Isla Holbox
— the island the road just stops at.
Not only on a wall.
“A long, narrow island off the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula, separated from the mainland by the Yalahau Lagoon. The town of Holbox sits at the west end with sand streets, golf carts in place of cars, and a palette of muralled walls and palm shadow. Whale sharks pass the north shore from late May through September; flamingos work the shallows of the lagoon through the warmer months.
Isla Holbox, on ceramic.
Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.
Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.
The place, in three passes.
Isla Holbox lies off the north coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo, separated from the mainland by the shallow Yalahau Lagoon. The island runs roughly 42 kilometres west to east, ending in a sandbar called Punta Mosquito. Access is by passenger ferry from Chiquilá, a 25-minute crossing run every half hour through the day. The town of Holbox, on the western end, has around 2,000 permanent residents; cars are not permitted in the village and travel is by golf cart, bicycle, or on foot through the sand streets.
The waters around Holbox sit within the Yum Balam Flora and Fauna Protection Area, designated in 1994 across about 1,540 square kilometres of lagoon, mangrove, and shallow sea. From late May through mid-September the world's largest gathering of whale sharks feeds along the north shore, drawn by plankton blooms where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean. Boats out of Holbox run regulated half-day tours under federal permit. The Yalahau Lagoon on the south side stays warm and shallow, with seagrass beds that hold sea turtles and small rays close to the boardwalks.
Holbox's season runs in two clear halves. The dry, breezy winter from November through April brings light north winds, calm shallow water on the south shore, and the most reliable days for kayaking and birding. May through October is hot and humid, with afternoon thunderstorms and the whale-shark window from late May through mid-September. The Atlantic hurricane season peaks in September; the island has flooded in major storms, most recently in 2020. Many small hotels close for a few weeks in October before the dry season opens again.