Things to do in Costa Maya
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Chacchoben Mayan Ruins from Costa Maya: Guided Tour & BeachYou visit Chacchoben's temples and platforms with a licensed guide who explains the 700 AD structures and the jungle around them, travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with bottled water and a welcome drink, and optionally spend 90 minutes on Mahahual beach before returning to the Costa Maya port. The timing is planned so you're back in time for your ship's departure.Is it for me?Book this if you're docked at Costa Maya and want to see an actual Mayan site with someone who can explain it, without arranging your own transport or worrying about getting back to the ship on time — the guide and fixed schedule handle both.
Costa Maya: Chacchoben Mayan Ruins Day Trip with Port PickupYou’ll step straight from your cruise into a small-group day trip to Chacchoben’s Mayan ruins, led by a local guide who brings old stones and jungle paths to life. Expect cool drinks in hand, stories you’ll remember later, and enough time to really look — or just listen to the quiet — before heading back to Costa Maya port.
Bacalar Lagoon: 7 Colors Day Trip & Cenotes from Costa MayaYou’ll feel Bacalar’s 7 Colors Lagoon shift beneath you as you swim cenotes, float through Pirate Channel, snack on juicy honey pineapple, and share laughs with your guide over lunch. This day trip from Costa Maya includes round-trip pickup, drinks (beer or soda), time at a private beach club, plus stories that stick with you long after you’ve dried off.
Costa Maya: Chacchoben Ruins & Bacalar Lagoon Day TripYou’ll wander ancient Mayan ruins at Chacchoben with a local guide who brings history alive, then float or swim in Bacalar’s shimmering lagoon before relaxing over lunch by the water. Expect cool shade in the jungle, warm tortillas at your table, and time to just let it all sink in.
Chacchoben Ruins & Bacalar Lagoon: Day Trip with LunchYou’ll walk ancient Mayan paths at Chacchoben with a local guide sharing real stories, then swim in Bacalar’s shifting blue lagoon at two cenotes (Esmeralda & Black). Enjoy lunch by the water with drinks included before heading back—expect small surprises along the way that stick with you long after.
Costa Maya snorkeling: Reef, fish and turtles with guideSnorkel the reef at Mahahual in Costa Maya with a live guide, full equipment and underwater photos included. You'll spend roughly 80 minutes in the water observing tropical fish, rays and sea turtles in their natural habitat; if turtles don't appear, you get 20 additional minutes to find them. The guide stays with you throughout, and afterward you can use the beach club (food and drinks are separate) or take public transport back to the port.Is it for me?Book this one if you want a guide actually in the water with you the whole time instead of calling directions from a boat, and if you'd rather not arrange your own gear or figure out which reef has turtles—the guide handles both.
Costa Maya: Chacchoben Mayan Ruins & Jungle Walk with Native GuideYou meet your guide in Mahahual and drive to Chacchoben, where a native guide leads you through 1.5 hours of temples, plazas, and jungle trails. You see Templo 24, Gran Plaza, and Los Gemelos while learning about local plants and spotting spider monkeys and birds. Water and snacks are provided, and you're back by early afternoon.Is it for me?A good fit if you're docked in Costa Maya and want to see a real Mayan city without spending the whole day traveling. The guide is local, which means you learn from someone who knows the place, not just the script — and the 1.5 hours at the site is enough to see the main temples and walk the jungle without feeling rushed.
Costa Maya Snorkeling: Turtle Encounter in Mahahual ReefYou board a boat to the Mahahual reef lagoon, snorkel two zones—seagrass flats where turtles feed and coral heads with tropical fish—in protected, shallow water one point eight meters deep. Your guide adjusts the pace if you need it, equipment is provided, and you're back on land within ninety minutes with fruit and coffee waiting.Is it for me?Right for travelers staying in or near Costa Maya who want to see turtles and reef fish without a long boat ride or strong current—the shallow lagoon and 90-minute format fit a morning or afternoon slot without eating your whole day.
Costa Maya: Xahuayxol Private Beach Day with Food & DrinksYou’ll trade crowds for quiet at Xahuayxol’s private beach near Costa Maya port. Savor fresh Mexican food, unlimited drinks, and time to kayak or snorkel above the reef — all with easy roundtrip transport included. It’s slow, warm hours by the sea you’ll remember long after your feet are sandy again.
Costa Maya Snorkeling Tour: 3 reef sites with guideYou’ll swim right above Costa Maya’s famous reef with a local guide showing you turtles and colorful fish, then relax on clean sand with fresh fruit and drinks. Photos are included so you can actually be in them for once—and if you want more adventure, kayaks and paddleboards are waiting nearby.
Costa Maya: Chacchoben Mayan Ruins & Village Tour with TastingYou’ll walk ancient Mayan ruins at Chacchoben with a local guide who brings history to life, taste honey-drizzled pineapple under jungle trees, and pass through a colorful village where everyday life unfolds outside your window. Expect warm stone under your hands and real stories in your ears—a day that lingers long after you’re back at port.
Costa Maya Snorkeling: 2 Reef Sites & Underwater PhotosYou spend three hours on the water visiting two snorkeling sites on the Great Mesoamerican Reef, with a certified guide who photographs you underwater. The tour includes all equipment, snacks, and drinks, plus free beach time afterward with kayaks and paddleboards. You don't arrange transport or worry about gear — it's all there, cleaned and ready.Is it for me?Book this if you want to snorkel the reef without arranging your own gear or worrying about which spots are worth visiting — the guide chooses the two sites based on that morning's conditions, which is what keeps you in the water where the fish actually are instead of in a crowded tourist line.
Chacchoben Mayan Ruins Tour from Costa Maya: Guided 2-Hour WalkChacchoben is a guided tour of ancient Mayan ruins in Costa Maya, where you walk the temples with a certified guide who speaks English or Spanish and explains the site's history and culture. The tour runs 3.5 hours and includes entrance to the site, air-conditioned vehicle transport, bottled water and soda. Children from age 3 are welcome, and the site is wheelchair accessible.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want a guide who knows the site and can explain what you're looking at, rather than walking the ruins on your own. The 3.5-hour length keeps it manageable for families with young children and for anyone who doesn't want to spend a full day on archaeology.
Mexican Cooking Class Costa Maya: Learn to Cook Tacos al PastorA 2-hour hands-on cooking class at Jaguar Cafe on the Mahahual boardwalk teaches you to press tortillas on a traditional comal and master the achiote marinade for pork al pastor tacos, with a drink included. The cafe sits 5 minutes by taxi from the Costa Maya cruise port and doubles as your home base for the afternoon—you get free beach access, secure lockers for your things, and high-speed Wi-Fi so you can swim and shop without returning to the ship. A live guide teaches in English or Spanish; children from age 6 are welcome, and vegetarian or chicken options are available.Is it for me?The guide teaches in English or Spanish, so you can follow comfortably in your language. If you have a short port day and want to learn something real without losing hours to travel and logistics, the 5-minute taxi ride and the cafe's lockers and Wi-Fi mean you can cook, swim, and shop without once returning to the ship.
Mahahual: Two-Tank Boat Dive for Certified Divers & GearYou’ll join a small group for two-tank boat dives on Mahahual’s reef with all your SCUBA gear included. Expect easy logistics, friendly guides like Diego sharing local stories during your surface interval on the beach, and plenty of time underwater based on your air consumption. That feeling when you first drop in? You’ll remember it.
Costa Maya: 2 Tank Dive on Barrier Reef with Local GuidesYou’ll slip beneath Costa Maya’s blue water for two guided dives along the Meso-American Barrier Reef—think canyons, bright corals, curious fish, maybe even rays or barracuda if you’re lucky. With experienced local instructors leading each tank dive, you’ll get close guidance plus water and soft drinks after surfacing. It’s less about ticking boxes than soaking up that underwater calm.
Chacchoben & Bacalar: Ruins Tour with Lagoon Boat, Tacos & DrinksYou’ll walk ancient Mayan ruins at Chacchoben with a local guide, cruise across Bacalar Lagoon’s wild blue waters by boat (drinks included), snack on fresh fruit under open sky, then finish with tacos and guacamole before heading back to Costa Maya. Expect laughter, new flavors, and moments that linger long after you return.
Costa Maya cruise excursion: Chacchoben ruins & Bacalar LagoonA shore excursion from Costa Maya Cruise Port combining Chacchoben Mayan ruins with a choice of two Bacalar Lagoon experiences: a 2-hour sailing tour visiting Pirates' Canal and the Black Cenote, or The Rapids swimming area with beach club access. Your guide speaks English, Spanish or French; pickup and return to port are timed around your ship's schedule, and entry fees to the ruins and lagoon sites are paid separately on arrival.Is it for me?Book the sailing option if you want the full lagoon experience—Pirates' Canal and the Black Cenote cenote give you two distinct water environments in one afternoon. Choose The Rapids if you prefer a single swimming location where you can float and relax without moving between stops, and you want the option to eat at the beach club.
Bacalar Seven Color Lagoon Boat Tour from Costa MayaYou're picked up at the Costa Maya cruise port and driven to Bacalar Lagoon, where you swim and relax on a pontoon boat with fruit snacks and drinks included. After a couple of hours on the water, you eat authentic Mexican tacos at a local restaurant before returning to the port. The whole day takes six to seven hours, so you're back well before departure.Is it for me?Book this if you're docked at Costa Maya and want a full lagoon experience without arranging your own transport or timing—the pickup and return are built around the cruise schedule, so you don't have to negotiate getting back to the port.
PADI Discover Scuba Diving in Costa Maya: First Dive on the ReefPADI Discover Scuba Diving in Costa Maya is an introductory scuba experience for divers without certification or without prior dive time. You complete theory and confined-water training, then descend along a mooring line to a coral garden reef site, diving to a maximum depth of 40 feet with a PADI instructor at your side. The full experience runs about four hours and includes all scuba equipment and bottled water; minimum age is 10 years old.Is it for me?The full session—theory, confined-water practice, and the reef dive—happens in one morning or afternoon without you arranging separate instructors, pools or boat trips. If you are staying in Costa Maya without a car, public transit gets you to the dive shop, and the rest is handled. Divers with high blood pressure, heart conditions, lung surgery, or seizure disorders need a doctor's clearance first, so check before booking.
