Holbox, Mexico

For me, there are two types of getaways - a trip and a vacation. A trip is something that entails sightseeing, museums and exploring nonstop. A vacation is a chair on the beach with a drink in hand. This was a vacation.

Holbox is a little slice of heaven. I have no idea how we found it, but I am grateful that we did.  The island is northwest of Cancun, and is far from what you get with a trip to Cancun. There were no highrise hotels or restaurant chains, just local people with authentic cuisine and beautiful beaches.  It is also a popular spot for kite-boarding, fly fishing, and whale shark tours.

We hired a taxi in advance to pick us up from the airport, drive us to Chiquila, get on the ferry to Holbox and have a golf cart waiting on the other side to take us to our Airbnb. When we arrived at Casa TomTom - we were informed that the owner had to give our room to a family friend and that we would be staying next door in her friend's house. We were uneasy about it at first, until we realized that this was a free upgrade to a large beachfront home with a private pool, and private beach to ourselves  - www.airbnb.com/rooms/16945736

What you can expect at Holbox is a great place to mingle with locals and fellow travelers.  Wake up to the ocean breeze and head over to the French Bakery, Le Jardin, and get fresh croissants and quiches for breakfast at a very good price (the chocolate croissants are the BEST).  A few blocks east, you can find a fresh squeezed juice for 20 pesos.  Go for a long walk along the beach.  Then find a place for an authentic lunch; fresh caught fish is on most menus.  Then it's beach time!  Grab a book, mix a drink, and hang out on the beach for the afternoon sun.  Keep an eye out for beach merchants delivering fresh empanadas and other afternoon snacks. Around 5pm, head to the beach bar at Hotel Zomay for a cocktail, and hang around for the sunset. After the sunset, walk into town for dinner.  There are many great places to eat; we recommend Los Peleones and  Casa Las Tortugas!  After dinner, find a rooftop bar for drinks or even some salsa dancing lessons.  They have a local drink called mezcal, which is definitely worth trying!  As night falls, you may hear live music at the Hot Corner, where many people will gather to conclude the night.  Then wake up and repeat for as many days as you can!

Instead of taking the same taxi service to return to Cancun International, we met a couple and split a small private plane with them. This cost $120 per person vs the $80 per person cost for the taxi service. The flight is about 25 minutes and well worth the extra cost.