On this trip we flew directly into Cancun, rented a car in Cancun and drove roughly 2-hours north to Chiquilá where we picked one of the many parking lots (most offering covered parking spaces) and left our car within a short walk of the ferry terminal.
We noted there has been a lot of work completed and still ongoing improving the road, which has made it a much quicker trip than we experienced on our bus ride there in 2006.
Along the way we made a stop for lunch at El Buen Sabor del Caribe in the village of Kantunilkín. Its located conveniently right by the road to Chiquilá slightly over half way from Cancun. The Mayan family that owns the place is as kind and friendly as possible and has created a welcoming environment. As we entered the open air dining area we saw the dad cutting and serving cold coconut water and the mom cooking while the young son played with a parrot and then a kitten.
We had guacamole with fresh made corn chips, a mixed ceviche of octopus, shrimp and fish and a whole fried fish plus a refreshing coco water and made-to-order (not too sweet, please) lemonade. It was a terrific meal and the experience served to calm us down a bit and ease our temperament into the slower pace of life we craved.
There are now 2 ferry lines serving Chiquilá to Holbox travelers both offering a similar service at similar pricing running on an alternating 30-minute schedule. You can also hire a smaller private boat for the crossing. And there is a car ferry primarily for service vehicles but available for private cars, which would then need to be parked once arriving on the island as there is very limited access to the sand, often muddy streets on the island. As we found in 2006, golf carts are still the primary form of transportation on Holbox, although we did note a large number of scooters as well.
There is regular bus service from Cancun and Merida (by way of Valladolid) to Chiquilá. The buses are not all the top-of-the-line Primera Clase models but appeared to be much improved over what we experienced on our first trip.
There are also a number of operators offering a private taxi service to and from the larger cities in Quintana Roo and the Yucatan.
And while we were on the island we noted a very robust private charter air service between the Holbox airport and Cancun via AeroSaab starting at under $1,000 USD for 1-5 passengers. Flights are also possible to (and between) Playa del Carmen, Tulum, Cozumel, Merida and other destinations.
Of course it is also possible to take a daytrip from Cancun, Valladolid or Merida via one of many tour operators for those just wanting a taste of what the island has to offer. This is a very popular option during the summer season for snorkeling with the migratory whale sharks. While we greatly enjoyed that experience in 2006, there are no whale sharks in Holbox in December.
Upon arrival, the ferry is met by an army of golf cart taxis ready to transport you to your hotel. One new innovation we noticed was that many of the taxis now have a sound system and it was very common for the driver to join the music in song at the top of his/her lungs.