Mayan ruins

[Floridiana]

That's a misunderstanding. You reach the impressive Lamanai ruins in Belize on this cruise and also Tikal in Guatemala, but Tikal is expensive because of the flight. The ship offers more than Chacchoben from Costa Maya, but the other ruins are further away. We booked one of the excursion packages where you have to book 5 to get a reduced price. The passengers who went to the far inland ruins were from Israel, Australia, Switzerland and, of course, also North America.

 

Can you just walk up to ruins from the port? No. Taxi rides, yes to Chacchoben and Altun Ha near Belize City.

Edited January 9, 2015 by Floridiana

[MVPinBoynton]

Thanks folks for all the feedback and debate. Having read through it all from what I can gather the ruins that most recommend are mostly from ports not on this itinerary. The only exception is Chacchoben from Costa Maya.

 

Suppose I should have asked the question before I booked.

 

I had a very enjoyable visit to Chacchoben. I have seen many greater Mayan ruins, as well from many other countries around the world. They all fascinate me. Just be aware of what you will be visiting beforehand. If you are expecting to see a place like Chichen Itza when visiting Chacchoben, you will be disappointed. But if your expectations are correct, you will enjoy it. You can see lots of photos that we took at Chacchoben last month while on the Oceania Riviera on our website www.thepreismans.com.

[RMLincoln]

What about Tulum? You will stop in Costa Maya. Will there be an excursion to Tulum? I think that is such a magnificent setting on the cliffs above the colorful sea. A complex of many buildings and temples to walk around, good signage in Spanish and English, a city on the sea, alas it's location on the sea was its demise being so visible and accessible by the conquerors.

 

Altun Ha is not too far from Beleize City and very interesting Also interesting was Cahal Pech but a long bus ride from Belize City to the other side of the country (not a very wide country). So I would not recommend a taxi to that ruin. And those ruins are in the jungle, partially excavated quite recently. Both interesting and quite enjoyable, lots to learn about the Mayan culture but neither is spectacular. And neither has the impact of the Tulum setting.

 

Belize has the second largest reef system in the world, so that may be a more impressive place to explore if you decide the ruins are not a big draw for you. Enjoy! m--

[Mura]

As I've said before here we were in Belize on a land trip in 1996, but we visited Altun Ha on our way to Crooked Tree (a bird sanctuary) where we stayed for the first few days of our trip. It is indeed perhaps a half hour drive and well worth a visit if your time is limited. For us, it was a good introduction to the more elaborate sites we would see later.

 

Here are my diary notes about Altun Ha:

 

Very hot at the site, which is small but quite interesting and well maintained. Not as well preserved as the Yucatán sights but then those are much younger than the Mayan sites here (Tikal fell around 800 A.D. and the Yucatán sights are around 1400-1500, as I recall). Tall steps! Admired the wood carvings in the little "bar" where we bought cold water (Crystal Water is particularly good) and ended up buying a small parrot figurine for US$10.00. I thought I'd discover later that I'd been ripped but as it turned out these were the best prices we saw on the whole trip! The carver explained the process to us. They use a particular wood native to Belize. The first step is to carve out the figure with a machete! Then he sands and polishes it. Some of the figures are left unpolished — also attractive, but I think I prefer the polished.

 

Not very detailed, I admit, but 1996 was not 2015 so I don't know how it is now. But we enjoyed the visit.

 

I DO recommend land trips to this part of the world in order to really see the things that should be seen. On a cruise you just don't have the time. Even if you take the flight to Tikal, for example, you don't have time to see much.

 

Mura

Edited January 10, 2015 by Mura

[hondorner]

What about Tulum? You will stop in Costa Maya. Will there be an excursion to Tulum? I think that is such a magnificent setting on the cliffs above the colorful sea. A complex of many buildings and temples to walk around, good signage in Spanish and English, a city on the sea, alas it's location on the sea was its demise being so visible and accessible by the conquerors.

 

Altun Ha is not too far from Beleize City and very interesting Also interesting was Cahal Pech but a long bus ride from Belize City to the other side of the country (not a very wide country). So I would not recommend a taxi to that ruin. And those ruins are in the jungle, partially excavated quite recently. Both interesting and quite enjoyable, lots to learn about the Mayan culture but neither is spectacular. And neither has the impact of the Tulum setting.

 

Belize has the second largest reef system in the world, so that may be a more impressive place to explore if you decide the ruins are not a big draw for you. Enjoy! m--

Tulum is worth the visit; we've been a couple of times. On the last visit, a family cruise with 9 of us, I arranged a private van from Playa del Carmen. We got off the ship in Cozumel, walked a few hundred yards to the ferry dock, took the ferry to Playa del Carmen and met our guide. He took us directly to Tulum (about an hour's drive), then on the way back he stopped at a lovely, shallow water beach (we had smallish children with us). The price was less than half what the ship (Carnival, the grandkids love it) would have charged, so a real bargain.

 

We've been to all the minor ruins (even the single,small building on Cozumel) but none of the majors -- Machu Piccu, Tikal or Chichen Itza. We've enjoyed them all, but Lamanai is probably the most memorable.

[Floridiana]

Tulum is nowhere near Costa Maya. If Riviera had offered this excursion from Cozumel, I would have booked it. :D

 

Mura,

Of course, land trips are always more intensive than a short visit on a ship excursion. Still, in Tikal, you see all three high pyramids and the main plaza on the excellent ship excursion. Not everyone wants to do a land trip in Guatemala. But if you can, go for it.

[CintiPam]

I am enjoying reading this thread because we leave in four days for our Mayan Mystique cruise on Riviera. We have booked private excursions to both Lamanai and Chacchoben, and we archaeological ruins fans are very excited about the opportunity.

 

We have visited both Tulum and Chichen Itza while staying at AI's on the Riviera Maya coast, and enjoyed our visits enormously. Machu Picchu is out (at least with this husband!) due to husband's problems with altitudes over 7,000 feet.

 

We only began cruising in 2008, so all of our Mediterranean ruins visits are recent and include Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, Taormina, Selinunte, Segesta, Agrigento, Syracusa, Ephesus, Butrint (Albania), Malta's Hypogeum and other megalithic monuments, and, most recently, Akrotiri on Santorini.

 

It is my opinion that part of the problem many of us have in appreciating many of the "non-European" ancient sites is due to the education we received while in school, both secondary and post-secondary, which almost exclusively was focused on western civilization, or what one might term "white male European history". So it takes a lot more study/effort to appreciate Asian, Central and South American sites.

 

I find the same issues in my work as an art docent, when I am providing tours focused on non-European art objects.

Edited January 10, 2015 by CintiPam

[MVPinBoynton]

I am enjoying reading this thread because we leave in four days for our Mayan Mystique cruise on Riviera. We have booked private excursions to both Lamanai and Chacchoben, and we archaeological ruins fans are very excited about the opportunity.

 

We have visited both Tulum and Chichen Itza while staying at AI's on the Riviera Maya coast, and enjoyed our visits enormously. Machu Picchu is out (at least with this husband!) due to husband's problems with altitudes over 7,000 feet.

 

We only began cruising in 2008, so all of our Mediterranean ruins visits are recent and include Pompeii, Herculaneum, Paestum, Taormina, Selinunte, Segesta, Agrigento, Syracusa, Ephesus, Butrint (Albania), Malta's Hypogeum and other megalithic monuments, and, most recently, Akrotiri on Santorini.

 

It is my opinion that part of the problem many of us have in appreciating many of the "non-European" ancient sites is due to the education we received while in school, both secondary and post-secondary, which almost exclusively was focused on western civilization, or what one might term "white male European history". So it takes a lot more study/effort to appreciate Asian, Central and South American sites.

 

I find the same issues in my work as an art docent, when I am providing tours focused on non-European art objects.

 

Wee did the Mayan Mystique cruise last month, and certainly enjoyed it. I wish that I could have done Lamanai instead of Altun Ha; but since I did the cave tubing also, it wasn't possible. You can see lots of pics from the excursions we did on our website, www.thepreismans.com. Enjoy!

[CintiPam]

Wee did the Mayan Mystique cruise last month, and certainly enjoyed it. I wish that I could have done Lamanai instead of Altun Ha; but since I did the cave tubing also, it wasn't possible. You can see lots of pics from the excursions we did on our website, www.thepreismans.com. Enjoy!

 

Thanks, I already did just a few days ago because someone posted on our roll call about your wonderful website.

[Floridiana]

On the river to Lamanai, you might see members of the Amish community who lives there. The men were out working with a barge they had hired and waved to us. One woman was waiting in her buggy. It's strange to see their traditional outfits in a tropical climate.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

On the river to Lamanai, you might see members of the Amish community who lives there. The men were out working with a barge they had hired and waved to us. One woman was waiting in her buggy. It's strange to see their traditional outfits in a tropical climate.

 

We saw their farms, but didn't spot any of the people.

[Mura]

I find it interesting that so many cruisers have enjoyed Lamanai.

 

That's because we were there on a land trip in 1996 and went out to Lamanai one day. As far as we were concerned, there was nothing there. (Not even howler monkeys.) I guess it's been "touristized" since we were there.

 

If we ever get to Belize again we'll have to try Lamanai again.

 

Mura

[roothy123]

Enjoy Mayan Mystique. In case I didn't mention my photos from that cruise, they are here: http://www.pbase.com/roothy123/mayan_mystique_cruise__late_feb_2012

 

So I'm curious to hear if Akrotiri was worthwhile. We're going back to Santorini this year and am trying to decide whether to make the trek down there. I do love Oia, so north is calling me as well as south!

[CintiPam]

Enjoy Mayan Mystique. In case I didn't mention my photos from that cruise, they are here: http://www.pbase.com/roothy123/mayan_mystique_cruise__late_feb_2012

 

So I'm curious to hear if Akrotiri was worthwhile. We're going back to Santorini this year and am trying to decide whether to make the trek down there. I do love Oia, so north is calling me as well as south!

 

It is a fabulous site if you are interested in ancient peoples like we are. We were waiting many years for it to reopen after the tragic collapse and tourist deaths there. The Greek government spent over 20 million Euros completely enclosing the site with state of the art a/c, etc.