. The hotel also has a Mediterranean restaurant, Mandarina, that takes up the entire ground floor of the main beachfront palapa. There is also the Agua Spa and Yoga Center, which fuses Mayan traditions with modern spa treatments. A beachfront yoga pavilion offers daily meditation and yoga.
Hotel Mawimbi (www.hotelholboxisland.com) is a small, beachfront hotel with just 11 rooms and plenty of hammocks tucked into shady palm groves. Curtains, bedclothes and pillows are made with antique Guatemalan ponchos, bathrooms are decorated with Mexican ceramics, and the tables and chairs in the bar area on the beach have all been carved out of wood from local trees. Standard rooms are on the ground floor, equipped with queen beds and private bathrooms, while balcony rooms have their own hammocks. The Bungalow Studio has a king bed and private bathrooms, and the two-story bungalow has its own kitchenette, sea view and terrace.
The Hotel Villa Flamingos Holbox (www.villasflamingos.com) offers both family-style and couples accommodations in standard rooms, bungalows or the Master Suite. El Mangle is the resort's beachfront restaurant, which is near Bar los Pedales. Each Saturday Hotel Villa Flamingos hosts beachisde barbecues, while Wednesdays are reserved for ceviche buffets on the beach.
Getting there
Many hotels offer transfers from the Cancun airport to Isla Holbox, but if you want to do it on your own, the easiest way is to take a bus or a taxi to Chiquila, which is approximately two hours north of Cancun. From there you can grab the ferry across to Isla Holbox.