Anybody Been To Chiapas Mexico Lately?

[pipedreams62]

I get kind of pouty, really perfected it with the swollen lower lip out there, for those van rides. Ugh. How boring! This is such a waste of my time I want to whine! But, I just pull up my bootstraps and get mature about it. You can do that too. It is such a test but so worth it. I have aged a million years since I started cruising. All of this really is trying. Good luck. It really is great stuff to tell family around the Thanksgiving table. So worth it. They fall asleep. Perfect. Who's better than you?:)

 

 

But I Make NO promises

 

 

[jtl513]

Thank you for all your help.

I'm not sure what we will do there yet, but your input is really valuable.

Terri

We were planning on taking the shuttle bus to Tapachula as MightyQuinn did, but when the day arrived my DW just didn't feel up to it! We had seen enough interesting towns by that point anyway! :)

[Comptech]

Done... :)

 

 

Could you also send them to me.

Thanks,

Terri

[Jujuju2]

We were there on same cruise as Mighty Quinn in April 2009. There are not a lot of options in Puerta Chiapas. You can take the ship's shuttle to Tapachula, which may be your best bet. It is a very nice little Mexican town with a few things to see as you wander around. Or you can take one of the tours being sold dockside, which all go to the same place, a not so exciting but perfectly authentic ruin and then to Tapachula. Or you can hang out on the dock and use the internet and see some local entertainment in one of the palapas or have a beer and maybe swim at the other palapa. It ain't much but it ain't bad.

[gentlemancruiser]

Tourism is VERY new in this region. The state of Chiapas until recently wasn't one of the safest places in Mexico to travel to. It is also a very poor region.

We did the mayan ruins then a city tour of Tapachula. It's a 45 min ride from the small port to the ruins and they are small and not that interesting. It wasn't a port that I would rush back to. It was interesting to see how the tourists entertained the locals, our busses were being watched by every local as we drove from town. Every time our bus stopped at a traffic light we were stared at.

[brucory]

Wish we had seen this post before we went to Chiapas last week (or the week before). We would have taken the bus into Tapachula and enjoyed the bustling town. The HAL tour that we took to the Mayan ruins (not much to see) drove through the city and no one was allowed off. The town looked like a lot of fun!!!

 

:D:D:D

[gentlemancruiser]

Wish we had seen this post before we went to Chiapas last week (or the week before). We would have taken the bus into Tapachula and enjoyed the bustling town. The HAL tour that we took to the Mayan ruins (not much to see) drove through the city and no one was allowed off. The town looked like a lot of fun!!!

 

:D:D:D

 

In April after we finished our city tour, our guide told us we had 1 hour of free time in Tapachula but that we shouldn't walk very far away from the main square for personal safety. It was definelty implied that is wasn't safe for tourists to wander everywhere. We did sit in the town square outside the Church, and we were approched by locals asking for a cigarette. They were all very friendly but, judging by the stares we kept getting from the locals it was probably not what you could call a Tourist Town!

[Jujuju2]

No, Tapachula is not yet your typical tourist town. We were in line at the drugstore with some locals, and dh was taking photos of a little girl who was with her grandmother, and then showing them the pictures. They were so thrilled that the grandmother had the little girl give dh a kiss on the cheek. Awwwwwww.

[SailorNYC]

Pipedreams ~ You aren't sailing on the Amsterdam holiday cruise, are you? We are~! This is our very first cruise and we are so excited! However, it's been a challenging time deciding on excursions. [Although, thanks to Mighty Quinn's advice & your question, we're all set for Chiapas; definitely taking the shuttle into Tapachula, etc.]

 

Do you have thoughts about Puerto Vallarta or Huatulco? HAL's excursions sound like so much fun, but since we have never been to either place, I think we will just explore on our own... same with Cartagena and Panama City (probably taking a cab to the Old Town for dinner). The only excursion we have booked is the shuttle to Antigua (the "Antigua on Your Own").

 

Feeling somewhat torn because the excursions look impressive, but time is limited, and I wouldn't want to leave without getting to know the towns a little.

 

I love your photos (on your blog), by the way, and I agree with your assessment of Guatemala!

 

If you or anyone has thoughts on these ports, I would really, really appreciate it.

 

Thanks ~

[MightyQuinn]

Although, thanks to Mighty Quinn's advice & your question, we're all set for Chiapas; definitely taking the shuttle into Tapachula.

Do you have thoughts about Puerto Vallarta or Huatulco?

Hi SailorNYC! Thought I'd add a few thoughts ....

 

In Puerto Chiapas, each shuttle to Tapachula had an escort whose apparent role was to make sure that cruisers came away feeling good about the area. We had a young student in the tourism program at a nearby college who eagerly described local history & culture as we traveled to Tapachula. He also asked if anyone was interested in seeing Chocolate City and/or Izapa Ruins (the other main attractions). If so, he could make arrangements with other students to meet the shuttle in Tapachula & do those tours. So that is another possibility depending on your interests. Please remember that Puerto Chiapas is Mexico raw & uncut. Do not expect Acapulco or Cabo!

 

We’ve been to Huatulco twice, most recently on a cruise in April/09. We docked at Santa Cruz Bay, within walking distance to a lovely beach with several restaurants & bars. Huatulco is a hang-out kind of place & many folks simply settled at a beach for the day. Snorkeling, diving, fishing or catamaran tours along the many bays are also very popular. We visited the nearby town of La Crucecita. We chose to walk (about 35-minutes going at full tilt) but taxis were available. Our first stop was the local church to see its huge painted ceiling of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Very impressive. Then we wandered the small town, popped in & out of shops & relaxed in the central plaza. We had a great lunch at San Juan de las Naranjas. Highly recommend the local specialty of Tlayuda Pollo. We retraced our steps back to Santa Cruz & poked around the beachfront before heading back to the ship.

 

I can’t help too much with Puerto Vallarta since we always do the same thing – hit the beach! Have fun whatever you do.

[pipedreams62]

Pipedreams ~ You aren't sailing on the Amsterdam holiday cruise, are you? We are~! This is our very first cruise and we are so excited! However, it's been a challenging time deciding on excursions. [Although, thanks to Mighty Quinn's advice & your question, we're all set for Chiapas; definitely taking the shuttle into Tapachula, etc.]

 

Do you have thoughts about Puerto Vallarta or Huatulco? HAL's excursions sound like so much fun, but since we have never been to either place, I think we will just explore on our own... same with Cartagena and Panama City (probably taking a cab to the Old Town for dinner). The only excursion we have booked is the shuttle to Antigua (the "Antigua on Your Own").

 

Feeling somewhat torn because the excursions look impressive, but time is limited, and I wouldn't want to leave without getting to know the towns a little.

 

I love your photos (on your blog), by the way, and I agree with your assessment of Guatemala!

 

If you or anyone has thoughts on these ports, I would really, really appreciate it.

 

Thanks ~

 

We are on the same cruise. I'm going whale watching with Oscar in Puerto Vallarata,you can read about him on Trip Advisor. In Huatalco I guess I'll check out the bays and do some snorkeling. In Guatamala,I'm going with Gus again. He is awesome and he's taking us to Antiqua,there's room if you want to go.

 

In Cartagena,I investigated some private tours from Lee Miles,Dora,and Claudia. They will take you around all the sights. The problem is it's only the two of us and I could use a few more people to lower the cost. I prefer to go with one of these people it will be 4-20 people instead of a ships excursion with a couple of hundred.

 

P.S. our ship is now in code red bummer dude

 

disregard frown icon in title,don't know how it ended up there?

[Smart 4-2]

We took a tour in Chiapas Dec. 3 - off the Statendam.

I agree, it is a new port with potential.

We took the city and Izapa ruins ship tour.

A couple of us on the tour had a lot of trouble with the rough cobblestones and stairs in the city, but for people who walk with no trouble it was fine.

An authentic (real) city with fewer sidewalk hawkers. The museum, church, and stained glass windows were interesting for those who could manage the stairs. Three or four of us sat at the edge of a central park while the others saw more of the sights. (us= one cane, one wheelchair, a couple of friends, an a HAL contract musician kindly watching over us) It was safe - we watched local life and were not bothered by the few street vendors or others. A mariachi band set up and was enjoyed. (and tipped )

The ruins were not very high but very culturally significant. Much more could be made of the fact that this place was the focus of the Mayan calender. Not much for sale -locals could do a booming business selling calender replica, historical books, etc. I guess part of the charm was the lack of such commercialism and the few (less than 12 ) craft vendors.

I'd do it again, but with sightseeing at our own pace and more Tylanol.

There were typical craft shops at the pier - and the previously mentioned entertaining dancers.

Enough procrastination. Must go bake stuff.

-Smart 4-2

[SailorNYC]

Pipedreams, Thank you for all these excellent ideas ~ ! Will get back to you asap. Couple questions: Who is Gus? Could you tell me more about the tour you decided on in Cartagena? Also, apologies for ignorance, what is code red? Thx!

[SailorNYC]

Smart 4-2: Thank you so much for the lovely, helpful depiction of Tapachula & Izapa. I am looking forward to this stop immensely! Happy Holidays.

[pipedreams62]

Pipedreams, Thank you for all these excellent ideas ~ ! Will get back to you asap. Couple questions: Who is Gus? Could you tell me more about the tour you decided on in Cartagena? Also, apologies for ignorance, what is code red? Thx!

 

Gus is a an independentr tour guide in Guatemala. he is the warmest friendliest guy you will ever meet. We toured with him last year in Santo tomas Guatemala,now this year we will tour with him,on the Pacific side.

 

Go to the Guatemalan boards and you will see many posts on Gus or on my blog I wrote about my tour last year. The Cartagena tours are of the fort, monastery and the old walled city. Lee Miles,Claudia and Dora all come highly recommended. It's just a matter of the more people on the tour the cheaper it will be for everyone. Code red is gastro intestinal virus

no fun,must wash hands constantly and sing Happy Birthday while your washing (the whole song)

[ScottishMaid]

"Chiapas coffee trail and flower plantation tour" This is an expensive shore excursion we took out of Puerto Chiapas in October 2008. However it was memorable and we didn't regret doing it. There were only 18 of us in a small bus and we rode way up into the hills, seeing little villages and lush vegetation on the way. We were given a personal welcome by the owner (the grandson of the original Swiss settler, not sure if correct but you can google the Argovia Estate's website). Everything I just read on the HAL online description is correct. We saw beautiful flowers growing and being processed. Also the old coffee factory and the outside of the owner's house and grounds. We had a delicious lunch with a beautiful view. The expense ($229 per person for us) was worth it to be such a small group. We also had a police van escort as I guess we were in a rural area near the Guatemalan border.

 

In Huatulco Nov. 09, we walked to the end of the beach, rented 2 loungers and an umbrella for $10, got a beer and swam in the ocean. The previous year one of us went on the bird watching shorex and the other on the river raft shorex. Both were OK.

[SailorNYC]

Mighty Quinn ! Thank you so much for your delightful post. I missed it the other day.

 

Pipedreams: In Guatemala, will Gus take you on a tour of Antigua or only drive you there? What time will he pick you up from / return you to the ship? Would it be possible for us to spend the day on our own in Antigua? How much does the excursion cost? We are very interested in going with you, but just realized we can no longer cancel our shore excursions online, so just working out some details. Although there is only a 10% cancellation fee, if I understand correctly. Clearly, I am new at this ~ ! Thx for any info!

 

Also, does anyone know where I can find the shore excursions pdf file... the one that is personalized for my specific trip? I cannot locate it in my online HAL account and it seems like I should still be able to access the pdf even if I can no longer register for excursions online. ???

[SailorNYC]

ps Pipedreams: Here are some Antigua links for you & a restaurant recommendation. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for all your help already!!!

 

Meson Panza Verde

http://www.panzaverde.com/en/dining.htm

 

The Antigua Daily Photo site - a nice description of the Meson Panza Verde:

http://antiguadailyphoto.com/2009/11/12/panza-verde/

 

Here is a lovely photo to get you into the holiday spirit:

http://antiguadailyphoto.com/2009/12/11/

 

A cool map of Antigua:

http://www.quepasaenantigua.com/index.php?mapa=1

 

Revue Magazine - English language mag of Antigua with events listing:

http://revuemag.com/

[pipedreams62]

ps Pipedreams: Here are some Antigua links for you & a restaurant recommendation. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for all your help already!!!

 

Meson Panza Verde

http://www.panzaverde.com/en/dining.htm

 

The Antigua Daily Photo site - a nice description of the Meson Panza Verde:

http://antiguadailyphoto.com/2009/11/12/panza-verde/

 

Here is a lovely photo to get you into the holiday spirit:

http://antiguadailyphoto.com/2009/12/11/

 

A cool map of Antigua:

http://www.quepasaenantigua.com/index.php?mapa=1

 

Revue Magazine - English language mag of Antigua with events listing:

http://revuemag.com/

 

Great stuff thanks. here's the Gus link click on Puerto Quetzal then colonial Antiqua tour http://www.gowithgustours.com/puerto_quetzal.htm

[Cruzin Terri]

Thanks so much for all those links. We will be stopping there on our PC cruise in January. Those links are very helpful.

Terri

[galipemi]

I was here on the Statendam in November 08. Very quiet area. I ended up on the Izapa Ruins/Chocolate City tour.

 

The ruins weren't much to look at to be honest, maybe I'm just missing the history gene:o

 

Chocolate city was pretty neat, some great dancers in the square, demonstration of chocolate making techniques, sample hot chocolate and of course, some goodies to buy.

 

I'm working on figuring out attachments. If I can get it to work, I'll post pics of Izapa & Chocolate city.

[Spinner2]

On our Dec 2 Amsterdam cruise we did the Chocolate City tour/Mayan ruins visit. As galipemi said, the chocolate information was very interesting; a lot of new information about chocolate and a non-commercial method of preparing it. The local citizens put on a short entertainment and our tour guide was available to suggest what local bazaar items were good buys and what was truly produced in the area.

 

My only caution for this tour is to take and liberally use mosquito repellent at the ruins location, even if the tour operator tells you that because this isn't the rainy season there are no bugs of the biting persuasion. Because rainy season or not, they all persuaded themselves to bite me and the itching is just now abating, despite application of some (but not enough) repellent and lots of supposedly-soothing creams. These are agressive biting bugs!

 

As we sailed out of Puerto Chiapas, sitting up in the Crow's Nest, we saw maybe a dozen small butterflies/colorful moths that had landed on the large glass panels that overlook the sea. Many of them stayed with the ship, sometimes fluttering madly to be able to hold on, until we were well out to sea. When we finally left the Crow's Nest four or five were still there but it seemed to us that it was very far from any land masses for them to be able to fly back. It was fun to watch them though.