Where locals go

Where residents actually go

Holbox has a real working community behind the hotels, mostly living a few blocks back from the beachfront. That’s where the everyday island happens.

• The taquerías and loncherías off the plaza. A block or two from the tourist strip, small family kitchens serve the tacos, tortas and daily comida corrida that locals eat — cheaper, quicker and often better than the sit-down places on the water. Look for the spots with plastic chairs and a chalkboard menu.
• The panaderías in the morning. Islanders start the day with fresh pan dulce and coffee from the bakeries in the center, not with a hotel buffet.
• The fishermen’s cooperative and the docks. Holbox is a fishing island first. Early morning at the docks is where the catch comes in, and it’s why the local ceviche and grilled fish are as good as they are.
• Baseball and the plaza at night. Come evening, families gather at the main plaza — kids on bikes, a game on, snacks from the carts. It’s the island’s living room.

A friend’s tip

Eat where the golf-cart taxi drivers eat. Ask one where he’d get lunch and you’ll end up at a fonda you’d never have found, paying half what the beachfront charges.