Holbox Island, Quintana Roo, Mexico
August 2006
The History
Holbox, in Mayan means "Black Hole". It comes from the union of two Mayan words Jool which means hole and Boox which means black.
We don’t know why Mayans called this Mexican island that, but it might be because is a black hole where several species, about to be extinguished, found their hidden space to still live in this world.
Another possible explanation is that it was the hidden place from which the Mayans first and the British pirates later used to supervise the commercial exchange between the Mexican Gulf and the Caribbean with Central America. The pirates married the local Mayans and their descendants settled Holbox in the year 1837. It is said that the descendants of the original families, still reside there today.
The present
Holbox Island is located to the northwest of Cancun, right in front of Chiquilá town, where the Caribbean Sea meets the Gulf of Mexico. It is just 40 km long and 2 km wide. It has approximately 1,600 residents, who are mainly fishermen.
Protected Sanctuary
Holbox Island and its surroundings make up the Yum Balam protected area. These 154,052.25 hectares, due to their ecological importance, were declared a protected natural zone as of June 6th 1994. In these area the following species have been seen; White sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), marine turtle caguama Caretta Caretta and marine turtle carey Eretmochelys Imbricata, manatee Trichechus Manatus, Phoenicopterus Ruber, jaguar Onca Panther, deer temazate Mazama Americana and white tail deer Odocoileus Virginianus, devil rays (Manta birostris), several species
of dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, Stenella attenuata, Stenella frontalis, Steno bredanesis, Grampus griseus), pseudos orcas (Pseudorca crassidens) and orcas (Orcinus orca). There are also other interesting fish like the amberjack (Seriola sp), tropical two-wing flying fish (Exocoetus volitans) and the Atlantic sail fish (Istiophorus sp).
Yum Balam name comes from two Mayan words YUUM meaning Lord and BÁALAM that is the name of the mythological Guardian Protector represented by a jaguar. This is why the symbol for the Yum Balam protected area is the jaguar.
What to do
Holbox is a paradise for the lovers of nature.
Bird watching is a day to day activity, but if you want to be overwhelmed with thousands of birds to watch, you just need to cross to “Birds Island” or "Isla Pájaros" as it is called in Spanish, where several species nest.
During the months from July to September the whale sharks visit the area. Holbox is one of the few places in the world where male, females, old and mature whale sharks can be seen. From the island, daily tours depart to swim with the whale sharks. The excursions take approximately five hours and give the tourist a unique possibility to swim near these special animals.
The whale sharks are also known as Domino sharks, because their black skin with white dots. This is why when Mexico started a project in order to study and protect this specie; they called it the Domino Project. Today this project has been joined by the American state of Florida and the country of Belize, and their website is an excellent resource to find more about these animals.
Almost every captain and whale shark guide in the area contributes to this project by providing a daily chart with the whale sharks seen during the day. They also contribute by creating awareness in the tourist about the project; the Yum Balam protected area and how to behave in front of the whale shark. This is why they take a good 20 minutes briefing the tourist on what to do and what not to do during the tour.
If you want to take the tour, be ready to swim fast. Whale sharks are excellent swimmers. Even when they look almost still, a little push with their tail can make them cover a great distance and you will need to swim hard to keep up with them. This is one thing in favor of the guides. They can be nice to the visitors and let them be with the whales as much as you like. Inevitably, unless you are a very good swimmer, after a while you will be ready to leave the site exhausted.
Our guide Alex gave us a great tip. He told us not to push ourselves to take pictures on the first swim. He advised to use the first time to enjoy the experience and get us comfortable in the water, and take the pictures on the second or third swim. It worked out well for us.
If you are a photograph addict like me, I will say, don’t save all the pictures for underwater. The whale sharks are big and fast. It is very difficult to have a shot of their entire body underwater. To do so, take the shot from the boat. They come extremely close giving a good photo opportunity.
Holbox has beaches were you can find the most amazing shells. Because of this, picking up shells is a local sport. If you want to join the locals at it, just ask one of the boats that are at the coast to take you to one sea shell beach. We did not only find beautiful shells, we also found the skeletons of one of the oldest still existing species.
Where to eat
The island has several restaurants where you can experience the catch of the day, ceviches (raw sea food, cooked with the acid of lime and tomatoes, simply delicious) and sea food cocktails. If you are not a fish person, you can also go to the Italian restaurants that offer pizza and pasta, or try one of the yucatecan dishes. To find the restaurants walk around the main plaza (Zócalo) where most of the town life happens.
How to get there
From the Riviera Maya (Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, Tulum):
Take federal highway 307 south to the town of Tulum. There you will find signs for Coba. Take the road to Coba. Drive approximately 40 minutes. Once you reached the roundabout for the entrance to the Coba ruins, take the farthest right road, towards Nuevo Xcan. (Avoid the roads that go to Valladolid, Chemax, Merida or Coba). At Nuevo Xcan, make a right to take the Highway 180. Stay on it until you get to the town El Ideal and once there you will see signs to Holbox and Kantunilkin. Take the signed road towards the north (left). You will soon face a fork in the road. Take the right towards Chiquilá.
The full trip takes approximately three hours. Once you are in Chiquila you have two options. You can cross your car in the ferry or you can leave your car at Chiquila's parking (approximately 30 pesos per day) and cross by ferry or boat. The latter is what we recommend as there are no cars in the island and therefore no parking lots. The island is very small, no car is needed. If you don’t like to walk, you can always hire a local taxi (golf cart) which charges between 20 and 40 pesos depending on the trip and the number of people and luggage.
Ferry Vs Taxi-Boat
Crossing from the mainland to Holbox takes between 20 and 30 minutes. You can take a taxi boat, which will charge 200 pesos and will take up to seven people. This option is very flexible. If you arrive in the early morning, you might be lucky and find some dolphins on your way to the island. If you are on a tighter budget or if you simple prefer bigger boats, you can cross with the public ferry, which charges 40 pesos per person.
Ferry schedule: Chiquila to Isla Holbox
6 am 8 am 10 am 12 am 2 pm 4 pm 5 pm
Last ferry crossing 7 pm
Ferry Schedule: Isla Holbox to Chiquila
5 am 7 am 9 am 11 am 1 pm 3 pm 4 pm
Last ferry crossing 6 pm
Communication
The island doesn't have very good communication media, but they do have a cyber cafe. Cyber Sh@rk is not only the best communication option; it is also a good spot to network with other tourists.
I was told that there is no cell phone coverage on the island. I turned on my cell phone and I got some signal from Telcel, the oldest cellular company in Mexico, but I don't know if it was just a lucky morning. Holbox residents do not trust cell phones and communicate by radio.
What to bring
Cash, cash and more cash
There is no ATM machine in the island and most of the shops/hotels do not accept credit or debit cards. Mexican pesos is your best option, although dollars are also accepted. Do not bring other currencies as there are no exchange shops. Please, do not make the mistake of trusting your credit cards, as some poor tourists that I found on the way back to the mainland did. They were very sad because after making their way to the island they couldn’t take the whale shark tour because they didn't have enough cash with them.
Insect Repellent
During the hot season (from March to November) mosquitoes are everywhere in quantities at any time of the day. To give you an idea, the local T-shirt shop sells one T-shirt that says "Mosquitoe blood donor".
Biodegradable Sun Lotion
As Holbox is part of the Yum Balam protection zone, they do not allow you to use any sun screen lotion that is not biodegradable. Please help us keep the island intact and contribute by following this rule.
Wet suits
If you are planning to swim with the whale sharks or to dive, bring your wet suits. These are not Caribbean waters. They are Mexican Gulf waters, and therefore it is a colder temperature. If you don't want to carry your own gear, you can rent in the island, but unless you are used to swimming in cold water, we recommend that you take the option of a wet suit, if you are offered.
Informal attire
Unless you are coming to celebrate a special occasion like a wedding or an anniversary, you won't find many opportunities to dress up. In this hot weather informal relaxed look is the most appropriate. Keep in mind that the "streets" are made of sand, so bring comfortable shoes. If you are coming in the rainy season, don't forget your weather jacket.
If you travel with babies and toddlers
and you want to participate in the water related activities don't worry. La Casa Rosa is the local day care for kids between 1 and 6 years old. They will accept your kids for the day, but you need to let them know one day in advance. Ask at your hotel and they will probably be able to make the necessary arrangements.
If your baby is still eating baby commercial food (Gerber, Nestle, Hipp or similar) I recommend that you bring them with you. The same goes for nappies and powder milk. The island has some small grocery shops where you can find the essentials (water, sodas, canned adult food, sweeties, vegetables and fruits), but keep in mind that everything is carried from the mainland, so if you find what you are looking for, you will be paying a premium.
