If you are planning a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula, a great idea is to end your days in a place as magical as Holbox. Especially if you are traveling by car. Below we tell you how to get to Holbox from Playa del Carmen and from Cancun by car.
Holbox , as you know, is an island, and to get there you will first have to take a ferry that leaves from the town of Chiquilá . There you can leave your car in one of the many private parking lots and take the ferry that leaves every 30 minutes from its port. We will tell you more later, but first we will look at the road routes to Chiquilá.
How to get to Holbox from Playa del Carmen
The most direct route from Playa del Carmen is via the 305D toll road . It is about 45 kilometers on a road in good condition (nothing out of this world) and the toll price is 107 pesos (about €5, we assume it has gone up a bit since we went a few years ago). It took us 25 minutes to cover this stretch. To be honest, it seemed too expensive for what it was, but there is an alternative:
The alternative to the 305D toll road is to go up to Puerto Morelos and from there take the secondary road to the inland town of Leona Vicario. Then we join highway 180 and continue until the turnoff to Chiquilá. In total this journey is about 100km and takes approximately 1 hour and a half.
Once you have finished this route, you will reach the junction with the most important highway in this part of Mexico, the 180D (or its free version, 180). But you will not join it, but instead you will cross it to take a secondary road that will take you to Highway 5. This will take you to Chiquilá, it is about 75km long and takes about 1 hour. It is free.
The road surface on Highway 5 is in a rather poor condition and there are some sections with quite a few potholes, so we recommend being careful to avoid any scares. Remember that potholes don't usually come alone, and like mushrooms, if you see one, more will probably follow. If you are overtaken by a tourist van or a local who lives in this area, you will see how they almost know the obstacles by heart, so it's not a bad idea to get behind them and imitate the zigzags.
The total trip from Playa del Carmen to Chiquilá is about 130 km and 1 hour and a half on the 305D toll road, or 160 km and 2 hours and a quarter if we decide to avoid paying the toll.
- Toll road 305D . 45 km, 25 mins ($107)
- Alternative: 100 km, 1.5 hours (free )
- Highway 5. 75 km, 1 h (free)
- Total : 130 km, 1.5 h ($107)
- Total with alternative: 160 km, 2.5 h (free)
How to get to Holbox from Cancun
To get to Holbox from Cancun by car, you will also have to get to Chiquilá to take the ferry. The road you will have to take is number 180D (toll) or its free alternative, highway 180. We recommend the latter, the condition is very good, there is not too much traffic and you save money on the toll. On the 180 you will have to turn off at Valladolid Nuevo until the junction with highway 5. This stretch from Cancun to the junction is 75 km and takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
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From the junction to Chiquilá you take Highway 5 and the journey is about 60 km and approximately 45 minutes. As we said, this stretch has some potholes and it is better to go with some caution.
Both the Highway 180 and Highway 5 sections are free.
- Highway 180D . 75 km, 1 hour 15 minutes
- Highway 5. 60 km, 45 mins
- Total : 135 km, 2 hours
Getting to Holbox by bus
The ADO bus company (the most important in the Yucatan Peninsula) has routes to the town of Chiquilá from the main cities in this area of Mexico: Cancún (2.5 hours), Playa del Carmen (2.5 hours), Tulum (3.5 hours), Valladolid (3.5 hours) or Mérida (6 hours)…
Take out IATI travel insurance with a 5% discount here . Whatever your destination
Ferry to Holbox from Chiquilá
There are two companies that offer this connection: Holbox Express and 9 Hermanos . They share the schedules and the departures are staggered, so every half hour you will have one ready to take you to Holbox, either from one company or the other. From what we saw, perhaps the Holbox Express ferries are a bit newer, it is the one we took. But in reality it does not matter which one you take, both take the same time and have the same price.
Departures from Chiquilá to Holbox start at 06:00, and the last one is at 21:30. Returning from Holbox to Chiquilá, the first one is at 05:00 and the last one at 20:30. The 9 Hermanos company has the schedules at o'clock , while Holbox Express has the ones at thirty .
The journey time is just 15 minutes , and the one-way price is 300 pesos (about €15) . Tickets are purchased directly at the port and reservations are not required.
Parking in Chiquilá
On the main road through the town of Chiquilá and leading to the pier itself there are lots of private parking lots, on the left and on the right. How do you choose one? In fact, they all have the same prices ( 100 pesos per day , or 50 pesos for half a day) and offer the same thing. We stopped to ask for a discount at one and they didn't accept it, but at the second one we asked they accepted 200 pesos for three days without any problem. It was on the left side as you go towards the port. So you know, haggle !
Remember to get the Revolut card ( with a €10 promo ) to avoid commissions when paying and withdrawing money abroad
Visit Holbox on a day tour
It's not an option we recommend, this island deserves at least a few nights to soak up its relaxed spirit and come to the conclusion that you don't want to leave anywhere. But we understand that not everyone can have that time. For those who are on a tight schedule but don't want to leave Mexico without visiting Holbox, there are these two excursions:
- Holbox Island Excursion from the Riviera Maya
- Holbox tour from Cancun
We hope we have helped you resolve your doubts about how to get to Holbox from Cancun or Playa del Carmen by car. Enjoy your visit to this wonderful island!
