Is Holbox the New Isla Mujeres?

March 21, 2009

Having heard that Isla Holbox resembled the Isla Mujeres of 40 years ago, we decided to “check it out”. So, on Friday we reluctantly left Punta Piedra, got lots of pesos at the ATM (no ATMs on Holbox!), and took the ferry to Gran Puerto. We checked most of our luggage and took only a small duffle for the bus trip. The Mayab bus to Chiquila left Cancun at about 1 PM.

The bus was clean and air conditioned, but had no restroom. Be sure to take care of bathroom needs before you board, the “ladies” at the bus terminal is modern and clean but D reported that the “mens” was disgusting. The trip takes 3 – 4 hours and there are no rest stops. Bring snacks and something to drink. If you are more adventurous, vendors will board the bus selling cups of fruit (jicama, mango, oranges); they give you a sprinkle of chili and a squirt of lime juice on the fruit – it’s an interesting taste treat.

As on our bus trip to Chichen Itza several years ago, this bus would stop whenever flagged down. Since it was Friday, we stopped for many high school students in uniform. They seem to travel long distances in order to get their education – perhaps they even spend the week in the town where their school is and return only on weekends to their homes in the jungle. I am trying to recreate the route we took, but my geography may be a little scrambled. After passing through the industrialized portion of Cancun, we traveled southwest on Route 180 to the large town of Leona Vicario, then to Nuevo Valladolid, Vicente Guerrero and Ignacio Zaragoza. Each town had a small school with playground, numerous tiendas, vegetable/fruit markets and roast meat stands. The road through the towns was punctuated with speed bumps.

At El Ideal, we made a sharp right turn off the main highway and rode north a long stretch through the jungle on hard packed dirt until we reached Kantunilkin where paving resumed. A note about the “jungle”, this is not the Tarzan-like, deep green forest festooned with vines that we associate with the word jungle. The landscape is more shrubby and dusty, interspersed with small cleared patches of banana plants, sour orange trees and the occasional solitary herd of skinny white cattle. At this time of year you can spot the taller kapok trees – leafless with hanging pods that contain the fluffy material that was used to stuff life jackets. We continued through San Angel, Solferino and San Eusebio to the end of the line in Chiquila.

After a half hour boat ride, we docked on Isla Holbox (pronounced Hohl Bosh). Technically, this is not an island since it is connected to the northeast tip of the Yucatan Peninsula. But since the connection consists of impenetrable mangrove swamp and savannah, Holbox might as well be an island – you can reach it only by boat (or plane, if you have deep pockets). The resident population numbers around 1500 persons. The roads are sand, the small homes are wood or concrete and the town is about ten blocks square. There are the usual fruit stands, tiendas, barbeque shacks and fish grills, plus simple sidewalk restaurants and some more gourmet dining options. The main square facing the town hall and the church has a playground and a band shell. Taxis are yellow golf carts. Visitors can get around by foot, rented golf cart ($60 a day), taxi or bicycle.

The beach faces northwest, perfect for watching the sunset. Strung along the beach are numerous one to two storey hotels, most with palapa roofs; their rates range from $50 to astronomical $ per night, there is also a place to camp on the beach. We had been warned about mosquitoes and we brought bug repellant but we never needed it – perhaps it was the constant breeze that kept the bugs down. The water was shallow and warm, not the amazing “Isla Blue” but a pretty “Holbox Blue Green”; it was clear and the shelling was great. The sand is much harder than on Isla Mujeres and people ride bikes along the beach.

I had picked our accommodations on the internet without any recommendations and with little information to go on. La Casa de Alberto (now called Casa Barbara) turned out to be a great choice. It is about six short blocks from the beach and four from the ferry on the main street - Av. Tiburon Ballena (Whale Shark Avenue). The exterior is simple and gives no indication of the magical interior. The outer door (locked at night – guests have a key) leads to a gorgeous inner courtyard/garden. There is a small, clean swimming pool that is also a magnet for wildlife. We saw hummingbirds, mocking birds, the ubiquitous grackles, geckos, iguanas and a heron.

We walked down the path and through the gate to our little room (#1). The interior was simple stucco with a ceiling beamed with polished tree trunks. We had AC and a ceiling fan, plus a TV. The bed was softer than the average Mexican bed. The bano had a pretty sink and the separate shower area had a palapa roof. We paid less than $70 US a night.

We ate at some great restaurants: Los Pelicanos and La Cueva del Pirata; we found a bakery for Sunday's breakfast pastries and ate Saturday breakfast at Faro Viejo. There is no “nightlife” in the Isla/Cancun sense. The people are friendly and helpful, but there is no pressure to buy anything. Our “entertainment” on Saturday night was to sit on the curb outside the simple church and watch a local wedding. As the happy bride and groom emerged from the church, the plaza of onlookers (local and tourist) burst into applause.

We caught an early boat on Sunday morning back to sleepy Chiquila. We watched the fishermen unload their catch on the dock while waiting for the bus ticket office to open and get some coffee. Then we took the bus back to the real world in Cancun.

Would we go back to Holbox? Definitely. Are we ready to abandon Isla Mujeres? Not yet, we have too many dear friends there.

You can see our photos of Holbox at http://islandnana.smugmug.com/gallery/7664558_DVDjj/1/494808862_pCYZN