Cozumel vs. Costa Maya: Ruins

[uziel5000]

Just wondering about which Mayan ruins to visit. If you could only choose one or the other, which is more impressive or significant?

We could do both I guess but we are not doing the cruise just for Mayan ruins. Any opinions/thoughts?

 

[♥sassy♥tink♥]

We are curious too... cruising in July. Thanks for your help!

 

[helenb]

We are doing both in June, so I can post when we get back! We are very interested in the Mayan ruins. A beach is a beach is a beach (and we'll have plenty of that at Castaway Cay) but the Mayan ruins are unique! DD is studying ancient civilizations in school this year, and she learned about the Mayans, so she is extra excited.

FWIW, we have 4 ports on this cruise, and we are spending 2 of them at Mayan ruins. The other 2 will be water/sand/beach days. IMHO that's a good mix.

 

[uziel5000]

We are doing both in June, so I can post when we get back! We are very interested in the Mayan ruins. A beach is a beach is a beach (and we'll have plenty of that at Castaway Cay) but the Mayan ruins are unique! DD is studying ancient civilizations in school this year, and she learned about the Mayans, so she is extra excited.

FWIW, we have 4 ports on this cruise, and we are spending 2 of them at Mayan ruins. The other 2 will be water/sand/beach days. IMHO that's a good mix.

Funny you should mention that because actually I'm a huge history buff and if it were up to me I would have no trouble doing both.

But I'm not going alone.

I'm concerned the rest of my party will want to do other things. Also my mom might not be able to do all the walking. According to the Port Adventures info, both excursions involve a lot of it. Actually, I might find myself pleasantly surprised to find everyone willing to do both but just in case I want as much information as I can get in my favor.

 

[helenb]

Have you considered booking different excursions? Sometimes my husband and I will do different excursions, and allow our kids to choose which one they'd like to go on.

 

[SnowWhitee]

I was just able to log in last night and book excursions, so I too have been debating over Tulum or Chacchoben. Here is what I've found in attempting to research both.

It seems Tulum is larger and possibly more "significant". The pictures of it along the coastline are stunning. Supposedly you can walk down a huge flight of stairs to walk the beach or take a dip in the water. I do not believe you are allowed to climb on any of the ruins, and I think some no longer allow you inside due to wear/tear. Based on total tour time and descriptions of the transportation there and back, I think you are traveling for more than half of the total tour time (7.5 hours). This is because you have to ferry to the mainland and then bus to the ruins. In reading reviews online (Trip Advisor, Cruise Critic, etc.) a fair amount of people commented on how hot the site was and how there is little shade. I think Disney guides may provide umbrellas for guests, but if not I'd take my own. Many people suggested bringing extra bottled water with you. In the case of the ferry ride, I hear that many people cannot handle the rough ride and get seasick. Of course others are fine, so mileage may vary.

Chacchoben seems to be back in the jungle a bit, and therefore supposedly has more shade. You are allowed to climb on many of the ruins there. It's not as large as Tulum. The bus ride does take a bit, but no ferry is needed. Altogether the tour is about 4.5 hours.

Our family has Chacchoben booked because I thought that would be the most manageable with two DDs 8 and 10. I would love to visit Tulum, just thinking maybe we'll wait for a future cruise when they are older or a time when we just visit Cozumel directly. My older DD studied the Mayans in school this year and she is excited to see the ruins as well.

Hope this helps you decide.

 

[MickeyD]

we just did the Tulum ruins in January. They are extensive and cover a lot of ground! It is true you can walk down a set of stairs to the beach, we did not however, as the surf looked pretty intimidating on the day we were there.

I reviewed our excursion pretty extensively under the titled thread of "Western Caribbean Excursions: Cozumel" (or something like that). If I could ever get the search feature to work properly i would link it. If you have any questions about this excursion though, i would be happy to answer. We loved it and I am very glad we did this one.

Lisa

 

[In Luv with Disney]

When we went on the Disney Magic last year, we didn't book an excursion from the ship. Instead, we found something when we got off the ship in Cozumel. We went to Mayan Ruins (San Gervaisio) and then went to a beach club. It was the best of both worlds! Tulum would have been nice, but it was far from the ship. The San Gervaisio ruins were pretty close to the ship.

 

[Kaa]

My family has done both sites on different cruises. Tulum is large with more buildings and the beach. It is a beautiful place, but more touristy. Chacchoben was more interesting to me because the area is not as developed for tourists as Tulum. We really enjoyed both locations, but I don't know that I would have done both on the same cruise.

 

[goofymama]

My family has done both sites on different cruises. Tulum is large with more buildings and the beach. It is a beautiful place, but more touristy. Chacchoben was more interesting to me because the area is not as developed for tourists as Tulum. We really enjoyed both locations, but I don't know that I would have done both on the same cruise.

Just in case you do not realize, the ruins are not on Cozumel. You have to travel to the mainland which s a hike ( I have no idea how far you have to travel from Costa Maya, so you may want to check that out on a map).

Many, many years ago, i went to Chichen Itza ruins and as a previous poster stated, it was HOT!!!! If you are going in mid-summer, please take this into consideration. Since Tulum borders the ocean, I wonder if it gets more of an ocean breeze to cool things down???

Just my $0.02

 

[FLWIDisneyFan]

Any safety issues with either of the ruins. I am scheduled with DD9 to do the Costa Maya ruins but my wife is scared about news reports about Mexico.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Cozumel does indeed have ruins although not on the grand scale as the others mentioned.

 

[sissy_ib]

Any safety issues with either of the ruins. I am scheduled with DD9 to do the Costa Maya ruins but my wife is scared about news reports about Mexico.

There are NO State Department warning for the Costa Maya or Cozumel areas. These areas are very far south and away from the violence of the boarder and inland areas.

 

[trimix]

The ruins in Costa Maya are both more significant and more impressive. The ruins on Cozumel have either fallen apart or been disassembled for building material over the years, so the more extensive ruins in Costa Maya are in better condition and more extensive.

But, as was pointed out, the Costa Maya ruins are in Costa Maya. You'll go from the cruise ship to a ferry for the 20 mile or so ride to the mainland, then you'll board a bus for the trip to the ruins. After reversing the process to get back, you won't have time for anything else in Cozumel.

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

Tulum is very striking with the ruins right near the ocean. It is absolutely beautiful and the ocean breeze does help a bit with the heat. I think they are very impressive and the location is really what makes them especially beautiful. I can't say anything about the other ruins in the area (I have only been to the ruins near Mexico City outside of Tulum), but I would recommend visiting Tulum if you have the opportunity. It is a bit of a lengthy trip from Cozumel though.

 

[ppiew]

We were in Costa Maya and we didn't take any ferry, the pier was right on the shore! We boarded buses and after about an hours ride were at the ruins which were spectacular! Interesting because you got to see the 'before' and the 'after'. Some are restored (the pyramid for instance) and some are stones on the ground. Cozumel ruins (San Gervasio) are quite small and in my opinion somewhat insignificant. Tuluum is much larger but is down the coastline a ways and is loaded with tourists. If I wanted the ruins I would definitely go to Costa Maya.

 

[amyandjusty]

I don't agree that all beaches are equal. Cozumel has much nicer beaches than Costa Maya. There is much less available in Costa Maya IMO. The port is mainly there for ruins. I would go to ruins in Costa Maya since it is a short stop anyway and the beaches are not as good. I would recommend Chankanaab on Cozumel it has great snorkeling.

 

[uziel5000]

Ok, here is what I've gathered so far...

1. In Cozumel, you can reach the mainland and see the ruins in Tulum. However it's a whole day excursion and the ferry and bus rides are long.

2. There are however, local ruins? In San Gervasio but they are not as impressive as Tulum though.

3. The third option is Chacchoben in Costa Maya which is not as developed but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Did I get that right?

 

[Gina]

If I could only pick one, it would definitely DEFINITELY be Chacchoben at the Costa Maya stop, and only with Native Sons. Ruins are fascinating to me anyway, but the passion David & Ivan have for their history and their culture, and the knowledge they have as natives elevates the experience to a level I can't imagine the big tourist-y places being able to achieve.

Out of 7 cruises so far for DS & I, that day was the best so far for both of us, bar none. We can't wait to finally go back again next year!

 

[disneyjunebug]

If I could only pick one, it would definitely DEFINITELY be Chacchoben at the Costa Maya stop, and only with Native Sons. Ruins are fascinating to me anyway, but the passion David & Ivan have for their history and their culture, and the knowledge they have as natives elevates the experience to a level I can't imagine the big tourist-y places being able to achieve.

Out of 7 cruises so far for DS & I, that day was the best so far for both of us, bar none. We can't wait to finally go back again next year!

That is the group we used! they are awesome!