The nature reserve in Holbox is called ‘Área de Protección de flora y fauna yum balam’. Translated ‘protected zone of flora and fauna Yum Balam’. It is extremely quiet there and extends mainly over the water.
Although the zone is accessible by foot it is quite far outside Holbox itself. Therefore, I grabbed a bicycle from the hostel and went for it. Once you arrive you can’t continue by bike, but have to wade through water that can get quite deep. So, wear a swimsuit underneath. I also had to wade through a very dark section – probably just full of algae – which I admit was a little creepy 😀 Once at the protected area itself, you wade through incredibly clear water that comes up to about your calves.
The area itself is not only secured by a visible barrier, but also has several information boards describing what kind of area it is and what you can and cannot do here – basically the classic features of a nature reserve. Plus when I was there, I just hit feeding time for the birds.
Apart from that – I’m just being honest – without the barrier in the water, you wouldn’t realise that you are near or in a nature reserve. Simply because where you come from, the water and the surroundings look exactly the same as where you are looking.

Go or not? I have to admit that I was a little disappointed because getting to the area is not the easiest thing to do. First you have to cycle there and then wade through really deep water. And once you’re there, it’s a bit like, ‘OK, is that it?’ So I would recommend it to people who really like and especially understand nature reserves a little and who are also interested in the subject. Otherwise, you might wonder why you travelled so far. But that’s just my opinion 😀