Holbox Mexico

Holbox offers incomparable sunsets that can be seen from the most gorgeous beaches; it is an exotic place full of attractions. Here you can get excited about being in direct contact with nature or, if you prefer, simply relax. On this island, you will find plenty of romantic and charming bungalows that will offer you all the delightful pleasures of the typical Caribbean lifestyle. Hundreds of flamingoes can be seen flying over this wonderful island at certain times of the day or while they are eating fish and seaweed in the lagoon.

The island features a modest population comprised mainly of fishermen, incomparable white beaches, and exotic wildlife. This remote place, away from massive tourism, belongs to the natural reserve and protected area of Yum Balam.Sample the pleasures of this unequalled island. Its simple tourist infrastructure and relaxed lifestyle offer you an unforgettable Holbox vacation.

Holbox Island is a secluded and unspoiled territory inhabited by a small population. On this island, you will find few phones, cars, and computers but a great variety of flamingoes, seashells, and all kinds of birds and dolphins in their natural habitat. Before the Spanish conquest, Mayans inhabited Holbox. Over the years, while Holbox was prospering from its coconut plantations, an important fishing industry developed due to the richness of the surrounding sea.

Holbox Island offers several miles of unspoiled beaches, full of seashells and lush mangrove vegetation. The seawaters change tone, going from the turquoise blue of the Caribbean, to the emerald blue of the Gulf of Mexico. All these conditions make Holbox a perfect habitat for abundant and exotic wildlife.Here you can amuse yourself watching dolphins jumping out of the water or flamingoes moving elegantly with a magical sunset as the background.

During your time in Holbox, you can stay in charming "casitas," small houses usually built of wood with thatched roofs. Most Holbox people sleep in hammocks that are knitted by local women; you can buy one to take home with you. Many souvenir shops also offer other crafts and accessories handmade by local people.

To get to Holbox Island, you have to board the public ferry from Chiquila.Holbox is located in the northeast corner of the Yucatan Peninsula, just where the Mexican Caribbean starts in Cabo Catoche. The island is 25 miles long and its width varies from less than 1/2 to over a mile wide, making a total area of 25 square miles.

Holbox in Mayan means "black hole," named after the tiny lagoon in the southern area of the island. The bottom of this lagoon is dark, giving the impression of being black. Different rivers cross the jungle mangroves dividing the island into three separate sections. Only the smallest one is inhabited by humans.

Holbox has a friendly population. It is a peaceful town, where life moves at a slow rhythm. Escape from the hectic, modern world and relax in your hammock in this heavenly village. You can also rent a bike, motorcycle, or golf cart to get around this unique town.

Nowadays, fishing is the main economic activity, although tourism is growing slowly and continuously. The natural attractions make Holbox an excellent destination, perfect for ecotourism, which contributes to local people's income. The government has declared this island a protected area, to ensure the survival of the extraordinary local wildlife in future generations.

Holbox cuisine consists mainly of fresh and healthy seafood obtained directly from local fishermen. Enjoy the delicacies, including the traditional lobster Holbox style, or savor mouthwatering shrimp, fish, crab, tuna, clams, and octopus. You can also try traditional "ceviche" and typical fish "empanadas." In addition, you will find fresh and exotic fruits such as papayas, mangoes, and pineapples. Coconuts grow all over the island; therefore, "coconut water" (sometimes mixed with rum) is a Holbox drink par excellence.

Cozumel Mexico

Cozumel is an island of countless attractions in the middle of a sea of excitement. Your Cozumel vacation will be full of surprises and adventures as you explore its wonders as well as a great variety of activities and sports. Warm, friendly people live in the small town of San Miguel, where a waterfront boulevard offers spectacular views from its restaurants, cafes, and stores.

A Cozumel vacation is ideal for putting up your feet and unwinding, and since its waters are tranquil and transparent, it is also perfect to practice water sports. Just offshore, you find the world's second largest coral reef and you will feel compelled to scuba dive and snorkel.

The largest island in the Mexican Caribbean is approximately 10 miles wide by 30 miles long. San Miguel de Cozumel is its only town and is located on the west side of the island. It is where most of its hotels are located.

People visiting Cozumel have a great variety of accommodation types from which to choose: hotels, All-Inclusive resorts, rustic oceanfront villas, or ocean-view bungalows.

Cozumel means paradise for those who love nature, those who scuba dive or snorkel and for romantics: ancient Mayans worshipped Ixchel, the goddess of love and fertility, on this island. Cozumel seduces the budget traveler as well because it has just about anything a Caribbean vacation haven could offer at reasonable prices.

The clear waters around Cozumel are home to the second largest barrier reef in the world, where you can see underwater plains, walls that suddenly drop hundreds of feet, limestone caverns, tunnels, and the rare black coral. The Cozumel Reef National Park has been a protected area since 1996. Its colorful marine life attracts divers from all over the world.

Practicing other sports is possible, whether they are in the water or on land: fishing, windsurfing, sailing, horseback riding, tennis, or golf. Cozumel's east coast has long, virgin, white-sand beaches and a strong surf where, when swimming is not recommended, the views are dramatic. San Gervasio is an archaeological site in the center of the island where a temple is dedicated to Ixchel. There are frequent tours departing from downtown.

Snorkeling is a popular activity as well. For beginners, there is no need to swim a great distance nor take boats to admire the reefs. Opportunities for snorkeling are awesome even at your hotel's beach.

San Miguel de Cozumel, the only town on the island, has all the charm of the Mexican Caribbean. Its provincial flair does not make it less comfortable or modern. There are a variety of accommodation options, from great luxury hotels to budget hostels. Local cuisine features excellent seafood famous all over the Yucatan. Nights are ideal for those in the mood for clubbing, as there is something for just about everyone.

Being in a duty-free zone, San Miguel carries a large assortment of genuine silver and gold jewelry with precious and semiprecious stones, renowned clothing brands, perfumes, Mexican handicrafts, liquors, and mementos.

Chetumal Mexico

A rich historical past inherited from their Mayan ancestors and array of leisure activities await you in Chetumal. Enjoy the impressive, turquoise and jade hues of the bay, the nice, gentle breeze that blows up and down the streets, the sweet songs of the migratory birds, and the hospitality of the locals that will be more than glad to share a little of their joy for life through their traditions and celebrations.

Those not familiar with Chetumal, might think that it is just a border town, or at best the doorway to Mexico or to Central America. Even travelers dazzled by the splendor of the world- class resorts of northern Quintana Roo, acknowledge the invaluable wealth of this tropical paradise, home to the second longest reef barrier of the world, but then again, Chetumal is much more than that.

Chetumal is like a canvass on which a master painter has captured the greenness of the rain forest, the whiteness of the beaches, visited only by the local fishermen, the brightness of the colors of the wildlife, and the distinct architecture of the wooden houses with their red, slanted, roofs in the style of 'Old Chetumal'.

It is said that Chetumal was the birthplace of the first mestizo in America. When the Spanish soldier Gonzalo Guerrero and the Mayan princess Zazil Ha fulfilled their love for each other and conceived their first born. A fact that adds an air of mysticism to the already rich, historical legacy of this town.

The War of Castes, an ethnic conflict that broke out between the Mayan Indians and the white European settlers of the Yucatan Peninsula, would forever change the fate of the then, peaceful and unexplored land of Chetumal. Due to the constant trafficking of arms between Belize and the insurgent rebels in 1898, the Federal Government sent Othon P. Blanco, Second- Lieutenant of the Army, to establish a customs post that later became the town of Payo Obispo. The hope, the expectations, and the hard work of those first men and women helped set the foundations for what eventually would come to be Chetumal.

In the following years, being a border town enabled Chetumal to base part of its economic progress on the trade of goods between Mexico and Central America and on the exploitation of its natural resources such as, the production of natural gum resin from the gum tree, as well as timber of the many tropical trees which were in great demand abroad, for the making of fine furniture.

Despite the political conflicts going on locally and nationally and the adverse, climatic conditions, Chetumal continued its economic and social growth non-stop until 1955, when Hurricane Janet struck the area. Most of the original, wooden houses were destroyed and the area was devastated, forcing the population to move away temporarily to gather resources and eventually rebuild their town.

From the 1960's and 1970's on, Chetumal started to look as it does today, with its parks and town squares, its historical monuments and landmarks, modern and efficient roads and highways, and many other services, like hospitals, schools, nightclubs, malls. The well known duty free zone, officially declared in 1974, has established the tax-exempt trade of basic and luxury commodities.