Costa Maya Excursion

[bouhunter]

59 minutes ago, sandebeach said:

I swear that pier feels like it is a mile long! Quite a long walk to get to the port shopping area. Last time we used one of those men pedaling a carriage to get back to the ship, I think we tipped him $5.00. That ride back was well worth $5.00.  

Yeah it's a long pier.  The port area is OK but if there are 2-3 ships in it gets so crowded it's not very pleasant.  Last winter we used a local tour to some of the ruins.  Fantastic day.  Oh the good old days..... 😞

 

[sandebeach]

1 minute ago, bouhunter said:

Yeah it's a long pier.  The port area is OK but if there are 2-3 ships in it gets so crowded it's not very pleasant.  Last winter we used a local tour to some of the ruins.  Fantastic day.  Oh the good old days..... 😞

 

We have done a private excursion to Maya Chan,  which was a nice beach day with food and drinks included. Another time we took the free trolley over to Crazy Lobster on the beach, great lobster lunch and inexpensive massage on the beach. Oh yeah, the good old days!

[c-leg5]

11 minutes ago, sandebeach said:

We have done a private excursion to Maya Chan,  which was a nice beach day with food and drinks included. Another time we took the free trolley over to Crazy Lobster on the beach, great lobster lunch and inexpensive massage on the beach. Oh yeah, the good old days!

Yes there were several beach bars (of various quality) in the town. Not sure the trolley was ever free - $3/4pp, unless you got a deal? 
 

I am wondering how many bars will have survived. They had been expanding rapidly in recent years. We had enjoyed Tropicante and Malecon21 in recent visits.

 

Maya Chan has always been popular and will book up quickly I am sure once cruising resumes due to limited numbers and individual groupings.

[sandebeach]

1 minute ago, c-leg5 said:

Yes there were several beach bars (of various quality) in the town. Not sure the trolley was ever free - $3/4pp, unless you got a deal? 
 

I am wondering how many bars will have survived. They had been expanding rapidly in recent years. We had enjoyed Tropicante and Malecon21 in recent visits.

 

Maya Chan has always been popular and will book up quickly I am sure once cruising resumes due to limited numbers and individual groupings.

You could be right about the trolley, it may have been a few dollars. We took a taxi back from the beach and I think with tip that was around $10 to get back to the port shopping area. 

[Merion_Mom]

When I go to Costa Maya and I am with a group of friends, we just walk through the port area and get on the shuttle bus to Maya Chan.   LOVE IT.

 

Other people walk through and get a shuttle or taxi to the beach in Majahual.

 

One time when I was cruising solo, they were discounting the Port Pass excursion to about $37 (IIRC, which is highly suspect), and I decided that "how bad could it be? Three drinks would make it worthwhile."

 

So off I went.

 

First of all, it also includes access to the swimming pools, which are very nice pools.  There are lots of loungers.

 

I REALLY liked the Aviary.  They give you a little cup of bird seed to offer the various birds, and I encountered a couple of families whose kids were afraid of the birds and they gave me their cups.  It was very enjoyable to observe and admire the birds, and a lot of fun to feed them treats.  You walk from area to area, and there are, indeed, crosswalks of the "suspension bridge" type.  They are very short and not at all intimidating.  There are doors and curtain-like hangings to separate the areas.  

 

The chocolate museum presentation is rather cheesy, but fun, and they give out free-flowing samples of the different chocolate flavors.  Of course they sell "everything chocolate."

 

The tequila "tour" and lesson is nicely educational, and the tasting is...............well, you're drinking tequila.  What else can I add?  😉  And of course, they sell tequila there.

 

The free drinks were only available at one central bar - or was it two?  Can't recall.  They gave you a punch card.  The guy neglected to punch my card for the first drink, so I ended up getting four.  😄  It was too much. They are generous with the alcohol pours.  HUUUUUUUGE sugar overload.  But I made it back to the ship.

 

I THINK that was the day that I decided to try the fish pedicure.  You know, free drinks and all that.  

[Jeff13]

The beaches there are either all great or all suck.  When the seaweed is rolling in, it doesn't matter where you go.  They are all yucky.  I will add that Maya Chan has really great food and drinks included in the price.  Long ride to get there, but they treat you right.

[mitsugirly]

On 10/21/2020 at 10:49 AM, c-leg5 said:

 

If you are interested  in a photo intensive review check out this one from Mitsugirly talking about the changes - START AT POST #428

You can see the bird walks and bridges.

 

 The main port structure was rebuilt after the hurricane (2007?) but appears to have been revamped around 2015(?).
 

We also travel a lot from Galveston and I know  there  was a big gap with no Royal ships from Galveston to  Costa Maya. It has been quite tastefully renovated but recent problems have included lengthening the pier for an extra ship. This resulted in the trolley not running much creating problems for people with mobility problems as it is a long pier and the port area seems much more crowded than it used to be.  
 

it is also a long walk to get out of the port since many of the old exits have been closed or their use discouraged! 

 

 

Yea I hate that they have made it so hard for people to exit the port now. They want you to go "the long way" winding around all the shops. If you want the quickest way out, when you get into the port area, keep as left as you can around the pool to take a short cut down the row of vendors and out the exit. The first time we were there after remodeling, they did have the truck in the way of the exit and the next time we went, they had it completely blocked off with a wall. They want to make sure no one gets out easily. 

 

They did have the trams running last time we were there in December last year though (for the pier).