For years, the island paradise of Holbox in Mexico has remained a well-guarded secret, and no wonder. Encircled by crystal clear water, sandy white beaches and wildlife aplenty, the remote island combines tropical idyll with a worldly charm that will send even your heaviest troubles away. From Cancun airport, it requires a two-hour car ride and then a 20-minute ferry ride to get to the car-less island. (A 35-minute private flight directly from Cancun is also available, should that suit.) And while it may sound cumbersome, the multimode journey actually adds to Holbox’s allure, with travellers palpably feeling further and further removed from the world they left behind as they get closer to the island’s sandy shores.
Once you’re on the island, Holbox’s simple and rustic way of life comes with access to exceptional food (and drink). This is especially true at Punta Caliza, a family-owned boutique hotel that quietly opened at the end of 2017, where Mexican culture is cherished at its core. Designed by Salvador Macías Corona and Magui Peredo Arenas of Estudio Macías Peredo, the intimate hotel is a modern-day sanctuary, with rooms laid out surrounding a large swimming pool, each situated within a modern hut embedded amongst tropical greenery.
‘The architects drew inspiration from traditional Mayan constructions and culture, resulting in a contemporary Mexican architecture with brush roofs using building techniques from the region,’ say Claudia and Cuauhtémoc Muñoz, the brother and sister duo behind the property. ‘At Punta Caliza, every guest will get to their suite on sandy paths that serve as the hotel’s hallways to remind them of the old Holbox.’
Made from red cedar wood that the family has cultivated over the last 30 years, each of the hotel’s rooms blurs the lines between indoors and outdoors, thanks to oversized glass windows that slide open, allowing guests to access the pool, immerse themselves in fresh air or experience the trilling of insects and birds as they wish. Each room’s amenities, ranging from bath and body products to decanters for drinking water and hand-embroidered linens, have all been produced collaboratively with artisans from around the country, making Punta Caliza a platform for contemporary Mexican design.
Most recently, this representation has taken an expanded shape with the recent opening of a boutique and a restaurant by the Muñoz siblings, spurred on by a growing number of enquiries and requests from Punta Caliza guests. At Apollo Design Store, the siblings have curated an exquisite selection of garments, ceramics, table linens and home goods as souvenirs.
‘A lot of people have in mind “cheap” souvenirs you can buy everywhere in tourist areas in Mexico,’ they say. ‘Apollo innovates with its collaboration with designers from cities like Oaxaca, Guerrero, Veracruz, Jalisco and Estado de Mexico, and helps to preserve local techniques [through] unique contemporary pieces. Designed and ethically made in Mexico, by Mexican artisans, artists and designers, these pieces show that Mexican design is of quality, accessible, and contemporary while preserving ancient methods and traditions.’
On the culinary front, Témoc, a welcoming all-day eatery serves up a comprehensive array of tacos, vegan tacos and ceviche in its garden-like setting, next door to the store. The menu features over 70 types of mezcal, each hand-selected by Cuauhtémoc, a certified master mezcalier, which should be enjoyed alongside one of the house’s specialities, the ‘Taco Oxaca’, with sauteed grasshoppers wrapped in a handmade blue corn tortilla nodding to Mexican gastronomy from pre-Hispanic times.
