SHORE EXCURSIONS

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. During the tour, you will reach a structure known as the Gran Basamento, which is not a pyramid, but an elevated platform.

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.

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 10 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. During the tour, you will reach a structure known as the Gran Basamento, which is not a pyramid, but an elevated platform. To access additional ruins located on the second level, it is necessary to climb approximately 40 steps. This ascent will give you a broader view and allow you to see other pyramids (ruins) that are not visible from the lower level.

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 Beach. Take a swim at sea 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. During the tour, you will reach a structure known as the Gran Basamento, which is not a pyramid, but an elevated platform. To access additional ruins located on the second level, it is necessary to climb approximately 40 steps. This ascent will give you a broader view and allow you to see other pyramids (ruins) that are not visible from the lower level.

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.

On the way back to the pier, you will stop at a Tequila Hacienda, where you will learn about the process of tequila making and have the opportunity to participate in a tequila tasting experience before returning to the ship’s pier.

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.

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.

Ease down a gently flowing river that empties into a glass-smooth lagoon, a wonderfully scenic setting that will leave you immensely relaxed. The spring-fed Bacalar Lagoon is always crystal-clear and its hues are ever-changing, the reason the pristine waterway is nicknamed the Lagoon of Seven Colors. You will glide down the river in an inflatable tube, as an assistance boat gently pulls the group through the pristine waters of the lagoon, ride that will take you past one spectacular natural sight after another, including mangrove forests full of wildlife. Besides the outstanding scenery and abundant water birds, you will see sheet-like rocks called stromatolites. Some of the world's first forms of life were found in ancient stromatolites and these unusual rocks continue to grow today. Although the river current is light, it will be just enough to carry you downstream leave your tube, let your body float in the river for some minutes, you can swim or just let you go and enjoy the experience, after the lazy river-like floating portion, get back to your tube to enjoy another fun-filled boat pull across the lagoon as you reach the shore. After a while, lunch will be served along the shore, a most satisfying end to a day of adventure.

HELPFUL HINTS
• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Bring a swimsuit, towel and sunscreen.
• Water shoes are recommended

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. On the way to the beach, you will stop at a Tequila Hacienda where you will participate in a tequila tasting and learn about the process making of this traditional Mexica spirit. 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 lunch 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.

Experience a fantastic adventure created for those that love the outdoors. This excursion offers a bike ride through the jungle, a dip into a natural swimming pool, the chance to try standup paddle boarding and beach time with lunch. You’ll depart from the pier aboard the Jaguar truck a custom-designed vehicle outfitted with all the equipment needed to make your experience an amazing one.

Enjoy a 15 minute scenic drive to your first stop where you’ll mount a bicycle and ride through the jungle. Arrive at the natural swimming pool and cool off in the water. Hop on the Jaguar truck and travel to your next destination a beautiful white sand beach where your guides will set up a camp for you. Here you can try standup paddle boarding, enjoy a boogie board ride, take a swim or just relax on the beach. A lunch will be offered at the beach before heading back to your ship after a fun-filled day of adventure.

OVERVIEW

Explore Mayan ruins that are little-known because of their remote jungle location and spend free time relaxing at a lagoon with striking aqua-blue water. Although it will take nearly two hours to reach the Ichkabal archaeological site, it will be well worth the time. Only open since 2024, the ancient Maya city is larger than the more renowned and more visited Chichén Itzá. It also allows the rare opportunity to climb its Great Pyramid, whose summit offers spectacular views for those who climb its 140 steps. Built between 350 B.C. and 50 B.C., the monumental structures – which include an Acropolis with administrative buildings – suggest that Ichkabal was a major political and ceremonial center. You will also visit nearby Bacalar, a freshwater lagoon that dense mangroves shelter. The color of the water is usually a startling blue, but it changes with the angle and intensity of the sunlight. Feel free to swim in its glass-smooth waters.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Visit Ichkabal, a great and remote Mayan city that just recently opened to the public.
• Be awed by its monumental buildings, which were constructed as early as 350 B.C.
• Climb to the top of the Great Pyramid for the ultimate view of Ichkabal and beyond.
• Spend free time relaxing at Bacalar, a stunningly blue lagoon fed by underwater cenotes.

HELPFUL HINTS

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

It’s new, it’s cool, and it’s fun! The Segway is the first of its kind, a self-balanced personal transportation device; you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to operate. Don’t miss the extraordinary experience of gliding through Costa Maya by Segway. You’ll receive an introduction and orientation followed by one to one fun training. Once you are confident with your Segway, you’ll ride along the beach front of this resort town of the Mexican Caribbean. Enjoy the best views of the heart of Costa Maya while discovering the local flavor of this charming town.

A refreshment stop on route will allow you to take a break to admire the stunning blue waters. Just before heading back to your ship you’ll enjoy a relaxing time at one of the nicest beach clubs in the area; sip a cool beverage, swim in the ocean or just lay down at the beach. Taxi transportation will take you back to the pier.