Explore the best of three islands — Yalahua lagoon, Isla Pájaros, and Isla Pasión — from unique bird species to mangroves and natural springs.
This full-day tour of all the best spots around the island is designed especially for those who are staying in Cancun, Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, or Tulum and do not want to miss the opportunity to get to know the wonderful Holbox Island.
Isla Holbox, one of the beauties of the world, is located on the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. It is within the boundaries of the area of protection of flora and fauna called Yum Balam.
To the east, it borders Cabo Catoche, and Laguna Yalahau separates it from the mainland. Isla Holbox is 43 km long, and its beaches of fine sand are constantly adorned with seashells that drag in the jade-colored sea current that bathes the island. Isla Holbox is only about two hours away from Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Tulum, and the Riviera Maya.
Our first stop is Solferino, the oldest Maya village in the northern part of the State of Quintana Roo. Its name is Mayan is Labcáh (old town). It owes its name to the exploitation of palo de dinte (haematoxylum campechianum) in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The trunks that were stacked in the center of the town to be brought to Europe for use of natural colorant dyed everything a reddish color when it rained. This color is known as solferino, giving rise to the modern name of the village.
The jungle begins in this small town in the northern area. We arrive at a beautiful place, surrounded by tropical vegetation, where a continental breakfast is served, with coffee, tea, toast, sweet bread with jam and butter, as well as natural waters and juices
Our next stop is Chiquilá (a 10-minute journey by road). There, our boats with their respective captains and professional guides are waiting for you to begin the visit to Isla Pajaros and Isla Pasión. This is an ideal place to contemplate an infinity of different varieties of tropical birds as well as pink flamingos. With a little luck, there might be sightings of dolphins that inhabit the lagoon of Yalahau.
The beautiful Yalahau lagoon is a natural paradise surrounded by mangroves, separating Holbox Island from the mainland. The Yalahau lagoon is a rich natural habitat that gives shelter to a number of species. For example, it is home to the spectacular pink flamingos that come here to feed during the months of April to October by the hundreds. There are almost always a few remaining specimens all year. In the water of the lagoon, you can also see schools of fish and even dolphins that swim around Holbox Island. It’s a spectacle of nature!
Here you can see birds feeding on the lowlands whose crystal clear waters create a multicolored landscape. It is a small island with a viewpoint of the eastern tip of Holbox Island. During some seasons, you can see marks of turtles that come to make their nests. When it is like this, there are areas of the island that cannot be visited.
After enjoying these wonders of nature, we go to the end of the route, Holbox Island. Around 12 p.m., we arrive in the northern part of the island, where you can enjoy the beach either by walking or taking advantage of its calm emerald waters. A complete buffet-type meal is planned in a hotel on the beach. The use of the hotel pool and beach chairs is authorized before or after lunch (but you have to bring your own towel).
We have not finished yet, since after lunch, we invite you to tour the island in golf carts (four people maximum per cart) for an hour and a half from 2 pm to 3:30 p.m. Explore the wonderful Holbox Island, its sandy streets, its people, and its fishing village.
Since ancient times, the island of Holbox was considered a place of extreme beauty and was used as a place of relaxation by the ancient Maya. When the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, they found Isla Holbox abandoned, but as those before them, they were amazed by its unparalleled beauty.
As everything that begins must end, even though we are sure that you will not want to leave, the departure time from Holbox Island is scheduled for 4 p.m. from the main pier known as La Caleta.