Getting to Isla Holbox and Casa Las Tortugas isn’t the easiest, but the far-flung, barefoot-luxury payoff is well worth the trek. Holbox (pronounced hole-bosh), meaning “black hole” in Mayan, is a remote island off the Yucatán Peninsula that’s quickly becoming a quieter alternative to Tulum. While still popular with Europeans, more Americans are discovering its laid-back charm.
The journey involves a two-hour drive from Cancun Airport, followed by a 20-minute ferry from Chiquilá. Once you arrive, expect to travel by ATV—Holbox is car-free. The roads are sandy, the vibe is serene, and Casa Las Tortugas fits right in, with its tranquil energy and organic, minimalist architecture.
A serene main pool greets you at the entrance and acts as a focal point for the whitewashed surrounding rooms, suites, and restaurants. On your way to your room, you might pass the owner’s ofrenda to Frida Kahlo, a one-room spa, and a petite yoga area with a Buddha statue and Dalai Lama quote—gentle cues to slow down. Rooms are labeled not by number, but by Spanish words like azúcar, a sweet way to practice your vocabulary when billing a poolside drink.
Rooms are white-washed and neutral palettes with local textiles for bed linens, macramé wall hangings, woven pendant lamps, and raw cement floors. Bath products are derived from Mexico and evoke a subtle, muted honey scent. There aren't mini refrigerators, TVs, or even the strongest wifi, but this isn’t that kind of stay. The point is to unplug, literally and figuratively.
All stays come with an inclusive breakfast of a green or fresh-squeezed fruit juice (do not skip out on this), a pastry, French pressed coffee or tea, a bowl of fruit and yogurt, and a main dish of huitlacoche omelette, avocado toast, chilaquiles, and more. Complement the breakfast with a morning yoga class included in the stay, before you idle the hours away horizontally on a highly coveted beach front lounge cushion. The private beachfront property looks out onto an enticingly soft sandbar, which makes for a perfect mid-day break walk where you can try to spot some sand dollars or conch shells along the way.
Holbox has built up its restaurant scene and bars, all easily walkable on foot from the hotel, but if you’re staying more than a few days, then try all four of the on-site property restaurants. There is AMA for Japanese bites with Mexican flavors (yes, you can eat sushi and survive here), LUUMA for outdoor beach garden vibes and tostadas, croquettes, and other shared plates, UMA for 100% wood-fired cuisine, and Mandarina with main courses like quail risotto, flank steak, and butterfly fish and panoramic beach view.
The barefoot living days at Casa Las Tortugas are best without plans and to see how the hours pass based on your visit’s weather and season. If your visit coincides with the seasonal migration (May through September) of the whale sharks and optimal bioluminescent nighttime viewings, do make a point to work in these activities. The front desk will help arrange and track which days and nights would be the best to schedule. Kite surfing is doable in any season, and the winds are optimal for giving it a go under piercing blue skies over an azul ocean.
With none of the Mexican vacation cliché details that social media and chain hotel marketing promote, Casa Las Tortugas manages to take the island’s simplicity of no cars, a starry night sky, and sandy feet, and make it simply divine.
Top Takeaways
Location: Holbox, Mexico
Rating: 4-star
Food + Drink: There are three separate dining spots on-site with as many menus, plus an additional restaurant right next door–and all stays include breakfast. There isn’t room service available here (it’s not that kind of place), but always a friendly and smiling “hola” greeting at any of these options.
Amenities: Four restaurants and bars, yoga, breakfast, a pool, beach lounge chairs and umbrellas, and spa treatments.
The Vibe: Laid back, bohemian, and uber casual.
Our favorite thing about the hotel: The scent of burning copal blanco every day to purify the air and to ground the hotel in positive vibes.
What’s nearby? A clear water cenote visit on a Three Islands tour, kite surfing, kayak to bioluminescent ocean life at night, a boating trip to swim with whale sharks, a Punta Mosquito visit to spot the migrating flamingos, and snorkel and fish at Cabo Catoche.
Any personal neighborhood recs? Order a strong espresso-based coffee drink and a local pastry at Clandestino Coffee Shop, and visit the nearby outdoor food stand market for freshly fried churros.
Rooms: 21
Pricing: Rates start at $330 per night.
Closest Airport: Cancun International Airport (CUN)
