Tooorrn between two beach cluuubs

[texangal39]

Feeling like a foooolll 🎶 🤪 (Love that old song)

On the serious side…. I am having a real hard time deciding between Maya Chan and Hayhu. I love the small, quiet, intimate feel of Huyha with the amazing food offerings and the fact that the beach appears to have very little to no seaweed. But, I also like the fact that Maya Chan has a pool and also a lot of private palapas, whereas with Hayhu there are only two VIP areas. But, I’m also not a fan of buffet style dining, so Maya Chan loses in this area.

 

So, has anyone done both? If so, do you have any unknown or little known info you can share about each that might help me decide? Any help you can give is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[dna1990]

Have had to miss Maya Chan twice (high winds), but always good communication, reviews, refund, etc.

 

We will be at Hayhu next week for the first time (Maya Chan closed during summer), and will report back.  So far communication has been good.  Anxious to see how food/bar credit works out, and if driver/taxi runs smoothly.

 

Ugh, not looking forward to that long pier/port walk in August heat (or any heat).

[c-leg5]

7 hours ago, dna1990 said:

Have had to miss Maya Chan twice (high winds), but always good communication, reviews, refund, etc.

 

We will be at Hayhu next week for the first time (Maya Chan closed during summer), and will report back.  So far communication has been good.  Anxious to see how food/bar credit works out, and if driver/taxi runs smoothly.

 

Ugh, not looking forward to that long pier/port walk in August heat (or any heat).

 

Good luck with the heat and sargassum. 

 

Interested to hear how it goes. I think I was one of the first to ask about Hayhu soon after it opened and I am still waiting to try it out!
 

My recent port hours have been too short to risk it, or make it worthwhile, especially with time difference but I understand transport has improved since they originally opened.

[cwb348]

Don't go to Maya Chan! Has been great in years past, but the sargassum in May was so, so bad. Stinky brown water that you couldn't get in.  They say there's a pier to help you get beyond it, but this is the pier. They did warn us, but we never imagined it could be this bad.

[c-leg5]

1 hour ago, cwb348 said:

Don't go to Maya Chan! Has been great in years past, but the sargassum in May was so, so bad. Stinky brown water that you couldn't get in.  They say there's a pier to help you get beyond it, but this is the pier. They did warn us, but we never imagined it could be this bad.

Maya Chan is closed for the summer - something they started last year. 
 

We have been pre-Covid  when it was really bad. They try to clear it but it is just overwhelming when it is a bad season. This year was predicted to be really bad but yours is the first report that I have read where it has actually been really bad so I thought it hadn’t actually been as bad as predicted. Have they stopped showing photos of the sargassum situation at the pick-up location?
 

The off-shore baffles along the malecon really seem to have helped in town from reports i have read.

 

I assume that is the RHS of the property? I have never seen baffles like that at Maya Chan or that wooden walkway but we haven’t been since cruising resumed. I have read reports of bad sargassum at Hayhu too so the out of town places seem to be suffering. 

[cwb348]

This was our third visit to Maya Chan, and it pained me to write the negative post. I love what they have done to create this haven for cruisers but wish I had read posts prior to this visit discouraging me from returning.  Yes, they did show us pictures, but several years ago it was also bad, similar pictures, and we still enjoyed our visit. We could swim out beyond the sargassum using floats, and the servers would run our drinks out to us. We still spent much of the day in the water, and it was lots of fun.  We thought we would have a similar experience this time but couldn't even put our feet in the water. The smell was awful! The pool was crowded with children, and you know how small it is. I had brought a group of first timers with me and was really embarrassed to have brought them there. One of the men floated out and went over the baffles, and it was full of seagrass growing from the bottom.

Yes, the walkway is relatively new. They called it a pier, and the hope was that we could walk to the end and jump in avoiding the sargassum. It probably worked in the beginning.....

The staff, food and drinks continue to be wonderful. They had a guacamole cooking/tasting class to keep us entertained, and that was fun. Maybe by October/November the sargassum will be better? I feel so sad for them! At least the last visit they had workers trying to clear the mess, but this time it was hopeless and there wasn't even anyone trying. Although the media says otherwise, I hope and pray that the sargassum will dissipate in the coming years and that this poor family will get a break!

 

[bguppies]

17 minutes ago, cwb348 said:

Although the media says otherwise, I hope and pray that the sargassum will dissipate in the coming years and that this poor family will get a break!

 

If the true reason for the Sargassum blooms each year is the fertilizer run off from the poor South American countries, it will just keep getting worse.

Dirt poor farmers down there could give a crap about well off North   Americans and Europeans cruise vacations or beach vacations in the Caribbean when they are just trying to survive.

Same reason any global warming measures being taken by North American and European countries won't work as long as China, India and South American countries are so much poorer than us. They will do what they have to, to survive, screw the environment.

Edited August 3, 2023 by bguppies

[Destaw71835]

Is it worse at certain times of the year or is this year round?

[c-leg5]

1 hour ago, Destaw71835 said:

Is it worse at certain times of the year or is this year round?

Can be any time but probably worse March-October. 
 

Depends on storms and currents to a large extent when it is brought in. At its most active fields can spread from south America to Africa.

[phillygwm]

Reading this with interest.  I'm on a cruise mid-November.  It's been 10+ years since I was last in CM.  Last time, I did the Mayan ruins.  This time, I'm thinking about a day pass.  

 

I'm really looking for a nice place to hang with good food/drinks.  Not planning to do snorkeling, paddleboarding, etc.  Just somewhere nice to chill for the day.

[dna1990]

We are back from Hayhu just last week.  We had a great day.

We were six adults, seasoned cruisers.  First time to Hayhu.

 

Pre-trip communications were prompt and clear.  We initially booked the Jungle Break package when it was just four of us, when two more joined the group - we changed to the VIP package, upper deck.

 

It is a long hot walk from ship, down the pier, thru the shops, out the parking lot, down the street - to the meeting spot.  Take an umbrella and take your time, don't rush.  Very professional setup, a man greeted us, had our reservation name on the board, whistled for a taxi van (very new van with good driver), explained the ride was already included, confirmed to the driver we were headed to Hayhu, gave an approx travel time, etc.  All good stuff.  Drive takes about 25 minutes, we had NO traffic either way.

 

Greeted well upon arrival, shown to the upper deck, waiters came by to introduce themselves, all very nice.  Service remained great all day.  Four nice loungers, six nice chairs, couch, dining table, hammock, private restroom w/shower....very nice.  The upper deck had great views, tropical vibe, and constant breeze.

 

YES, Sargassum was a major presence.  Raked at the shoreline, but still was thick enough in water to make a floating day out of the question.  No smell though, which is my main peeve.  We did walk several times out in the water, maybe knee deep from one sandbar to another where the weeds were less dense.  But did indeed spend most of the day on deck in the chairs/hammock.  Water itself was decently clear.  It looked alot better than photos above this post of Maya Chan back in May, but was still a factor.  Powder white soft sand in the resort area.  Some bugs/fleas around if if walk up/down the beach long enough, always bring bug spray.  Ocean, sargassum, strip of beach - then jungle for miles - you gotta be expecting bugs.

 

Small place, quaint.  Not crowded.  Even with peak crowd, never sounded loud or crowded.  80's rock and pop played on the speaker.

 

Food was great and fresh and hot, etc.  Drinks were good and service great - but in general, I think prices were quite high.  We had the $300 credit and menu showed all prices in $USD, but drinks were $10-$14 each.  It added up pretty quick.  But I do think they were way better quality than what you get at say a Cozumel AI.  For example, strawberry margarita made with actual strawberries.

 

We out-stayed all the other cruise guests and lingered until 4pm local (for a 5:30 all aboard).  We met the owner and chatted a while.  There was one couple staying at the resort itself, but we didn't interrupt them.

 

It was an overcast day, and even some thunder offshore.  It did sprinkle once with no impact to our day.  In fact, avoiding the intense Mexican sun was quite nice.

 

Paid balance in $USD cash to avoid 5% CC charge plus any currency conversion surprises.  All balances and charges were well explained during booking and again once onsite.

 

Return taxi was right on time and we had an uneventful trip back to port and to the ship.

 

If looking for a quieter experience, some hammocks, rope bed swings, cushy loungers, good food and service - don't let the long trek make you miss out on this little spot.  Worth it.

 

If looking to pound down cheap beer and party with loud music - seek out the malecon places instead.

 

 

 

[c-leg5]

4 minutes ago, dna1990 said:

We are back from Hayhu just last week.  We had a great day.

We were six adults, seasoned cruisers.  First time to Hayhu.

 

Pre-trip communications were prompt and clear.  We initially booked the Jungle Break package when it was just four of us, when two more joined the group - we changed to the VIP package, upper deck.

 

It is a long hot walk from ship, down the pier, thru the shops, out the parking lot, down the street - to the meeting spot.  Take an umbrella and take your time, don't rush.  Very professional setup, a man greeted us, had our reservation name on the board, whistled for a taxi van (very new van with good driver), explained the ride was already included, confirmed to the driver we were headed to Hayhu, gave an approx travel time, etc.  All good stuff.  Drive takes about 25 minutes, we had NO traffic either way.

 

Greeted well upon arrival, shown to the upper deck, waiters came by to introduce themselves, all very nice.  Service remained great all day.  Four nice loungers, six nice chairs, couch, dining table, hammock, private restroom w/shower....very nice.  The upper deck had great views, tropical vibe, and constant breeze.

 

YES, Sargassum was a major presence.  Raked at the shoreline, but still was thick enough in water to make a floating day out of the question.  No smell though, which is my main peeve.  We did walk several times out in the water, maybe knee deep from one sandbar to another where the weeds were less dense.  But did indeed spend most of the day on deck in the chairs/hammock.  Water itself was decently clear.  It looked alot better than photos above this post of Maya Chan back in May, but was still a factor.  Powder white soft sand in the resort area.  Some bugs/fleas around if if walk up/down the beach long enough, always bring bug spray.  Ocean, sargassum, strip of beach - then jungle for miles - you gotta be expecting bugs.

 

Small place, quaint.  Not crowded.  Even with peak crowd, never sounded loud or crowded.  80's rock and pop played on the speaker.

 

Food was great and fresh and hot, etc.  Drinks were good and service great - but in general, I think prices were quite high.  We had the $300 credit and menu showed all prices in $USD, but drinks were $10-$14 each.  It added up pretty quick.  But I do think they were way better quality than what you get at say a Cozumel AI.  For example, strawberry margarita made with actual strawberries.

 

We out-stayed all the other cruise guests and lingered until 4pm local (for a 5:30 all aboard).  We met the owner and chatted a while.  There was one couple staying at the resort itself, but we didn't interrupt them.

 

It was an overcast day, and even some thunder offshore.  It did sprinkle once with no impact to our day.  In fact, avoiding the intense Mexican sun was quite nice.

 

Paid balance in $USD cash to avoid 5% CC charge plus any currency conversion surprises.  All balances and charges were well explained during booking and again once onsite.

 

Return taxi was right on time and we had an uneventful trip back to port and to the ship.

 

If looking for a quieter experience, some hammocks, rope bed swings, cushy loungers, good food and service - don't let the long trek make you miss out on this little spot.  Worth it.

 

If looking to pound down cheap beer and party with loud music - seek out the malecon places instead.

 

 

 

Thanks for you review. Good to have a recent update.
 

Glad to hear the place is thriving - I was unaware they had built onsite accommodation now. One of these days when we have long enough port hours we will make it out there as they seem to have transport under control now.

 

Not sure ALL places on the malecon are “cheap beer and loud music” at least not in our experience. We seek out the quieter experiences and sometimes the malecon is convenient but Costa Maya in general certainly has problems currently. 

[texangal39]

On 8/2/2023 at 7:36 PM, cwb348 said:

Don't go to Maya Chan! Has been great in years past, but the sargassum in May was so, so bad. Stinky brown water that you couldn't get in.  They say there's a pier to help you get beyond it, but this is the pier. They did warn us, but we never imagined it could be this bad.

Oh my! That looks pretty bad. Sorry to hear you endured this. Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

[texangal39]

On 8/3/2023 at 10:08 AM, cwb348 said:

This was our third visit to Maya Chan, and it pained me to write the negative post. I love what they have done to create this haven for cruisers but wish I had read posts prior to this visit discouraging me from returning.  Yes, they did show us pictures, but several years ago it was also bad, similar pictures, and we still enjoyed our visit. We could swim out beyond the sargassum using floats, and the servers would run our drinks out to us. We still spent much of the day in the water, and it was lots of fun.  We thought we would have a similar experience this time but couldn't even put our feet in the water. The smell was awful! The pool was crowded with children, and you know how small it is. I had brought a group of first timers with me and was really embarrassed to have brought them there. One of the men floated out and went over the baffles, and it was full of seagrass growing from the bottom.

Yes, the walkway is relatively new. They called it a pier, and the hope was that we could walk to the end and jump in avoiding the sargassum. It probably worked in the beginning.....

The staff, food and drinks continue to be wonderful. They had a guacamole cooking/tasting class to keep us entertained, and that was fun. Maybe by October/November the sargassum will be better? I feel so sad for them! At least the last visit they had workers trying to clear the mess, but this time it was hopeless and there wasn't even anyone trying. Although the media says otherwise, I hope and pray that the sargassum will dissipate in the coming years and that this poor family will get a break!

 

Thank you for sharing your experience. Our trip is pretty far into the fall, so we are crossing our fingers for less sargassum. I found a website that reports the amount of sargassum along the Mexico coastline and will be checking to determine if I should cancel before our cruise leaves.

[texangal39]

@dna1990 Thanks a million for following up and sharing your experience. We did notice Hayhu was more expensive, but we also saw that the quality of the ingredients was better and so decided we were willing to pay a little more for the quieter environment with higher quality food and drinks. I’ve made my reservation and paid my deposit now and am looking forward to it.

[phillygwm]

8 hours ago, texangal39 said:

@dna1990 Thanks a million for following up and sharing your experience. We did notice Hayhu was more expensive, but we also saw that the quality of the ingredients was better and so decided we were willing to pay a little more for the quieter environment with higher quality food and drinks. I’ve made my reservation and paid my deposit now and am looking forward to it.

I looked at Hayhu but I might be a solo and they have a minimum of two, so that was out.  Then I looked at Maya Chan, which is already booked (as of a few weeks ago) for my week in November.  I might just stay on the ship.  Decent buffet, open bar, nice bed if I decide to relax. 🙂