Coba ruins tour

[kdnmom]

Has anyone done the Coba ruins tour offered by Celebrity? Can you tell me about it? I'm pretty sure that we want to go to Coba, since I'm really interested in being able to climb the pyramid there, but I'm concerned that the Mayan show and cavern lunch that is included may be a little kitchy/canned for my taste. Any reviews?

 

Thanks!

[vermonter16]

I haven't done the Celebrity tour but DH and I did go there on our own back in 2007 and it has remained the top Mayan site in my book. When you get to the top of the pyramid you can see the other ruins in the distance above the tree canopy! It is just awesome. This sits in the middle of the jungle. I'm not sure what the Mayan show would be but a lot of times those are actually more interesting than you might think. I saw one at Xcaret and they dress in Mayan dress and did dances and also played a game on the ball court which was interesting to watch. I'm a huge Coba fan so if the only way I could get back there was through the cruise line, I'd do it in a second.

[junglejane]

We went on the tour during our March 10 cruise on the Celebrity Silhouette. It's a bit of a long day because of the ferry ride and bus ride, but we felt it was worthwhile. Coba is one of the few places where you can still climb the ruins, and that probably won't last.

 

The cavern lunch is a bit kitschy and I could've done without it. But I wouldn't let it deter you.

 

Here are some photos, starting with the big pyramid, which I thought was scary to climb:

 

 

A ball court:

 

 

Photo from the cavern restaurant:

 

 

Photo from the cavern lunch show:

 

[kdnmom]

Thanks, Vermonter and JungleJane!

 

JungleJane, did you have enough time to explore the ruin, with the lunch taking up a chunk of the time?

 

Thanks!!

[pete_coach]

We took the Celebrity tour to Coba in February.

It is a very long day. It is a 45 minute boat ride to and from Cozumel, the water was a bit rough and many people were...well,.... not well LOL.

The bus was not what I would call a highway cruiser, a bit worn out. Our guide was much more interested in talking about the corn tortilla we were going to get later that day than a bit of Mayan history. Our bad luck I guess.

The very long bus ride takes you to a parking lot. There is a significant hike on uneven path to the Pyramid. The Pyramid is at the very end. The "walk" up the Pyramid is more of a mountain climb than a walk. It is very steep up somewhat uneven stone blocks. People going up and down everywhere and many trying to hold on to the rope in the center. Many coming down on their bums. You don't have much time there either as it took so long to get there. (there are bikes you can rent and there are guys with little bike rides you can take to and from the Pyramid, 5 US $ each way)

The lunch is, in my opinion, not vet good at all and the performance is not what I expected of Mayan dancers, it could have been in Hawaii or Fiji or anywhere. There was no or very little explanation of the meaning of the dance, just drumming and screaming and a few pyrotechnics.

 

Tulum is closer and not such a long day.

I was interested to see it but unimpressed with the tour.

 

Oh yeah, there are mosquitoes.

[junglejane]

Well, I'm not as negative about it as Pete Coach. Our ferry ride was pretty smooth and the ferry itself was clean and modern. The bus ride is boring but our bus itself was fine. We had to walk about one mile from the bus parking to the ruins on level ground. I'm a middle aged couch potato who gets no exercise, and I could handle it without difficulty. But it would not be good for people with mobility issues. Also, I got about halfway up the pyramid (or less) and started thinking about all the injuries I could sustain on the way back down. At that point, DH and I both decided we had gone far enough. Also, rain was sprinkling down on us, making the steps pretty slippery.

 

I'm usually a big proponent of private tours, and it would be nice to do Coba that way so that you could spend more time at the ruins themselves and skip the cavern lunch. But it just seems too risky with the need to take the ferry. The cavern lunch comes at the end. When we were loading back up on the bus after lunch, they said that we had to hurry because they were holding the ferry for us, and it was the last ferry that would get you back to the ship in time.

[kdnmom]

Thanks Pete Coach and JungleJane! I appreciate the input from both of you. I think we're going to go ahead and do it. We'll just have to remember to pack our bug spray and patience. :)

[pete_coach]

Well, I'm not as negative about it as Pete Coach. ... We had to walk about one mile from the bus parking to the ruins on level ground. ......... Also, I got about halfway up the pyramid (or less) and started thinking about all the injuries I could sustain on the way back down. ....

 

........ When we were loading back up on the bus after lunch, they said that we had to hurry because they were holding the ferry for us, and it was the last ferry that would get you back to the ship in time.

Sorry you felt I was negative. I just explained what it was like on our tour, in our bus and my opinion of the lunch in the cavern restaurant.

we had 3 bus loads of people at the ruins.

I agree that the walk is abut a mile or so but it is somewhat uphill and the ground is not really even. There are lots of rocks and roots on the path. On a hot, humid day, it is a chore. I am fairly active but I saw many that had problems (and did not want to pay for the bike ride) and that delayed our departure.

One thing also is that you leave the ship early and lunch does not happen till about 2 PM (+ or -). There was some grumbling from some folks that they were quite hungry.

We were also rushed back to the dock because the ferry was waiting for us. Gotta rush through Playa del Carmen shopping district to the ferry. If you do want a few minutes to pick up a souvenir in Cozumel or Playa del Carmen, this is not the tour to take.

Anyway, this was intended to inform and many folks really thought it was just an easy day and stroll in the woods.

[JuliesGuitar]

We just went to Coba and one of our four made it to the top! It is steep, treacherous, and amazing! One of only two you can still climb! The rest of the ruins took about 2 hours to navigate/explore and there are bike carriages if you get tired (for a charge). We didn't need them but some did. All in all, an amazing, historical experience for us!

[PartyAllDaTyme]

How many people clicked on this thread to find out just how a tour operator named Coba ruined someone's tour?:D:p:rolleyes: Guilty!:o

[PEIpair]

How many people clicked on this thread to find out just how a tour operator named Coba ruined someone's tour?:D:p:rolleyes: Guilty!:o

 

 

Me too LOL !

[sheffield]

How many people clicked on this thread to find out just how a tour operator named Coba ruined someone's tour?:D:p:rolleyes: Guilty!:o

I did, haha!!!