A Visit to CasaSandra on Isla Holbox, Mexico

But somehow, once you're there, this little laid back island feels much further away than just a little stretch of ocean. There are other places across the Yucatan region, such as Tulum, that have a similar bohemian, chilled out feel (in fact, Isla Holbox has been called ‘the new Tulum'), but there's something distinct about island life on Holbox.

Most of the island, which is situated between the Caribbean ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, is part of the protected Yum Balam Nature Reserve, a popular spot for sea turtles (and occasionally whale sharks in the nearby waters), with crocodiles and monkeys among the mangrove forests. Only a tiny stretch of the 42km long, 1.5km wide island is given over to tourism, with a notable absence of big chain hotels or resorts, just a little town with seafood restaurants, art boutiques and beach bars playing Bob Marley and Mexican reggae. It's almost impossible to do anything here but relax.



We arrive on the island after dark and make our way on the back of a golf cart (cars aren't allowed here) along waterlogged streets through the town to CasaSandra, which has a reputation as the best hotel on Holbox. The hotel's the creation of Sandra Perez, a Cuban artist and poet, who understandably fell in love with Holbox when she first visited the Riviera Maya and decided to set up on the Playa Norte, a beach of powdery white sand and palm trees, just a few minutes walk from the town center.

The hotel looks quite a sight at night, lit up with torches and candles, the walkway lined with fun spiky lanterns, a large colorfully arty lantern hanging over the doorway. After a quick check-in, we're soon settling in for the night. The room, and much of the hotel, has a rustic, simple style of luxury, a welcoming letter on the table when we arrive informing us that the approach at the hotel, like Holbox itself, is based on the idea that “less is more.”



The four poster bed we wake up in is large and comfy, with soft white linen and curtains surrounding it to protect guests from mosquitos at night. The benefit of arriving in darkness is that our location in the morning is a surprise. From the window, I look out across neatly raked sand to palm trees, hammocks, blue skies and even bluer seas, not much more than 50 meters away. A few of the loungers and shaded beach beds, close to CasaSandra's wooden hut beach bar, definitely look like they have our names on them…

Our room is spacious, with a floor of coppery red marble I've seen a few times in hotels in this southern part of Mexico. There's a beachy, weathered, sea-and-the-elements feel to the decor, with exposed wooden beams across the ceiling, white walls, a chest of drawers painted a kind of sun-bleached white, and colorfully patterned cushions and other fabrics made my Mexican artisans. There's a coffee machine, but notably, and happily, there's no TV in the room and no Wi-Fi either (although it is possible to get Wi-Fi in the main reception building).

The room feels quiet and private, despite being not too far from the road where the golf carts pass by or from the beach. In the corner, next to a table that's dominated by a massive book on Mexican heroine Frida Kahlo, there's a comfy sofa for relaxing. There's a lot of glass, too, letting in plenty of light, the windows look out onto our balcony where there's a colorful hammock hanging and two wooden deck chairs.



The light, airy bathroom has a big white bathtub and long sink, with organic, locally made oatmeal soap and fragrant honey shampoo and conditioner. The head of the shower comes out of a wooden beam, and there's a nice touch with a huge seashell used as a ‘lampshade'. There's another similar seashell next to the front door, which is to be left out on the step if we want privacy.

The main building has a homely feel, with art and design books laid out, bright paintings on the walls, and a piano in one corner. A bar at the end of the restaurant has a ‘Cuba' sign on it, a sign of the artist owner. Breakfast is a hearty buffet of fresh fruit (watermelon, pineapple, mango…), cheeses, salads, yogurts and cereals, with a waiter to take our eggs order; I go for the spicy Huevos Rancheros. We eat outside on the balcony, the chairs and tables deliberately weathered-looking, while classical cello music plays. Staff are warm and welcoming.

CasaSandra has an excellent location, just far enough outside the town to feel quiet and away-from-it-all, but close enough for a short walk to get us into what ‘action' there is. We spend a morning strolling around the little shops and along the beach front, past boats and a pier where pelicans and other seabirds line up, before taking our position on a shaded bed on the beach in front of CasaSandra for most of the day. The hotel bar serves good tequilas (Patron, Don Julia…), as well as chilled Mexican beers. It has to be said: Sandra bagged herself a fine spot.



After a day spent taking it easy, dinner in the hotel's restaurant is a little disappointing. Across this area of Mexico, almost everyone you meet in hotels and restaurants are friendly and often chatty, but here the service feels a little cold in the restaurant. The waiter gets our order slightly wrong, too.

My seafood soup comes with three fat shrimp, salty and delicious, but the surrounding soup itself is watery and not very flavorful. The same goes for my girlfriend's starter, a thin green vegetable soup. My shrimp fettuccini main is tasty enough, with a creamy sauce with basil and zucchini, while my girlfriend enjoys her fettuccini with pesto and chaya, pumpkin seeds and cotija cheese. We order a couple of cocktails, too, but my Old Fashioned (with mescal, rather than whisky - a personal favorite), isn't made very well, while my girlfriend's ‘house special' doesn't score too highly on flavor either. The meal isn't terrible by any stretch, perhaps just an ‘off night' in the kitchen, but I've had far better across the Riviera Maya, and the experience didn't feel on the same level as the rest of the hotel.



In the morning, we spend a little time in the hotel's pool, which is in a quiet, secluded courtyard behind the main building, with sunloungers and another well-stocked bar. But really the beach is what it's all about here, which is where we see out our time before catching the afternoon ferry. We leave the island feeling the full combined effect of CasaSandra and Holbox' “less is more” approach, where life is made simple and decidedly laidback.

CasaSandra
Website: www.casasandra.com
reservations@casasandra.com
+52 1 984 875 2431

CasaSandra Christmas Package
3 Night stay (23 – 26 December)
Superior Standard
4 Course Christmas dinner
CasaSandra Christmas Stocking – Sak'Po organic Face Mask and Body Oil, CasaSandra Chile Habanero, Dulce de Papaya, and Mayan Chocolate.
$1,297 excluding tax OR $1,519 with tax