Mexico · ISLA HOLBOX TOURS
Good isla holbox tours fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Quiet Yum Balam boat tour from Holbox with swim time, birdwatching at Passion Island, and a possible sandbar visit at Punta Mosquito.
“It was fun visiting 3 different places in an afternoon.”
Holbox night snorkeling for bioluminescence plus stars, with gear delivered to you and a SECTUR certified guide.
“Great tour! Highlight was seeing the fish swim in bioluminescence at the end. We also saw some flamingoes at a distance!”
Full-day Holbox island tour from Riviera Maya with Secret Beach sand bars, Isla Pasión wildlife, and Yalahau cenote swim, plus lunch.
“The trip was very enjoyable for me and my partner. We paid extra money for the ‘lunch’ option but everyone was obviously provided lunch. The only extra we got was a tote bag with a juice box and a sad packet of biscuits in. So I don’t understand the extra charge we paid. Other than that the islands were all beautiful, as was the cenote. A few of the timings could be different (40 mins in punta mosquito seems quite long considering there is nothing there) and you only spend 20 minutes at isla de la Pasión when there is actually things to see (flamingos, pelicans etc) If they were…”
Early Holbox whale shark swim with small-group snorkeling, expert guidance, and fresh ceviche at Cabo Catoche and Santa Paula.
“Eddie was just amazing! Very knowledgeable and made sure everyone on our boat had a chance to swim with the whale sharks, what an experience! Will book again when we return”
Kayak Holbox sunrise through Yum Balam mangroves, spot rays and crocodiles, then refuel with water and fruit on a 3-hour trip.
“We clicked for an English guide, and our guide spoke 99% Spanish to the others in our group. The only English we got was "sr you ready, get in boat" maybe a total of 10 words in English. Our guide never told us his name. At one point we were stuck on a sandbar and the rest of the group, guide included, just kept going. We did not get any explanation of the surroundings but we did enjoy the nature. The group that was with us, got very long chats(maybe explanations of the surroundings???) It would have been very nice to actually get someone with a little more English. Yes…”
Night kayaking off Holbox where your paddle lights the sea, plankton glows under stars, plus sandbar walks and stargazing.
“Best Tour we joined in Mexiko. Victor is a Great Guide and explained Everything very well. There was a lot of bioluniscence. We kayaked and swam. My son loved the nightly Adventure. Thank you very much.”
Three islands and wildlife viewing from Holbox, with pickup, a bilingual guide, and a cenote stop option plus beach time.
“Make sure you are dressed and prepared to wade or swim in the beautiful waters. This boat tour includes getting off at the islands and going into the water. I will be better prepared next time. It was a beautiful experience being on the water on the boat.”
Holbox all-inclusive whale shark tour with tiny two-person swims, expert guides, fresh ceviche, and snorkeling near Cabo Catoche.
“We had a wonderful time! Willy was amazing - so kind and wanting everyone to have their chance with the whale sharks. Our captain was fantastic also, and clearly knew what he was looking for! The snorkeling was an added bonus as visibility had been poor in previous days. But they found a good area with decent visibility. The breakfast and lunch provided was fantastic. We saw so many more things than whale sharks and would highly recommend doing this!”
Night kayak from Holbox to Punta Mosquito for bioluminescent plankton and star gazing, with hotel pickup and a small-group vibe.
“Overall - an okay experience. With the right tour guide and at the right time, this could be a wonderful experience. Our tour guide, competent in kayaking and knowledge of bioluminescence / constellations, was what brought this experience down. The bioluminescence wasn’t strong this night which is okay as it was still cool. The stars and him showing us the constellations was satisfactory enough. Not great but okay. The real issue we had is we couldn’t sustain a conversation with the tour guide. He couldn’t answer our questions or engage in much of a dialogue outside what he felt he needed to tell us. Unfortunately, the very little English he…”
Go night kayaking in Holbox for stargazing and glowing plankton on a sandbank, with easy paddling, pickup options, and a bilingual guide.
“It wasn’t really the right time of year to properly see the bioluminescence but we did see some sparkles. Unfortunately I’m not the greatest at kayaking and was paired with someone who chose not to do any work and so it took us a lot longer than necessary to get where we needed to. This isn’t the guide’s fault and so on the way home the two guides kayaked us back in their ones which was very nice of them.”
Sunrise kayak in Holbox mangroves, motor-free and guided, with wildlife spotting and pickup. $49 for 3 hours.
“The Guide had lots of knowledge about all the animals we saw. It was a beautiful experience to see the flamingos at sunrise, we really enjoyed it”
Paddle in the dark off Holbox’s coast for star talk and glowing plankton, with life jackets, pickup, and a small-group, low-light adventure.
“We both love it and would recommend it anyone wanted to know about it, Thea Star glazing at nite was amazing and would do it again”
Night kayak in Holbox for stargazing and swimming with glowing plankton, with downtown pickup and a live English guide. 1.5 hours, $44.
“We were worried if the bioluminescence will be possible to see (because of the season), but it was ok and the whole experience was truly magical. Our guide was really experienced and we enjoyed the whole trip so much. Highly recommended.”
Private boat tour from Holbox with bird islands, a freshwater Yalahau cenote swim, and Passion Island flamingos, with a small-group guide.
“This was an amazing tour that you won’t want to miss. Our captain, Jorge, and guide, Gustavo, were very knowledgeable, clearly cared about the protected habitats, and a lot of fun to be around. The areas we explored were beautiful and it was our favorite part of our visit to Holbox. Gracias!”
Paddle Holbox’s mangroves from Punta Mosquito on a small-group kayak tour, with wildlife spotting and pickup, for about 3 hours.
“It takes a certain degree of physical capability. Also be aware that you are going to get totally soaked.”
Pick the day out first, then the town it happens in.
