Costa Maya Review...

[Alamo]

Just finished the W. Caribbean 7-day, which stopped in Costa Maya. Nice little place, but it didn't seem like there was enough to do there....

We toured the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins, which is pretty cool (except for the hour bus ride....). My son said that was his most favorite thing we did on the cruise, and all he did was complain about how hot it was outside.... When you get back at port, there are a few shops to look through, but once you've seen one hammock or trinket, they all start looking the same.

We had a pretty good (6.5/10) lobster burrito at the local restaurant of which I can't remember the name... and didn't suffer any consequences. Pretty expensive though - $80 for lunch and soft drinks for 4 people (2 adults, 2 kids). That's more than 2X what I pay at any decent establishment in the states. I understand the need to make money, but that's a tad expensive for my liking.

The salt water pool next to the restaurant was dirty, and my son cut his foot on glass in the pool. Looks like the poolside bar allows glass drinks in the water. Not such a hot idea - booze, glass and murky water....

Overall, Costa Maya was my least favorite stop. It appears to be a nice area, and maybe after a few years there will be more options available. Right now, IMO, it doesn't cut the mustard...

 

[JJsmama]

Thanks for the report! We're on the next special western and really looking forward to the October reports.

$80 for lunch. Oh my! I wonder if you got the foreigners mark-up?

 

[Maryoh8]

Go to Mahahual via taxi from the port(cheap)...this area is WONDERFUL!

 

[Ski-and-Sea]

There's plenty to do in Costa Maya. You just need to do some research before you go and know where to go. Costa Maya is so much more than just the little shopping/pool area near the port.

The cruisecritic boards are a great source of info on Costa Maya.

We loved Costa Maya and hope DCL goes back.

 

[Alamo]

I agree that it's a nice place, but it's not my favorite port. If you take an all day excursion that has a great reputation, you may have a different perspective.

We took what amounted to a 1/2 trip to visit the Mayan Ruins. Once you get back to the port, you can take about an hour to walk through the port facilities and see everything there is to see.

Bottom line - If I had to go back to Costa Maya, I would ensure all of my day was filled with activities/excursions.

 

[Az Pirates]

We were on the Oct DD as well and I understand where Alamo is coming from. Costa Maya is pretty new as a cruise ship destination so there just are not as many options there as at some of the other ports.

We had a list of 4 or 5 things we really, really wanted to do for our stop on Cozumel. It was TOUGH narrowing it down to just one.

We had a tough time deciding at Costa Maya as well, not because I tend to be somewhat indecisive in general, but because we just didn't have any real must do's on our list there.
And it was not because of a lack of research. I spent plenty of time at cruise critic and other sites before we went.


At Costa Maya we went horseback riding in the morning and then spent the afternoon at the beach in Majuhaul. We had fun and I'd go back again, but given the option I'd choose 2 days on Cozumel instead.

Or hey, even better; how about a day at Cozumel then a quick shot over to Calica? That way I could knock off a couple more of the things I researched for our stop at Cozumel without taking the ferry ride across to the mainland.