On the northeastern tip of the Yucatan peninsula, and part
of the state of Quintana Roo, we found Isla Holbox. This barrier island is located strategically
where the Caribbean Sea meets the Gulf of Mexico and is part of the Yum Balam
nature preserve. It is off the beaten
track and still a bit of a secret with relatively few tourists in comparison to
the nearby Cancun and Riviera Maya.
This is a relatively obscure little island with basically no
cars. The roads are unpaved rutted sand
roads. Transportation on the island is
on foot, via bicycle, moped, or golf cart with wide sand tires. There are no major hotel chains on the
island, only very small privately held establishments. We established ourselves in the Hotel Zomay,
and headed to the beach for lunch and relaxation. North winds had recently deposited some sea
grass on our beach, but the water was warm, the sand was white, and covered
with shells. We watched were serenaded
by a variety of sea birds and enjoyed watching the brown pelicans fish for
lunch. Walking up and down the beach,
you could see the local fishermen mending their nets and preparing for their
next trip out onto the water.
In our search for shells, we found one large conch shell
that was still occupied. When we picked
it up and flipped it over, we found two eyes staring back at us while the
little guy tried to retreat further into his shell. After getting a good look at each other, we
returned him to the water and wished him good luck.
While we didn’t have the opportunity to see any, Isla Holbox
is known as a place to see whale sharks in the late spring and early summer on
their migration path. During this time
of year, you can sometimes see crocodiles, flamingos, and many other species of
birds. During the rainy season
(May-November), mosquitoes are also incredibly abundant. At this time of year, they are supposed to be
few in number. However, due to some
recent rains, and a mysterious decline in bats and frogs, the mosquito
population had boomed in time for our stay.
We found ourselves seeking shelter from the bloodsuckers as dusk arrived
each evening. However, mosquitoes aside,
we found ourselves enjoying the change of pace and relaxation offered by the
island.
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