Mayan Ruins

[Hottubmomma]

We will be traveling on the Pearl in a few weeks and trying to decide which Mayan ruins to visit. We will probably want to visit two to compare. Does anyone have any thoughts on which port might offer the best Mayan ruin excursion? We are open to the ones on that the cruise offers or a private company. Thank you. 

[ColeThornton]

What ports are you going to?

[Russ Lomas]

I am assuming you will visit Costa Maya.  Was unable to visit the ruins our last visit since the family wanted to do a beach day, but my research led me wanting to go to Dzibanche and Kinichna ruins there.  They are further away from the Chacchoben ruins are are more remote, thus a far better experience.  I would look into tour companies that take you to those ruins.  If you go under

[quercus alba]

I recommend Tulum--really gorgeous seaside location--but don't have anything to compare it to.

 

Word of advice: if any excursion you're looking at involves more than 30 minutes of travel from the port (for example, Cozumel-->Tulum involves a ferry crossing to the mainland and about an hour bus ride each way), I highly recommend, nay, urge you to book via NCL. Otherwise you run the risk of returning late and finding your cruise has departed without you. For a cruiseline-sponsored excursion, you're guaranteed they will wait.

[SeaTheW0rld]

Beware of some of the ships' excursions. Some of the reviewers said the spent 6 of the 8 hour excursion on a bus. I forget which ruin that was. 

[Hottubmomma]

Harvest Caye, Belize   (10-5)

Costa Maya, Mexico (8-5)

Roatan, Bay Island, Honduras (7-3)

Georgetown, Grand Cayman (10:30-6)

[Pappion]

Kohunlich & Dzibanche are beautiful, the bus ride is about 1.5 hours each way but the ruins are not crowded and you get time to explore on your own after the guided tour. 

 

Tulum is very nice but usually crowded. If you’re lucky you can get some amazing pictures.  

 

 

[twicindi]

We did Chacchoben in Costa Maya and Nim Li Punit in Belize.  Chacchoben was the better of the two.  There were several large ruins, and we were there early enough that I managed to get pictures without people in them.

[Kealy]

Last month, we went to Chacchoben in Costa Maya with Native Choice excursions.  We opted for the cultural option of having lunch at a local Mayan family's home following the Ruins.  I enjoyed it and my DH thought it was the best excursion we did this cruise.  

[Hottubmomma]

thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions

 

[hallux]

@twicindi your pictures have me wanting to visit those places.  I've been to the Teotihuacan Pyramids/ruins outside Mexico City.  I was seriously considering my next trip to include one of these ports but went with a Pacific Coastal instead.  Now I want to do a Mexico trip!

[twicindi]

Thanks @hallux.  Chacchoben was so much better than Nim Li Punit, it's best that we did that one first.  In either case, it was 3 hrs round trip on a bus.

[bjcruiser]

We went to the  in Belize. It was amazing. It starts with a bus ride then you get on a boat for a fun ride on the river, then you arrive at the ruins

they did not disappoint!!! And the monkey were cool to see also. The only bad thing that happened was it was really hot that day and when we got back on the bus the AC was not working properly. Needless to say it was a long ride back to port. But it was still an amazing day.

[LeesaB]

20 hours ago, Kealy said:

Last month, we went to Chacchoben in Costa Maya with Native Choice excursions.  We opted for the cultural option of having lunch at a local Mayan family's home following the Ruins.  I enjoyed it and my DH thought it was the best excursion we did this cruise.  

100% recommend this same excursion.  We took it last March based on ShadowMeBoy's very detailed review of what he did on the same excursion, and it was regarded by everyone in the family (me, DH, and two 11 year old boys, believe it or not) as AWESOME.  It's called the Mayan Experience Tour.

 

Bonus that it's not THAT long of a bus ride - I think it was approximately an hour each way.

[Hottubmomma]

wow... now I am getting excited, thank you everyone for all the ideas and reviews. I appreciate your help.

[CRG7]

Did an Altun Ha excursion in Belize with Carnival 2 years ago. Not as large as some of the others posted here but it was interesting and not overly crowded.

[Hottubmomma]

All these reviews and pictures have been so helpful, thank you to everyone.

[Traveling Fools]

On ‎2‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 9:48 AM, Hottubmomma said:

We will be traveling on the Pearl in a few weeks and trying to decide which Mayan ruins to visit. We will probably want to visit two to compare. Does anyone have any thoughts on which port might offer the best Mayan ruin excursion? We are open to the ones on that the cruise offers or a private company. Thank you. 

 

Booked a tour with this company last year.  Can't say enough good things about them.  Got to the ruins before the bus load of ship sponsored excursion.  Got back quicker also, as we didn't have to wait around for the lookie  and shopie loos.: https://thenativechoice.com/ 

[CelticMCO]

In Port Costa Maya (actually Mahahual - Costa Maya was dreamed up by the suits that created the phony port)  I will echo what others above have said; visit the Mayan Ruins at Chacchoben.  Do not book through the cruise line and use the Native Choice.  We were there last year and enjoyed an excellent tour; small air conditioned vans, small groups and excellent guide and reasonably priced.  They are a 3 minute walk from the port (safe!).