Holbox (pronounced hole-bosh) was founded 150 years ago by pirates who used its springs to load up with freshwater.
Located on the northern tip of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, the island is in the state of Quintana Roo. It’s about a 90-minute drive from Cancun, followed by a 20-minute ferry ride.
The island, about seven miles long and a mile wide, is made of white sand and has no paved roads. Transportation is by golf cart, motorbike or bicycle. There are no highrise buildings.
There is only one ATM machine.
Once just a sleepy fishing village, the island economy is now based on tourism, mostly from people enjoying the beach and the jade green water or swimming with the migrating whale sharks. Whale sharks are the world’s biggest fish, weighing in as big as 41 feet long and 47,000 pounds.They eat plankton, not people.
Sport fishing is also popular, with tarpon that get larger than 200 pounds topping the list. Giant tarpon visit the area from April to August to feed on massive schools of anchovies. Baby tarpon are there year-round. You can also fish for snook, cobia, and Jack cravalle.
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