New to Costa Maya

[excitedcruiser]

In all my years of cruising, I have never had a stop in Costa Maya. Just curious as to what your thoughts are to do in the port. Is there a shopping area when you get off the ship? What are prices and food like? Can you haggle? Best place to get food?

[crewsweeper]

Shopping area is typical cruise port type shopping with all your familiar shops.  There's a pool and bars.  Food and drink are overpriced and mediocre, IMO. Go outside the port and take a taxi to the malecon in Mahahual. Lots of beach clubs and kiosks with "Hechco en Chine" items. Or look up Native Choice and book them for a Maya ruins excursion.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

I enjoyed an excursion of Chacchoben Mayan ruins in the morning, and then took a taxi to Mahuhual, maybe 5-10 minutes south of the port, with taxi reported to currently be $4 per person one way.   I enjoyed both places.  I also spent about 10 minutes photographing the colorful port area.  But from what I've heard, the port area has really expanded, with lots of shops and activities.  But unless you're really into shopping and drinking/eating in ports, I'd suggest you plan something else. However, one thing you may want to see at the port is the donations-requested acrobatic show. Look up Danza de los Voladores, Dance of Flyers, Paplanta Flyers Ritual:

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

On 7/22/2024 at 3:00 PM, excitedcruiser said:

In all my years of cruising, I have never had a stop in Costa Maya. Just curious as to what your thoughts are to do in the port. Is there a shopping area when you get off the ship? What are prices and food like? Can you haggle? Best place to get food?

I haven't been to Costa Maya since the port area was (apparently) greatly expanded.  I'm guessing you may want to stay for 30-45 minutes in the area to see the Danza de los Voladores, Dance of the Flyers, Paplanta Flyers Ritual.  Google it.  I believe the "dance" is performed about once an hour. Donations are collected for it. But it's my understanding that there are some other things you can do at the port - shop, drink, pay $7 to go into an aviary, watch the people meeting the dolphins in their slightly cramped area,get a foot massage from tiny fish, or visit the pharmacy, etc.

 

[c-leg5]

19 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

haven't been to Costa Maya since the port area was (apparently) greatly expanded. 

I am not sure when you last went - there have been multiple renovations and additions over the years from the original development of Costa Maya in early 2000’s?
 

I assume you mean since the additional pool and flow rider, added recently? I actually like the current cosmetic appearance of the port compared to past versions. It is a very commercialized port area that we would previously pass through as fast as we could (not an easy feat given the extremely long pier and the design of the circuitous route to the exit) but for us the character of mahahual (local town outside port) has changed significantly since cruising resumed.  Local government or businesses have become greedy and now we would spend a couple of hours in the overpriced port area for a walk and drink/snack and return to the ship for the rest of the day, something we would never have done pre-Covid.

 

it doesn’t help in our case the most of our recent scheduled port stops have been short, which seems to be a common factor with ships visiting Costa Maya.
 

With longer stops  visits to the ruins and authentic local lunch are popular. There are some out of town beach clubs which are good out of sargassum season. There are fishing, snorkeling, diving excursions..