Arriving and leaving via Cancún

Holbox is an island: you drive to Chiquilá and then take the ferry.

• By road, from the airport to Chiquilá: about 140 km and about two hours of driving. By bus, the journey from Cancún usually takes two and a half to three hours.
• By ferry, from Chiquilá to Holbox: a 20 to 30 minute crossing. Two companies, 9 Hermanos and Holbox Express, run the service; check timetables with the operator.
• Approximate total: about two and a half hours of travel by road and ferry, not counting waits, parking or the transfer on the island.

Casa Cat Ba page · Holbox → Espita leg

• By road: about 325 km and just over four hours of driving between the airport and Azul Nomeolvides, whether you arrive in Bacalar or leave from there.
• Chetumal airport: about 45 km and about 45 minutes from Azul. If you find a flight, it can be more practical.
• Ending in Bacalar: if your flight leaves from Cancún, driving straight to the airport avoids going back to Chiquilá, about five and a half hours by road, plus the ferry.

On the way to the airport: Muyil or Cobá

Muyil: architecture by the water, within Sian Ka’an

About two and a half hours from Bacalar, beside Highway 307, Muyil lies within the Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve. It was a city inhabited since the Late Preclassic and part of the coastal trade routes; its temple, El Castillo, and the lagoon that gave the site its name accompany the visit. Allow about one or two hours for the archaeological site. Trips through the lagoons and canals of Sian Ka’an are a separate activity: they need their own arrangements and an extra half day.

Cobá: a city linked by roads

About three and a half hours from Bacalar, Cobá spreads between five lagoons and the jungle. The city built some 50 raised roads, the sacbés or “white roads”, which linked its groups and connected it with other places, as far as Yaxuná. Nohoch Mul is its tallest structure. Allow for the distances within the site and about two or three hours in all. Check access conditions before you go.

Detour: Muyil lies beside Highway 307 and adds only a few minutes of driving to the trip to the airport; Cobá adds about an hour. These times do not include the visit. Choose a single visit according to your flight time and keep the margin your airline requires.

Azul Nomeolvides page · Campeche → Bacalar leg

• Times are driving estimates; they depend on traffic, roadworks and stops.
• For the return, add the margin your airline requires.
• Cancún, Holbox and Bacalar are in Quintana Roo, one hour ahead of Yucatán and Campeche.
• If you rent a car and return it in another city, confirm the conditions with the rental company.