Bacalar Lagoon and Chacchoben Mayan Ruins from Costa Maya
Description
Two of our favorite places in a single day. Travel from the world of the ancient Maya to the old pirate routes of Bacalar, all from Costa Maya. Explore the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins, where ancient temples and ceremonial structures rise among the tropical jungle. Walk through the site with your guide, discovering the history of this Maya city while surrounded by native plants, tropical birds, and the sounds of the jungle. Then leave the ancient city behind and continue to Bacalar Seven Color Lagoon, once a haven for pirates and today known for its clear freshwater and beautiful shades of blue. Swim, kayak, or simply relax by the lagoon with your favorite drink while enjoying the breeze and views. And because a day like this deserves good food, enjoy an included taco lunch with chips and salsa right by the water before heading back to Costa Maya.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your adventure begins with transportation from Costa Maya, departing 1 hour after your cruise ship arrives in port. Enjoy the approximately 50-minute drive to Chacchoben, passing through local villages along the way. Spend approximately 1 hour exploring the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins with your guide, discovering an ancient Maya ceremonial center surrounded by tropical jungle. Walk among impressive temples and structures while learning about the history and secrets of this fascinating city. Follow the jungle trails and enjoy the combination of ancient Maya architecture and tropical nature, with native plants, colorful birds, and even the possibility of spotting spider monkeys among the trees. After exploring Chacchoben, continue approximately 25 minutes to Bacalar Lagoon for the second part of your adventure.
After exploring Chacchoben, continue to the beautiful Bacalar Seven Color Lagoon, once a haven for pirates and today famous for its crystal-clear freshwater and incredible shades of blue and turquoise. Spend approximately 2 hours by the lagoon enjoying it at your own pace. Take a refreshing swim, grab a kayak and explore the water, or simply relax on a lounger with a cold drink while enjoying the breeze and views. Take a break for an included taco lunch with chips and salsa, choosing from fillings such as chicken fajitas, Spanish sausage with potato, or traditional al pastor. After your time at Bacalar, sit back and relax on the approximately 1 hour and 5-minute return drive to Costa Maya Port, with your cruise schedule always kept in mind.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- This tour will depart one hour after your cruise arrives to port from Plaza Las Fuentes, conveniently located just a few steps away from the main access of Costa Maya Port.
- Please note that the total walking time from your cruise ship to the meeting point is about 15 minutes.
- IMPORTANT: Travelers coming by cruise ship must provide the full name of the ship.
- Cruise guests arriving after 12 PM. Make the most of your limited time in port by booking our Chacchoben Mayan City Tour or our beach break options
- You will be back to the port before boarding time, guaranteed!
- No port, no pay! Guaranteed full refund if your cruise ship does not call port in Costa Maya at all
- The use of tripods and drones are prohibited at the Mayan City.
- This experience is best appreciated by children ages 6 and older.
- Visitors are not permitted to climb the temples.
- Vegetarian and gluten-free meals are available upon request. Please advise us in advance of any dietary requirements or food allergies.
- Guests 21 and older receive two alcoholic drinks. Additional premium beverages are available for purchase.
- Life jackets are mandatory for all water activities and are provided
- Water activities may be restricted by local authorities due to wind, lightning, or other unsafe weather conditions.
- Children must be 10 years or older to paddle a single kayak alone. Children under 10 may kayak with a supervising adult.
- Weight limit for a single kayak is 220 pounds or 270 pounds for a double kayak.
- This tour involves walking outdoors on jungle trails, with some rocks, roots, and uneven surfaces.
- Kayaking is not permitted for pregnant guests.
Reviews(9)
Elliott (our guide) and Pedro (our driver) were phenomenal! Our cruise ship had limited time at port that day. Our guide adapted the excursion and watched the time for us so that we didn’t have to stress about making it back to the ship on time. We had grandma with us in a wheelchair and they were able to accommodate her. Our guide’s knowledge was very impressive and he taught us about the Maya culture and history in an engaging and fun way. Great sense of humor too! The perfect balance between history and fun. The tacos we delicious and Bacalar Lagoon was stunning. The water temp was perfect. The kids loved kayaking and jumping off the dock. 10 out of 10 experience!
Wonderful experience, service and food! It was well worth the walk off port to support local people!!!! I was very impressed with their knowledge and kindness!!
Hi Stephanie, We’re so grateful you chose to spend your day with us in Costa Maya during your cruise on the Star of the Seas! Hearing that you loved the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins and the breathtaking Bacalar Lagoon truly means a lot to our entire team. Your kind words about our service, food, and local guides warm our hearts—thank you for supporting our local community here in the Mexican Caribbean. We’d love to welcome you back in the future for another adventure and more unforgettable memories! Until then, feel free to share your favorite moments and tag us on Instagram or Facebook at @NextExperienceTravel so other travelers can discover this beautiful destination too! With gratitude, The Caribbean Cruise Tours Team 💙🌴
This was a relaxing and great tour! Our tour guide was Alan. What an absolute joy he was!!!! The ruins were fascinating. Driving to the ruins, you got a feel for how the locals live. Very eye opening. We loved the lagoon and the food was delicious!!
Hi Christy, We’re thrilled you had a relaxing and eye-opening experience with us in Costa Maya during your cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas! It sounds like Alan made your day extra special—he truly is a gem! From the fascinating Chacchoben ruins to the stunning Bacalar Lagoon and that delicious local food, we’re so glad you enjoyed every moment. Thanks for choosing to spend your day in the beautiful Mexican Caribbean with us! Feel free to share your amazing stories and tag us on Instagram or Facebook at @NextExperienceTravel—we love seeing our guests’ favorite moments and inspiring fellow travelers! Hope to see you again on your next adventure! Warm regards, The Caribbean Cruise Tours Team 🌴
Our guide Joel was very informative and did a great job educating the group on the history of the Mayans and encouraged us to learn the real culture! The ruins were interesting. The Lagoon was not what we expected. The pictures show beautiful cenotes, but the spot was REALLY small and there are no cenotes. The drinks were cold but so was the food. Overall, this excursion was nice, but it was rushed and there is a lot of riding on the bus.
Hi Karen_T, Thank you so much for choosing us during your cruise vacation on board Carnival Jubilee to spend your day in Costa Maya in the beautiful Mexican Caribbean! We’re so glad you enjoyed exploring the Chacchoben ruins with Joel—he’s incredibly passionate about sharing the rich history and real culture of the Mayan world. We’re sorry to hear the lagoon experience didn’t fully meet your expectations. Our Bacalar Combo Tour is designed to take cruise guests to the closest access point of the Bacalar Lagoon from the port, so you can enjoy its stunning beauty while making the most of your limited time ashore. This tour doesn’t include cenotes, and we don’t mention them in the description—but we do offer another longer version that includes a boat ride and visits to the cenotes within the lagoon. We’d be thrilled to welcome you back and take you there on your next visit! Thanks again for spending your day with us, and don’t forget to share your stories and tag us on Instagram or Facebook at @NextExperienceTravel—we’d love to see your adventure and inspire fellow travelers! Warm wishes, The Caribbean Cruise Tours Team 🌴
We experienced issues with the AC during the bus ride to the ruins. With the heat it’s was unbearable once we got to the ruins we changed busses and the rest of the experience was excellent. Erick and Diego were amazing guides
Hi Viviana, Thank you for choosing to spend your day with us in Costa Maya during your cruise on the MSC Seascape! We're so glad to hear that despite the hiccup with the AC, your tour turned into a fantastic experience—and Erick and Diego truly are amazing guides! We’d love to see your favorite moments from the ruins and Bacalar Lagoon—feel free to share your stories and tag us on Instagram or Facebook at @NextExperienceTravel so other travelers can discover the magic of this beautiful destination too! Looking forward to welcoming you again on another Caribbean adventure! Best wishes, The Caribbean Cruise ToursTeam 🌴
Yoshi was our tour guide and she was very knowledgeable of the history of the ruins! Had tasty adobada and chicken tacos, tortilla chips, salsas, and pina coladas at the bacalar lagoon and kayaking was a blast! Definitely recommend this tour :)
Hi Chrisette, We’re thrilled you chose to spend your day with us in Costa Maya during your cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas! It sounds like Yoshi brought the ruins to life with her knowledge, and we’re so glad you enjoyed the tacos, piña coladas, and that fun kayaking session on the beautiful Bacalar Lagoon! Thanks for recommending us and for exploring this slice of paradise with us! Feel free to share your amazing stories and tag us on Instagram or Facebook at @NextExperienceTravel—we’d love to see your adventures and help inspire fellow travelers. Until your next adventure, The Next Experience Travel Team 🌴
Overall, the experience was excellent and enjoyable. The ruins were fascinating and exciting to explore. The time there unfortunately was a bit rushed so would recommend spending a bit more time there. The Bacalar Lagoon part of the experience was disappointing and misleading. The pictures on Viator are not accurate and do not depict the actual lagoon visited. While the place was enjoyable, it was not nearly as pretty as the pictures posted on Viator by the provider. The place is a lagoon (lake actually), but not where the seven color Bacalar Lagoon is. So please be aware. As far as the staff directing the excursion, they were all outstanding, professional, fun, entertaining, and caring individuals. They made the trip.
Hi Daniel_C, We’re so glad you joined us in Costa Maya during your Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas cruise—thank you for choosing to spend your day in the beautiful Mexican Caribbean with us! It’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed exploring the fascinating Chacchoben ruins and that our team made your experience memorable. They’ll be thrilled to hear your kind words! We’re truly sorry the lagoon portion didn’t meet your expectations. We’re currently undergoing important renovations at our usual venue to enhance the guest experience, and we appreciate your understanding during this temporary change. As for the Bacalar Lagoon, its stunning colors depend on several natural factors, and recent heavy rains have affected its usual beauty. We hope to welcome you again in the future for an even better experience! In the meantime, feel free to share your memories and tag us on Instagram or Facebook at @NextExperienceTravel—we’d love to see your moments and help inspire other travelers too! Tropical Regards, The Caribbean Cruise Tours Team 🌴
Eder and Edgar we’re professional, friendly, courteous, and funny. They were also extremely knowledgeable.
Dear Alysha, Thank you so much for your incredible review! We're thrilled to hear that you had an amazing time exploring the Bacalar Lagoon and Chacchoben Mayan Ruins with Eder and Edgar. They truly are fantastic guides! We're delighted that you found them professional, friendly, and knowledgeable—it's always our goal to provide top-notch experiences for our guests. We're honored that you chose us during your cruise vacation onboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines' Icon of the Seas. Costa Maya is indeed a gem in the Mexican Caribbean, and we're glad you got to experience its beauty with us. Feel free to share your wonderful stories and tag us on Instagram and Facebook at @CostaMayaShoreExcursions, so other travelers can also discover the magic of this destination! Warm regards, Caribbean Cruise Tours Team
We went to the ruins and that was sweet!!!! But the best part was going to the lagoon! It was private!!!
Dear Tobey_S, Thank you so much for choosing us during your cruise vacation onboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines' Voyager of the Seas! We're thrilled to hear you had a great time exploring the ruins and enjoyed the private experience at the lagoon. Your enthusiasm means the world to us! Looking forward to welcoming you back for more adventures in the Mexican Caribbean. Best regards, The Caribbean Cruise Tours team
