Hotel Villas Flamingos Resort in Holbox, Mexico

 

I never look for paradise. Can I just say that out loud? I’ve always been more of a look for the monsters, or the ancient cursed stones kind of traveler. But I’ll admit it, I needed to find paradise, and that’s what led me to Holbox, Mexico to a little slice of paradise called the Villas Flamingos resort.

 

I’ve grown up in what many call paradise along the white sandy shores of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Maybe that’s why I never go out of my way to “find paradise.” I’m always looking for something different, something less than ordinary to me.

 

To me, visiting the Villas Flamingos resort in Holbox, Mexico was just going to be like staying out at a beach resort in my hometown. I really wasn’t looking forward to it. In fact, the only reason I even added it to the trip was that I knew the boys would love it, and it would serve as a nice break from the day in and day out press trips we would be on.

 

Ordinary. Man, I was wrong. I couldn’t believe I had missed out on this my whole life.

 

Villas Flamingos Isla Holbox 8
I spent much of my time here, ordering frozen cocktails and getting to know the local staff. I highly recommend it.

 

My Holbox, Mexico Villas Flamingos Resort Travel Story

 

We had just spent the past three days in Playa del Carmen at Xcaret Park and the all-inclusive Occidental Xcaret Resort. Our first three days in Mexico looked like a tropical storm. Oh wait, that’s because there was a tropical storm! Still, we adventured on in the Mayan rivers of Xcaret, in caves and in darkness, we adventured on.

 

We loved everything about Mexican culture. The food, the art, the people, we were having an amazing time. I couldn’t imagine it getting much better, although the thought of being on an island with nothing to do but eat, drink and relax was beginning to become more appealing by the day. All that adventure was exhausting!

 

Kid Friendly at Villas Flamingos Isla Holbox 8
My son spent a lot of his time hanging with the locals too… the resident iguanas!

 

Getting to Holbox was a journey in itself, and by the time we arrived, we were ready for bed. The entire next day was pretty amazing. We woke up super early, had a gulf side breakfast, and listened to the sound of tropical birds while we fed the local iguanas. Then, we drove around and photographed street art. I kept thinking,

 

“I could get used to this place.”

 

Villas Flamingos Hotel Holbox 1
I could see this from my private beach bungalow.

 

As I made my way around the Villas Flamingos resort, I started to see what this “paradise” fuss was all about. Yes, there was the ocean, in fact, it was the same ocean I shared in Florida (just the other side of it).

 

There was sand and sun, but something was different. Something really set this place apart from anything I had ever experienced…

 

The Little in Holbox
The Little just enjoying the day in paradise at Villas Flamingos.

 

The people. The food. The sounds. Access to everything by barefoot…it’s what made being at the Hotel Villas Flamingos  resort my first real experience of a real “paradise.” It totally made sense to me now. Why people daydream about being in a place like this instead of their cubicle.

 

I mean I’m not daft, don’t get me wrong, paradise is an obvious choice between the two regardless of whether I’d experienced it or not. But this wasn’t just better than being in the office, this was the antithesis of being in the office.

 

It’s where happy hour lives, where shoes are not required, where time only matters to the mosquitos, and best of all, where you can get in some quality time with your family.

 

Villas Flamingos Hotel Holbox 1
The amazing staff at Villas Flamingos. They made us feel right at home and treated us like royalty.

 

I spent the entirety of my third day at the Villas Flamingos resort in my bikini and sarong. I never put my shoes on. I smelled like coconut oil and almost always had a frozen cocktail in hand.

 

When I was hungry I would walk over to the tiki bar, sit on the swing, and order something fresh from the kitchen. If I was feeling lazy, one of their amazing staff members would bring it to me in my room.

 

tropical drink Villas Flamingos Holbox
The entirety of my third day at Villas Flamingos looked like this. Yeah.

 

The Fairytale Traveler at Villas Flamingos Hotel Isla Holbox
This was pretty much what a day at Villas Flamingos looks like. Every second was amazing.

 

Villas Flamingos Hotel Holbox 1
We spent a lot of time on these swings… sharing stories with the staff and drinking yummy frozen drinks.

 

Villas Flamingos Holbox
I spent the last sunset in Villas Flamingos in the Gulf of Mexico with my family exploring local wildlife.

 

Villas Flamingos Isla Holbox 8
Best day at the office ever!

 

I literally walked around the Hotel Villas Flamingos resort swinging in hammocks, barefoot with adult beverages feeding massively huge iguanas for the better part of three days. After an amazing dinner, among the best I’ve ever had in the entire country of Mexico, as I watched the sunset with a glass of white wine I realized something. I had found paradise.

 

Special thanks to our sponsors:

 

While we have been sponsored by the following brand with fully paid experiences, this in no way shapes our opinions or reports. Everything you read is legit from our hearts to your eyes. They just make bringing you the deets affordable, and we’re okay with that!

 

Where is your paradise? Please share your story in the comments below!

 

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Author

Christa Thompson is the Founder and Chief Editor of The Fairytale Traveler. She started traveling the world in 2003 when she attended a summer abroad study at the University of Cambridge in England. Since then, her wanderlust has been fierce. Her three passions in life are her son, traveling, and being creative. The Fairytale Traveler brand gives Christa the opportunity to do all of these things and to live intentionally every day. "It's never too late to believe in what you love and to pursue your dreams." -Christa Thompson

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