If you ever saw the 1980’s Jeff Bridges/Rachel Ward movie, “Against All Odds”, you were introduced to Tulum. Located south of Cancun and Riviera Maya, it used to be a sleepy village with a great coastline and Mayan ruins.  Now it has a Starbucks.

But for those who appreciate Mexico and its culture – rather than Americanized retail and being party central (yes, that’s you Cancun) - and yearn for towns clinging to their past, try Isla Holbox (pronounced “hole–bosh”) on the Yucatan Peninsula. About a two hour drive northwest of Cancun, is a village with a vintage central square containing old amusement park rides, dirt streets, pink flamingos, and the jumping off point to getting up close and personal with one of the largest mammals on earth – the whale shark!

Getting to Holbox is half the fun. After your flight to Cancun, a shuttle service, bus, or private car will take you the 2+ hours to a ferry (in the mainland town of Chiquila) that will whisk you across the channel to the island (no bridges exist). Depending on where you stay, your hotel should be able to arrange transportation. Otherwise, it is easily found online. We stayed at the boutique hotel, Casa Las Tortugas, which has nice rooms, great food, cold cervezas, a small pool, and a beautiful beach to enjoy the warm, shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

While Holbox is a sleepy town, there are plenty of things to do. From most hotels, it’s only a few blocks to the town square and several restaurants. Should you want to explore more of the (small) island, you will need to rent a golf cart or ATV. And be sure to bring enough cash with you because the one ATM on the island is not very reliable.

There is also an amazing collection of street art murals around and close by the central square. Check out the work of some of these Mexican artists.

The eastern end of the island features a salt-water lagoon and flats where birds of all sizes relax and fish. Among those would be one of the largest groupings of pink flamingos found in the Yucatan in addition to hundreds of pelicans, cranes, white ibis, and many other species.

But the main adventure attraction of Holbox is that it serves as one of the spots where whale shark tours depart (including Cancun and Isla Mujeres). Between May-September, hundreds migrate through the area where the Gulf of Mexico meets the Caribbean and these tours allow you to witness these kings of the seas from the boat or while snorkeling as they pass by.

It took over two hours to get to the area where the sharks normally pass through so be prepared (the boats are primarily fishing whalers and sit 6-10 people). While there were several tour boats grouped together, the guides have worked out a system where only a handful of boats approach at a time in an effort to not endanger or scare these large mammals from their migration pattern.

You’re not allowed to touch them and must stay several feet away. The guides, who stay with you in the water and provide lifejackets, do a pretty good job of making sure all guests get the experience they are hoping for either in or out of the boat. But the immense size of these plankton-eating “sharks” might make you immediately regret jumping in the water! Remember Jonah?

So if you’re looking for something more from Mexico than just massive resorts and crowds of tourists, try out Holbox. It may not be for everyone but if you prefer your Mexico rustic and with local flavor, then experience this Yucatan secret yourself!