San Gervasio

[vermonter16]

Can anybody tell me how far this is from the pier? How much does it cost -generally - to hire a taxi for 2 people to go out there? Does the taxi driver wait? Approximately how long should we plan on to stay at the ruins? Oh - do you need their currency or can you use american dollars.

[wdowns9]

We hired a taxi for the day $95 for 5hrs. You can get a taxi to the ruins for around $45RT and you can us the $$$. I had our driver stop so I could exchange $20 because I knew they would not have change at San Gervasio. There are two fees to pay at the ruins..20MXP and 330MXP (Park and Govt Fees)(around $5.50pp). Our guide cost $17 for three people. Our driver waited for us which took about an hour then headed to tour the remainder of the island stopping off where ever we wanted. If you plan on seeing the island you could either hire a driver or rent a car. We liked not having to deal with renting as hiring a driver gave us flexibility. Leave the driving to someone else.

[decidida]

I was looking into these ruins as well. Is there an hour worth of viewing? You aren't required to have a guide correct?

[wdowns9]

We found the ruins to be very interesting and you can spend as much time as you need. Our guide was very informative but he could of told me anything (what do I know). We are returning for a second time in Mar and plan on visiting again. Coz is small island and not too many people make it out there. You can easily add this stop into your beach time and have time to shop. Plus a stop at the Pee Pee Station is a good photo op. Granted these are not major ruins but played a significant role in the Maya World. El Cedral only has one little structure remaining and its next to a little church and it located on the western side a couple miles up from Punta Sur.

[BK_Essence]

I'm interested in doing the same thing. Did you arrange for a driver ahead of time or just find one when you arrived? I've seen different postings about drivers, but not sure if this is best option for us. I want to get advice since first trip to island.

[wdowns9]

BK: here is some info for you... http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=474590 In there you will find my contact for setting up a driver for hire.. We are using Gaby again in Feb as we do not want to deal with renting a vehicle. People will tell you that you can rent a car cheaper and you can if you get a high deductible insurance ie 10% the cost of a vehicle. For a jeep that is around $1800 if you get in an accident. All accidents must be settled prior to departure in cash... Its a matter of risk vs reward, wanting to drink or not to drink. We prefer to option of being driven because the cost is similar.

 

We opted for making arrangements in advance and our driver was waiting for us. You can get taxi's as soon as you get off the ships then you need to haggel. Rate is around $25hr. We had a great time and saw the entire island while making several stops with the longest wait being just over an hour at San Gervasio ruins. Hope this helped...Rick

[snowbirds2]

Rick - after reading about your taxi day with Gabby in another of your posts it sounded exactly what we were looking for so we've gone ahead and booked him for when we are in Cozumel at the end of February. Janie was a great intermediary and got back to us very quickly. Thanks for the suggestion and the email addy! Will report back in early March after our trip. Priscilla.

[wdowns9]

Glad you managed to get something set up. I had Gabby stop off at a money exchange to get MXP for the ruins. If they do not have change in $$ then you might get short changed. As we toured the east side we stopped a Coconuts for some great chips/salsa/guacamole. You can get a 10% coupon from Cozumelinsiders under the coupon heading. Do not be afraid to tell him to stop. The Pee Pee station is a good photo op (lizard peeing), also when at El Matidor make sure you climb out on the formation. El Cedral will be a quick stop but you will need to remind him. You are in control, ask ??'s about island life and you will learn much about the culture on the island. Do not stop at the tequilla place because it is not native to the island..Tourist trap (he will not try to make you stop). Enjoy as we will be using him on Mar 2nd.

[BK_Essence]

Thanks Rick for the info. I emailed her today and plan to book quickly so I can get him for my day in port.

[sharecruises]

Great info ! How far are the ruins from Playa Uvas, and how far to "Cedral"?

 

Is "Cedral" worth seeing or ??

 

I was thinking of a short tour (Maybe just Cedral?) then having driver drop us off at Playa Uvas for late lunch, beach time, massage

 

we are in port from 11 am to 7pm

 

ideas appreciated...thanks (*plus want to shop, so not sure if this would work out...? )

[sharecruises]

Great info ! How far are the ruins from Playa Uvas, and how far to "Cedral"?

 

Is "Cedral" worth seeing or ??

 

I was thinking of a short tour (Maybe just Cedral?) then having driver drop us off at Playa Uvas for late lunch, beach time, massage

 

we are in port from 11 am to 7pm

 

ideas appreciated...thanks (*plus want to shop, so not sure if this would work out...? )

[tcworld]

We are planning to take the San Gervasio Mayan Ruins tour through the ship. The description says that we will have 45 minutes to explore the ruins on our own. Is it worth it to hire a guide at the sight for more information?