Isla Holbox, Mexico’s best barefoot beach

Isla Holbox is a small, slender island just north of Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a gorgeous destination, with clear green-blue waters in every direction, and aquatic-inspired art is everywhere.

Ailsa Craig

It has been a haven and sanctuary for pirates, smugglers, and religious dissenters. The Romans may have set up camp on this rock, and Catholic Spaniards and British and Scottish soldiers built a castle and other military garrisons on it. But these days, the tiny islet is known for two things: seabirds and curling stones.