are there any short, quick ways to go see mayan ruins?

[cpapa84]

Hi everyone -

 

My boyfriend and I are going to be in Costa Maya for a day on the Carnival Liberty cruise. He wants to see a Mayan ruin, but doesn't want to do a several-hour excursion - just kind of wants to see it and then leave. Is there any way to do this quickly, so we could also do Tequila Beach or something like that?

 

Thanks!

 

Colleen

[JoeTx]

Hi everyone -

 

My boyfriend and I are going to be in Costa Maya for a day on the Carnival Liberty cruise. He wants to see a Mayan ruin, but doesn't want to do a several-hour excursion - just kind of wants to see it and then leave. Is there any way to do this quickly, so we could also do Tequila Beach or something like that?

 

Thanks!

 

Colleen

 

Chaccobean is about an hour away from the pier, and you need at least 50 minutes to an hour to see the place. So it would be a 3 hour minimum tour. We went through costamayacruiseexcursions.com and they had us back to Mahajual and drinking Margueritas by 12:30pm (we left at 8:30am)

[MercedMike]

David and Ivan offer a combination tour which includes a beach break, I think. Or you can just have them drop you in town. But basically it is a four hour trip to the ruins, look around, and back to town.

 

Honestly, there are lots of beaches in the world. Costa MAYA is the place to see the ruins. Spend the time need to see them, then hit the beach for a short while. Tell your BF he needs to get some culture!;)

[A Sixth?]

David and Ivan offer a combination tour which includes a beach break, I think. Or you can just have them drop you in town. But basically it is a four hour trip to the ruins, look around, and back to town.

 

Honestly, there are lots of beaches in the world. Costa MAYA is the place to see the ruins. Spend the time need to see them, then hit the beach for a short while. Tell your BF he needs to get some culture!;)

 

Did you do a tour with D&I?

 

Love to check out the Dzibanche & Kinichna ruins. Seen Chacchoben and highly recommend it for all, but want to see more. The Dzibanche & Kinichna ruins are a long way from the ship though.

[sharecruises]

Hi everyone -

 

My boyfriend and I are going to be in Costa Maya for a day on the Carnival Liberty cruise. He wants to see a Mayan ruin, but doesn't want to do a several-hour excursion - just kind of wants to see it and then leave. Is there any way to do this quickly, so we could also do Tequila Beach or something like that?

 

Thanks!

 

Colleen

 

HI Colleen....from pictures I have seen of the port, seems that there are tours leaving right from the port, also *****.com offers the ruins and I think gives you a discount on Tequilla Beach afterwards, you could email otto there

 

I know a LOT of people reccomend David and Ivan and I am sure they are good, but I personally would NOT want to go on their longer tours, and have read of people getting kind of stuck on them

 

I fully appreciate that you want to see the ruins but not make a whole day out of it, I feel the same way about the ruins in Belize, I don't want to be there for the whole day, the heat alone would be exhausting!

 

Look for a tour that offers simply the ruins...no "nature tour", no "rainforest tour" or "jungle tour" and no "cultural/Maya experience" tour...should be cheaper, less tiring and probably more fun IMHO

 

(different strokes for different folks!!)

[A Sixth?]

I know a LOT of people reccomend David and Ivan and I am sure they are good, but I personally would NOT want to go on their longer tours, and have read of people getting kind of stuck on them

 

!!)

 

 

Hmmmm... who have you read about getting stuck? Love to hear the story. Was it a David and Ivan tour?

 

People missing the boat on private shore tours is very rare indeed

[MercedMike]

Did you do a tour with D&I?

 

Love to check out the Dzibanche & Kinichna ruins. Seen Chacchoben and highly recommend it for all, but want to see more. The Dzibanche & Kinichna ruins are a long way from the ship though.

 

Yes, to Chacchoben, and had a great time!

 

Check out The Halls Western Caribbean Cruise

 

They do offer tours to the other ruins, but they note that it is quite a drive.

[sharecruises]

Hmmmm... who have you read about getting stuck? Love to hear the story. Was it a David and Ivan tour?

 

People missing the boat on private shore tours is very rare indeed

 

Hi sorry, did not mean to be misleading

 

I meant getting "stuck" on a longer tour but not missing the boat..

but missing the time that maybe they wanted to go to the beach /shop/get a massage after the tour

 

some of the operators offer both a ruins tour and a "maya experience" tour...if more people on the bus that day want the "experience" it seems that those that don't want it, that want a shorter tour, are outnumbered

 

I have read about this a couple times, like where the ones who did not want the experience part had to ride along in the bus/van or whatever, and then get driven back to the pier, making it a longer day than they wanted

(with no real benefit, they didn't do the "experience' part, ie eat with a mayan family)

[vermonter16]

Has anyone else had the experience of having to do the mayan experience on the David and Ivan tour? We really want to see the ruins and already booked with David and Ivan (will be leaving in a week) but we also thought that we would just get dropped off in the town after the tour...not have to hang out waiting for others to complete the mayan experience.

[sharecruises]

I don't think they "make" you do the "experience", tho I did read of one couple who got it cheaper and felt sort of pressured as the others on their bus/van were doing it

 

try to get with a group who is ONLY doing the ruins, otherwise, you ride along with the "experience" people to their stop, they get off, then you are taken back to Mayahual, which is sort of backtracking and extra time on the bus for you....

 

Again this is simply from what I have read, but I have also read of a lot of confusion of people going into the village to meet them, coming back out to get the bus from pier etc....seems they are in some sort of "transition"

 

From personal experience....a long ago horrible private tour in St Croix LOL, and a good private driver in St Thomas but he was too accomodating, ie, he was dropping and picking up people from different beaches which meant we did a lot of "riding along"....I think one has to realize that these little tour operators fluxuate ...as they try to expand their business they may go thru transitional periods...

 

So you really have to "firm up" your plans...if it was me, I would let them know you want ONLY the ruins, you want to be with a RUINS only group etc