Which Cozumel Ruins Should we See?

[Sooze]

Our family (DS 17 and DD 12) want to see Mayan ruins in Cozumel. Which ones do you recommend we see and why?

Thanks!

 

[MM123]

Us too. I believe San Gervasio is the only site on the island. For the other two big sites, Chichen Itza and Tulum, you need to travel a lot, by ferry and bus and that may not always fit the schedule. But I think these two sites are much nicer but with children this would be too much for a day trip for us.

 

[jiminyC_fan]

Us too. I believe San Gervasio is the only site on the island. For the other two big sites, Chichen Itza and Tulum, you need to travel a lot, by ferry and bus and that may not always fit the schedule.

Correct!

 

[tnd]

Our family (DS 17 and DD 12) want to see Mayan ruins in Cozumel. Which ones do you recommend we see and why?

Thanks!

If my kids were older, we'd do the Chichen Itza tour but my little ones are not old enough, so we are planning on the one on the island. I need a little culture on my cruise!

 

[Winston Wolf]

Our family (DS 17 and DD 12) want to see Mayan ruins in Cozumel. Which ones do you recommend we see and why?

Thanks!

We just got back from Cozumel via Fantasy. I would not recommend the Ruins, Chocolate, Beach Break tour. Too much packed into too little time.

 

[cvjw]

We have been to tulum several times and chichen itza once. We visited while staying at all inclusive nearby. Keep in mind the travel time to both from the ship. It involves ferries and varying lengths of bus rides.

Of the two, I would recommend chichen itza hands down. It was one of the best places we have ever visited. The history there is amazing. We were able to spend several hours there and experience everything with a guided tour. We were even allowed to climb up the pyramid!

The last time we went to tulum, it had turned so commercial. They had set up vendors at the ruin site, not at all like the first time we visited. The beach at tulum is one of the prettiest we have ever seen though.

 

[koala1966]

We just got back from Cozumel via Fantasy. I would not recommend the Ruins, Chocolate, Beach Break tour. Too much packed into too little time.

Interesting - so did we and I would recommend it for those who want to sample several different looks at Cozumel without a big time commitment to one. I thought it struck a nice balance with just enough time at each place.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

We have been to tulum several times and chichen itza once. We visited while staying at all inclusive nearby. Keep in mind the travel time to both from the ship. It involves ferries and varying lengths of bus rides.

Of the two, I would recommend chichen itza hands down. It was one of the best places we have ever visited. The history there is amazing. We were able to spend several hours there and experience everything with a guided tour. We were even allowed to climb up the pyramid!

The last time we went to tulum, it had turned so commercial. They had set up vendors at the ruin site, not at all like the first time we visited. The beach at tulum is one of the prettiest we have ever seen though.

Just wanted to share a different memory of the same site. We went to Tulim with DCL. It was a 30 minute Ferry ride and 45 minutes on the bus, but that still left us with over 4 hours at the ruins site. The tour started on the bus with the tour guide telling us about Mayan culture. When we got there, the guided tour lasted about an hour, which was a perfect amount of time for information and seeing the sights, and that left over three hours to explore the ruins on your own, go to the beach (yes, it is a BEAUTIFUL beach), or shop. Personally, I didn't find the site to be nearly as pushy or commercial as some other places we went on the same cruise. The vendors were all a fair piece from the actual ruins sites and the beach, and they could be completely avoided if you chose, unlike a lot of places. Also, the tour guide had a wireless headset and we all had headphones, so we could hear him clearly without having to fight to stand next to him. This made it a lot easier to see and hear everything. I wish more tour groups did this. One criticism I had was that the included "lunch" was a ham sandwich from a cooler. But they did give each person two bottles of cold water, which were very much appreciated. It was a HOT day.

To the OP, I'd say it depends on your attitude and what you want from the trip. If you want a quick trip, do the one on the island. The ruins are lessor, but you'll have more time left for other things. If you are super excited to see the "best" ruins, go to Chichen Itza. (I didn't know they still let you climb it.) It is an even longer bus ride after the Ferry, but surely the biggest ruins site. For us, Tulim was a good middle compromise. I was worried at first that Tulim wouldn't be "big" enough, but for us, it was. It ranged all over and was quite beautiful.

Let us know how it works out for you!

 

[dcassetta]

Both Tulum and Chichen Itza are amazing, but the time spent in transportation from Cozumel makes for a very long day, and I think too long to really experience Chichen Itza. San Gervasio is not as impressive as the sights on the mainland, but will still give you a nice experience of the Mayan culture.

 

[MickeyD]

This is an interesting thread. We are contemplating Chitzen Itza as well. I have been to Tulum a few years back, and I didn't think it was commercialized at all back then. I am curious if they still allow climbing the pyramid at CI because I had heard they stopped that? Has anyone been there recently? I know they don't allow you very close at Tulum, certainly not walking on any of the ruins.

 

[mj2vacation]

We just did Chichen Itza. It was amazing, but it was pouring when we were there and could not hear the guide, as all of the guests were holding umbrellas, increasing the space between each of us. They did not have earpieces for us, so missed about 90% of the narration. Many of the other tour groups did have ear pieces.

It was a long day, and the time spent at such an amazing place was way too short. My wife and 17 yo daughter did the glass bottom boat in Cozumel and had a great time. My 13 year old daughter, 21 year old son and I did Chichen and also had an awesome time, but would not do it again on a cruise.

 

[Anchors Away 2016]

I just checked Google. Several news stories and Trip Adviser says that Chichen Itza has been closed to climbing since 2006. So you will be able to see it, but not climb it, touch it or go inside. I'm not saying it isn't still worth it. Just trying to set people's expectations correctly.

 

[Laundress]

We had a similar experience to Anchors Away 2016
My teens really enjoyed Tulum and swimming in the ocean after was a wonderful memory.

 

[Capt_BJ]

Tulum

beach at Tulum

 

[Kesohio63]

Be aware you may not be able to access the beach at Tulum. We were there in February 2016, and the tide was right up to the base of the cliff, and it was very windy, so the stairs down to the beach were closed. It was a beautiful day, though, and we enjoyed the tour very much. But we probably won’t do it again, due to the travel time involved. It makes for a long day, much of it spent on a bus. I did enjoy the ferry, although several passengers were seasick, so that is something to be prepared for.