All links on this review to cruise lines, local tour operators and servicees have been double-checked and are upated. Objective reports by local tour operators in the last months.Ĭonsequently, if you are planning to cruise to Costa Maya in 2022, it is advisable to double check the information on this review that may be of interest to fully enjoy Costa Maya.The shore excursions offered by the cruise lines that have been visiting Costa Maya.Reports by cruise passengers who have been in Costa Maya since the lifting of cruise restrictions.You can easily find taxis in both the port and also once you're in town.īy Shuttle Bus: Local buses to Mahahual pick up behind the shopping area tickets for the $3 fare must be purchased in advance and are sold at a booth located in the same area.īy Car: If you'd like to drive on your own without relying on the local buses, golf carts and Jeeps are also available for rent for around $75 per day.Many passengers on a cruise to Puerto Costa Maya (in Mexico) choose to stay at the cruise port terminal without realizing that there is much more to do and many attractions to enjoy nearby.įull disclosure: considering that cruise ships couldn't visit Costa Maya for almost two years this updated review is based on: Once you're in the town, it's easy to walk the entire strip.īy Taxi: The five-minute taxi ride into Mahahual is about $8 per person round-trip. On Foot: Some people do try to walk into Mahahual, but it's a hot trek that can take up to 45 minutes. The pier-side complex features a number of free-to-use pools, one of which is huge with a swim-up bar restaurants, bars and shops including the usual suspects like Diamonds International and a small beach lined with chairs and hammocks for relaxing. The terminal, a faux village created solely for cruise passengers, is just steps from the dock.While Costa Maya might look sleepy at a glance, there's something for everyone in this corner of the Caribbean - and it only keeps growing. Bacalar lagoon offers kayaking and swimming in the Cenote Azul, and there's also a Spanish fortress you can tour. some excursions focus solely on Mayan food and culture. The site most cruise passengers come here to see is Chacchoben, a city dating to around 350 A.D. The region is home to some lesser-known (but still important) Mayan ruins. Those who want to venture further have intriguing options, too. Although development is restricted to low-rise buildings, Mahahual's growth has attracted a small group of entrepreneurs, including a sizable Italian community, interested in making the town the "next Tulum."įor travelers who just want to get into the "don't worry, be happy" mindset, the appeal of the area's beach clubs, usually with free Wi-Fi and the lure of cheap beach massages, can pretty much consume the day. An attractive malecon anchors a row of seaside hotels, restaurants, dive shops and beach clubs that serve fresh ceviche and offer water activities along lovely white sand beaches with shallow surf (perfect for families). (Yes, it is safe to drink water within the Costa Maya confines.)īeyond that, the folks who created Costa Maya also invested in and remade Mahahual (also known as Majahual), a one-time fishing village of 200 people that's about a 45-minute walk or $8 cab ride away. Besides the amenities that tourists see, developers took care of the essentials outside the village including brick-paved roads, concrete cottages for employees (who all come from elsewhere) and a water-sanitation system. The port developers also own a club and water sports area on Uvero Beach, which is actually away from the terminal and is typically used by cruise lines as a shore excursion option. The port itself, which opened for business in 2001 and was rebuilt after Hurricane Dean in 2007, features myriad facilities in its village - pools, restaurants, a spa, shops and a small beach (though it's too rocky to swim). That's because it was developers created the port terminal/faux village complex not far from the Belize border solely to woo cruise lines, and everything - from the manmade malecon, a beachfront pedestrian path in nearby Mahahual, to the beach club used for shore excursions - has been created with passengers in mind. Costa Maya, located on a peninsula along Mexico's Caribbean coast (about 100 miles south of Playa del Carmen), feels like a private island created from scratch expressly for cruisers.
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