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.
This leg is part of: From Holbox to Bacalar
Optional leg · Bacalar → Holbox
From the lagoon to the sea, to close the loop
This leg is optional. If you want to return to Holbox, you can add a visit to Muyil or Cobá before reaching Chiquilá. If your trip ends in Bacalar, head to your airport without needing to close the loop.
Muyil: architecture by the water, within Sian Ka’an
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.
Choosing a visit and reaching the ferry
Muyil and Cobá offer different experiences: choose one according to your interest and your departure time from Azul. Before stopping, make sure you keep enough margin to reach Chiquilá, leave the car or finish the transfer, and catch the ferry. The few minutes of detour do not include the length of the visit.
Back to Casa Cat Ba
Returning lets you see Holbox with new eyes, after villages, forest and city. At Cat Ba, the rooms open to the beach, the local materials and the terrace facing the sea bring the stay back to the fore.
Casa Cat Ba page · Official website (opens the official website in a new tab)
In practice
- To Chiquilá: about 375 km and about five and a half hours of driving.
- Add: the visit you choose, the waits, the ferry and the transfer to Cat Ba.
- If you fly out of Cancún: from Azul, Cancún airport is about 325 km away, just over four hours of driving. Add the margin your airline requires.
- Local time: Bacalar and Holbox are both in Quintana Roo; there is no time change.
Reviewed on October 12, 2026.
A route of independent houses in Holbox, Espita, Seyé, Campeche and Bacalar. Each house is a destination. Together, they make the journey.