One of the reasons people cruise the Western Caribbean is because of how many different Mayan ruins you can tour in many of the ports. In this post, I will talk about the top four Mayan ruins you should consider for your next Western Caribbean cruise.
The ancient Mayan civilization was located across what is now Mexico (mostly the Yucatan Peninsula), Belize, Guatemala, and small portions of Honduras and El Salvador. Cruise ports with access to Mayan ruins include Belize City (Belize), Costa Maya (Quintana Roo, Mexico), Cozumel (Quintana Roo, Mexico), and Progreso (Yucatán, Mexico). Read on for the best site to visit in each of these ports.
Altun Ha - from the port of Belize City, Belize
Altun Ha is one of the closer Mayan ruins to a cruise port and can be seen with just a half day excursion although it is often combined with lunch and a river boat cruise for a full day excursion. It is also one of the few that still has a pyramid you can climb. Aside from the option to climb a pyramid, the site is fairly level and does not require a lot of walking. Bring a hat and wear sunscreen as there is very little shade at this site.
One thing to note about this cruise port is that due to shallow waters in the port area, cruise ships anchor and high speed boats tender passengers in to port so leave extra time for the tendering process.
Chacchoben - from the port of Costa Maya, Mexico
Chacchoben is another site that can be visited with just a half-day excursion from Costa Maya. These ruins are unique as the majority of the very large site has yet to be excavated. There still are some pretty impressive pyramids and structures that have been excavated but they are nestled in the jungle that has overtaken this area in the years since the Mayans abandoned the site. Besides giving these ruins a different vibe, the jungle also provides a lot of shade.
A tour of this site involves a moderate level of walking and if you want to see the last two structures, requires the ability to climb steps. There is an option to climb the original steep large 32 steps or take a slightly easier route with less steps. Those that climb to see these additional two structures return down the easier set of steps so anyone not willing or able to climb can wait at the bottom.
Tulum - from the port of Cozumel
What makes Tulum unique is its location. These Mayan ruins are the only ones that are located on the cliffs overlooking the Gulf of Mexico so the backdrop is beautiful. The site is fairly level although does require a moderate amount of walking. Bring a hat and wear sunscreen as there is very little shade at this site.
An important note about these ruins is that there is a fair amount of travel involved. Cozumel is an island and the ruins are located on the mainland. So after disembarking your cruise ship, you will board a ferry that is about a 35 minute ride not including the time waiting for all the excursions to board (many different excursions headed to the mainland ride the same ferry). Once on the mainland, there is an hour bus ride before arriving at the site. And then the entire process is repeated at the end of your time exploring Tulum.
The day we took this excursion, the return ferry sat for a long time on the mainland waiting for late excursions before heading back to the cruise port on the island which made us late getting back to the ship. Because we had booked a cruise line excursion (and we were on a ferry full of passengers that had all booked a cruise line excursion), the ship waited for us. This is one excursion, I would encourage people to book through the cruise line for this very reason.
Chichén Itzá - from the port of Progreso, Yucatán
Chichén Itzá is one of the most impressive Mayan ruins and well worth a visit for anyone interested in Mayan culture. Unfortunately, not as many cruise lines stop at Progreso and so this takes a bit more planning than the other three port stops which are common on just about every Western Caribbean itinerary.
Chichén Itzá is known for its large pyramid (the Pyramid of Kukulkan, also known as El Castillo) and its large ball court. The site is fairly level and requires a moderate amount of walking. Bring a hat and wear sunscreen as there is very little shade at this site.
As a note, there is a fair amount of travel to get to these ruins.. From Progreso, it is a little less than a 2.5 hour bus ride each way.
Occasionally, if a ship will be in the port of Cozumel for enough hours, I have also seen an excursion to Chichén Itzá offered from Cozumel. If at all possible, I do not recommend trying to see this site from Cozumel as it would require the ferry ride described above for Tulum plus over a 2 hour bus ride each way resulting in close to 6 hours traveling to and from the site with very little time to actually experience the ruins.
In summary, any of these Mayan ruins are worth a visit. They all are fairly impressive sites and on each excursion, we have had knowledgeable guides who have shared a lot of interesting information about the Mayan culture.
Have you visited any of these ruins? Are there others you have visited that you would recommend to others?
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