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Costa Maya - Just stay at port?


bigrednole
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Costa Maya is our last port stop on our cruise. I have been looking at possible excursions, but none are interesting. We don't want to go to the ruins because wife is diabetic and worried being a bit away could be an issue. We are already snorkeling in Cozumel and Roatan. We are thinking just seeing what is in the port area and enjoy the ship. I don't think paying for a beach pass just to sit in the sand and ocean is worth it. I have free drinks and food on the ship already. Anyone else just store hop, maybe have a quick bite at the restaurants, and enjoy the port and ship?

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Not sure when your cruise is, but beach places along the malecon are hurting with no business  now. I can understand your reluctance to book a ruins excursion and snorkeling in Roatan is far far better than Costa Maya.

The port, IMO, is just a typical port shopping. Overpriced trinkets, over priced food( only 1 restaurant), overpriced drinks.

Along the road outside the port complex has a couple of spots--icecream at Ka`Ha and a decent pizza place.

But it's a short ride via tram to the malecon and only a few of many spots are AI. None require beach passes. Lots of vendors hawking same stuff as port but a bit cheaper. 

Worth heading there. Not a long walk down the beach once there, and you can grab a taxi back any time.

 

You'll be helping locals not some absentee port owners.

Edited by crewsweeper
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We just went in February and did the aviary in the port, which was really fun!!  It is above the port area and you get great views of the dolphins.  We walked around and then went back to the boat for a late lunch.  I don't think just hanging around the port is bad, we might try the pool area next time.  

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Thank you. I am looking at all options, but the more I look the more I am leaning to stay right in the port area. Maybe do the aviary, jump in the free pool, and see what is there. Unless the water is crystal clear with snorkeling reefs right there, a beach day is no different than near where I am. I can understand ordering lunch and drinks on a beach, but I have that already for free on the ship. We have a great excursion in Cozumel booked. We are booking a nice beach resort in Roatan to snorkel West Bay. 

 

I will do more research on beaches there to see if the pictures I have seen give the places justice. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

We rented a golf cart & cruised around the town. It was very safe, and the locals are very tolerate of the golf carts. We stopped by a local man & son selling clam shells, stopped at a small strip mall type on the beach, got a dirt cheap beach message, had a fantastic lunch on the beach, drove by the school as it was letting out, really got to see lots of the little fishing town. It was actually one of our favorite excursions ever 😉

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Definitely recommend the fishing town and the Malecon. Don't need reservation, most don't even charge for the beach chair, as long as you buy drinks or food.  cheap beer and your typical Mexican shops for tourist on the walkway. Only a $8 ride each way. Much better than the made up structure and shops in the Port.  Looking forward to stopping there once this virus is clear up. 

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