Maya Chen, Blue Kay or Tropicante?

[libertybelle41]

Having been there now, I definitely would recommend Tropicante. It was by far our cheapest excursion and best. QUOTE]

 

Did you have to have a reservation or can you just find it while walking the Malecon?

[bruadhin]

Having been there now, I definitely would recommend Tropicante. It was by far our cheapest excursion and best. QUOTE]

 

Did you have to have a reservation or can you just find it while walking the Malecon?

 

We made reservations, however they gladly take walk ups as well.

[gambler]

We went to Tropicante on 5/26/16. It was the best choice. We had 2 loungers in the shade at the end of a row just like we asked for. My friend had the 1 hour massage for $30. She said it was the best she ever had. The water was beautiful. Just a little seaweed at the edge. Had a nice breeze all day. We had a bucket of beers (6 for 15), 4 foo foo drinks and shared some fish & chips and an order of guac. The total bill was $46. There are some shops up and down the street, cheaper stuff than at the port. A great day!

We just walked on the right side of the port over by where they were organizing the cruise ship excursions, walked out thru the concrete open door turned left where all the buses are parked, walked past them and across the street where the taxis's. $2 fare each.

[brookie848]

We are two middle aged ladies just wanting a nice beach to swim in (no snorkeling) nice lounge chairs to relax with shade, good local food and drinks. As an example, we always go to Paradise Beach in Cozumel.

I inquired on booking Maya Chen and this was part of the response I got back.

 

"We are just a very simple funky beach hang out. We don't have pristine water since we all keep our waters natural. Just like it should be. We clean our beach of seagrass everyday. The Costa Maya Coastline is a turtle preserve. If you need to have a Disney created beach, stay at the Port, or go into town. In town, they use dredges and tractors to make it look better. If you want the real Caribbean experience, then our place is for you."

 

Will this work for us or would we be better off at one of the other places? which one and why? Guess I am nervous about safety and following directions to get to the other two.

Thanks, any help is much appreciated.

 

Honestly, it I received an email that was this snarky from a place I would be certain not to go there.

 

I'll be making my first trip to Costa Maya in February and have been reading about all of the clubs trying to make a decision and this email certainly made an impression on me.

[bruadhin]

Honestly, it I received an email that was this snarky from a place I would be certain not to go there.

 

I'll be making my first trip to Costa Maya in February and have been reading about all of the clubs trying to make a decision and this email certainly made an impression on me.

 

Why, because he was honest?

 

Costa Maya does not have Disney beaches, if that is what you want, you better stay at the port because that is as good it gets.

 

I talked with Steve for a good bit while we were there. He use to build eco-cabins in Idaho and the like. I wouldn't call him a tree-hugger, but he definitely likes eco-development. All along the Malecon the water is full of seagrass and quite shallow.

[Carmen37]

For those who visited Tropicante, how far in advance did you reserve your chairs?

[jamon]

You can send Steve an email two weeks before and still be just fine....

[Carmen37]

Thank you jamon! This place has great reviews on Trip Advisor.

[gambler]

I reserved two months in advance just because I wanted to be done with planning. At the time we had two ships in port that day, but we ended up being the only ship. I sent a follow-up email about a week before.

[AdoraBelle]

Impression of Maya Chan this past week--

 

They really want you to be happy. Super nice folks.

 

I didn't have an issue with the beach grooming.

 

People were clearly enjoying themselves.

 

The downsides: it's a long twisty drive over lots of speed bumps (ropes, actually) and I got more motion sick on this drive than on the ship. You're also seeing what seems like a lot of impoverished and/or abandoned areas.

 

I was surprised to find out I couldn't get a mimosa or any other kind of sparkling wine cocktail. They have to haul in their supplies from far away and I guess people either order fruity frozen drinks or the hard stuff, so they don't bother bringing in the makings. Pina colada was very good though (loads better than Nachi Cocum).

 

Ultimately what I discovered was that I'm simply not a beach person. Even then, they were super nice, and called me a cab at 1:30.

 

Short version: these folks really want you to be happy, and they themselves seem pretty happy.

[Carmen37]

I reserved two months in advance just because I wanted to be done with planning. At the time we had two ships in port that day, but we ended up being the only ship. I sent a follow-up email about a week before.

 

Thank you gambler. That's what I will do too.