Holbox Info

Pirates who razed these lands and initiated a new one, and Cubans that settled with their families to work in the sugar refinery. The European antecedent clear eyes, those retailers of century XIX, carried in their ships the "ti" wood coveted by the textile industry.

Dedicated to the sea where they procure their feeding, brave men of Holbox persecute the sharks, swordfish, and the barracudas, and does not dive 40 meters deep to reach the lobsters. Restaurants of the town serve the freshest one can imagine: directly from the sea to the table and prepared in exquisite forms.

Located in the North end of the Yucatan Peninsula, where the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea fuse with the rich in nutrient waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the island is in a zone of especially abundant marine life and sport fishing is a great attraction. Holbox offers 34 Km. of beautiful upholstered white sand beaches with a multitude of pearly shells and bathed by calm tempered waters. In bicycle or golf trolley, the visitors can explore the places freely and discover solitary beaches to enjoy the sunset: a glorious explosion of colors that sets afire the sea and the sky. As much in the town as in the beach, the small hotels are of low impact (some even have ecological facilities) and offer peace and comfort in a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. The island is part of the protected area of flora and fauna yum balam, a group of beautiful landscapes with rare plants and threatened species. Through programs, the reserve supports the communities so that they can take advantage of its natural appeals rightly. While in Holbox workshops of environmental education are implemented which promote, for example, the daily garbage collection and the protection of the fauna - mainly of the marine turtles, in danger of extinction, in the continent the visitors are prepared and they offer ecological options as the visit to the butterfly sanctuary of solferino or its orchid sanctuary, that shelters three gigantic centennial trees.

From the island the ecological routes guided by tourist boatmen take to corners seldomly visited, one can swim and snorkel next to the exciting whale sharks, the placid mantarays and the white turtles. Accompanied by playing dolphins which follow their wake, the boats arrive in the island and birds which, nevertheless,never tread on land: the small barren island is the refuge of 140 species of birds and like "a branch that is cut it is one less nest", these are admired both from observatories that were installed in the sea, few meters away from the beach. Only accesible by boat, the lagoon yalahau is well-known by their spring that appears to the border of the mangrove swamps. The legend says that the pirate Molas had surrounded it with jade stones and which plasters youth source and that he liked to submerge along with its concubines. The lagoon is a true festival of the nature with its pink flamingos, white herons, placid crocodiles and great amount of fish. Holbox and its surroundings form a hidden earthly paradise, directed to the holidaymakers with an ecological consciousness who wish to rest, to commune with the nature and to coexist with amiable and warm people.

This island was founded on the year of 1873, the inhabitants were dedicated to fishing or sometimes to agriculture (at present this latter activity is not practiced).

Holbox, that in Mayan language means "black hole", the name thus as the water of the lagoon in the South part of the island has a dark color. The first settlers in the Island arrived in 1856, and they were marvelled by the beauty of the Island in which they remained and they built Villa de Holbox.

The island has an average of 1500 inhabitants approximately. their inhabitants are simple people and their way of life has changed very little from generation to generation. Given their coexistence and their humbleness, and their close relationship among them, it is very unlikely that criminal facts arise.

The island offers all the necessary things to its visitors so that they have relaxing vacation although it is a small place. There are small restaurants where they serve the fishing of the day, snail, lobster, squid, pasties of mantaray, among some other Mexican dishes. The small inns offer romos to spend the night, and the hotel Puerto Holboxit offers spacious rooms with all the services and an ocean view. As far as transportation there are few cars in the island, for which motorcycles, bicycles and golf carts are available to rent and to give a stroll through the island.