4 Best Beaches In Holbox, Mexico (The Perfect Beach Getaway)

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In Holbox, Mexico, you’ll find not only the sandy and pebbly beach but also the mangroves.

These are lush, green groves that are teeming with wildlife, including alligators, flamingoes, and a variety of other birds and animals.

It’s the perfect spot for a photographer. That’s not to mention the incredible food that you can find at these best beaches in Holbox! 

1. Punta Mosquito Beach

If you’re looking for a forest to explore, you’ll want to look elsewhere than Punta Mosquito Beach.

If you’re looking for endless, sparkling sand and water, then this – one of the best beaches in Holbox – is somewhere you’ll want to add to your travel list.

Punta Mosquito Beach in Holbox
Punta Mosquito Beach

While I do enjoy greenery, the lack of it was made up for by the genuine, pristine beauty of the landscape. There’s lots of cheerful sunlight, so you’ll definitely get some vitamin D. There are also flamingoes if you’re interested in seeing this flamboyant bird!

I can attest that you’ll want to bring a generous amount of sunscreen and even more water. It’s also recommended to hydrate beforehand; my husband and I had some mixed-berry shakes and then filled our large personal water bottles.

It also gets a bit hot around the middle of the day, so you may want to visit earlier or later. We visited in the morning when the tide was going out and it was nice and easy to reach the sandbar!

What Punta Mosquito Beach Has to Offer

You can arrive at Punta Mosquito Beach from Holbox Center by Taxi or cart.

Or, you can walk there, and the walk talks under an hour. My husband and I opted to foot and didn’t regret the decision (why).  Punta Mosquito Beach has a lot to do – I never got bored.

Carts taxi Holbox
Use carts or taxis

Just keep in mind, there aren’t any restaurants or bars, as these are back at Holbox Center. This is a very quick ride by taxi or bike, however!

My husband and I took part in a few activities, and I heard-tell of several other activities, too. On top of this, there are a few top-notch bars and restaurants to visit. Perhaps my favorite thing, though, was walking the sandbar.

Keep in mind, you’ll have to wade a bit to reach the bar itself!

  • My husband and I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to take the bioluminescence tour, right by Punta Mosquito Beach. We got to see an ultra-starry sky and swim with bioluminescent plankton. It took just under two hours, and felt like entering a magical, glowing nighttime world!
  • The mangroves of Holbox, Mexico, by kayak. You’re not allowed at the point of the sandbar, unfortunately, presumably due to nature conservation efforts. Luckily, you can still get up close and personal with the wildlife by touring the other side of the bar, and the mangroves, by kayak. Just keep in mind that there are alligators, so if you’re not fond of these, you may want to pass this tour by. There are also flamingoes, pelicans, and other wildlife to observe. You want to be careful of the gators, but otherwise, I found kayaking the mangroves to be very peaceful.
  • When I visited Punta Mosquito Beach, I was lucky enough to find heaps of seashells. I heard this can vary by year. There are a variety of shapes and colors, so – during shell-heavy times – it’s ideal for any seashell hunter like myself!

2. Playa Punta Cocos Beach

As a nature lover, Playa Punta Cocos was absolutely one of the best beaches in Holbox, and a dream.

It was quiet, and not too crowded, unlike many beaches I’ve been to. Part of this is because there aren’t many restaurants or bars on the beach itself. There are a few within just a mile, though, so you won’t have to go far! 

Playa Punta Cocos Beach in Holbox
Playa Punta Cocos Beach

The water itself remains shallow until a way out, so it’s ideal for wading. Just don’t forget the sunscreen.

I also learned that it’s important to bring bug spray, as there are some mosquitoes about. Bugs love (biting) me. Luckily we just popped back to Holbox Center for some, and then the bugs didn’t bother me at all!

What Playa Punta Cocos Beach Has to Offer 

The mangroves are great for shade, once you’ve got bug spray.

You may get lucky and see some cool wildlife as well. I didn’t see one during my visit, but I’ve heard flamingoes are often within view.

So, you can enjoy the sunny, sandy beach, or chill out in the shade and maybe spot some wildlife. There are also lounge chairs for rent, so you can rest your legs and back and relax!

Holbox beaches windy
Enjoy Holbox beaches

What else at Playa Punta Cocos Beach you can find:

  • Horseback rides. I didn’t get a chance to take part in this activity myself, but I saw that folk could ride on horses. It sounds like it could be fun to experience the beach on horseback!
  • I can’t pass up a bioluminescence tour. I took the tour with my husband and enjoyed the dazzling sight of the plankton. Pro tip, though: you can also take a golf cart to certain parts along the water, splash around a bit, and enjoy a personal bioluminescence show!
  • Maruva Beach Club is a 5-star club along Playa Punta Cocos Beach. It’s clean, the food is fresh and tasty (especially the seafood). There are lots of fun drinks, cocktails with island-fresh juice, and of course, a stunning, up-close view of the sand and water. Carolinda Beach Club is also a winner!
  • La Cabane Restaurante Holbox is the best restaurants by Playa Punta Cocos Beach. The most popular item is the pizza, which has incredibly fresh sauce and a toothsome wood-fired crust. There’s also super-tender steak, top-quality shrimp, and big, fancy sandwiches… If you get one of these popular items – I got the pizza the first time, can’t resist a good pizza, and my husband got the steak – you won’t be disappointed!

3. Isla De La Pasión Beach

Isla De La Pasion is one of Holbox’s 3 breathtaking islands. It’s possibly my favorite, simply because it’s so peaceful, and because of the flora and fauna.

Isla De La Pasión Beach in Holbox
Isla De La Pasión Beach

It’s not very busy, compared to many beaches worldwide. Most partiers are in Cancun. Because of this, you can really hear the water, the sea breeze through the pine trees, sea birds, and other natural sounds.

It’s an incredible place to relax!

What Isla De La Pasion Beach Has to Offer 

The 3 Islands of Hoblox is a tour that’s rife with flora and fauna, from gators to dolphins and countless marine birds and animals.

The tour guides are good-humored and knowledgeable, and the pickup was prompt and professional. Isla De La Pasion is also included in the Holbox boat tour!

At the Isla De La Pasion, you can also discover:

  • When we visited Isla De La Pasion, we worked up an appetite. Fresh air always makes me hungrier! As we did before, after the beach, we went to La Cabane Restaurante Holbox again. A restaurant this good deserves a revisit, especially because there were other things on their menu that we wanted to try the first time. This time, each of us got a sandwich, and some shrimp. The sandwiches are the real deal, and put many sandwiches to shame with their big, fluffy buns and ultra-fresh ingredients and sauces… they’re simply to die for. The view of the shining sand and waves is also unrivaled!
  • What better place to have a massage than on the beach? You can get a deep-tissue massage after your boat tour if you like. My husband and I passed it up this time and gave each other beachside massages, but from what I was told they were high-quality, deep-tissue massages… A classic way to relax!
  • If you like animals and are fascinated by wildlife, look no further than Isla De La Pasion. This place is so sunny and green, it’s just bursting with life. You can see flamingoes, alligators, iguanas, osprey, pufferfish… it’s ideal for any animal lover or bird watcher. I’m sure I don’t have to remind you to bring your camera if you’re a photographer!

4. Holbox Island Beach 

Holbox Island Beach is one of the most beloved beaches in all of Holbox. Unlike the other beaches on this list (which have just a few good ones), it’s got a variety of great food places nearby.

Holbox Island Beach
Holbox Island Beach

It also has clean, seaside hotels that are the perfect places to sleep and relax. My favorite thing about Holbox Beach, however, is – you guessed it – the varied nature and wildlife.

For me, this is always a game-changer!

What Holbox Island Beach Has to Offer

So, what can you do in Holbox?

Several beach activities will get you up close and personal with the sand and water, and flora and fauna like trees, bushes, birds… even dolphins, with some luck! 

You can do the following at Holbox Island as well:

  • For just over $50/adult, my husband and I were able to kayak the mangroves at sunrise. I can’t say enough about this, as the nature in the morning sunlight was breathtaking beyond belief. There’s absolutely nothing like drifting along in the water, as mists rise, birds take flight, and wildlife of all kinds starts to move about. The air is fresh and green and it’s an exhilarating experience, my husband and I highly recommend it. We came away with lots of photographs, including the flamingo, which is a super-popular sight in the mangroves of Holbox!
  • This time, my husband and I opted to go and look for bioluminescence ourselves, successfully. However, Hoblox Island has a couple of tours where you can swim with bioluminescent plankton, and/or enjoy their beauty by kayak. One of the tours also emphasizes the night sky, so it would be ideal for a stargazer!
  • Hoblox Island has top-notch restaurants, such as Mahi Holbox, where we went first. Of course, when my husband and I heard of the Seafood Tower, we had to get it. The Guacamole and crackers were also very tasty. Next time, we’re planning on getting the burgers and fries. We’ve heard great things about both – that the burgers are nice and juicy and that the fries are unparalleled on the island. Luuma and El Sabor de las Nubes are rated comparatively, and you can bet we’ll be paying them a visit, too, in the future, as we’re definitely revisiting the island!
  • My husband and I only stayed the day at Hoblox, we heard that the best hotels are Zomay Hotel Holbox, Ser Casasandra, and Tribu Hostel, if you’re planning to stay longer!
Holbox sign
Walking around Holbox

Final Words

With the mangroves, the fresh Mexican seafood, and the miles of stunning, sparkling water, it’s no wonder that Holbox is so popular.

The best beaches in Holbox have all of these at once, covering all of your vacation needs from scenery to activities, to food! My husband and I will definitely be returning – hopefully with a better camera to capture the wildlife – to Holbox!

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