8 Things to Do in Costa Maya Mexico Port (The Best Costa Maya Cruise Excursions!)
Do you have a cruise stop in Costa Maya Mexico? Are you looking for fun things to do in Costa Maya while on a cruise? Want to book an awesome Costa Maya cruise port excursion?
Awesome! You are in the right spot!
We just went on a family cruise to Costa Maya Mexico with Royal Caribbean on the Allure of the Seas. Costa Maya port was on our itinerary. We were pretty excited to book an awesome Costa Maya Mahaual Mexico tour.
Our group was pretty big. We had 22 people. We decided on a few Costa Maya shore excursions and divided and conquered. This gave us a little taste of what Costa Maya had to offer.
In this post, we are going to list some of the best things to do in Costa Maya Mexico. This will include the best all-inclusive private beaches in Costa Maya and Costa Maya activities such as the Chacchoben ruins, Bacalar, snorkel excursions, and activities located right at the port of Costa Maya.
Let’s explore all of the best things to do in Costa Maya Mexico!
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Where is Costa Maya Mexico?
If you have planned a cruise with a stop at the Costa Maya cruise port you might be wondering “Where is Costa Maya?”
Costa Maya Mexico is on the Yucatan Peninsula. It is 4-5 hours south of Cancun, just over 3.5 hours from Playa del Carman and Cozumel, and about 2.5 hours from Tulum.
Although Costa Maya could be a day trip from Cancun or any of the major tourist sites, it is mostly enjoyed by cruisers.
This entire coast is a major tourist area with all-inclusive day resorts and beautiful beaches. The Costa Maya cruise port is a Caribbean hidden gem.
Costa Maya Mexico Cruise Port
Costa Maya Mexico cruise port was actually built just for cruisers. The port is owned by cruise lines. Most locals who work here have to travel far to get to work.
Costa Maya Port
Be excited if you have booked a cruise to Costa Maya Mexico! The Costa Maya port is nice!
The Costa Maya port is almost like a resort with a huge pool at the center with lounge chairs and souvenir shops all around.
Cheap or Free Things to Do at Costa Maya Port
If you do not want to book a Costa Maya excursion you can hang out at the port. There are a few things that you can do without leaving the port. We are going to explore a few of them!
1. Salt Water Pool
The pool is free to all cruisers. You can swim and relax on the beach chairs. After you spend some time in the pool you can walk around and shop. This Costa Maya activity is completely free!
It was nice to just grab a chair and relax. Depending on how many cruise ships are in port will determine how busy this pool is. It is really a great Costa Maya excursion.
2. Papantla Flyers
If you want to enjoy Mayan culture, you will want to see the Papantla Flyers. This is absolutely free and located near the pool.
There is a large pole in the center of Costa Maya Port where the sky-high dance ritual is performed.
5 men climb almost 100 feet in the air to perform the ceremony. One man sits in the middle playing a flute or drum. The other 4 men attach themselves to a rope and swing upside down.
It is quite impressive and a little scary to watch!
3. Aviarius
The Aviarius does cost money. This activity is included in the Port Pass (which must be purchased through the Cruiseline) The pass is something to consider if you want to do this activity and gives you the option to do a few more.
Admission
Adults: $14
Children: $12
The Aviarius extends across a bridge to a bird sanctuary. You will be able to see flamingoes and all kinds of exotic birds. They will give you birdseed to attract them to you.
My son loves birds. This is something that we will do next time we visit Costa Maya.
4. More Things to Do in Costa Maya Port Activities
- Maya Sanctuary
- Chocolate Tour
- Salsa Cooking Class
- Mexican Cooking Class
- Tequilla Tour
- Dolphin Swim
These are all fantastic things to do in Costa Maya! One thing that I really like about all of these options is that they a within walking distance of the cruise ship.
Excursions in Costa Maya
If you booked your Costa Maya shore excursion through the cruise line, you will not have to walk very far. There is a designated place where you can meet your Costa Maya tour guide and head off.
Some members of our group did the Bacalar tour through the cruise line.
My Costa Maya Cruise Research
As I did research, I found that booking through the cruiseline was much more expensive compared to booking through Viator.
We had some reservations as most of the tours were hours away from the port. (Bacalar and the ruins) If you book through the cruise line, if anything goes wrong they will hold the boat for you. If you book through a third party you take your chances.
We had 22 people with us, so saving money won out for most of us We booked our tour of the Chacchoben ruins tour through Viator. It was so much cheaper. Luckily, everything worked out and we made it back to the ship with plenty of time to spare!
We were really impressed with our tour guide and company. It was a fantastic experience.
Getting to Costa Maya Excursions
Getting to the 3rd party Costa Maya tour companies in Costa Maya Port is a process. You actually have to walk out of the port area. It can take up to 20 minutes.
If you are interested in seeing the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins be ready for a drive! It is located about 42 miles away from the Costa Maya Port. It took us about an hour to arrive.
Chacchoben Mayan Ruins
Chacchoben Mayan Ruins are very well preserved. You can even climb on some of the structures which is very cool. As a side note, I have been to Chichen Itza which is a New 7 Wonders of the World site.
Chacchoben was not nearly as big as Chichen Itza but was still pretty cool. The one thing that was tough was the humidity. It was so hot. We were so glad that the tour company had water bottles for us.
Our Family Costa Maya Experience
Another really cool thing about Chacchoben is the wild monkeys in all of the trees. It was really fun watching them. If you book a tour of Chacchoben you will have a guide that will tell you all about the culture and some of the neat archeological finds.
We had a great time except for the fact that it is very hot in August. Our younger kids (11 and 8) were dying and complaining. At one point our daughter just sat down and didn’t move for at least 20 minutes. My son was more adventurous and climbed to the top of the ruins. He loved it!
Luckily, there is a beach stop after touring the Chacchoben ruins.
Booking a Bacalar excursion from Costa Maya is what most of our extended family and a few of our kids decided to do.
Bacalar Seven Seas Lagoon is gorgeous. The blue water is beautiful. The tour included a boat ride and swim. There was also a lunch provided.
It is about an hour away from the Costa Maya port. Having booked through the cruiseline, we thought it was really expensive for what was offered on the tour. We didn’t have a ton of time to swim and then had to head back to the ship.
Our Family Costa Maya Experience
My family had a fun time but next time I would book through Viator as it was 1/3 of the cost for the exact same tour.
The advantage of booking the cruise line was you didn’t have to walk a mile to get to the tour company, so keep that in mind if that is a concern.
Overall this was a fun adventure on the beautiful blue waters of the lagoon. We have a lot of teenagers and they loved it.
My father-in-law swears by an all-inclusive beach experience. He said that booking a Costa Maya excursion to an all-inclusive beach was 100% the way to go.
He loved that the waiters would even walk out in the ocean to take your drink orders. He felt like it was the best service he had ever experienced.
There are lots of all-inclusive Costa Maya beach excursions some are good for families who just want a beach day and some are better for adults only.
Fun Beach Things to do in Costa Maya
- All-Incusive Beach Day at Los Arrecifes
- Maramoa Beach Party Day Pass
- Costa Maya Beach Break
- Day Pass to Pez Quadro
- Costa Maya Beach Break From Port
- Private Beach
- Costa Maya Excursion to Nacional Beach Club
- Costa May Excursion to La Chilangaloense
Any of these would be perfect if you want to just relax and enjoy the view!
Mahahual is the closest beach to the Costa Maya port. There are catamaran tours that will take you out and let you snorkel or scuba dive. You can also snorkel from the beach.
There are lots of great options in this area. The water is so blue and the visibility is fantastic! I am more of a snorkeller but scuba diving is also a great option for your Costa Maya Mexico excursion.
Things to Do in Costa Maya (Snorkel and Scuba)
Hopefully, this list of all the fun things to do in Costa Maya Mexico helps you plan your Costa Maya cruise excursion! There are so many fun options in all price ranges!
There are a few more Costa Maya excursions that are only offered through the cruise lines. Look at all of your options when planning your cruise.
For our family reunion on the Allure of the Seas cruise our port stops were Galveston, Roatan, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. We had so much fun, and I know you will too!
Please ask if you have any questions!
Facebook Community
Do you have any more questions? Join my Travel Community on Facebook. This is a great group that can help answer any travel questions you might have. I also try to add any deals that companies send me as well.
I’ve been to Mexico many, many times but haven’t been to Costa Maya. So many fabulous cruise excursions to experience!
It is a fun area!
We have heard great things about Costa Maya, but haven’t been there. My fear of heights kicked in just looking at your photo of the Papantla Flyers! I think I’d be heading straight to the saltwater pool.
haha It is a pretty cool ritual!
Costa Maya is so gorgeous. I just love the color of the water — and it’s so warm — lots of fun water sports.
The water is beatiful!
Costa Maya Mexico looks amazing! I have loved every all-inclusive beach I’ve been to.
There is a lot to do for free there!
Cruising is one of my favorite get-a-ways! Costa Maya sounds like an amazing place to visit! it’s so beautiful.
It is a really great port stop!
Costa Maya looks like a fun excursion! I’d want to stop there and explore.
It is so fun and really nice!
I would love to swim with the dolphins! That would be so much fun. Honestly, even just being in the sun I would be happy. Somedays I don’t remember what it feels like to be warm.
I know! I love the sun!