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Best ambiance?


jnwrn11
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Checking out the available beach breaks in Costa Maya and noticing in the pictures some seem to have A LOT of sea grass piled up on the beaches and some seem to have a lot of local vendors as well. Which beach breaks do the best at keeping the beaches clean, no vendors, and basically have the most relaxing ambiance? :confused:Appreciate any and all responses!

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Checking out the available beach breaks in Costa Maya and noticing in the pictures some seem to have A LOT of sea grass piled up on the beaches and some seem to have a lot of local vendors as well. Which beach breaks do the best at keeping the beaches clean, no vendors, and basically have the most relaxing ambiance? :confused:Appreciate any and all responses!

 

First of all you have to realize that seagrass is a regular occurrence in Costa Maya and the problem at the moment is an abnormal amount of seaWEED.

 

Most beaches along the malecon will have vendors to one degree or another. I am by no means an expert but both ends of the malecon are quieter in that regard and some owners in the middle mayhave better control than others.

 

For total lack of vendors you would need to go out of town to Maya Chan or Almaplena, but then you are looking at AI.

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First of all you have to realize that seagrass is a regular occurrence in Costa Maya and the problem at the moment is an abnormal amount of seaWEED.

 

Most beaches along the malecon will have vendors to one degree or another. I am by no means an expert but both ends of the malecon are quieter in that regard and some owners in the middle mayhave better control than others.

 

For total lack of vendors you would need to go out of town to Maya Chan or Almaplena, but then you are looking at AI.

 

Thanks for your reply!

I was born and raised in Cocoa Beach FL, so I know all about seaWEED ;)... Although, never as much as I have seen in some of the pics of Costa Maya, which we have been to before btw (albeit 10 years ago), and they did not have such a problem then and most of the bars were just getting started. So I am wondering which bar "beach break" has the best ambiance (since there are so many since the last time we were there) AND which ones seem to be trying to keep the beach as clean as possible... since we all know that seaweed/seagrass can have a pretty foul odor :-)

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Thanks for your reply!

I was born and raised in Cocoa Beach FL, so I know all about seaWEED ;)... Although, never as much as I have seen in some of the pics of Costa Maya, which we have been to before btw (albeit 10 years ago), and they did not have such a problem then and most of the bars were just getting started. So I am wondering which bar "beach break" has the best ambiance (since there are so many since the last time we were there) AND which ones seem to be trying to keep the beach as clean as possible... since we all know that seaweed/seagrass can have a pretty foul odor :-)

 

Like you it had been a number of years since I was last in Costa Maya until this year when I was there January and February. In January there was no problem, three weeks later the problem was just beginning and has continued to get worse according to reports. Some days are worse than others. We went to Maya Chan in February and you could see on the road out there it was quite bad even then.

 

At Maya Chan they were continually raking up the seaweed but it is a never ending task. The owner is very up front and has been offering full refunds after emailing photos, on the day, if you decide to cAncel before going out there. They are still raking but apparently not all their neighbors are. It is a very sad situation for them and the economy of the area.

 

It did not spoil our day in February but 2011 (the year of the first big sargassum problem) we went to Rasta’s (one of our favorite beach bars in Cozumel) and were unable to stay long due to the smell. If it was that bad in Costa Maya i would be disappointed to have paid for AI.

 

As I said there is always seagrass growing from the sand in the sea there which some find annoying but you just have to deal with it. It doesn’t smell and spoil the beach like the decaying seaweed.

 

If you don’t pre-book and leave it until day of arrival you can tell sailing in if the situation is bad. The beach bars are all lined up one after another along the malecon. I would probably start at Blue Kay (first beach club and quieter with regards vendors. I have not read any reports about how they are dealing with the seaweed but there have been reports of annoying up front charge so do your homework and be prepared). Basically PAYG so no big deal if you have to get an early taxi back.

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Assuming you do not want to do an AI, then I'd agree with C-Legs on Blue Kay. go outside the cruise port and take a taxi. There's a direct entrance. If you take the tram from inside the cruise port, get off at the first stop and walk along the beach toward the lighthouse (and toward the ships).

 

Alternatively, Tropicante has great service and good food and drink. However, being in the middle of the malecon, Tropicante will get vendors and could feel "crowded" as it's bordered by other beach clubs. But unfortunately all the beach clubs are dealing with the seagrass issue and it's all along the Mexican coast from what I hear. Once cleared from the beach they pile it up in empty lots and eventually some of it get carried away.

 

For an AI along the malecon that will be a bit more separated from other clubs and will not have vendors, Jaimes' Blue Reef would be a good choice.

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I didn't see where an all inclusive was a make or break for you, but if you are looking for best ambiance, we were at Maya Chan last week and it was the best port of all four we went to for ambiance. The seaweed wasn't bad when we were there, they have put up barriers in the ocean to keep it away. Didn't notice a bad smell either. We had a private palapa I think it's called, with our own chairs, a bed type thing and it was glorious. No vendors bothering us. Food and drinks were included. Very relaxing day.

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Like you it had been a number of years since I was last in Costa Maya until this year when I was there January and February. In January there was no problem, three weeks later the problem was just beginning and has continued to get worse according to reports. Some days are worse than others. We went to Maya Chan in February and you could see on the road out there it was quite bad even then.

 

At Maya Chan they were continually raking up the seaweed but it is a never ending task. The owner is very up front and has been offering full refunds after emailing photos, on the day, if you decide to cAncel before going out there. They are still raking but apparently not all their neighbors are. It is a very sad situation for them and the economy of the area.

 

It did not spoil our day in February but 2011 (the year of the first big sargassum problem) we went to Rasta’s (one of our favorite beach bars in Cozumel) and were unable to stay long due to the smell. If it was that bad in Costa Maya i would be disappointed to have paid for AI.

 

As I said there is always seagrass growing from the sand in the sea there which some find annoying but you just have to deal with it. It doesn’t smell and spoil the beach like the decaying seaweed.

 

If you don’t pre-book and leave it until day of arrival you can tell sailing in if the situation is bad. The beach bars are all lined up one after another along the malecon. I would probably start at Blue Kay (first beach club and quieter with regards vendors. I have not read any reports about how they are dealing with the seaweed but there have been reports of annoying up front charge so do your homework and be prepared). Basically PAYG so no big deal if you have to get an early taxi back.

 

 

Thanks for the extra info! I think we are just going to play it by ear that day and see where it takes us! If I can trust the ports calendar then we should be the only ship in port that day so it shouldn't be too packed either way. :) Thanks again!!

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Assuming you do not want to do an AI, then I'd agree with C-Legs on Blue Kay. go outside the cruise port and take a taxi. There's a direct entrance. If you take the tram from inside the cruise port, get off at the first stop and walk along the beach toward the lighthouse (and toward the ships).

 

Alternatively, Tropicante has great service and good food and drink. However, being in the middle of the malecon, Tropicante will get vendors and could feel "crowded" as it's bordered by other beach clubs. But unfortunately all the beach clubs are dealing with the seagrass issue and it's all along the Mexican coast from what I hear. Once cleared from the beach they pile it up in empty lots and eventually some of it get carried away.

 

For an AI along the malecon that will be a bit more separated from other clubs and will not have vendors, Jaimes' Blue Reef would be a good choice.

 

Great info! We appreciate it! :)

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I didn't see where an all inclusive was a make or break for you, but if you are looking for best ambiance, we were at Maya Chan last week and it was the best port of all four we went to for ambiance. The seaweed wasn't bad when we were there, they have put up barriers in the ocean to keep it away. Didn't notice a bad smell either. We had a private palapa I think it's called, with our own chairs, a bed type thing and it was glorious. No vendors bothering us. Food and drinks were included. Very relaxing day.

 

 

 

Thanks for the update. We sail in October and can’t wait for our first visit to Maya Chan!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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