An ultimate girls’ weekend in Isla Holbox, Mexico

What screams “30” better than a girls’ trip? When my sister floated the idea of a weekend getaway for her birthday, she had one destination in mind: Isla Holbox. For if you’re craving a quick escape to a Mexican beach – without the crowds of Cancún, yet with beach clubs, great eats and totally chill vibes, then Holbox is calling your name.

As soon as my sister finalized the dates, I mentally packed my luggage and imagined myself on a cozy beach chair by the ocean. I was so ready for this.

I’d taken the typical Cancún family trip as a child, spent a lovely week in Mayakoba for my uncle’s wedding and celebrated a bachelorette party in Tulum. But I’d never ventured beyond these more popular spots on the Yucatán Peninsula. Enter Holbox: I had never met anyone who had visited, so I’m thankful my sister introduced me to its beauty.

• When to arrive: To avoid the crowds that flock to Cancún, arrive on Wednesday and leave on Saturday or Monday.

• How to get from the airport: You can book a van from Cancún airport to take you to Chiquilá, where you’ll grab the ferry to Isla Holbox for about 300 Mexican pesos. I’d recommend having cash to pay for the ferry ticket, as the ability to pay by card depends on the card machine internet gods.

• Getting around town: On this car-free island, you’ll zip around on bikes or hop on taxi buggies. Pro tip: stash some cash, especially small bills, for using the buggies.

• Where to stay: We chose Punta Caliza for its boutique beach-club feel and proximity to the ocean. About a 5-minute buggy ride from the town center, the hotel has a swim-up pool for every room, with breakfast included and a gorgeous lookout point. The Nômade also caught my eye: it sits on the lower end of the island, so it’s a tad farther from the center (though still not too far). 

• What to pack: A hat and lots of sunscreen. I was not prepared for the strength of that sun...whew! I went through sunscreen like it was going out of style, and definitely needed a serious scrub-down when I got back home. You can buy sunscreen on the island, but I made sure to bring my own ocean-friendly zinc oxide sunscreen just to be safe. Additionally, the island’s famous nature reserve Punta Mosquito translates to “mosquito point” – so don’t forget to pack bug spray, apply it liberally and always have it with you. As far as clothes: since the island is very casual and vibe-y, you’ll be fine with linen pants for most meals and exploration.

• Have plenty of cash: Some places take credit cards, but cash is preferred, and the only option in some spots. Bring smaller bills (M$100/200) for taxis.

Day 1 

Morning 

We arrived in the early afternoon and checked into our hotel, Punta Caliza. After we got settled into our stunning rooms and decorated for the birthday festivities, we headed to the hotel’s private beach club, a 5-minute walk from our room. We sat in a cabana, had a lovely lunch (tacos, naturally) and caught up with our friends. And nothing beats a morning swim in the ocean. 

How to spend the day 

Continuing our leisurely day around the island, we ventured out to do some exploring. Isla Holbox has one main road, with shops and local artisans concentrated in the town center. You can find clothing, paletas, local art and more. I picked a beautiful bracelet and a woven tote.

On Holbox, you can walk just about anywhere in under 30 minutes. Flag down a taxi ATV to get you there faster.

Dinner

For a casual dinner, we walked into Temoc Racos & Mezcal (they don’t take reservations). They’re known for shrimp tacos and aguachile, and also have vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options if that piques your interest. If you drink, ordering a habanero pineapple mezcalita is a an absolute must. There was live music when we got there, too.

Pro tip: When in doubt, bring cash for dining out.

After dark

At this point, we were exhausted from a day of traveling, so we headed back to the hotel to chitchat and get some rest.

Day 2

Morning

Grab some breakfast at your hotel, or hop over to Painapol for fresh juice, pancakes and acai bowls (again, cash only). After breakfast, check out one of Holbox’ best claims to fame: Punta Mosquito, a nature reserve on the island's north side. On an hour-plus walk through a beautiful sandbar (set out early, before 9am), you can see stingrays, flamingos, dolphins and other wildlife.

The walk will make you wish you wore a suit of ice, so bring lots of sunscreen and a cover-up – those UV-10 levels do not discriminate. Due to favorable currents surrounding Holbox, the seaweed season doesn’t hit as hard here, thankfully. While you’ll see a bit washed ashore, it’s nothing compared to Tulum levels.

How to spend the day

Surprise: time for another beach club. We hopped in a taxi and spent four hours at Maruva Beach Club (sadly, since closed), where we had reserved a cabana, enjoying lunch and spending time relaxing in the water. (And, yes, sipping on some mezcal and tequila.) There are plenty of beach clubs to choose from – and the best part is you can hop around among then at your leisure. Just make sure to reserve a beach chair a day in advance if you’d like to sit under an umbrella, as not all take walk-in guests. 

Another standout moment for me was horseback riding on the beach. (We booked a few weeks in advance and paid in cash upon arrival.) I won’t sugarcoat it: getting back on a horse after a long break is no joke. You feel like you’re about to slide off the saddle and don’t quite trust the horse at first, especially when it starts trotting quickly. But within 15 minutes, we were back in the saddle and loving it. The guide led us to the beach, treating us to breathtaking water views before we headed back. Afterward, we were itching for a drink, so we ran back to the hotel to freshen up so that we could catch the sunset at Zomay – an absolute must.

Dinner 

Pre-dinner sunset drinks are a can’t-miss in Isla Holbox. The sunsets are simply stunning here – and this is coming from a girl who grew up in Southern California. Among the many great bar options to choose from, we picked Soulbox. Nothing beats a crisp cocktail at sunset while sitting with your close friends. 

To kick off the official birthday celebration, we had a mind-blowing six-course tasting menu at Milpa, which left us dissecting each dish for a good 15 minutes. (Hello, gold-dusted lentil cracker and soy sauce caviar!) Although Milpa is one of the pricier restaurants on the island, other options like LUUMA and Basico Holbox are close by and also delicious. 

After dark 

While you can bar-hop along the main street, the beauty of Isla Holbox is that it still hasn’t reached peak-tourism numbers. You can easily walk into a bar without a reservation, and try out a few spots without things feeling overcrowded and touristy.

Day 3 

Morning

On our final full day, we ate a quick breakfast at the hotel and headed to Playa Punta Cocos for a Wataflow experience. What is that, you may ask? I had no idea, either.

My sister had seen Wataflow on a Real Housewives of New York episode, and said we had to try out this mind-body-therapy experience. When I researched it, it looked like meditation meets floating meets getting whipped around in the water...so obviously we all said yes. Our instructor, Laura, met us on the beach for a group session. She worked with each of us individually, and delivered a truly an eye-opening experience. Did I find my zen? Absolutely. Was I soaking up the sun? You bet. Would I do it all over again? Without a doubt. I left feeling connected to my body and nature, a vibe that Real Housewives’ Ramona clearly missed out on. (If you know, you know.)

How to spend the day

Post-Wataflow, we hung around Playa Punta Cocos and relaxed at Punta Cocos Restaurant Bar. The thing about Isla Holbox is that there is no rushing – no rushing to a reservation, no rushing around town. You can truly relax, sit by the ocean and be at peace. 

We visited one of our favorite spots, Casa Las Tortugas, on our last night there. The property features a stunning hotel, plus a beach club and a prime spot for a sunset (are you sensing a pattern yet?). We toasted to our last night and the birthday girl, and changed for dinner. 

Dinner

While we waited for our reservation at LUUMA, we were able to sit at beachfront Mandarina Seaside Restaurant for cocktails. This had to be one of my favorite nights of the trip. There was something so magical about sitting near the ocean with good music playing, and positive energy and delicious drinks flowing. And LUUMA’s spicy habanero salsas helped, too.

After dark 

For a busier night out, head toward ARU Tequila & Mezcal, where you’ll find plenty of bars within a two-block radius. My favorite is Basico Holbox, where, since we were visiting in the offseason, we had nearly the entire roof space to ourselves (which we loved!).

If you’re thinking of visiting Mexico and want to explore a quieter side of island life, add Isla Holbox to your list. You’ll get a mix of Tulum-style nightlife paired with music, food and fewer crowds.