Cozumel or Progreso better for Mayan ruins?

[cebee123]

Our cruise in December stops at Cozumel and Progreso and I definitely want to do an excursion to Mayan ruins. NCL doesn’t have it’s progreso excursions posted yet, but I am wondering which port would be better for ruins? I don’t want to spend hours on a bus getting there.  So that’s a factor. Suggestions?

[c-leg5]

1 hour ago, cebee123 said:

Our cruise in December stops at Cozumel and Progreso and I definitely want to do an excursion to Mayan ruins. NCL doesn’t have it’s progreso excursions posted yet, but I am wondering which port would be better for ruins? I don’t want to spend hours on a bus getting there.  So that’s a factor. Suggestions?

 

Progreso. Chichen itza is still a long bus ride but others are quite close. 

 

There are some very small ruins on Cozumel but the main ones are on the mainland and require a ferry (can be rough) and then bus ride and reverse leaving little times for ruins.

[crewsweeper]

Uxmal and Dzibilchaltun are both close to Merida and Progresso.  Uxmal is a UNESCO World Heritage site , Lots of great photo opportunities.

[LeeW]

The Uxmal site is huge, around 90 minutes from Progreso.  Very few visitors and lots to see.  The problem with Coz is that decent ruins are on the other side of the channel, so you lose at least 45 minutes each way on potentially a very rough ride befoe you even get to a bus to a ruin.

[ober134]

We've been to both Uxmal and San Gervista. Both very interesting. Uxmal (spelling ?) At Progresso is much larger. Very large temples that can be climbed at your peril. But it was some distance on an air conditioned bus. I guess it depends what you want from the experience. In my opinion there are more options for alternative activities on Cozumel, less at meridia. Tip: sturdy shoes and bug spray!

[karenbeanpole]

Is Uxmal better to visit than Chichen Itza? Anyone been to both?  We would like to visit a Mayan site and want to see the best one. Best as in plenty to see, lots of photo opportunities etc. 

Also can anyone advise if it is possible to see these ruins with mobility issues. Not planning to climb anything, but will walking around  be a problem? 

[ABQrobin]

13 hours ago, karenbeanpole said:

Is Uxmal better to visit than Chichen Itza? Anyone been to both?  We would like to visit a Mayan site and want to see the best one. Best as in plenty to see, lots of photo opportunities etc. 

Also can anyone advise if it is possible to see these ruins with mobility issues. Not planning to climb anything, but will walking around  be a problem? 

 

Both are fantastic....  Chichen Itza is gigantic, and you will walk miles there and not see but maybe a quarter of it in the timeframe of an excursion.  It is just so huge.  Uxmal is equally stunning but not as huge of a tourist attraction, so no big tour buses full of tourists.  You can see most of Uxmal in a 3 hour visit, and maybe only 50 people on the whole site.  Chichen Itza has maybe 500-1000 visitors per day.  

From Pregreso... both are about a 2 hour bus ride.  Chichen Itza you are not allowed to climb ANY structures anymore, they are all roped off.  Uxmal has one structure to climb, to top, and others where you can walk around and go inside, etc.

 

From a cruise ship I would recommend Uxmal. 

Chichen Itza is better as a land tour, go as soon as it opens, before all the tour buses arrive, and pay for a private tour guide for 3+ hours to walk you around.  Stay until lunch when it starts getting nuts.

 

My videos from both:

 

 

[karenbeanpole]

I just thought that Chichen was better because it's more iconic to say we've been there to see it.....?

[brookeq]

I would do a mayan ruin tour from Progreso. There wasn't anything else that interested us there and Cozumel has more options for other things to do (unless you really want to go Tulum than that would be a Cozumel excursion).

 

We went to Chichen Itza on our stop at Progreso.  When you most pictures of Mayan ruins they are usually with the pyramid at chichen itza.   We went  many years ago  when you could still climb the pyramid and we inside it on the side.  Now you can't.  If you want to climb one I would choose a different place.   

 

Uxmal looks really nice.  I have been wanting to go there but we haven't been back to progreso. 

 

Coba also looks nice. 

[karenbeanpole]

have booked an excursion to Chichen Itza... so hopefully it's the right choice!

 

[#1TravelMom]

Wow! That sounds like a great price I'm gonna keep this information for future reference.

 

 I'm really surprised no one has mentioned Coba. Your ship should offer an excursion there from Cozumel if the port hours were allowed. It is a fabulous tour, climbing to the top of a Mayan Pyramid is one of the highlights of our cruising for a sure!!!