Belize vs. Costa Maya

[fastmaxae376]

This March, I will be on the NOS and we make a stop in Belize. I have previously been to Costa Maya and the small village next to it (Mahahual) (Sp??). How does Belize compare to it? Is there a strip of shopping/ eating/ drinking like Costa Maya?? Is it a place where you can safely find your way or should I take a tour??

 

Matt

[TPKeller]

I've never been to Belize, but from what I've been able to find, the two ports are nothing alike at all. Costa Maya is a small manufactured cruise port, which happened to be near the small formerly sleepy fishing village of Mahahual.

 

Belize City is the cruise port, and is the largest city in Belize, with a population of around 70,000 people!

 

You can get a feel for the differences between the two stops if you take a look at my cruise maps for each:

 

Costa Maya, Mexico

Belize City, Belize

 

Of course Costa Maya is out of commission for at least several more months, due to the near total destruction by Hurricane Dean in August 2007.

 

Theron

[tammymacb]

Like the previous poster noted. The ports are nothing alike.

 

Costa Maya was made just for the cruise ships, it's nice and manufactured and pretty.

 

Belize City is Belize City, not much nice or pretty about it. My SIL and BIL were in Belize and took the city tour :eek: They said it was the most depressing thing they'd ever done and would not go back. We went into the jungle and it was stunning. We had exact opposite experiences.

[ohmissfl]

I went to Belize last March and I did an off shore excursion. It was cave tubing and it was A LOT of fun. You can check out there website at http://www.cave-tubing.com. The guys were great and it even included lunch! Keep us posted...

[TEXASMUNK]

Very limited shopping at the Port area. Not a town to meander around.

Take a tour, whether it be to the jungle, ruins, water activity, etc.

It is also a tender port. There is a very large coral reef along the coast, no ships are allowed close to it. But they have high speed tender boats, short waits to fill them up (not the 400 passenger types used in some other ports) so the tender process goes very quickly.

[sherin65]

I agree about taking some kind of tour. Not a city to wander around on your own imo. We were there last spring and went on the zipline/cave tubing tour with nacho/cynthia and had a great time. The Jaguar Paw resort is very nice. We had lunch inside and the kids got a kick out of coke a cola in a glass bottle (that's how it should be).

 

Some friends of ours didn't want to do the ziplining and they went on a snorkeling/swim with sharks and stingrays tour and enjoyed it as well.

 

Another friend stayed on the ship and he had a scalp treatment massage at the spa and said it was awesome.

 

Enjoy!

 

Sher

[alicam]

I would take a tour outside of the city...perhaps to the mayan ruins of Altun Ha..I've been to them and they are quite nice...not as glamourous as Chichen Itza, but nice anyway...but I wouldn't wander around the back streets of Belize City..at least not with any valuables...

[KrysyGT]

In Belize you need to get out of Belize City - Take a trip to Caye Caulker. All the cayes around Belize are gorgeous. If you are a snorkeler, by all means this is the place for you. Belize has some of the best diving and snorkeling to offer. I can't wait to go back, we are going to be spending a week there!

 

Have fun! :)

[crusinmama22]

Costa Maya is one of my most favoriate ports. I fell in love with it back in 2004, unfourtnatly have not been back since.

 

Belize I don't like. We did the ruins -- awesome !! Would highly recommend that.

 

We also went to kaycalker (Spelling) via high speed boat. We froze our #*# off ! We were quite disappointed -- as it was a very rainy day and most of the shops (not that they had much to sell, a handfull of items) were closed. We were there New Years Eve in 04, worst day ever on a cruise.

 

Not anxious to go back to Belize ever.

 

So if it were me do the ruins, that way if it rains, as it does a lot in that area, it won't spoil your day.

 

We are not snorklers, so if you snorkel, I am told you will love it!

 

Enjoy!

[megsterl]

both of these ports are two of my favorites, costa maya (meaning Mahajual) is gorgeous but unavailable right now due to hurricanes. Belize I have been to twice and loved it. I wouldnt really venture out on my own though as it doesnt really seem like the nicest place to travel alone in.

I too would recommend cave tubing as we did this both times. I would how ever like to suggest Major Tom, you can find him by searching cave tubing major tom. His tours are unbelievable, inexpensive and informative. He only does small groups which is great. He is also big into the history of the island and is very knowledgable. When we went last year we had two young boys in our group about 8-13 years old. Major Tom found two seeds on the ground and had the boys plant them and then toremember where they planted the seeds so they could come back and see "their" tree, and how they helped to maintain the forest. I thought that was great and really would make a great report for those kids when the returned to school and wrote about what they did on their vacation. Ok im rambling now but I really like Major Tom and I feel he is the best suited for this tour. What ever you do have a great time and happy cruising. MEg

[Kerrid]

We went to both ports last year on a Carnival Cruise.

 

Costa Maya - we walked around the small town a little bit then headed to the beach..

 

Belize - we did a tour of the ruins at Altun Ha and I'm glad we did as on the way back our guide took us for a drive through the city and it's a very poor, run down city. Very sad to see. There are armed guards in front of a gate to get into the cruise port area/tendering area.... this area also has a few shops and eateries. We would go back to Belize to try the snorkeling spots but would never venture off on our own there!

[fastmaxae376]

Thanks everyone for your replies... It sounds like cave tubing is the thing to do there. I am on a very limited budget and considering a beach trip. Any insight onto which beach is the best in the area?

[TPKeller]

Just an observation for all who remember Costa Maya...

 

All your memories of Costa Maya are just that now, memories... reports from the hurricane indicate that the place was almost literally destroyed. They seem to be working hard to rebuild, but it will be a completely new place again. It will be interesting to see how it looks.

This google search phrase will turn up many web pages with photos of the damage to Costa Maya and Mahahual. It's quite a sight, and a reminder to get out of the way of a Category 5 hurricane!

 

Theron

[tammymacb]

Have not been to the beach in Belize...

 

However, let me tell you about my cave tubing experience. First, long story short, we booked a snorkle trip the day before Belize, in Cozumel. It stunk. Really, REALLY stunk. I was very aggrivated that I'd spent $400. on the day and all I really hoped for was for the tour to be cancelled and go back to the boat. Part ( but not all ) of the blame was weather. So, even though I really wanted to do a tour in Belize, I did not want to spend $98.00 PP for the jungle walk/cave tubing through the boat to be followed by crappy weather ( and another wasted $400.00 bucks - for me, dh, and children 11 and 16).

 

Well, we wake up in Belize, I step out on the balcony and it's sunny, warm and beautiful. Of course. :confused: We decided to get off the ship and hope to book our own tour. If not we were just going to hang out on the NOS. Well,we get off the boat and there are tons of folks selling tours. We found a guy we liked, ( not high pressure, very pleasant- his name was Hector :) ) and he had the exact same tour. He charged us $50.00 per person instead. We went in a van with only 1 other couple and it was GREAT. Not crowded ( and we passed some cruise ship folks and they were definately in a crowd) , pleasant and we had an awesome time! After the walk ( and I'd bring some kind of shoes for this trip, flip flops were a bust ) and tube, our guide broke out some wonderful fresh fruit and drove us back to the boat.

 

I'd do that tour again in a heartbeat. And I wouldn't do it with the ship. And, I'd save $200.00!;)

[tammymacb]

Dang double posts again

[megsterl]

It was over a year ago but i want to say that Major Tom was only like 35or 40 dollars he is great!!! cant say it enough!!!!!!

[sea-cruise]

We took a beach excursion once and a snorkel excursion another time, and both were great. You'll tender in on high speed boats that skim over the top of the huge reef, to Belize City. I didn't like that city at all, but the snorkeling area is one of the best in the world.

I'm not sure, but I think they said it was the 2nd largest barrier reef, with Australia's being first. :)

[39august]

The only way to do a beach in Belize City is on a ship excursion. Or there may be independent tours, but there is no beach near enough to Belize City to taxi to. I think your best bet is the tour or water taxi over to Caye Cauker. I stayed there on a land vacation a few years ago. Despite what a previous poster stated about being cold and rainy on the day he went(I wouldn't go if that was the case), it is a very pretty place, somewhat similar to Mahajual at Costa Maya. There are no paved streets and no automobiles. Everyone either walks or rents golf carts. From the dock area where the water taxis come in, you can easily walk all over the village and go down to the end of the island where the Split beach is.

[sea-cruise]

I didn't choose the wording of my sentences correctly. What I meant to say is that you will tender in to Belize City over a wide reef. I didn't enjoy the city.

Other than that, you can go on excursions. We did the beach one time (not near the city).

We did a snorkeling excursion another time (not near the city).

The snorkeling in that area (of the world) is one of the best in the world and the reef is the 2nd largest other than Austalia's.

Sorry to have written my post in circles.

:)