Food

What to eat in Holbox

This is a fishing island, so seafood is the move — fresh, local and better the closer you get to where it’s landed.

• Ceviche and grilled fish. The catch comes in daily. A plate of ceviche or a whole grilled fish at a simple beachside or dockside spot is the honest signature meal here.
• Lobster pizza. Yes, it’s touristy, and yes, it’s genuinely good and worth trying once. Holbox made it a thing for a reason.
• Tacos and Yucatecan staples. Off the plaza you’ll find fish and shrimp tacos, plus regional dishes like cochinita pibil and panuchos at the loncherías. This is where you eat well for little.
• Pan dulce and coffee. The center’s bakeries are the local breakfast.

Where to go

• Beachfront restaurants on the north side are the scenic splurge — good for sunset, priced for tourists.
• The plaza and the streets one block back are where the value is: family kitchens, taco stands and fondas serving the daily comida corrida.
• The taco carts at night around the plaza are cheap and reliable.

Approximate prices

Street tacos and a comida corrida run in the lower-budget range; a sit-down ceviche or grilled-fish plate is mid-range; the lobster pizza and beachfront dinners push higher. These are approximate — the site verifies current prices separately.

Friend’s tip

Bring cash. Many of the best small kitchens don’t take cards, and the ATMs can’t be trusted.