Mexican Caribbean

Quintana Roo's Pearls - The Coraline Islands

All along the reef barrier that protects the coast of Quintana Roo, big and small islands were formed by the same coral that builds the reef.

The islands' coral has become a very fine white sand.

These Pearls keep many wonders; let's discover them.

The most northerly Pearl is HOLBOX.

Holbox Island (hole in Maya) lies 10 km away from Chiquilá Town, separated from the coast by Yalahow Lagune. It is 10 km long and 2 km wide.

 t was first inhabited by sailors in 1870 and was part of Ekab chiefdom, which governed de coast of Quintana Roo till the Bahía de la Ascensión (Ascension Bay). Today it belongs to the Yulum Natural Reserve. There are in Holbox no paved streets; all of them are covered just with sand.

Around Holbox live myriads of fish in the Caribbean Sea, including the Cazón, a delicious shark. To Holbox's beaches arrive the turtles, and on its mangrove swamps inhabit birds, such as the flamingoes, pelicans.

In Holbox's shallow waters takes place this remarkable phenomenon of bioluminescence. This marvel is best enjoyed during spring and summer and on New moon nights.

CONTOY (the Birds' Island)

This Pearl, sanctuary for the Mexican Caribbean marine birds, is 7.5 km long and 800 meters wide.

In the southern part of the island lies "el dormitorio" (the dorm), a natural fish hatchery. You only need a visor to enter this world of wonders.

Contoy was declared National Park in 1998; therefore, nobody stays on this Pearl, but a boat from Cancún or Isla Mujeres can bring you to Contoy any day.

Northeast from Isla Mujeres lies Quintana Roo's third Pearl ISLA BLANCA (White Island).

Linked to the land by a 6 km long strip of sand 2 meters high, it encloses in this way Chacmunchuc Lagune, also known as Laguna de Las Blancas (The White Ones Lagune).

From Cancún, it's easy to get to Isla Blanca, where we may have the freshest fish, wander along this Pearl watching the vegetation variety and the marine birds that fly by.

Isla Blanca happens to be the kitesurf's paradise.

And from Isla Blanca, by the same way we arrived, let's go back to Cancún.