We arrived on Holbox from a lancha we rode over on from Chiquila. You don't actually have to wait for the ferry either coming or going between Chiquila and Holbox. There are pleanty of lanchas's and if you ask they'll take you for the same amout 60mxp per person.
The ferry's list times each way with about 2 hour intervals. The lanchas are small, and fast, but boouncey.
This being our first visit we didn't know exactly where we were going or how far away the walk would be so we procured the services of a golfcart-taxi to transport us and our bag to the hotel (30mxp). It was actually a short way, maybe an 8-10 minute walk - The island is roughly 26 miles long and less than ¼ mile wide in most parts. In reality, it is little more than a low lying sand dune with most areas less than 5 feet above sea level.
All the roads are sand based and apparently too soft for conventional vehicles, although we did see a number of delivery trucks come over on a ferry, and then around town making drop offs.
You enter Hotel La Palapa up 3 stone terraced steps and under a low overhang of thatched roof into a shady cool sandy palm tree thick courtyard.
In the courtyard is the La Palapa Restaurant, lounge area, reception, and access to the rooms. You can also see the beach area in front that has quite a few large coco palms as well as quite a few younger. There are plenty of lounges and chairs set up with a gorgeous view of the water, lovely soft powder fine sandy beach that slopes ever so gently right in to the warm green water where the sand remains powder fine and so soft and silky.
The rooms appear to have been recently remodeled and are quite nicely done; first impression is that you are getting quite a bit for the high price. With taxes and all we paid just over 800mxp per night through a reseller which gave us a better rate than through the hotels own web page. The rates on the webpage are not the same as reflected if you do their online reservations. There is a significant increase. We needed a Double Room since they indicate on their webpage that they only have double beds and since Tom is quite tall WE just can't do a double bed together and be comfortable. So a Double Room, with 2 double beds was required. In all honesty I think the beds were actually queen sized and not double sized. Our room was ground level, but you couldn't exit to the beach from the balcony. You either went over the balcony or walked around the building to get to it. There were 2 fans as well as a/c. We ended up not needing the a/c as the fans and the ocean breeze were plenty to keep us comfy even during the hottest part of the day.
This is our room looking towards the bathroom and front door
Here's our room looking towards our balcony
Here's our view from the balcony
The bathroom in our room was spacious enough, although to get past the door and around to the toilet required an odd sideways move. The sink had plenty of space to hold both our toiletries bags; not enough to keep stuff spread put but enough for the two bags. There is a nice size ledge in the shower for your supplies there as well.
We had 2 levels of bathroom lighting, and one outlet for electronics. Bathroom needs more places to hang towels and wet beach wear. Especially inside the shower area. The shower has a huge conch shell as the shower spigot, it's really cool and although when you see the water coming out it looks like it's going to drill right through you, it's really pleasant sort of a shower massage.
The bedroom itself has quite a few wall hooks which was nice, as well as a pole with hangers to hang things. This pole was right over the ledge where you would naturally keep 'stuff' so you are constantly moving clothes to see where stuff is. 2 bedstands with 2 drawers each and a trunc to stow your gear. a small ledge in the corner with the only outlet is too high to use as a desk top.
There is wireless internet, but sometimes the signal is intermittent in the rooms, more consistent in the courtyard. Two excellent fans, and a/c included. The curtains are see through so at night people in the courtyard can see you when you have your lights on. There is no safe, in either the rooms or the office. The day we took our whale tour adventure i put our cellphones, laptop, keys, etc in a day pack and they were placed under the receptionists desk.
2 small bottles of water were provided upon arrival, but not on subsequent days. A supply of small bottles of shampoo, bathgel, conditioner, body cream etc also provided on the first day of arrival, but not after. The bathtowels were large, but no washcloths were available.
A suggestion to the hotel is to have pitchers for water and garrafons of water convenient to the rooms for refilling. Trash on the island must be a huge issue, and all these plastic bottles, it's just environmentally abusive.
We checked other places, some better, some fancier, some older, some dowdier, almost all provided drinking water.
On our free day, where we planned to spend at the hotel enjoying the beach was a total bust and very frustrating. The restaurant, which was supposed to open at 8am did not, so by 9:30 we changed our dress for going out to go find breakfast and coffee and water. The restaurant, we were told later would open at 1. Cool, by then we'll be ready for some beach service; snacks, beer, etc. Well by 2 the restaurant/snackbar had still not opened so we had to, well Tom had to keep going down the street to the cervellama for beers, 2 at a time, because we had no way to keep them cold. Luckily we had some almonds and granola bars for snacks.
Our balcony, as cute as it is was unusable because as soon as you sat down the flies were upon you. everything I had read on the internet warned about mosquitos; I came prepared, coils, plugins (which we couldn't use as there was only one plug outlet in the bedroom area at the small desk in the corner, and one in the bathroom), repellent, after bite for just in case. NOPE, the problem is the flies. They were horrific everywhere except right on the beach where there was to much breeze wind for them.
Here's a view of the hotel from the beach.
Beach shot
SunSet
We'll definitly be going again, and we may even stay at the same place, of course now we now what to expect. Next time we'll add a trip to a small island for some early morning bird watching as well.
