WELCOME TO SER CASASANDRA
An intimate, art-filled hideaway among the palms, a few sandy steps from the sea on Isla Holbox.
Originally a private home, it has been transformed by Cuban artist Sandra Pérez Lozano into a small boutique hotel. There are just 17 rooms and a private villa, spread between whitewashed buildings with thatched palapa roofs.
Her paintings hang alongside work by other Cuban and Latin American artists; books and ceramics fill the rooms, hammocks are slung beneath the palms and there’s an excellent pool. The beach is just beyond the gardens, across a sandy track.
What we love about Ser Casasandra
- Every room is different, furnished by Sandra Pérez with her own art, local antiques and pieces collected on her travels; Room 1, El Origen, was originally Sandra’s own bedroom.
- Handmade details including showerheads fashioned from conch shells collected on the beach and locally made Yucatán bath products.
- The beach is just across a sandy track, where the hotel has huge daybeds, hammocks and thatched palapas beneath the palms.
- A focus on relaxation and wellness, with morning beach yoga, sound therapy and treatments drawing on local healing traditions all available.
- Food is a real strength: the menu was originally created by Mérida chef Roberto Solís and mixes Yucatecan, Cuban and wider Mexican cooking, with local fish, plenty of vegetables and produce from a nearby organic farm.
- It is set on the quieter end of Holbox, slightly removed from the centre – increasingly important on an island that has become much busier in recent years.
What to do at Ser Casasandra
There’s plenty to explore on Holbox Island, from mangrove lagoons and sandbars to marine life offshore.
While the secret is very much out about this once-quiet island, Casasandra’s setting means it still feels like a proper retreat. Head east to Punta Mosquito, where a long sandbar runs out into knee-deep turquoise water, or take a boat through the mangroves and lagoons of the Yum Balam reserve to look for flamingos, turtles and other birdlife. From June to September, whale sharks gather offshore and trips can be arranged to swim alongside them.
Back at Casasandra, there are painting classes, sound healing, Maya clay rituals, mezcal tastings and barefoot dinners. Friday is cinema night on the beach and Saturday brings live Cuban music, a nod to Sandra’s Cuban roots. On dark nights, head out to see the bioluminescence in the shallows, best away from the lights of town and with as little moonlight as possible.
When to Travel
The best time to visit Isla Holbox is during the dry season, from November through to April, when skies are clear, rain is scarce, and sea breezes soften the heat. Temperatures hover between 24–30°C. Whale shark season runs from mid-May to mid-September, best for those hoping to swim with the gentle giants. Avoid October, which tends to be wet and some businesses close temporarily during this low period.
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