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10 things to eat, see and do in Holbox, Mexico

January 4, 2017 4 Comments Filed Under: Food, Recipes, Travel, Uncategorized


The jetty holbox, Mexico
Holbox is a small, tick-shaped island off the northern tip of the Yucatan peninsula. It is still fairly unspoilt: no cars, no skyscrapers, no chain hotels. The accommodation available suits all budgets from high-end (Las Nubes) to mid-range (Casa Maya) to hostels. The place is so small, you can cover it in a day, then explore in detail at your own speed. If, like me, you come from a busy city, it’ll take a few days to slow down to local pace. Wi-fi is patchy – the wind changes and it’s gone – so take books or a Kindle. Sip margaritas while swinging in the breeze on a hammock or a bar swing. 
When it comes to the food, you can also go high or go low. From posh cheffy restaurants and fine dining to humble eating houses and street stalls, the cooks use local ingredients and Mayan Indian culinary know-how. The Mayan Indians are my kind of people: small, round, and with a large appetite for food.
I spent eight days there; the last four were cooler and more windy, which I enjoyed. (Menopausal.) This is the ultimate place to zone out and properly relax. I just hope that big business plans to develop Holbox don’t happen. It mustn’t change.

colourful restaurants, holbox,yucatan, mexico

1. Eat.

Restaurants and street stalls

Las Panchas is not only cheap, but also the best authentically local restaurant on Holbox. No fusion to be found here.
las pachas restaurant  holbox,yucatan, mexico
las panchas,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
las pachas restaurant,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
Las Panchas,  holbox,yucatan, mexico

El Sabor de las Nubes (below) at Hotel Las Nubes at the far end of the beach is a little more expensive but has high-end Mexican and European cooking and excellent cocktails. You can also feed the raccoons, which is fun and slightly scary.

vegetarian option at Las Nubes,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
raccoons,  las nubes, holbox,yucatan, mexico
tamarind margarita, las nubes hotel,  holbox,yucatan, mexico

Casa Maya hotel bar (below), open only during the day when I was there, served fantastic fare. Chilaquiles verde, aka nachos for breakfast, became the new normal. (Make them at home with my chilaquiles recipe.)

casa maya restaurant  holbox,yucatan, mexico
salsa verde cooking, tomatillos, casa maya,  holbox,yucatan, mexico

Viva Zapata is a cool place for a beer and something to eat. The bar has swings. But the margaritas can be overly sweet, apparently due to tourists’ tastes. I like ’em sour.
viva zapata food,  holbox,yucatan, mexico

Market and food shops. There is a small fresh market every morning, a tortilleria and other food shops. Fishermen will happily sell their catch to you.
chicken shop,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
santa teresa tortilleria,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
fisherman,  holbox,yucatan, mexico

On Sundays, it is traditional to eat cochinita pibil, which is pig marinated in achiote and sour orange and cooked Mayan-style slowly over a wood fire, or traditionally in a fire pit covered with banana leaves. It takes a long time to cook so it’s a once-a-week treat, accompanied by red pickled onions and yellow habanero sauce. 

There are two main stalls to buy it in Holbox. Local residents Juan and Alexandra spend all Saturday night making it in their back yard (below).  Cooks from Cancún travel to Holbox on Sundays, setting up a stall in a side alley in a street near the market (further below).

cochinita prices,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
jose and alexandra make cochinita pibil,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
cochinita pibil,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
Sunday morning cochonita pibil,  holbox,yucatan, mexico

Street food

El Changarrito Street Stall, just back from the beach. Incredibly fresh fish.

El Changarrito Street Stall, Holbox beach, Mexico
You will also see wandering carts or school kids selling a plastic bowl of food their mum has made. Do try it: the cooking is excellent and it costs pennies. Tamales, below, tend to be made in banana leaves rather than corn husks.
tamales done in banana leaves,holbox, mexico
School girl selling street food, holbox mexico

At night, street stalls are set up in the main square, where you can get a drink and a snack.

Holbox , Mexico

Drink

Holbox beach, Mexico

I liked a bar on the beach, just before Hotel Las Nubes, part of the hotel Villas Flamingas. The hammocks were actually in the water. 

The Hot Corner bar in Holbox.

The Hot Corner is a nightspot for drinks, where dancing can spill over into the street. Rumour has it you can buy some weed nearby if you ask around.

2. Eat the freshest, bestest ceviche in the world.

I highly recommend a fishing boat trip with these super cool, tanned wiry guys in their 60s, who help you land a fish and make it into ceviche. I caught a small one and carefully undid the hook from its cheek, throwing it back. We made it on the boat with lime, red onion, fresh coriander, a little habanero and salt. I stood beside the boat in cataract blue water, my legs being nibbled by gaping catfish, while I gobble two consecutive bowls. This is the best ceviche I’ve had in my life. I’m dismayed when they pour the tiger milk into the water, yelping:

I wanted to drink that!

But the catfish go crazy for it, leaping out of the water, their flat wide mouths gaping, whiskers quivering. They obviously don’t mind a bit of habanero chilli.

fishing trip,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
fishing trip,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
fishing trip,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
ceviche on a boat,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
ceviche  holbox,yucatan, mexico

3. Go on boat trips.

You can visit adjacent islands on boat trips; thrillingly, along the way, dolphins black backs arching, followed us. Go to the Isla de Pajaros (Island of the Birds) to see the pink flamingos and pelicans. On Isla Passion, there is a good fish barbecue, where you can eat lunch after taking a dip in the cenote, a fresh water pool. You will also see mangroves, amphibian trees with roots that grow above still water, and small crocodiles. 

isla de pájaros,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
 holbox,yucatan, mexico
mangroves, holbox, mexico

4. See the wildlife.

Holbox has seasons for wildlife, but the birds and fish are always there to see. Part of the island is a protected wildlife area, Yum Balam. 

  • Flamingos: Although I’d just missed the big season, which must be a spectacular blur of fluo pink, I still got to see a few. April – October.
  • Whale sharks: I didn’t see this, but Holbox has one of the largest populations of whale sharks, which feed on plankton and are therefore harmless. Go early in the morning before they disappear into deeper waters in the afternoon. June – mid-September.
  • Catfish: They can be seen and felt (nibbling at your legs) in the shallows.
  • Snorkelling: Not the best, being in the gulf of Mexico rather than the Caribbean. The water is iridescent green and slightly cloudy rather than clear and turquoise. But it’s possible to take a boat out to some areas for a nice snorkel.
  • Phytoplankton: This is a rare effect that can be seen in Holbox. Go to the northern tip of the island, where a boat takes you out to snorkel at night. The effect of bioluminescence is sparkling starry water with glowing plankton. Sadly I only found out about this on the last day. Next time.
dolphin,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
pelican,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
isla de pájaros,  holbox,yucatan, mexico

5. Walk around town.

Virtually every property has a hand-painted colourful mural; the town is a street-level art gallery with works the size of buildings. Decorative and often political, murals have a long history in Mexico. You could say the popularity of today’s street art stems from the Mexican ‘muralism’ art movement of the 1920s – see the works of Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo’s husband.

frida kahlo mural, holbox mexico
murals, holbox,yucatan, mexico
murals, holbox,yucatan, mexico
 murals, holbox,yucatan, mexico
murals,  holbox,yucatan, mexico

6. Go to the beach.

Learn to kite surf on windy days. Read a trashy novel. Drink cocktails. Walk along the shore at sunset or sun rise. The beach and the sea are a constantly evolving production – you won’t get bored.

kite surfing,  holbox,yucatan, mexico
 holbox,yucatan, mexico

There are hammocks everywhere, little beach bars, and sun beds the size of four-posters. The water, being shallow for quite a distance, is suitable for young children. Some sections of the beach have seaweed; they used to clear it but realised this affected the ecology of the island. Before and after storms, the seaweed may be worse.

 holbox,yucatan, mexico
 holbox,yucatan, mexico
sunset,  holbox,yucatan, mexico

8. Ride a bike.

You can either hire a bike or borrow one from your hotel. The entire length of the island can be covered in a day, culminating in watching the sunset from the northern end. Cycle along the road adjacent to the beach, where the sand is compacted, rather than the interior road, which can be flooded.

selfies on holiday, mexicans in holbox, mexico

9. Get a massage.

Most of the hotels have masseuses. Book one for the day you arrive to help ease the jet lag. 

10. Sleep.

hotel las nubes,  holbox,yucatan, mexico

I was lucky enough to stay at the Hotel Las Nubes (around £250 a night but negotiable in low-season or for longer stays) in a room with a balcony overlooking the sea. I love to sleep to the sound of waves, the only cure for my menopausal insomnia. The hotel has a spa and several pools, plus charming touches, such as being sent a little dessert every night; their patisseries and breads are a particular speciality.

Casa Maya, where I also stayed, has a few rooms on the beach side. These are around £90 a night, but again you can negotiate in the off-seasons (January-April; October-November).

Other options are cheaper hotels off the beach in town (it’s noisier though), hostels, campsites (watch out for sandflies) and Airbnb. I booked an Airbnb location, which wasn’t really as advertised and became flooded when it rained. I cancelled after seeing it and had no problem getting my money back.

raccoon, hotel las nubes,  holbox,yucatan, mexicopink pickled onions,  holbox,yucatan, mexico

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Unknown

    January 5, 2017 at 10:56 am

    It looks perfect. Did you make it part of a longer trip?

    Reply
    • Kerstin Rodgers aka MsMarmiteLover

      January 6, 2017 at 12:10 pm

      Yes and I'm going to be writing about it over the next few weeks: Tulum, Coba and Valladolid.

      Reply
  2. Chrystal

    December 4, 2017 at 5:34 pm

    What company did you use to book your fishing/ceviche trip with? I'd like to book with them! 🙂

    Reply
  3. Kerstin Rodgers aka MsMarmiteLover

    December 4, 2017 at 10:03 pm

    I think it was these guys: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g616319-d12711514-Reviews-Glendy_Tours-Holbox_Island_Yucatan_Peninsula.html#photos;geo=616319&detail=12711514&aggregationId=101 OR Holbox Whale Shark tours. It was really good.

    Reply

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MsMarmiteLover aka Kerstin Rodgers.

Chef, photographer, author, journalist, blogger. Pioneer of the supperclub movement.

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Kerstin Rodgers/MsMarmiteLover
Apple rose blossom tarts with rose jam. Rose Appl Apple rose blossom tarts with rose jam.  Rose Apple Blossom Tarts

Serves 8

Equipment: 
Microwave
Cupcake or muffin tin

I use a red-skinned apple to make these, to get a hint of blush at the edges of the ‘petals’.

Ingredients:
4 Pink Lady or Royal Gala apples, cored, cut into quarters, sliced thinly into half moons
1 lemon, squeezed
1 pack all butter readymade puff pastry 320g, on a roll, cut into 8 strips about 6 cms long
100g of melted butter
1/2 jar of rose jam
1 or 2 tbsp cinnamon or cardamom, ground 
Pinch maldon salt
2 or 3 tbsp icing sugar

Instructions

Prepare a bowl of acidulated water (cold water with lemon juice) to prevent browning.
Core the apples, and cut them in quarters. Slice thinly into half-moons (a mandolin is useful for this). 
Put them into a large bowl of cold water with the lemon.
Microwave the bowl of sliced apples for 5 minutes until soft enough to bend slightly but not cook them.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
Roll out the puff pastry. Divide into 8 sections by cutting the roll into quarters then halving each quarter. You will end up with 8 approximately 6cm strips.
Brush the strip with melted butter then paint with a layer of rose jam. You can then dust with either ground cinnamon or cardamom.
Lay the apple slices along the top of the pastry strip, overlapping them. Fold up the bottom half of the pastry strip to make an pleat with the skin side of the apple half moon poking over the top.
Roll up the folded pastry strips until they look like a rose made of apple at the top
Place ‘rose’ side up, in a buttered cupcake tin
Repeat until all are done and bake for 20 -30 minutes.
Using a tea strainer or small sieve, sprinkle with icing sugar.
A lovely vegetarian recipe from @lulugargari - a g A lovely vegetarian recipe from @lulugargari - a green bean and basil pesto with Italian lemon 🍋 pasta. Fresh, light. This was at an Italian cooking class/demo @eatalylondon hosted by @ilovefruitandvegfromeuropecouk @flickflock #london#italy🇮🇹
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Visited The speciality fine food fair today for th Visited The speciality fine food fair today for the first time. So many tastings! Great to see new products. Particularly impressed by @lamiriharissa which is smoked and delicious run by Jo Lamiri’s children and @quirkymonkeycoffee which is mushroom infused coffee and hot chocolate run by an autistic guy Darwin setting up his own business. Good for him. #foodexplorer
Bones and all. Just made tomato sauce pasta from m Bones and all. Just made tomato sauce pasta from my home made sun dried tomato concentrate made @tenutacammarana in Sicily last summer. It’s the taste of sunshine. Plus my English home-grown tomatoes. #Tomatoes 🍅 🍅 🍅 #dinner #babyledweaning
I’ve made a South African/ Botswana dish that is I’ve made a South African/ Botswana dish that is creamy samp with chakalaka. Samp is corn like hominy or pozole a native Indian or Mexican food. It’s strange that it’s a staple food in Africa. Corn is a new world food I think. Samp itself is quite bland, often eaten with beans. Chakalaka is delicious with peppers, Piri piri seasoning, ginger garlic onions tomatoes and carrots and baked beans.
Samp from Botswana. It’s husked corn and makes a Samp from Botswana. It’s husked corn and makes a porridge like carb- creamy samp. I’m rinsing, soaking and cooking today and will combine it with chakalaka tomorrow. #southafrica #botswana #samp #newworldoldworld
Did my living room floor with @woca_denmark_uk_ire Did my living room floor with @woca_denmark_uk_ireland natural floor soap yesterday which smells lovely. But high traffic areas need rewarding. This is a Scandinavian technique- regularly waxing pale wood floors. I did this floor during the first year of lockdown. I prefer waxed floors to varnished. #interiors #woodfloors
Alliums in a purple pot. Note to self: plant more Alliums in a purple pot. Note to self: plant more bobble headed alliums. Love the colour and shape. This is in a neighbours garden who I met on Saturday while working in the front garden. Traditionally the British have front gardens but now they are turned into driveways and building are developed into flats. Only very rich people in london can afford houses. But the front is very important for the community- it’s how you meet your neighbours. On Saturday I visited 2 different sets of neighbours gardens- the first time since I moved to this street 23 years ago. Our front garden is communal and has been an unloved space- I’m trying to change that. Tonight I cleaned all the wheely bins. A yucky job but otherwise they smell so bad in summer. I was thinking about all the terrible dirty jobs that someone has to do- clearing up after a road accident, or sorting out sewers, or unblocking toilets. The stuff that nobody likes to think about. #frontgardens #neighbours #londoners
What I’ve been up to: awning from @victorianawni What I’ve been up to: awning from @victorianawnings which has transformed our al fresco eating possibilities. Also been working on the front garden of our building using talented work men I found on fb marketplace: railings by @lincsecproducts ( the gates were bought by me some years ago and I’ve scraped off the rust and repainted), the arch, which took me 3 years to find on fb marketplace for the right price and size. The wisteria which will grow over the arch planted by @christina_erskine ( I’ve always wanted a wisteria and they apparently add to the value of your house), the Swiss style bike/buggy shed. Needs to be painted dark green to match the walls. My friend Jim repaired the walls, the coping, and laid the  concrete plinth. Now need to find coping for the pillars or perhaps urns for more plants. 47cm2. #interiors #exteriordesign #gates #railings #bikeshed #awning #design
Made a vegetarian paella with La bomba rice from @ Made a vegetarian paella with La bomba rice from @brindisaspanishfoods I used red and green peppers, saffron, sherry, Nyora peppers, smoked almonds and green olives #vegetarian #vegetariansummer #paella
Quick snap of my bedroom chimney wall with the @sa Quick snap of my bedroom chimney wall with the @sanderson1860 wallpaper - finally done. Never wallpapered before. By the way I’m totally open to interiors collaborations email me: marmitelover@mac.com #interiordesign #wallpaper #london
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Me and my beautiful granddaughter Ophelia. I look Me and my beautiful granddaughter Ophelia. I look a mess ( really need to dye hair but it’s sooo expensive) but I don’t care because my heart just bursts when I cuddle this little being who has been in my life for 8 months. Babies are a blessing. #granfluencer pic: @clairebelljar
Made arepas last week with masarepa, a precooked m Made arepas last week with masarepa, a precooked maize meal, topped with Wensleydale cheese which isn’t too dissimilar to a fresh Latin American cheese. I also added fresh corn kernels for texture. #colombia #venezuela #arepas #vegetarian
Quinoa salad cooked in a mushroom stock cube solut Quinoa salad cooked in a mushroom stock cube solution with hazelnuts & preserved lemons, home grown curly parsley. I’m not cooking most of my grains in a rice steamer. Turn out fluffy & perfect every time. #quinoa #grainbowl #summerfood
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Oxford food symposium 2023 lots of talks, meals an Oxford food symposium 2023 lots of talks, meals and drinks
‘Soft serve’ ice cream. Easy! Add condensed mi ‘Soft serve’ ice cream. Easy! Add condensed milk & vanilla to whipped cream and freeze! Pipe out. Buy a flake if you want a 99. #nochurnicecream #99 #icecream #summer23
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