Kayaking Tour Through the Mangroves in Isla Holbox
Recommended by 90% of travelers
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Isla Holbox, Mexico
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Kayak through the mangrove swamps of Isla Holbox during this morning tour. Under the watchful eye of your professional kayaking guide, slip into your double kayak and paddle off through the shallow, calm water. Paddle through the forest, alive with the sounds of coastal wading birds. Listen to commentary from your guide as you keep an eye out for flamingos and alligators sunning themselves on the banks of the channels. Round-trip transportation from Isla Holbox and bottled water are included.
- Witness wildlife up close and admire spectacular scenery
- Kayak through the mangrove swamps off Isla Holbox
- Paddle under the direction of an experienced kayaking guide
- Look out for crocodiles and flamingos
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Double kayaks
- Bottled water
- Food and drinks, unless specified
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- VIP HolboxCalle Palomino, Av. Caleta Esq, 77310 Holbox, Q.R., Mexico
We will meet in our office 15 minutes before departure time. If your hotel is located between our office and the hotel Las Nubes, we might be able to pick you up on the way to the departure point. If this is the case, please contact us one day before to confirm a possible pick up.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
VIP Holbox Experience
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Minimum age is 6 years
- It is recommended that you bring a swimsuit, insect repellent, a hat, biodegradable sunscreen and a camera
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 7 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Kevin_B
We did the early morning kayak trip and it was absolutely amazing. The scenery is breathtaking. Lolo was our guide and he was incredible. He was knowledgeable and super sweet. What a great soul. I think this was my favorite activity from the weekend. I would do it again any day of the week. Thank you again Lolo.
Reviews
4.7
based on 73 reviews
Laura_B, Mar 2026
Excellent tour! We decided to go on the 6 am sunrise one and it was fantastic! Ivan our guide clearly loves what he does He had so many incredible facts about the animals and marvelled in the flock of Flamingos alongside us. So many birds and several crocs. Even my teenagers loved this! Highly recommend!
Rick_B, Mar 2025
The mangrove ecosystem was fantastic! I recommend the early morning if you hope to experience the crocodiles, we saw five! The guides picked us up at our hotel and returned us, saving us time and cab fare. PSA: mosquitos are for real! Be prepared.
Daniel_M, Mar 2025
My friend and I could have rented a 2 person kayak for less money and got the same experience. The tour guide gave no insight into the mangroves, nor did he give any guidance on how to navigate the waters. The last part of the tour is essentially in the open ocean and the currents were strong, the tour guide offered no help with this and just paddled ahead to the shore
Carissa_B, Jan 2025
Gustavo was our tour guide. He was excellent. Paid attention to our interests, and happily answered any questions. Pointed out interesting wildlife. Described differences in trees and plants. Excellent.
Simon_E, Nov 2024
Really great trip - great guide, birds ++++, crocodiles, octopuses - you will see all that is best in Holbox
Jordi_P, Aug 2023
Very good experience! 🙌
We enjoyed a lot! The guides were very kind!
We could see the flamingos and some other beautiful species.
Saddly we couldn’t find cocodriles
Brian_L, Jun 2023
Kayaking through the mangroves was so amazing! Our guide Gustavo picked us up from our hotel and headed to the starting point of the tour. Gustavo was so passionate and knowledgeable about the biodiversity of the Yum Balam. He had a great eye for spotting wildlife and always took the time to point things out to us and observe. Thank you Gustavo!
Alison_P, Apr 2023
Had a great time. Went with only another group of 3 people. Really appreciated having such a small group. Nice to be picked up at our accommodations with the company arranging that ahead of time.
Gustavo was a lovely guide. He knew so much and brought binoculars for us to use.
We saw lots of birds - herons, egrets, clapper rails, roseated spoonbills, flamigos, osprey and more! It was great. Plus a couple crocodiles on land and some sting rays.
Paddling through the mangroves was peaceful and calm. We went at 8 am and no mosquitoes!
Overall so enjoyable!
Danica_Q, Apr 2023
Gustavo was an amazing tour guide and this was such an easy process to book from start to finish. He picked us up at the meeting spot and from there took us to his kayaks. He led the entire way with such ease, but I will say we struggled with the current to keep our kayaks in a straight line and found ourselves frustrated at times because the kayak would have a mind of its own. I went with my boyfriend and we both have kayaked in the ocean previously. Gustavo was patient and had so much knowledge to share about the different birds and wildlife. We even saw a cute crocodile! Once you get to the mangroves it’s so peaceful, honestly such a treat to just glide along and see all the beautiful birds. Along the way we saw people walking along the sand bar towards Punta Mosquito. We went in late March so it wasn’t flamingo season unfortunately. We were lucky that it ended up being a private tour since it was just my boyfriend and I and Gustavo. Definitely wear sunscreen, sun protection (hat, sunglasses), and a bathing suit. Highly recommend spending a morning on this tour. Grab some breakfast empanadas afterwards!
Sam_B, Apr 2023
Brilliant morning kayaking trip with Willy in Holbox. He organised pick up from our hotel and we set off with two other couples into the mangroves. We saw crocodiles, fish, birds and even an octopus! Willy gave us insight into the habitat along the way. He also took and shared some great photos, thank you :)
Natasha_N, Sep 2022
A great way to spend a morning on Holbox. The office was only 2 minutes from our hostel so we walked there to begin our tour where we were transferred by ATV to the kayaks and the start of our tour. It turned out to be just us and our guide, Abraham who was fantastic and so knowledgeable about the wildlife we saw during the couple of hours we spent kayaking. Life jackets were provided and the excursion wasn’t too strenuous. We stopped at the edge of the mangroves at a safe distance to see flamingos without disturbing them. The scenery is absolutely stunning, tranquil and full of life; pelicans, ospreys and even a crocodile to name a few. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Abraham and the whole team at VIP Holbox.
Response from Host, Sep 2022
Hello Natasha , thank you so much for your comments, we are very happy to know you had enjoyed that tour !
Our guide will be happy to hear from you .
Thank you for trust in VI.P Holbox for this trip !
Carla_H, Sep 2022
Loved our kayak tour! Lalo, our guide, was so knowledgeable and engaging - we learned a lot and had fun talking with him. The views were incredible getting out on the Gulf and into the mangroves. Bring sunscreen and bugspray! Great communication and included transportation to get to the kayaks. Would definitely recommend and would book again.
Dereka_B, Jul 2022
Our guide was terrific, and this tour was so beautiful and peaceful. It is a lot of work to row in and out but absolutely worth it.
Joy, Jul 2022
Our guide, Gustavo, was excellent! He pointed out things we would not seen otherwise, like a hermit crab and a blue crab. The area was so peaceful, and beautiful. Kayaks were also very comfortable.
Kevin_B, Mar 2022
We did the early morning kayak trip and it was absolutely amazing. The scenery is breathtaking. Lolo was our guide and he was incredible. He was knowledgeable and super sweet. What a great soul. I think this was my favorite activity from the weekend. I would do it again any day of the week. Thank you again Lolo.
Amy_B, Dec 2021
Willy was an exceptional guide - sharing passion and insight only someone who has spent their whole life becoming one with this magical island could impart. We saw so many beautiful creatures and enjoyed a peaceful start to our day exploring this beating heart of Holbox. Would highly recommend to anyone willing to work their arms a bit with nature as the ultimate reward.
Response from Host, Dec 2021
Hello Amy,
Thank you very much for your review.
Nature is a gift that need to be protected and our Staff has this philosophy to share, it is very important you had enjoyed !
Hope you can visit us again!
kind regards
tony_l, Feb 2021
Willy was amazing. Very knowledgeable and even found us a crocodile!! Forgot our camera and he took pictures for us and delivered them to our hotel!! Be sure to ask for him.
Pierre_R, Mar 2020
Fun and informative tour amongst the stunning scenery of the Holbox mangroves. The tour guide was very informative and passionate about the island ecosystem. The tour is best if you're relatively fit, as kayaking against an ocean current can be difficult if you're not experienced.
Anni_B, Feb 2020
We had a great time learning how to kayak (only so well, ha) and experiencing the beauty of the mangrove trees and the ría, as our guide Willi explained, that houses wildlife of all kinds. We saw sandpipers and egrets, herons, and even a crocodile! Willi was a great guide. I highly recommend this outing. Please note that it’s not flamingo season until Spring/summer, but we still had a great time and got a good arm work out in too!
Michelle_R, Feb 2020
We truly enjoyed our experience with VIP tours. Willi was our guide for the morning. He was knowledgeable, passionate about his island and very professional. We had door to door service to and from the kayaks, which was a welcomed treat after days of walking the island. When they were running late, we were informed the shuttle was running a couple minutes late and they came just two minutes later. Everyone we worked with were professional and helpful. I would highly recommend them.
Vickie_L, Jul 2018
A lot of fun. We got some exercise and the scenery was wonderful. Tour guide went over and above and did a great job
Tom K, Nov 2017
We had a great time kayaking in the early morning through the mangroves with our guide Willie. He was so knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife and we learned a lot from him. He was very accommodating with our questions and provided us with opportunities to get up close to the flora and fauna of the island. Cant recommend this tour enough. Very safe, professional and was ultimately a great experience. Thanks!
HanneLillian_H, Apr 2025
Har du aldrig været i en Mangrove tidligere er det en fin oplevelse,
Vores guide var en sød meget ung fyr som dig ikke var dygtig til at spotte de forskellige dyr og heller ikke fortalte andet end at remse de dyr op som lever der.
Nicola_K, Dec 2023
Schöne Kayak-Tour! Wir haben viele Vögel und andere Tiere gesehen. Sehr zu empfehlen. Auf jeden Fall eine Kopfbedeckung mitnehmen!
Lucas_z, Mar 2023
Es war eine unglaublich tolle und beeindruckende Tour. Unser Guide Gustavo war sehr erfahren und nett. Wir konnten unzählige Vögel, Fische und drei Krokodile sehen.
Batrice_P, Jan 2020
Superbe expérience. Le guide était très bien et connaissait son sujet.
Je recommande cette excursion
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