Holbox

Isla Holbox (hole-BOSH), 16 miles long, sits off the northeastern corner of the Yucatan Peninsula, around the corner from Isla Mujeres and Cancun. Unlike those two, Holbox is a laid-back, quiet, non-commercial refuge with no cars or trucks allowed. Here, the waters of the Caribbean and the Gulf mingle and whale sharks gather by the hundreds in the summer, creating a thriving tourist industry. The rest of the year tourists come in small numbers to enjoy the beaches, bird watch, do a little fishing and relax.

Recently my neighbor Hank and I joined Pono, our contractor friend, and his right-hand man, Santos, as guests of Eduardo for two days at one of his two houses on Holbox. Eduardo, Mexico’s former ambassador to Algeria and Guatemala, also has a house across the road from Pono here in Chuburna. He also has a house in Merida, which is where we picked him up early one morning.

Three and a half hours later, after parking the car in the mainland village of Chiquila, we hired a boat to whisk us across the bay to Holbox. The only means of transportation on the island are golf carts, ATVs, scooters and bicycles. We didn’t need any of them as Eduardo’s house sits on a corner lot at the marina.

Eduardo's Mayan style house sits at the harbor.

 



Soon after arriving we went to this piece of beachfront property that
Eduardo owns. 

 

Lunch was a grilled red snapper served on seagrape leaves for plates.
Oh, yes, some beer was involved, too.
 

Eduardo allows a local man to use the property to operate a horse
riding business.

Eduardo wants to sell this piece of beachfront property, one of the last available
pieces on the island.

This is the view from another piece of property he owns
on the western end of the island.

Eating dinner outside the harbor house. (Santos, Eduardo, Pono, Hank)

The next morning we head for coffee at a French-run cafe.