SHORE EXCURSIONS

Experience Mayan history and a jungle retreat with an open bar & buffet lunch. Your tour begins when your bilingual guide meets you at the end of the pier and escorts you to your air-conditioned transfer vehicle waiting on site. Listen to your guide and learn about the interesting local area and culture from onboard commentary as you pass through the fishing village. Continue this tour inland to visit “The Place of the Red Corn”, Chacchoben, learn about the fascinating Mayan culture during the journey from our knowledgeable guides.

Enjoy a guided tour of this unique archaeological site set in beautiful surroundings still partially covered by the rain forest. Climb to the top of the “Gran Basamento” taking you above the tree line and visit two sacred temples. Before leaving, you will have the opportunity to buy souvenirs from shops on site. Your journey continues to a buffet lunch waiting for you at our Blue Lagoon Restaurant, the most beautiful lagoon with fresh water, located 20 minutes away from Chacchoben Mayan ruins. After your meal, sunbathe on a sun lounger, take a swim and enjoy all complimentary drinks including your favorite cocktails. Feeling fully relaxed, well-fed and in good spirits, your transfer awaits to return you to the ship. The color of the lagoon varies depending on the weather, season of the year, and time of the day.

Spend hours relaxing however you please at the Beach Escape Beach Club in nearby Mahahual. After a brief orientation to help you maximize the experience, you will be free to enjoy the club’s amenities, which are considerable and all offered for your enjoyment. You might stretch out on a lounge chair and bask in the sun, take a refreshing swim in the sea and gather around the thatched-roof poolside bar, which will be open for unlimited drinks the entire time. One end of the Beach Escape is typically busier and more party-oriented, while the other end by the pier is quieter, allowing you to easily find an ideal spot to make the most of your free time. If you wish to explore offshore, kayaks are available. The beach club is located right on the boardwalk at Fisherman’s Village, a great place for people-watching and dining on your own as there are plenty of restaurants.

You’ll journey to the ancient place of Mayan pilgrimage known today as Chacchoben, also known as "The Place of Red Corn". At the pier, you’ll be greeted by a bilingual guide who will direct you to an air-conditioned bus. Onboard the bus your guide will brief you on the interesting history and unique attributes of this sacred Mayan site. Upon arrival at Chacchoben you’ll be surrounded by jungle. Your guide will escort you through the ruins, giving you a complete explanation of the sacred temples and other structures seen there.

See original red paint on the stucco walls of one of the pyramids and the temple where a mural was found showing the astronomical positions of the planet Venus. You’ll have time to climb the Gran Basamento taking you above tree level. Here archaeologists found ceremonial offerings dating to around 1000 B.C. Your guide will also explain about the wildlife and medicinal plants that are used by the modern-day descendants of the ancient Mayan people.

Experience, explore and learn about the Mayan civilization in style and in a small group on this exclusive tour to the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins. Departing from the dock, you will meet your certified guide and driver and board your 12 passenger mini-van.

Once at the archeological site your tour guide will take you on a two hour tour exploring the secrets of the ancient Mayan civilization, explaining the historical significance of the important monuments including the Gran Basamento. Enjoy the sights, take pictures or take a little time out to enjoy nature. Beer, soft drinks and water are provided to and from Chacchoben Mayan Ruins. At the end of your adventure, you’ll be taken back to the pier.

Maya Lost Mayan Kingdom is an adventure park offering exciting, fun and refreshing activities. There’s something for everyone - waterslides, ziplines, a zip coaster, swimming pool, natural pool, Mayan jungle, a teen-park and more.

Perhaps you'll want to slide straight down on the Kamikaze slide or spin into the hydro-whip slide, you have nine water slides to choose from. Try the inner-tube slide or hop on a mat and speed down the 60 foot slide. Do all nine or one, it’s up to you!

Take flight on one or both zipline courses. You can zip over 3,000 feet for a birds-eye view of the park, surrounding jungle and the Caribbean Sea. Work your way through the rope course and across the suspension bridge. Top it off with the thrill of a lifetime - the Kukulcan Zip Coaster, an 800 foot flight with twists and turns.

Ready for a swim or just want to relax? Head over to the swimming pool or the natural Cenote pool. Grab an inner-tube and take the River Expedition, a lazy river that flows through the Mayan jungle. Let the kids discover the Teen Park, which offers smaller slides.

You’ll be welcomed at the pier for your short bus ride to the park. The park features changing rooms, showers, restrooms and lockers for an additional fee. You can purchase snacks and refreshments at the snack bar and even shop for souvenirs.

Become immersed in the world of the Maya through rituals, dances and tastings that reflect the origins and evolution of the Mexican culture. Upon arriving at the Aldea Mahahua restaurant and entertainment complex, you will be served a welcoming drink made with Chaya leaves, which the ancient Mayas used for medicinal purposes. A shaman healer will then guide you through a ritual that is said to cleanse the body and purify the spirit. To further enhance your understanding of the local culture, you will watch folkloric dances and sample foods that are staples for the Mayas on the Yucatan Peninsula. You will also be offered a variety of tequilas made from the blue agave, a spiky plant that has been used to concoct the distilled drink for at least 2,000 years. Free time follows, during which you may shop for handicrafts, browse historical exhibits and enjoy the ambiance of this unique venue.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Delve into the Mayan culture that has long flourished on the Yucatan Peninsula.
• Partake in an ancient ritual, sample Mayan foods and tequilas, and watch folkloric dances.
• Shop for handicrafts and browse the historical exhibits at your leisure.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.

At the ruins, your guide takes you through this breathtaking site named after the majestic cahoon palm tree that grows fronds up to 40 feet tall. Kohunlich Ruins include a sunken palace, acropolis, ball court, courtyards and the main attraction - the masks. Climb the pyramid-like temple for a view of the unique 10-foot high sculpted masks of the sun god 'Kinich Ahau.' Built before 500 A.D., these marvelous masks still retain some of their original colored stucco.

Experience the Mayan Reality on a cultural adventure that will both educate and delight you. Many visitors think of the Mayans as an ancient civilization that disappeared long ago, but the fact is that while many other indigenous groups have vanished or been absorbed into the general population, the Mayan culture, customs, language and beliefs remain strong on the Yucatan Peninsula, even today. On this tour you’ll witness the reality that faces these remarkable people as their ancient culture collides with and blends into the modern world. Begin your adventure in a small, contemporary Mayan community built up around the remains of an ancient Mayan settlement and visit one of the fascinating ruins located right in the middle of town.

Follow your guide into an authentic Mayan house where you’ll learn about the local food and the ancient medicines. You’ll hear about the sacred Mayan tree and its role in the cosmos as well as legends, lore and prophesies written in the Mayan calendar. If you’ve visited any Mayan ruin or are remotely interested in the first people that populated the Americas, then you’ll be surprised, fascinated and left with a new-found respect for this long-lived culture and the legacy they leave here in Costa Maya.

Spoil yourself with this Mayan holistic experience, releasing energies and opening up for a spiritual cleanse. Your host will meet you at the end of the pier and walk you through the port to start your relaxing day. Different timings will be provided. Our Xaman will lead you through the process in a unique ceremony with 6 steps:

Feel released and purified with the copal cleansing, an ancient technique the Xaman use to practice to ask for permission to the Mayan Gods to start the ceremony. Feel completely relaxed and purified with the second element, water, and enjoy while the therapist massages your shoulders, up to your neck and head. Feel the aromatic scents, the warm water and heal with this ancient therapy. The third step will take you into the center of the earth; The Temazcal will turn you into a better version of yourself, followed by a clay ritual, then the coconut bath where you can enjoy the beautiful view of the Caribbean Sea while you pamper yourself. The last step will become your favorite, a mystical hammock massage that can only be experienced in Costa Maya.

Fun, convenient, and an experience of a lifetime! You’ll be greeted by your smiling dolphin guide at the end of the dock who will brief you on the day`s events. It is only a five-minute walk to the Dolphin Park located within the dock facility. You’ll be given a locker and lifejacket. A member of the training team will provide an educational briefing that details what to expect during your dolphin interaction and key points of interest. Cameras and valuables are to be placed in the lockers for safekeeping as cameras are not allowed in the water.

Set in a natural ocean habitat with a sandy bottom, adventure awaits you for your chance to swim, hug, caress, and even be pulled by a bottlenose dolphin’s pectoral fin. Standing on a submerged platform, you’ll be introduced to your dolphin friend. Enjoy this rare opportunity to touch the sleek and playful animal. You'll be led into deeper waters where you’ll be pulled by their pectoral fin and swim with your dolphin. Be amazed by your dolphin's speed, grace, and agility as they perform fast swims, high jumps, and other breathtaking behaviors. Guests spend approximately 30 minutes in the water with the dolphins.

Fun, convenient and the experience of a lifetime! You’ll be greeted by your smiling dolphin guide at the end of the dock who will brief you on the day`s events. It is only a five-minute walk to the Dolphin Park located within the dock facility! You’ll be given a locker and lifejacket. A member of the training team will provide an educational briefing that details what to expect during your dolphin interaction and key points of interest. Cameras and valuables are to be placed in the lockers for safe keeping as cameras are not allowed in the water.

The Dolphin Encounter is the classic dolphin program which provides an exhilarating dolphin experience for couples, families and guests of all ages. This excursion allows guests to kiss, pet and interact with the dolphin on a submerged platform and learn about this amazing creature and their habitat. You’ll be surprised by the great intelligence and friendliness of these wonderful marine mammals. Enjoy 30 minutes in the water with the dolphin. This a great dolphin program for non-swimmers!

OVERVIEW

Ride along the coast caravan-style in a customized dune buggy and then relax on a beautiful stretch of sand in the fishing village of Mahahual. You can drive the four-person, open-air dune buggy or ride along as a passenger. Either way, you will enjoy unobstructed views of the gorgeous shore south of Costa Maya. The white-sand beaches in this part of Mexico are wide, pristine and uncrowded as you will discover once you hop off the dune buggy to enjoy the tropical setting. You will be free to do most anything you please on the beach. You might stretch out on a towel and bask in the sun, read in the shade of a palm tree and stroll along the coast. The water is typically calm, crystal-clear and ideal for a refreshing swim in the sea. Be sure to take advantage of the included buffet of traditional Mexican dishes.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Ride along the coast caravan-style in a customized dune buggy made for adventure.
• Spend hours of free time doing whatever you please at a beach near Costa Maya.
• Enjoy a hearty buffet of Mexican dishes right on the beach.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.