Thread: Cruising to Mexico on Radiance. Ideas on Costa Maya?

I'm new to CLF and looking forward to curising with RCCL out of Tampa on Dec. 6th. Would like to know opinions of things to do at Costa Maya. I enjoy really meeting the locals and getting away from the controlled tourist sites. Any snorkeling there? Will be cruising with friends and always enjoy meeting new folks.

I, too, will be going to costa maya (in Oct) and would love to hear what there is to do and see there. I have limited mobility so those activities I am most interested in.

You are right here on the Costa Maya forum so I suggest that you look at some of the posts here and ask a few questions about the activities that others have written about.

Some posts might be a little older and this is a good opportunity to inquire about their current availibility and for recent reports on the tours that sound interesting to youl

Originally Posted by gloria2886

I'm new to CLF and looking forward to curising with RCCL out of Tampa on Dec. 6th. Would like to know opinions of things to do at Costa Maya. I enjoy really meeting the locals and getting away from the controlled tourist sites. Any snorkeling there? Will be cruising with friends and always enjoy meeting new folks.

Check out costa maya excursions .com an independent website, cheaper than excursions via the cruise lines...there's many choices...all inclusive beach break to tours of ruins...

Originally Posted by sunebeach

Check out costa maya excursions .com an independent website, cheaper than excursions via the cruise lines...there's many choices...all inclusive beach break to tours of ruins...

I'll be going there next Feb and have also been researching. Aside from the above recommendation I have also found these 2 websites:

Costa Maya Shore Excursions and Tours

Costa Maya Excursions, shore activities in Costa Maya, tours and travel information

Right now I'm leaning towards the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins Tour with The Native Choice. We're only there in the afternoon so it wouldn't make sense to do the longer one that includes a meal.

It's been 6 years since we were in Costa Maya, so I hadn't planned on posting. There have been changes since were there because of Hurricane Dean in 2007. But we really enjoyed seeing the ruins at Chacchoben. We went with the ship, since there wasn't a lot available otherwise when we went. We had an excellent guide, and we learned that anywhere you see a forest covered hill in that area, it almost has to be ruins that have been grown over.

Chacchoben is a archeological discovery in progress. We were there just a few weeks after the excavation was over for the season, and there were still marks in chalk from the workers of what had been recently uncovered. It was very exciting.

There are other ruins available for touring, but they are all further away. From what I have heard, the other ruins don't seem to have anything unusual to justify a longer bus ride, but my info may be out of date.

All I can say is that excursion was definitely something we enjoyed, and 6 years later, I can still recommend it.

Thanks for the positive feedback on Chacchoben. Did you find it necessary to use bug repellent?

I had a client who visited Maya Palms resort for a day and they said it was very nice and there was hardly anyone there. They bought a Day Pass for about $32, which included an open bar. When they got back and reported to me, I contacted the company and they are managed by the same American company that operate the famous Bonne Terre Mines diving in Missouri. Although I personally have not been to Maya Palms (not yet, anyway), I was impressed with them and based on what my client had to say, it sounds like a wonderful opportunity to get away from the crowds at a nice beach, enjoy some very good snorkeling, and great scuba diving, if you are so inclined.

But for $32 for a day at the beach with an open bar is always a good thing for me!

Check it out; Costa Maya Scuba Diving and Snorkel in Mahahual, Mexico: Maya Palms Resort

Pete

Originally Posted by tbears

Thanks for the positive feedback on Chacchoben. Did you find it necessary to use bug repellent?

We went in December, and I don't remember it being an issue. But I would bring some just in case!

I am researching options in Costa Maya for our group on the Nieuw Amsterdam next March. For the most part, you're pretty limited to beach stuff (swimming, snorkeling) or explorations of Mayan ruins.

I am also leaning toward www.thenativechoice.com for Chacchoben, especially because the guides worn born there or at least in the modern town of the same name. That should be a definite plus.

But, I've also come across www.shoretrips.com who offer a trip with lunch to Chacchoben. It's $5 less than the one offered by HAL which doesn't include lunch!

I'd personally like to also see Kohunlich ruins, but they're at least 2 hours away, so that amounts to 4 hours on the road! Too likely to cause a dash-through visit!

Virtually every description in HAL's catalogue for this port includes some caution about bringing insect repellent! I guess maybe it might be buggy!

I'll try to provide more after my research is done.

SWR