Retire Early
Lifestyle
Retirement; like your parents, but way cooler

In 1991 Billy and Akaisha Kaderli retired at the age
of 38. Now, into their 4th decade of this
financially independent lifestyle, they invite you
to take advantage of their wisdom and experience. |
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Isla Holbox
(Pronounced EES-lah
HOLE-bosh)
Billy and Akaisha Kaderli
Currency Exchange
We are finally here on the
Paradise Island of Holbox.
We flew into Cancun from
Guadalajara,
spent
one night in the ancient Mayan seaport of
Chiquila and
then we
ferried to the island.
Holbox is located on the
north coast of the
Yucatan
Peninsula of Mexico and is about 26 miles long and
almost a mile wide.
It's a wonderland to be
sure, but this Eden is vulnerable to hurricanes and has been destroyed by
several over the decades.

Map showing the location of Isla Holbox
This map shows you the location of Cancun, a
famous beach resort. One can
hire a
private plane to land on the island (about a
25 minute flight), or take a bus or taxi from Cancun to Chiquila (about a 2 hour
ride) and then
a ferry across Laguna Conil (another 25 minutes).
Over the years,
Holbox has developed quite an international tourist trade, with kiteboarding,
tours to nearby islands, bioluminescent and swimming with the whale shark
outings. Flamingos, pelicans and other rich birdlife live on Isla Pajaros,
another tour that is offered.
A good part of the island
is protected by the Yum Balam Biosphere Reserve.
See map below.

The protected part of Isla Hobox
A closer look at Isla Holbox shows you the
areas that are biosphere protected. You can also view the parts of the island
where hotels and restaurants have been built. That construction continues
rapidly.
Boat tours are offered around the island to
watch the bioluminescence in the evenings, or for birders, to view the plentiful
birdlife on Bird Island.

Sign on Holbox advertising cold beer
Signage on the island is irreverent and shows
a youthful sense of humor.
This bar is advertising beer that's colder
than your ex-lover's heart.
I guess that's pretty cold.
Maybe with chips of ice on the outside of the
bottle.
Maybe the beer is slushy.
Maybe when you pour it, you get that little
fog cloud rising up from your glass.
Maybe when you drink it, you get that little
headache between your eyes.
Maybe your fingertips freeze to the beer
bottle.
Maybe... well you get the idea!
Guaranteed COLD!

One of the options on Isla Holbox
I don't know where one gets these little fish
that are content to nibble at your toes and give you a nibble-massage.
But this style of massage is also popular in
Thailand.

Coffee shop on Main Street
We had cappuccinos and mango smoothies here
at A Mar Cafe
several times. We would have had breakfast here as well, but
our
hotel offered a
fabulous breakfast included in the price of the room.
However, we befriended Diana, a woman from
Mexico City, who is living the dream of living and working on the island.
Lines for morning meals were often a dozen
people from the front door to out in the street.
A popular place!

Map of the roads on Holbox
Here is a closer view of the town of Holbox,
marking where the ferry dropped us off and where our hotel,
La
Diosa Kali was
located.
At the top right is an arrow directing you to
the
Mosquito Point sandbars, a must-see on your trip to the island.
The "sunset
wharf" is in the center top of
this map. "Everyone" came to this wharf to
watch the
sunset and then applaud
when it was over.

Sign advertising food and beer
Here's another irreverent sign advertising
it's food, craft beer, and reliable WiFi.
What more could you want?

The most photographed sign on the island
Every day we saw international tourists lined
up to become the "L" of Holbox in this sign.
Families, groups of beautiful bodies,
swimsuit models - this was THE most photographed sign on the island.

There's always one that won't get in line!
Birds were everywhere and many would
congregate on the side of moored boats like this one.
Or sometimes they would fill the sky and
swirl around in such a mesmerizing manner.

Short wharf and the remains of the light
house
This was
another short wharf with conch
shells on the posts for decoration.
Models would often be photographed here, and
one evening there was a dinner party being served with white tablecloths and
romantic lighting.
Really lovely.
The tall structure to the left is the remains
of the Lighthouse that was destroyed by Hurricane Wilma. It was carried by the
wind and deposited here years ago.

The "Sunset Wharf"
This is the other end of the
Sunset Wharf
during the day.
It makes for an attractive photo with all its
simplicity.

What a way to spend the morning!
We found this young woman lying on this
manmade reef reading her device while the surf splashed behind her.
What a way to spend her morning.

Windswept trees on one Holbox beach
Billy and I walked a good deal around the
island, and there were
many different
beaches each with their own flavor.
This one had a windswept look and a bit of
desolation - a whole different style of beauty.

Beach bars were everywhere
Here we are on a different beach, actually
not far from the one in the above photo with the windswept look.
This one was more populated, and of course
had
the requisite beach bar.
Often we found that beer was much cheaper
than sodas or fruit juice.
Oh darn! So I had to sacrifice myself and
have a brew.

Sea grass on white sands
Some beaches were groomed
and some were natural.
We didn't find an annoying
amount of sea grass out in the sea like we did in
Belize, but
somehow this amount washes up to shore.
In this photo you are
looking east to the Mosquito Point Sand Dunes.

Kiosk on wharf
Isla Holbox has a
Mayan history
and influence.
This colorful Mayan decorated kiosk is at the
Sunset Wharf and near the Holbox letters you saw earlier.
There were many kiosks on the beach where you
could purchase tours of your interest.

Beach vendor
Beach vendors were common and they sold fresh
coconut water and mangos on a stick.
Very tropical options.
Fresh coconut water is nutritious and
provides Vitamin C, potassium and electrolytes. Perfect for hot days on the
beach or in the water.

Palapas on the beach
One will find a variety of palapas up and
down the beach.
Generally speaking the palapas aren't
"rented" but there is a minimum of food and drink purchase in order to stay
under their shade or on their lounges.
Just out of curiosity, we asked one
establishment and their rate was 300Pesos per person, about $15USD.

Mosquito Point Sandbars
We
hired a taxi to get out to
Mosquito Point.
From our location it was about 3 kilometers,
an easy walk, but we wanted to be sure we'd get to the right place.
We took a taxi there, and walked home.
These
sandbars
are extraordinary.
They are vast and just go on and on.
One must go at lower tide otherwise wading
out to them would be too deep. We came in from the left and waddled in water
about up to our thighs. This was such an expansive experience.
WHITE sand, BLUE skies and TURQUOISE waters.
It is very memorable and we certainly
recommend doing it!

Tinder meet up location
This island was filled with young, beautiful,
active, partying people.
Here you see a Tinder meet up location. I
have never used Tinder and don't really know anything about it. But I imagine
that it would feel safer to have a public meeting place to begin with.
What a paradise!

Another beach bar
Pacifico is a beer first made by German
brewers in
Mazatlan, Mexico.
These skilled brewers changed the beer
industry completely and took it commercial.
The sign with the fish on it reads: "King of
the Pacific - From the sea to your table"

Beach Club and menu
The
Amaite
Restaurant is inside this Beach
Club which has a beautiful
seaside view.
We ate here one of our first days in Isla
Holbox and were pleasantly surprised.
I had scallops with truffle butter - cooked
perfectly and the taste was amazing. Billy had Arrabbiatta Pasta and he was
pleased too.
We ate here several times more and each meal
was delicious.

Egret on some rocks
As I mentioned, bird life
was plentiful on the island.
This stately egret stands
on a small series of rocks that jut out into the sea, probably looking for his
next meal.

Kite surfing school
Kite surfing is a feature of this island and
there are schools to teach one how to do it.
Since the sea is calm, and the shore isn't
rocky, it's considered a safe place to learn this sport.

Beautiful blonde posing for photo shoot
Here is an example of what we are talking
about.
Models would often pose for photos and you
can expect to find these beauties (and others!) when you visit the island.

Una Morena bonita
Not everyone is blonde, and dark-haired
beauties have a mystique about them.
In Latin America, dark-haired or dark-skinned
lovelies are called Morenas.
Whether these beautiful women are advertising
beach wear or the island itself in a travel brochure, I'm positive the company
they work for will be pleased with the photo shoot.

Storm in the distance
Not every day was sunny on Holbox.
We enjoyed a variety of weather - sun, quick
tropical storms, a bit of breeze and warm days.
We loved the variety.
This is the Sunset Wharf once again with a
storm in the distance.

Rainbow in the sky
As I said, we had a bit of
everything.
This rainbow was a gift
from sun and rain after the short storm photographed above.
Tourists ran to take
photos, even stopping in the street.
It was very enchanting.
For more stories and photos
about Holbox
CLICK HERE
For more stories and photos
about the Yucatan,
CLICK HERE
For more stories and photos
about Mexico CLICK
HERE
For more on
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click here and
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About the Authors



Retire
Early Lifestyle appeals to a different
kind of person – the person who prizes their
independence, values their time, and who doesn’t
want to mindlessly follow the crowd.
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