Cruise Guide – Mayan Ruins
January 21-26, 2019 MTQ will sail on the 45th Annual Singing at Sea Cruise to Mexico! We’ll be back on Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas for a five night cruise to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico with 25 Gospel groups, preaching and Christian comedy. Once again, the bars and casinos will be closed and we’ll have the whole vessel to ourselves! Cozumel has always been a favorite port on this trip, and next year we’ll get to enjoy not just one, but two days in Mexico with the added port of Costa Maya. If you like Cozumel, you’ll like Costa Maya – the ports are very similar. But today, we want to tell you a little about the historical sites you can visit in each of these ports.
Costa Maya…
Brilliance of the Seas will sail us into Costa Maya for our first port of call in Mexico. Costa Maya is situated 120 miles south of Cozumel and is one of Mexico’s newest cruise ports. But, just because it was built for tourists doesn’t mean that it lacks a natural Mexican charm. If you’re interested in local history, consider a tour to one of these ancient landmarks…
Chacchoben Ruins
The civilization dates back to 350 A.D. and is located in a jungle that will make you feel like you’ve truly stepped into the unexplored Mexican wilderness. The ruins are only an hours drive from the cruise port and one temple by the name of “El Gran Basamento” can be climbed, for those with children or an adventurous spirit!
Bacalar
If you think that the Caribbean islands are the only ones who had to protect their treasure from pirates, think again! Fuerte San Felipe Bacalar, a Spanish fortress in Bacalar, was built to safeguard the area from pirates and attacks from neighboring peoples.
Cozumel…
The next day, our ship will come into Cozumel, the largest of Mexico’s islands. This port has many activities to occupy your time, but if you haven’t had your fill of Mayan or even Aztec history, you won’t have a problem finding tours to satisfy. Your only problem will be deciding which one to visit!
Chichen Itza
When Singing at Sea changed cruise lines (from Carnival to Royal Caribbean), shore excursions changed as well. For the first time, cruisers can visit the most popular ruins in Mexican history – Chichen Itza. Tour provided through Royal Caribbean!
Coba
Coba is a unique place to visit in Mexico. Not only do get to enjoy multiple Mayan ruins in one tour, you get to ride through the jungle on an old fashioned rickshaw and if you choose to, climb the main temple tucked away in the jungle. We know not everyone can make the 138 foot climb to the top, but if you can, the view is amazing!
Tulum
Though Royal Caribbean doesn’t offer a tour to the ruins of Tulum itself, they do offer an excursion that takes you snorkeling on Tulum Beach. For cruisers that have already toured Tulum, this excursion is a fun, relaxing way to revisit a beautiful area of Mexico.
Interested in more information on how MTQ can be your host on this cruise, please visit our cruise page —> Here
