Bacalar Lagoon & Chacchoben Mayan Ruins from Costa Maya

The instructions were clear to get to the Native Choice building. Check in was super smooth! Alandra (probably butchering her name), pretty pink bow is what I called her was super informative and accommodating. There were only 8 of us total on the tour which made it super intimate and loved not being in a big group. The Mayan ruins were interesting to look at. I loved that we got a private, secluded area on the Bacalar lagoon with plenty of food and our two drinks waiting. I do wish we had more of an open area in the lagoon and got to experience more of the lagoon as that was my purpose for the trip. We were able to stop to get pineapple on the way back which was a nice treat for $2. We were not late to get back to our ship even with the additional stop. Our driver, guide, bartender and chefs were remarkable! Only suggestion would be adding to the Bacalar experience. Bring mosquito spray for Ruins!!!!!!

Ozzy & Yoshi were a great driver & Maya guide. Yoshi explained all about the Chacchoben ruin, and we enjoyed our 4 types of tacos & swim in the picturesque Balacar Lagoon. Loved the small group size.

As Royal Caribbean cruise passengers, we booked the Bacalar Lagoon & Chacchoben Mayan Ruins from Costa Maya excursion through Viator expecting a seamless experience. Instead, it turned into a frustrating game of tour operator ping-pong. We followed the instructions exactly, walked approximately 15 minutes from the cruise port to the designated meeting location, and checked in at the kiosk listed on our reservation. That’s when the chaos started. The staff at Native Choice immediately told us they were not affiliated with Viator and directed us to Toucan Tours. We walked over to Toucan Tours, only to be told that the booking belonged with Native Choice. Back we went. Neither company seemed to know who was responsible for the reservation. Ironically, the neighboring tour operators who had nothing to do with our booking were far more helpful, professional, and courteous than anyone connected to this excursion. What made the situation even worse was that Viator had absolutely no representatives on-site. There was nobody available to assist, clarify, or take ownership of the problem. After nearly 10 minutes of back-and-forth discussion and argument, we were finally told that they had never received the Viator booking at all. Their solution? Since the main tour bus had already departed while we were being bounced between operators, they asked whether we’d like to join a shortened version of the tour instead. So let me summarize: • Followed all instructions exactly. • Walked 15 minutes in the heat to the meeting point. • Sent between two different tour companies. • No Viator representative available anywhere. • Booking apparently never transmitted to the local operator. • Missed the scheduled departure through no fault of our own. • Offered a reduced experience after paying for the full excursion. When cruise passengers have only a few hours in port, reliability is everything. This experience demonstrated a complete breakdown in communication between Viator and its local partners. We wasted valuable vacation time trying to locate a tour that should have been organized before we ever stepped off the ship. I would strongly recommend future travelers think twice before booking this excursion through Viator unless they enjoy scavenger hunts, confusion, and the possibility of missing the tour they paid for. Costa Maya is beautiful. Unfortunately, this booking experience was anything but.

My experience in Bacalar was simply unforgettable. The Lagoon of Seven Colors is even more impressive in person: crystal clear water, absolute tranquility and landscapes that seem unrealistic. I really enjoyed the boat rides, the sunsets and the relaxed vibe of the place. It is the perfect destination to disconnect, rest and reconnect with nature. I would definitely come back. ✨

Yoshi was very knowledgeable and friendly, easy to visit with, gave clear instructions as to expectations for the excursion, she had a fun personality that made the day very enjoyable - not to mention the locations we visited were incredible and the views were amazing! I would definitely book with Native Choice again!

Such a good day. Easy to find the meeting point after getting off our cruise ship. We had a lovely really knowledgeable guide and a careful driver. They got us to the ruins before the crowds. The ruins were great and all our quest about them were answered thoroughly. Then on to the lake which was beautiful. Lunch at the lake was so nice and we could eat as much as we wanted. The staff there were lovely too. A perfect day and far better than the horrible expensive excursion we had the day before which was run by our cruise company. Will use you again thankyou

Excellent experience. Tour guides were knowledgeable. Perfect mix of informative and relaxing. Lunch and drinks at the lake were delicious. Would recommend tour specifically and the provider. Will book with them again.

Native was organized from the beginning! Solid communication and they were prompt in getting us going. The directions to get out of the port area were clear and they were easy to find. Our guide Rosie was fantastic! She split her time between 2 vans, but made sure we had all the info and history. The ruins were wonderful and we learned a lot from the information she provided. Lunch at the lagoon was delicious! We had 4 different types of tacos and lovely drink options. Lagoon was beautiful and kayaks were in great shape as well as the rest of the property. They got us back to the shop in plenty of time.

Our tour guide Rosie and our driver Alberto were amazing! we rode in a comfortable air-conditioned van with another couple and a family, so we were a nice small group. They had cold waters for us. We were able to leave a little early since everybody showed up on time so we beat the crowds out to the ruins. The weather was perfect and the ruins were so interesting, we saw a few little animals as well our guide, Rossy was so informative and answered all of our questions and we learned so many interesting facts. We had a short ride to the lagoon, it was absolutely beautiful and the food was hot and ready to go as soon as we arrived. We had delicious drinks and the tacos were so good, we are still thinking about them! That pineapple salsa is delicious! We were able to swim and relax at the lagoon for a good amount of time before heading back to the boat. I had us there with plenty of time and they kept track of what time we needed to leave so we were truly able to relax!!! on the way back we stopped at a fruit stand and got to sample some of the fresh fruits, and some homemade breads! Everyone loved it! Very highly recommend this tour!!!!

We knew this excursion would be shorter than usual since we were only in port for seven hours. Before our cruise, we confirmed with the tour operator that we needed to be there by 8:00 AM and would return to port by 1:30 PM to board our ship on time. We arrived early, around 7:50 AM, expecting to depart promptly at 8:00 AM for the Mayan ruins. However, we ended up sitting on the bus for nearly an hour, waiting until 8:50 AM for the operator to gather everyone. This delay significantly cut into our time at the ruins—we had just 20 minutes to snap a few pictures before being rushed back onto the bus. There was no time to explore, shop for souvenirs, or truly take in the experience, which was incredibly disappointing. The lagoon portion of the excursion was much better; we had about an hour and 15 minutes to eat and relax, and we have no complaints about that part. However, the return trip was another issue. Despite assurances that we’d be back by 1:30 PM, we didn’t arrive until 1:50 PM, forcing us to sprint to our ship to avoid being left behind. The only reason this isn’t a one-star review is because our tour guide and bus driver were excellent. However, for a group of eight people who collectively paid nearly $1,000, spending less than two hours on actual activities while wasting so much time on the bus was a huge letdown. The tour operator needs to improve organization, manage expectations better, and follow through on promises. Unfortunately, this experience did not live up to what was advertised.