Chacchoben Mayan Ruins Adventure Tour from Costa Maya
Description
Discover the magic of the ancient Mayan world at Chacchoben, one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in southern Quintana Roo. This unforgettable experience takes you deep into the heart of the jungle, where majestic temples and ceremonial plazas reveal the legacy of an ancient civilization. Our expert bilingual guides will share legends, secrets, and historical facts that bring the site to life, making every step feel like a journey through time. You’ll explore ancient structures, learn about Mayan culture, and enjoy the natural beauty that surrounds this sacred place. This tour includes comfortable round-trip transportation from Costa Maya, small groups for a more personalized experience, and friendly, knowledgeable staff dedicated to making your visit special. Perfect for cruise passengers, this excursion combines history, culture, and nature in a single experience. We guarantee on-time return so you can board your cruise ship in Costa Maya without worries.
Tour Options
Itinerary
On the way, we’ll make a stop at Pedro Santos Pineapple Village, a colorful and picturesque place where you can taste the freshest and sweetest pineapple in the region.
The Chacchoben archaeological site, whose name means “Place of the Red Corn” in the Mayan language, was an important ceremonial and political center during the Classic period. Surrounded by lush tropical jungle, its stepped temples and sacred plazas tell centuries of history and transport you to the greatness of the ancient Mayan civilization. Walk among thousand-year-old temples surrounded by tropical jungle and discover the legacy of a legendary civilization. Our expert guides will bring its history, culture, and traditions to life for you. An adventure you can’t miss!
After experiencing the ancestral magic of Chacchoben, we’ll visit the center of Mahahual if you wish. This charming coastal village offers visitors an authentic, laid-back atmosphere full of local character. Mahahual is one of the most spectacular destinations in the Mexican Caribbean, famous for its white sand beaches, swaying palm trees, and crystal-clear turquoise waters that make you forget about time. Just offshore lies the Mesoamerican Reef, the second-largest coral reef in the world, a natural sanctuary perfect for snorkeling and diving, where you’ll discover a vibrant underwater world. Optionally, we’ll visit the Mahahual lighthouse, one of the town’s most iconic landmarks. Finally, we’ll take you back to the port entrance, ensuring you return on time and stress-free to board your cruise. History, nature, and Caribbean paradise… all in one unforgettable day.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(26)
Our guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about Mayan culture and history. Drive out is about 80 minutes and they bring plenty of water for hot days. After the tour our guide gave us a recommendation for good local food in Mahahual and it didn’t disappoint.
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that our guides were friendly, helpful, and made your experience so much fun. For us, taking care of our guests goes beyond providing a great excursion—we also understand how important it is for cruise passengers to enjoy their day without worrying about missing the ship. We’re especially happy to know that you returned to the ship on time and could enjoy your experience with complete peace of mind. Thank you for choosing us to discover Bacalar, and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again on your next visit to Costa Maya! Warm regards, The Team
Much cheaper than if you book with a cruiseline
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We’re delighted to hear that our guides were friendly, helpful, and made your experience so much fun. For us, taking care of our guests goes beyond providing a great excursion—we also understand how important it is for cruise passengers to enjoy their day without worrying about missing the ship. We’re especially happy to know that you returned to the ship on time and could enjoy your experience with complete peace of mind. Thank you for choosing us to discover Bacalar, and we hope to have the pleasure of welcoming you again on your next visit to Costa Maya! Warm regards, The Team
The experience was absolutely amazing! Our guide, Reggie, made the entire trip unforgettable. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the Maya culture and took the time to explain everything in a way that was interesting and easy to understand. He also answered all of our questions with patience and enthusiasm. The excursion was safe, well organized, and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. If you’re considering this tour, don’t hesitate—you won’t regret it. I highly recommend it, especially if you have Reggie as your guide!
Thank you so much for this amazing review! We’re absolutely delighted to hear that your experience was unforgettable and that Reggie played such an important part in making your day special. His knowledge of Maya culture, passion for sharing the history of our region, and enthusiasm for answering questions are exactly what we want our guests to experience. We’re also very happy to know that you felt safe, well taken care of, and that you enjoyed the organization and beautiful scenery throughout the excursion. Creating memorable experiences while making our guests feel comfortable and confident is one of our top priorities. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Reggie—he will be thrilled to know how much you enjoyed having him as your guide! Thank you for recommending us to other travelers. It was a pleasure having you with us, and we hope to welcome you again on your next visit to Costa Maya! Warm regards, The Team
Finding our tour operator took a bit of work, but we got help and connected with them. Saul was very knowledgeable about the history of the Chacchoban Ruins, having a personal connection. We traveled in a small group and had a very personal walk and talk through parts that most people don't see. Really a great way to experience the Mayan ruins of Chacchoban. We stopped at a fruit stand on the way back and enjoyed the best pineapple I have ever tasted. A very engaging and informative activity. The children in our group also seemed to enjoy the tour as much as the older members. Very definitely go with this tour. Well worth the time and great value.
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re truly happy to hear you had a fantastic experience from start to finish. It means a lot to us that you felt the tour was worth it. Thank you for choosing us during your visit, and we hope to welcome you back again for another unforgettable adventure in the future!
We booked this ourselves due to the outrageous crisping excursion prices. I’m so glad we did! We experienced the SAME Mayan ruins, small town shops, and local food for a fraction of the price. It was a bit of a walk out of the port area to the meet up point, but not too bad. Our van had great AC, ice cold bottled water, and the smaller group made it more enjoyable than being on a big bus. Our guide was very friendly, informative, and gave us first class treatment every step of the way (thanks Octavio!). The ruins were breathtaking and the daily of monkeys we found were an added bonus. I highly recommend this tour!
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re truly happy to hear you had a fantastic experience from start to finish. It means a lot to us that you felt the tour was worth it. Thank you for choosing us during your visit, and we hope to welcome you back again for another unforgettable adventure in the future!
Excellent experience. Family of 5, great transportation and very well taken care of. Would note, the meeting point is outside the cruise port, by the roundabout statue. Very easy access to port
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re truly happy to hear you had a fantastic experience from start to finish. It means a lot to us that you felt the tour was worth it. Thank you for choosing us during your visit, and we hope to welcome you back again for another unforgettable adventure in the future!
Be mindful of this tour guide, the ship had a delay and we didn't get to our meeting point till 9am, instead of the 8am time has planned. I expected a little empathy and understanding considering the delay from the cruise ship and the fact that I had no network to communicate that to him. I was traveling with little kids and the meeting point was ridiculously too far from the port with people trying to help us find our meeting point. We finally found a nice lady who offered us her phone to contact the guide to see if they can either send us someone else or refund us. Well we got denied a refund as he claims I didn't come out till 10:40am. My question is how did you know what time we came out since you left at the appointment time? I have never dealt with a tour guide as such, so be very mindful, especially when your ship is delayed.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are truly sorry to hear about the difficulties you faced due to your cruise ship delay and the challenges of reaching the meeting point. We understand how stressful travel delays can be, especially when traveling with young children. Unfortunately, our tours operate on a fixed schedule that is coordinated with all guests who have reserved and arrived on time, many of whom are also cruise passengers from the same ship. For this reason, we are unable to delay departures without affecting the experience and plans of the rest of the group. Our records indicate that our team waited at the designated meeting point during the scheduled departure time and attempted to accommodate all arriving guests within the operational window. Once the tour has departed, it is generally not possible to arrange an alternative departure or provide a refund for missed tours, as the reserved spaces and operational costs have already been committed. We sincerely regret that the circumstances prevented you from joining the tour and that this led to disappointment. Your feedback is valuable and will help us continue improving the information we provide regarding meeting points and arrival times for cruise passengers. We appreciate your comments and wish you and your family the very best on your future travels.
This is a great way to spend a morning. Octavio our guide was very knowledgeable, and happy to answer all our questions. The temple area is fascinating. We enjoyed the fresh pineapple and dried plantains and drinks he provided, which were available any time. Our driver was friendly and drove safely. A small group (7 plus Octavio) is a very good way to enjoy this site.
Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your kind recommendation. We hope to welcome you back on your next trip.
Nice tour. Small group, 5 people. Learned lots of facts. Guides are engaging and knowledgeable. Overall a great tour.
Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your kind recommendation. We hope to welcome you back on your next trip.
Excellent tour, Rafael was awesome! Very informative and friendly, provided bottled water, highly recommend!! Stopped at a local food stand for lunch, homemade empanadas and tacos, and a fruit stand for complementary pineapple and mango tasting. We enjoyed the tour very much.
Thank you for your feedback. We appreciate your kind recommendation. We hope to welcome you back on your next trip.
