Ruins site...

[msmayor]

Cross-posted on Cozumel board too...

 

I know this is the Costa Maya board, but I am torn as to which port we should make sure we have on our next cruise to see Mayan ruins.

 

Its the one thing my husband really wants to see, and apparently I can arrange a tour on Cozumel or Costa Maya...but for the week we want to cruise I can have one port or the other depending on the cruise ship we choose.

 

So those who have been to both...can you tell me which port you prefer for a ruins tour?

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[runner15km]

Costa Maya gets my vote, this tour company gave us a excellent tour.

http://www.thenativechoice.com/

[crewsweeper]

Second runner15k on Native Choice.

 

The difficulty with a ruins tour in Cozumel is that to see the impressive ruins in Tulum or Coba you need to take a ferry over to the mainland and then a liong bus ride/taxi ride to the ruins and back. In Costa Maya, you can do this during the short time many ships are in port and still have time to walk around the cruise port or malecon.

 

There are smaller ruins, less impressive , but ruins nevertheless, on Cozumel--San Gervasio. You can reach them by taxi (1/2 hour to 45 minutes) from the southern cruise piers.

Edited September 4, 2013 by crewsweeper

[Capt_BJ]

The difficulty with a ruins tour in Cozumel is that to see the impressive ruins in Tulum or Coba you need to take a ferry over to the mainland and then a liong bus ride/taxi ride to the ruins and back.

 

100% true despite spelling :-}

 

question becomes, is the bus & ferry time worth it? Tulum:

 

 

 

 

You cannot climb the ruins at Tulum as the Government has (finally) decided that too much damage was being done. You ARE deposited in a shopping area at the entrance to Tulum . . . and IME the box lunch provided by the ship's excursion was .... not good. When I'm HOT HOT HOT a (warm) build it yourself tuna salad kit is NOT going to float my boat!!! But there WAS plenty of opportunity to enjoy a libation B4 we got on the bus for the ride back to the ferry to the dock to the ship . . . (aka a Coke or two)

 

I'm glad we did Tulum .... once ....

[Steamboatin]

We went to the ruins from Costa Maya within the first year or two that the port opened up. Ruins in Belize are better but those in Costa Maya are worth seeing.

 

Our bus driver for the ship excursion was asked by a passenger why all the military check points along the highway. Mexican Army troops everywhere with one at each checkpoint manning a 50 caliber machine gun on each side of highway.

 

So our Mexican bus driver states over the bus PA in an attempt to explain to everyone on the bus the reason for the many check points.

 

He says do you not know Mexico has a big problem with illegal immigrants.

 

Everyone on the bus breaks out laughing. Bus driver is wondering why everyone is laughing.

 

His reasoning being that Mexico was having a big problem with a lot of people crossing their border coming North.

[polySeraph]

I've been to the Lamanai ruins in Belize and Tulum in Mexico and I've booked an excursion to Chacchoben through Native Choice next January. It's great to see the positive comments about Native Choice. I'm looking forward to a great day.

 

Thus far, my favorite Mayan ruins excursion was the one to Lamanai. Getting there was half the fun; we took a bus ride to a landing on the river where we transferred to boats for the "river safari" journey to the site. Our lunch was a buffet with authentic local foods prepared by some very nice local ladies. The guide who took us through the ruins was very knowledgeable and we were allowed to climb to the top of one of the pyramids.

 

The Tulum site itself was more impressive but I didn't enjoy that excursion nearly as much. The site is much larger than Lamanai and it is right on the coast. This made for some spectacular photos, but it was hot and crowded the day we were there, and like a previous poster has mentioned, the box lunch was rather underwhelming.

[crusinpsychRN]

Costa Maya. Ruins of a city are under a balcony of trees. I went prior to the hurricane and it was very lush, several years after the hurricane there was a notable difference and a lot of the grass was just gone and hadn't come back. Numerous ruins to climb.

 

Cozumel not much to see. Ferry ride to Tulum can be very rough. Bus ride, very long. HOT! We went in July (I know!) and it was 112 degrees! Murch more "ruined" than Costa Maya.

[Winona Yvette]

which are the best ruins in Costa Maya? Which ones can you climb on?

[vtoria98]

which are the best ruins in Costa Maya? Which ones can you climb on?

 

 

You can climb all of them. I went to Dzibanche this past week and it was amazing. its huge and there is still so much uncovered. There are people there now excavating. Its really impressive and they stop at Kinichna as well.

 

You need to decide how much time you can handle on a bus. If its only about an hour then Chacccoben is right for you. if you can handle over 2 hours drive then Dzibanche is the place to go.

[Janellybean]

We did Tulum and Dzibanche last January, and both had their merits. Tulum was more of a tourist stop, though structurally impressive. Very crowded and touristy.

 

Dzibanche with Native Choice was completely different. It was like having a couple of local friends take you exploring into the jungle to show you their cultural treasures. The structures were also impressive, but this is more of a working site, with some areas still being uncovered. We were the only group there, and there were only six of us, not counting the two guides. I can't describe the feeling of climbing to the top of a remote, long deserted city and hearing the howler monkeys screaming from the nearby encroaching jungle. It even rained and I'd still say it was the best excursion of the cruise.

 

In short, if Tulum is on your bucket list, and in my opinion it should be, then make a point of seeing it. That's all you're doing though, seeing it from the sidewalk. If climbing a Mayan ruin (and I don't just mean a small platform) and exploring a lost city is something you want to do before they are all closed, then DO NOT MISS Dzibanche. Or do like we did, and hit them both!

 

Now a word on food. At Tulum we did not get a box lunch, but we're told about the Dairy Queen on site. They did stop at a tourist stop for a bathroom and shopping break on the way, though there was no food. On the way to Dzibanche, we stopped at a gas station to grab snacks both ways. And I mean a gas station, not a "travel center". Several older and wiser members of our group had packed a snack from the buffet, and as we were buying chicken salad sandwiches from a run down gas station with questionable refrigeration, limited English, and no way to break a $20 without a pocketful if pesos, I questioned our sanity. The sandwiches were great, though, and this wound up being our most memorable and adventurous day.

 

Either way, I hope you have a great time!

 

 

 

Doug & Janel Holt

Godley, Texas

[littlered87]

Is there enough time to go to the Dzibanche ruins for a cruise stop in Costa Maya? Climbing a ruin is on my bucket list

[Janellybean]

It depends on how long you're in port, but you should contact Native Choice to see about their tour that day.

 

 

Doug & Janel Holt

Godley, Texas

[JimAOk1945]

We visited the ruins at Kohunlich in Costa Maya as well as Tulum.

 

Kohunlich was impressive and very different from any other ruins we have seen so far due to the huge carved "masks" on one of the temples. There are structures there that you can climb.

 

Here is a link to both sets of my wife's pictures in case you're interested. It may help you decide.

 

The pictures of Cozumel/Tulum also contain a picture of the ferry in case you want to know what it looked like.

 

Kohunlich Mayan Ruins in Costa Maya

 

Tulum Mayan Ruins