Two very trendy places to go to to in the peninsula of Yucatan are Tulum and Holbox so sometimes it can be difficult to choose which one is best for you.
Which is better Tulum or Holbox? For me it is clear… Holbox is better and I would recommend it over Tulum. However, for you this might different depending on what you are looking for, and before choosing you should take the following aspects into account:
1. Vibe and atmosphere
If you had asked me 10 years ago after the first time that I went to Mexico, I would have told you that Tulum was amazing and that you should definitely go. However, after our last visit in 2023, I felt that is has lost most of the charm that it used to have. This area is incredibly touristic now and really expensive, especially if you are staying at Tulum beach. There is a lot of construction going on and in general it feels very crowded.
Holbox on the other hand even though it’s also going through a lot of development, it still has that paradisiac vibe which is amazing! It feels relaxed and chilled but also a bit hipster at the same time.
If you are looking for something romantic, definitely go to Holbox. If you are going with friends or you would like to party, Tulum would be better of you. If you are traveling as family with young children Tulum can work better as getting to Holbox is a bit complex.
2. Getting there
As just mentioned, getting there is also something important to take into account.
Assuming you will arrive at Cancun airport, getting to Tulum is really easy, it’s just a 1.30h drive along a very easy road.
However, getting to Holbox is a bit more complicated but I believe that is part of the charm and the reason why there are fewer tourists here. From Cancun airport you will have to drive to Chiquila, this takes 2hours. In Chiquila you will have to leave the car at one of the car parks by the port which cost around 100 mx pesos a day. At Chiquila, you will take the ferry to Holbox which takes 25 minutes to the island. The ferry runs every 30 min.
3. Restaurants
We found out that the food at Tulum was actually better than at Holbox. However, it is important to note that we found that the real good food was in Tulum town and not by Tulum playa.
Taqueria Honorio was super good and probably the best tacos we had in Mexico. Yaax Ik Restaurant was also great!
In Holbox, we ate very well at Barba Negra
4. Accommodation
Regarding accommodation you can find better prices for the quality in Holbox than in Tulum.
In Tulum there are 2 options, either to stay in Tulum Centro (the town) or Tulum Playa. In Tulum Centro you can find very affordable places but you will be far from the sea and probably close to some kind of construction building going on. Tulum Playa, even though very nice and idyllic, it is really expensive.
In Holbox however, you can find super nice hotels by the sea for a better price. My only advice here is to stay around 15 min walk from the town so you are in a quieter area. We stayed at Villas Flamingos and it was absolutely incredible, one of the best hotels we have ever stayed at.
5. Things to do
If you are looking for cultural things to do or sightseeing Tulum would be better as you can drive for example to the Tulum ruins or Coba ruins plus explore the cenotes.
If you are looking for nice beaches and water activities it is better that you go to Holbox. In the past few years Tulum has had a lot of issues with the sagarzo… the sagarzo is smelly algae that it is all over the beaches of the Riviera Maya from February to September, however the area of Holbox does not get that much of it.
For me, the perfect itinerary would be to split your trip between Valladolid and Holbox to be able to enjoy all the wonders that this area has to offer.
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