by- Mindy Fontan
You have a cruise booked and found out you have a Port Stop at Costa Maya, so the next question is what do you do?
For starters, the Costa Maya port, located on Mexico’s Caribbean coast, boasts pristine beaches, vibrant coral reefs, and rich Mayan culture. With modern facilities, it’s a gateway to adventure, offering excursions like snorkeling, exploring ancient ruins, and sampling local cuisine. It’s an ideal stop for cruise ships and travelers seeking a blend of relaxation and exploration in the heart of the Mayan Riviera. My family and I decided to take the history route and go explore the beautiful Mayan Ruins. We absolutely enjoyed it, our tour guide was amazing, and it was a nice change instead of our usual water excursions.
So what are the Mayan Ruins? The Mayan ruins embody the enduring legacy of an ancient civilization that thrived for over 2,000 years in Mesoamerica. These architectural marvels showcase intricate carvings, pyramids, and celestial observatories, reflecting the Mayans’ remarkable architectural and astronomical prowess. Today, these ruins offer a glimpse into a mystical world of mythology and folklore, while ongoing archaeological discoveries continue to deepen our understanding of Mayan society and its profound impact on history. They are amazing to walk through and climb, so have those cameras ready for some great family photos.
Our excursion was a total of 4 hours and our guide met us outside the cruise port. Costa Maya’s port has a lot of activity going on, so give yourself time to meet your tour guides. Definitely dress comfortably with comfy shoes and suntan lotion. And depending on the time of year, you may need bug spray. We got lucky in December and did not need it.
I booked our tour outside of our cruise. The timing worked out better for us and we were actually the only 5 in our group, which made our tour extremely personal!! Always ask your SAT agent for tours available outside of the cruise. Once we met our guide, we were offered cold-water bottles and hopped on to a shuttle headed towards our adventure. The whole process was very easy. And our guide was talking to us the whole time. Loved every minute of attention my family and I got!
Overall our tour was amazing and our guide could not have been more knowledgeable. He definitely knew his history. I loved that he had a bag of old pictures and books to go along with the information, and he really had a humorous personality that kept my kids’ attention going the whole time. It was perfect. The whole tour took about an hour and half and on the way back we even got to stop at his local farm and sample different flavors of fresh pineapple grown, all safe to eat. It was a delicious way to end our experience. I highly recommend exploring the ruins, especially if you are a history fanatic. Gratuities are not included, so make sure to show your appreciation with a cash gesture at the end. Happy Exploring!
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