Costa Maya's Chacchoben Mayan Ruins

We really enjoyed the tour from beginning to end. It was a short walk from the ship to the tour office but once we got there the tour was organized, we had native guides who were knowledgeable and friendly, the vans were new, clean and air conditioned. The ruins were worth traveling to and very interesting.

My husband and I took this excursion at the end of January 2018. Our tour guide's name was Eddar and our driver was Pedro (if I am remembering correctly). Eddar was very knowledgeable about the Mayan people and the ruins. He also had a great sense of humor, and was very friendly and helpful. The Mayan ruins are amazing, and it was also fun to see the monkeys up in the trees. I enjoyed hearing about the history and why so many of the ruins remain uncovered. Lunch at the resort was wonderful, and taking the kayak out in the lagoon was a lot of fun. We stopped on the way back and purchased fresh pineapple from the people selling on the side of the road - with added chili pepper (that is something everyone should try). The van was kept very nice and clean, and was a very comfortable ride. I would definitely recommend taking this tour, and hopefully you get Eddar as your tour guide.

This was a very nice tour. Roads there were excellent shape. Our tour guide, David was very knowable on ruins and the region and a great personality. You could tell he liked his job. The only problem we had was walking that far from the ship to the building it departed from.

We had an extraordinary experience on this trip. It was our first time visiting Mayan ruins, and the in-depth presentation by the guides, as well as the exquisite detail of the archeological recovery, made the trip one of the best excursions we ever had. The ride from the port to the site was about an hour long, but it gave a constructive view of the real Mexico.

Recommended for everyone. Kaci and Rito were great. I particularly enjoyed the Mayan mythology Kaci told us. Really learned a lot on this trip.

This excursion was a wonderful experience. I love to visit ruins, it was a great trip, and our guide at the ruins was informative and interesting. Would highly recommend!

This was an awesome excursion. Huge our tour guide was so knowledgeable on everything. He could answer any questions we had. It was about an hour drive each way to the ruins, but we were able to stop for fresh pineapple on the way back. SO GOOD! We were also given a bottle of water at the end of the tour and that was very kind. I would highly recommend!!!

After about an hour bus ride we arrived at the ruins and spent some time there walking around with our guide. It was a relatively easy walk on a path through the jungle and we saw the ruins and a tree full of monkeys. The only physically challenging part was a walk up some stone stairs to see additional ruins, but that part was optional so this excursion could be done by almost anyone. Very interesting adventure!

This was a great tour. Hugo was our guide and he AMAZED me at how much he knew about the culture. He could answer any question you threw at him. We were even able to stop and get fresh pineapple from a roadside stand and it was delicious. I would highly recommend this tour!

This excursion was excellent. The trip guide provided good information and history. The Ruins themselves were unbelievable.

Our tour guides were very welcoming and friendly. They gave us a lot of information on the culture.

This was a well conducted tour with a very knowledgeable guide. The vehicles were very comfortable and the site of the ruins was well restored and quite large. Our tour was on the day a bus from another tour group had an accident and we were delayed returning to the ship. Our guide and driver quickly came up with an alternate plan and we were taken to a lovely outdoor eating area and treated to food and drink. They really made the best out of a bad situation. The only concern for this company is that they are about 20 minutes walk from the dock and the map supplied when booking the trip was not completely accurate.

Excellent tour! Would highly recommend. Our guide gave us an excellent insight to the history of the ruins. Our walking tour of the Ruins lasted over 90 minutes, which went by quickly. We have seen other Maya Ruins, and this was by far the best. Note: there were 14 of us on this tour compared to 30 plus we saw there from Cruise tours.

This was an excellent excursion with an outstanding guide, Ivan, whose English was wonderfully clear and he had an amazing amount of knowledge. It teemed with rain but the company offered us umbrellas - well done. The only disadvantage was that we had to walk a long way to the Native Choice Office, as the ship did not allow us to be picked up closer..

We had such a wonderful time on this excursion! Ivan was our guide and his knowledge of the town, the ruins and the history was absolutely perfect! We had an awesome time and would love to go again!

We had Kasi for our guide. Her knowledge of the past was amazing & she imparted how life in the area is now. She made this excursion as wonderful as it was. I would recommend this excursion to one & all!

A terrific, small-group excursion, that was professionally run and a lot of fun!

This was an excellent tour for several reasons. One the time mid morning before all the big tour busses arrived Second a small group of about 10 people so we could hear our guide easily.Third some independent exploration time given and help with finding bits of pottery helpful and fun. Lastly, the guide very well informed sharing information with understandable english and true enthusiasm. To assure comfort assistants carried umbrellas and water. Being ahead of the crowds a plus!

Very professional from everyone. Clean vans. Also no stops at local vans. This tour rates a ten in my book.

We had a great time on this excursion! The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable as they took us around the ruins. We had plenty of time to wander around and take pictures as well which was nice. Cold beer and water when we got back on the bus which was a nice perk!

Husband unable to take the excursion due to gastro-intestinal upset. I went, thought it was very interesting, educational. It was great!

I enjoyed this tour. It gave me some of the background to the Mayans. The guide was very knowledgeable and answered questions from the group. We even saw some spider monkeys in the trees. I definitely recommend this tour. Directions to the departure area were adequate although it was quite a hike to get there about 20 minute walk from the ship. But there are cabs available to hire if you are so inclined.They did drop us off closer to the pier.

The locals at Native were great. Our guide, Lorenzo I think, was outstanding. He was very knowledgeable about Mayan history and made the excursion well worth it.

We loved the tour and enjoyed the Maya ruins very much. The service provided by the shore excursion company is great, new confortable van with AC and cold water was provided, our guide was pretty attentive and knowledgeable about the Maya culture. The only bad thing is that the meeting point is outside the port and a bit far from the port.

We loved this tour and were so glad that we booked it. Ivan, our tour guide, was a wonderful wealth of knowledge. It was amazing to see these ruins and then learn about his family's history with Chacchoben. We could only imagine seeing his family living and working the farm and then discovering these beautiful pieces of history. We learned so much about the Mayan's and the Yucatan. We would recommend this tour to anyone visiting Costa Maya.

The ruins is really worth of visiting. The tour guide is very knowledgeable and patient. Highly recommended!

Fabulous tour with in-depth details of Mayan culture and history of the ruins and their discovery and restoration. Ivan, the main guide, was a wealth of knowledge. He even picked up small pottery shards from the ground around the ruins and identified them by era and use! Only drawback was the walk to the office; someone should meet you at the port mall at the taxi stand.

Meeting information was great, cost was reasonable, tour guide was very knowledgeable and personable and the company did everything they could to make us comfortable in the heat including cold waters. Would use then again!

This tour was thru Native Choice and the meeting place is within walking distance from the port. Great service by this company! The ruins are about a 50 minute air conditioned van ride. Guides are very knowledgeable and entertaining. Our guide was Mayan and we learned so much on our drive and at the ruins. The tour was very easy walking. Paths are wide and climbing is optional. Yes, you get to climb! We saw 3 spider monkeys and took great photos! They provided plenty of bottled water. No, the bugs are not bad, but have bug spray just in case! This was one of the best activities on our entire cruise in September 2017. Highly recommend and well worth the $$ here.

Great adventure and our tour guide was so educational and informative.

i cannot say enough about our tour guide, Edder. On the ride there, he talked about the history and culture of the area. We even pulled over to buy fresh fruit for the ride from a pineapple stand on the side of the street. That was a nice touch. Once we arrived he imparted a lot of knowledge on us regarding the ruins, and the current state of their remains. He and our driver even helped us lure a monkey across the tree canopy so we could get a closer look, while reminding us to keep our distance. I will say, the walk from the boat to their office is sketchy. We were even approached by 2 people who tried to get us in their car. I did not to bring my 6 yr old on this excursion, and between the blazing sun, the bus ride, and the sketchy surroundings of the walk, i'm glad i made that decision. next time i'll take a cab to the office. However, once we arrived we were handed cold water, and loaded onto nice air conditioned vans, and it was all wonderful from that point forward :)

We had such a great day! The long drive to the ruins was made short by the guide telling us a lot about the surroundings, history of the area we were visiting and other things of interest. The ruins themselves are a memory for life! A treat on the way back was buying some pinaple by the road and eating these with some strong chilli!

My family and friends had a great time on the tour. Our guides were very nice and extremely knowledgeable. We learned a lot about the area and culture. I would recommend the excursion.

There was a very well narrated trip but I wouldn't say it was a small group tour. There were at least 50 people on the bus. Our tour guide on the bus talked the whole time and we learned a lot. Our tour of Chacchoben was great to see the old mayan ruins and to see how much is still unseen.

We had amazing time during this tour. Our guide was very knowledgeable and shared with us a lot of information about Mayan times and modern era. Absolutely recommend for everybody!

This is a wonderful excursion to a little known, recently discovered Mayan ruins. Our guide and driver were excellent - very informative and personable. In addition to seeing and learning about the ruins we saw a lot of wild monkeys. On the way back we stopped by a local fruit stand so we could experience fresh pineapple and mango - delicious. Highly recommend this tour.

Our guide Joel was very knowledgeable about the Mayan culture. The office was a short, easy walk from the cruise ship. An added bonus to the ruins...we saw many monkeys.

The excursion was fantastic! The van ride to the ruins was air conditioned and we were given cold water when we arrived. We were so lucky to have Lorenzo as our guide. It took about an hour to get to the ruins, but he made the trip fun and gave us a lot of information about the area. It was definitely worth it!

We enjoyed this excursion. Our grandsons were able to climb on the ruins and enjoyed it very much.

We were excited to see this offered as an optional excursion on our cruise to Mexico. We were extremely pleased, and had an awesome time seeing and exploring the ruins. When we got off our ship, we were apprehensive about finding our meeting spot for the tour. I wish I had printed the map along with the directions. But we did find it. Our tour guide was Joel. He was amazing. He was very knowledgeable about the Mayan history and kept our interest at all times. He shared interesting facts that I'd forgotten from history class years ago, and offered personal glimpses of his own past. He answered questions we had and frequently asked if we were understanding what he was saying. We were not rushed and were able to take pictures and explore. They (Joel and our bus driver whose name I've forgotten) provided us cold water throughout our tour, and that was a blessing. We are very glad we decided to book this tour, and highly recommend it.

This tour was thru Native Choice. Meeting place is within walking distance from the port. No taxi needed. Great company! Ruins are about a 50 minute van ride. Guides are very knowledgeable and entertaining. The tour was very easy walking. Paths are wide and climbing is optional. Yes, you get to climb! Yes, you will see monkeys! Yes they have plenty of bottled water. No, the bugs are not bad, but have bug spray just in case! Yes, the vans are air conditioned. Great tour.

We were lucky to have a tour guide all to our family, which consisted of 4 people (2 were 17); he was very educated in the Mayan history, enthusiastic, and an all around friendly tour guide. I asked tons of questions as I love history and was so intrigued with all of his information; if he didn't know an answer, he didn't pretend to and give us some made up story. Great tour, great day!

ooked the excursion through "Explore Cruise and Travel"; glad I did; Seems like the owner of the port has it locked down thwarting local folks from participating; we did have to walk through the port area then maybe 1/2 mile out of town; but the payback--brand new/clean/cool Mercedes van; small group Mayan driver and guide; ALL NATIVE something was the name of the firm.

Excellent excursion! Our guide, Speedy Gonzales, was awesome!!!! He really knows his history. Driver was also awesome. Van that transported us from the office to the ruins was air conditioned and very clean. Well with the money spent.

Our guide was exceptional, and the size of the group was perfect. With only 11 people in our group, we received the best service! A stop along the way (and back) to purchase "honey pineapple" made it even more special. Our guide and driver also took a side trip to see the lighthouse. Don't waste your money on those tours with 100-plus people. Highly recommend! PS: Costa Maya port is built like an enclosed area, and you will feel trapped, but walk to the outer parking lot and go out the gate and down to the face temple, hang a left and go two blocks to the office. You will see a couple of vans parked outside. The walk looks sketchy, but you will be fine.

Our guide was a local Mayan who taught us about the language, history, and culture of the Mayan people. He was very helpful and very informative. The walk from the cruise ship to the departure office was fairly long but after the tour they dropped us off at the Costa Maya port. Very enjoyable.

Very good tour. Well organized. Very interesting with a well-informed tour guide (David) who really new his subject and the history of the Mayans. Good value & would recommend highly.

Excellent tour, our guide Eddar was very knowledgeable. I would recommend this tour to anyone. Tacho, our driver, was a very safe driver. Our group was small enough to fit into a comfortable van. We had plenty of time to explore the ruins and they made sure we were back to our ship in plenty of time to depart.

What an incredible excursion! A short walk to the meeting spot but a great tour group. Much better and more affordable than the cruise line

Chacchoben Mayan Ruins will blow you away. Our guide Joel and Driver Miquel were awesome. We only did the Ruins tour and not the Lagoon add-on. Since we only did the Ruins we were given a very detailed tour from our guide Joel. We also had plenty of time to explore the ruins. You will be totally blown away when you climb the stairs and see the The Sun and Moon temples. Don't miss out on this one. 5 starts all the way around.

This excursion was fantastic! Our guide was wonderful and very knowledgeable. The excursion group was very professional. I would highly recommend this excursion.

Excellent

This is an excellent tour. Joel, our guide, was very knowledgeable and knew the answers to any questions that came up. It is a pretty walk through the ruins and we were given the opportunity to do some climbing, mostly on stairs, to the top of some of the ruins. When we arrived, we received a bottle of cold water--much appreciated in the heat. The van (about 12 passengers) was well air-conditioned for our trip to the ruins. I'd recommend this small-group tour. Even though you have to get a cab or walk to the meeting place, it was worth it to have such a great tour.

We had a great guide, it is a regular bus (40 seats, around an hour) ride to the ruins , once there they broke the group into two groups, nice touch, smaller, more intimate group for walking the ruins. Did I say the guides were great? A bit of a walk to the office, drop off at pier on return. Would use again!

It was an excellent excursion and our guide was so knowledgeable and pleasant. I will recommend you to other travelers.

A bit of a walk to the starting point but once we got there the leaders were very welcoming. Our guides were Ivan and a lovely young girl alendro. Ivan was brilliant , so interesting and alendro was a lovely hostess. They talked about Mexico and the area , Mayans and their way of life. The ride was comfortable , they provided icy water during our tour and frozen face towels and candy on the way back. Wonderful and fun , and Ivan being an anthropologist /archeologist was a bonus ! Excellent value and a personal touch !

The Native Choice, in Costa Maya, gave us a wonderful tour of the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins. Their excursion office was easy to find, and an easy walk from the pier to their office. Our guide, Joel Perez was great. He's been a tour guide for 15 years and was very knowledgeable about the Mayan Ruins and could answer any questions we asked of him. He was also proud of his Mayan heritage and gave us a lot of insight into the Mayan history and the area surrounding Costa Maya. Our driver, Saul Rodriguez Macias, was a safe driver and also helped escort the tour, as Joel was still recovering from a motorcycle accident. Both Joel and Saul were pleasant and outgoing. The complimentary water was an added bonus, as was the candy Joel offered us. Our tour group consisted of only 9 people, so we were able to get a much more personal tour, then the people that went on the same tour through Royal Caribbean.

My husband and I have been to some Mayan ruins in Mexico many years ago, but this tour was by far the best. A short walk to the tour office to get the bus a bit unusual but explained by our tour escort. Once arriving at the ruins, our group was split into 2 to give us a much smaller, more manageable size. Ivan, our tour guide was so knowledgeable and informative and brought a wealth of experience to the tour making it so much more than just a walk through the ruins. Can't praise this man enough for making it such an enjoyable day.

This tour was beyond our expectations. From the driver to the guide, the itinerary and the information we got about the environment, ruins, culture, current issues, etc. everything was top-notch and professional. We researched other shore excursions available by our cruise line and other private companies. This tour was not only the best price but after speaking with our fellow travelers who made different choices, our tour was by far and away the best that Costa Maya had to offer. Another terrific feature is that Shore Excursions matched your cruise ship's itinerary with its tours. No worries about booking a tour with them and then worrying if your cruise ship will get there too late for the tour and they also make sure to get you back to your cruise ship on time. Shore Excursions is a terrific company and we'll definitely book other tours with them in the future.

Our guide Erich was very thorough and professional. The staff kindly helped a young woman that was feeling faint, If Erich had a microphone those in the back would have heard him better and he wouldn't have had to sit awkwardly on his seat to talk.

A well-planned and executed excursion. Greeted with a bottle of cold water as we boarded the A/C minibus to the site of the ruins. Our fabulous guide, Edder, and our driver Miguel shared their vast knowledge of the history, culture and environment of the area as we travelled to the site. Stopped for fresh pineapple with chili, exotic and delicious! Edder has a deep knowledge of the ruins and the Mayans and kept us informed and entertained as he led us around the site. Other groups stopped to listen to his comments. He added a lot of background regarding the vegetation and ecology of the site. Miguel kept us together and added his insight. Enjoyed an authentic taco and headed back to the ship on schedule.

The tour was excellent. The guide we had was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. There was more than enough time as each location within the site to take pictures and explore. The site is still being developed, but what was available was very interesting. The only negative was that the check-in location for the tour was quite a distance from the ship (about a 1/2 mile walk) and check-in was very chaotic. Once we had checked in, however, things went well after that.

Transportation was handled professionally and safely. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable, well-spoken and courteous. This was the best of all the excursions we had during our 3 shore visits

Trip began with a bottle of cold water and a comfortable bus trip to the ruins. Our superb guide, Edder filled us in on the history, culture and language of the Mayans and discussed the geography of the area we were driving though. Edder spoke well, was extremely knowledgeable and well-prepared. Discussed animal and plant life as he took us on a fascinating tour of the ruins and Mayan culture. Miguel, the driver, accompanied the group and took an interest our experience. People from other groups seemed to be listening in to our guide's presentation. Timely return to the port.

Great experience and our guide was wonderful. Amazing to see and hear about the Mayans.

Excellent tour from start to finish! Everyone involved did an excellent job!

Two thumbs up!

This was great! Our guide knew so much about tge history of the Mayans and we came away with a new fascination and knowledge of the culture.

The group was great, kept us up to date on everything, Our guide was excellent, lived right in the area, and that made for a better understanding Will use you again and will recommend this tour.

We had an excellent guide who shared his considerable knowledge with us. The whole day was a highlight of our trip!

This was outstanding. Our guide was super informative. Definitely recommend!

Reasonable price for a very nice our . Guide was very good and new his Mayan history . Nice bus . A bit of a walk to the tour office . That may be a problem for some . Dropped us off much closer to the pier . Would recommend this tour for sure . Got us back to the ship with plenty of time to shop the Costa Maya facility .

Outstanding!

This is an amazing tour. Our tour leader, Enrique Calleros, knew so much about Mayan culture and the history of the region. It really made this tour come to life. We had an amazing day.

The guides are very informative and can answer any question you have. The bus was very comfortable for the ride there and back which is about an hour each way. The ruins were amazing with great views. The one downside is it is a walk to get to the meeting place from the pier but was easy to find.

Very interesting and informative. Our guide did an excellent job. Very pleasant and helpful. The guide was very knowledgeable and gave us time to ask questions. We would recommend this tour.

Our guide was really personable. Make sure to stop and get pineapples at the town along the way - so worth it. The tour and the team were wonderful. We went earlier than the other tours allowing more time for pics etc.

The native choice office was little bit farther away than ideal and long drive to the ruins.. But despite all that, the tour was very informative and amazing!!!

This was a great excursion to view Mayan ruins. We loved that it was in the middle of a jungle so we were also able to learn about the plants and trees as we were walking around the sight. Our tour guide, Edder, was very knowledgeable and pleasant as was our driver, Pedro. Nice clean air conditioned vehicle and small group. Perfect!

This was a great company doing the excursion, native born and full of great historical information. Our guide Eric was easy to understand and knew a lot about the ruins and surrounding area. We got some great pictures and the bus ride was really nice.

excellent!! guides were extremely informative, knowledgable, and friendly. transportation was modern and comfortable.

The Chacchoben Mayan Ruins are spectacular and our tour guide told the group everything about them with great with great feelings toward the Mayans. I could see could feel it in his heart. It was a long trip, about 1.5 hours on the bus, a bit longer off the bus mostly on flat ground unless you wanted to climb the difficult stairs of some pyramids. This 68 year old did but it was tough. There were members of the group with a cane. Still OK for me as part of our group. I would recommend the tour; however, getting to the busses from the ship, even your directions, need improvement.

Good tour. Problem was that the distance from the port and the early departure of the ship that afternoon made this very rushed.

Excellent tour guide. Just a long drive to get to the location.

Our guide was a Mayan who had been born in the area of the ruins and had intimate knowledge of the site. He gave us in depth history of the Mayan civilization. I felt privileged to be in a place that has inhabited for so long, and to learn about these amazing people. The only negative thing about the tour was not the fault of the company. We were in a small group, but the site was crowed with other groups. It is good so many people want to visit and learn, but I prefer more solitude! It is truly worth your time to see this site!

I can put up with rough edges if the knowledge and presentation is top-notch. If you've never been to Costa Maya, it's tiny. Jungle with a few buildings here and there. Shore Excursions is not at the dock, so you walk a bit into ""town."" It's not far, but don't be alarmed if you leave the dock into absolutely nothing. Keep walking into the jungle. You can't even see their building because of the trees, but eventually it's there. At the ruins, the situation is reversed: They don't drive into the parking lot, so you walk from the highway. It's the oddest thing, but I guess it keeps their costs down. Not a big deal (walking is good for you) but still feels strange. Fortunately, our guide was unbelievable. Not only was he enthusiastic about the job, and very service-oriented, but he's a trained historian.While in the ruins he had answers for everything, and was good at expanding on customer questions to give the whole context. He made the whole tour a success.

Amazing tour of the old, old world where the Mayans lived, worked and played. A must see, very well preserved. Tour guide was excellent, very informative and knowledgeable. One of the wonders of the old world that is still standing. Not to be missed if you are in Costa Maya.

The shore excursion was great. Our tour guide Diego was very friendly and share a lot of information about the site. The Van transportation was clean and in good condition. Good driver. Interesting archeological site.

AWESOME!!!

Decent vehicle, air con, and ruins. We liked the trip. I recommend you get a taxi from the port to the excursion office as it is farther than it appears on the map.

this was a very interesting and spectacular excursion. I was very intrigued by what we saw and the information given to us by our guide.

My wife and I had a wonderful excursion of the Mayan ruins. Kaci was one of the best tour guides we ever had, very knowledgeable, excellent English, and you could tell she really liked what she was doing. Abel was an outstanding driver as well. The pineapple stop, extra water and frozen wash cloths at the end of the tour were an appreciated plus! Thanks for a memorable trip.

Well organized, nice bus, guide was a local who grew up in the area. She made the day, it was a great experience. No delays or lag time, easy to get to/from cruise ship dock to the tour debarking point (on return bus took us to cruise terminal).

Also this excursion was great! Very friendly staff at the meeting point. And David was super! You can see that he does this job for years and he loves what he does. We where provided a lot of water and the mayan area was impressive. Thank you for this great tour!

Our guide (Ivan?) , the Native Choice service, and the transportation were all an A plus. (Our guide kept us hydrated and provided some tasty local pineapple tastings.) We did not know what to expect from these particular Mayan ruins and what we saw and learned was so very interesting! Our guide was an incredible wealth of information not only about the past Mayan civilization but also about current day Mayans and their culture and language and customs. Great trip and we would certainly use both Costco excursions as well as Native Choice again.

great personalized educational and safe professional comfortable excursion. guide was very knowledgeable with a good command of English. highly recommend.

Our guide was wonderful, full of knowledge and gave a wonderful tour. At the site we also saw monkeys and found lots of pieces of Mayan pottery, so cool!

very well done. Professional. Clean van and pleasant guide. Would definitely book again with Costco.

Our tour guide was excellent. It is a little bit of a walk to the departure point, but there were a lot of use using this company, so we walked together. There was plenty of time to see everything and the guides explanations were very informative.The ruins are well worth seeing. 2 restroom stops was a great idea from the tour company.

What a wonderful, informative experience! Amazing Mayan ruin site, a guide, Kasi, who was very knowledgeable and loved telling us about the people and the site. The van was very clean; driver, Edgar, was excellent and provided bottled water and cool cloths after the site tour was complete. This was probably one of our best excursions.

Experience the Mayan ruins of Chacchoben (meaning ""place of the red corn""). Our tour guide Kasi was so knowledgeable on the Mayan ruins and had such great insight into the Mayan culture. Our tour group was about 12 people. The tour groups on the cruise ship tours were probably 30-40 people. I appreciate the small group size, as everyone can hear and interact with your tour guide. Great Tour, Highly recommended!

We loved this tour. Very educational and impressive to see the ruins. We had the perfect amount of time to see the ruins and even had the opportunity to purchase some pineapple on the way back to the ship.

It was a long walk to the meeting place - and a little difficult to find -- but well worth it! Our guide was a young Mayan man who was very well versed in anthropology and the Mayan culture. He shares stories and history of the people while we toured the ruins. He found ancient pottery shards along the way and estimated the epoch of the pottery. He was polite, caring and a fantastic representative for the company and the tour. It was the best we've ever been on!

Deigo and Saoul were awesome. Very informative and interesting. Although it was hot, they supplied the water and took their time explaining everything. The highlight was seeing the Spider Monkeys.

The tour was amazing and our tour guide was fantastic!

We had a great time! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and shared info with us throughout the bus ride and tour. We were able to actually touch the ruins and to take pictures while standing on a number of them. Each ruin (pyramid) is interestingly different, some male and some female. Some experiences you just don't get everyday. This is one of them and well worth experiencing.

The map provided by Native Choice Tours was totally accurate, so we had no trouble finding the office to check-in. We were provided with a bottle of cool water then went directly to our van. There were 9 or 10 of us in our group with guide, David. He did a very good job of sharing information about the Maya and what we would see during the almost one-hour drive to the ruins. Although we have seen numerous other larger Mayan ruins, this one is interesting, and a lot more fun than just sitting on the beach. Everything happened as descripted in the literature, and we all enjoyed our morning at Chacchoben. We were even taken right to the gate of our pier by our van driver so that we didn't have to walk back to the ship from the tour office. Very thoughtful, indeed.

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't read the instructions I was emailed after booking this excursion. The part where it says it takes 30-45 minutes to get from the ship to the meeting place is not inaccurate. It was a seriously long walk to get to the meeting place. At least a mile but it might have been two miles. At 100 degrees with 90% humidity with that walk plus a ton of walking at the ruins plus walking back when we were dropped off, I was very tired the rest of the day. I'm not in horrible shape or anything either. Just fair warning. One thing for sure worth mentioning, our tour bus stopped in what they called "Pineapple city" on the way back and bought a bag of fresh pineapple for $1. I can honestly say it was the best fruit, let alone pineapple, that I've ever eaten. I highly recommend buying some if they stop.

Loved this excursion

Fabulous, I enjoyed this so much. Our guide Jasmine was fantastic. I learned so much.

Very educational

My husband and I really enjoyed the tour of the Mayan Ruins. Our guide, Ivan was very knowledgeable about the history of the island, Mayan ruins, and culture. We learned a lot. Even though it was a hot day, our guide made sure we stayed in the shade on the trail. The hike was not strenuous at all. Ivan did the tour in reverse to avoid the other tour groups and we were able to take pictures without other people in the background. Ivan and the driver made sure we stayed hydrated and cool by providing iced bottle water and a iced face towel to put on the back of our necks. We would definitely recommend Costa Maya's Chacchoben Mayan Ruins tour, this company, and our tour guide Ivan Cohuo.

Van was comfortable and the information educational.

Big bus, but they divided us into smaller groups. Our guide was very knowledgeable, having taken classes in archeology and been on other sites. He did tour in reverse to avoid crowded sunny areas for our comfort. Other Native Tour company employees brought us cold water during tour. Tour departure office easy to locate and only a short walk, not hard to find.

The young educated Guide made the trip so interesting. It was very interesting. He was able to answer all our questions.

Great for the whole family! The sites and our tour guide were wonderful!

Took advantage of port-of-call to experience some Mayan culture/history. The ruins are a popular destination but booking the tour through a private company was a smart move. Our arrival was well-timed between the waves of tour buses and we weren't fighting the crowds. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and provided detailed information. Great tour, highly recommend!

Learned a lot, laughed a lot!

Because all proceeds stay in the community (they are not associated with the Cruise line) you have to walk a bit to get to their site but once you get there you are driven by very nice air conditioned bus to the site. On the way there, Enrique, our fabulous tour guide, started right away to give us information. It was like that for the next two hours. We learned so much about the Mayan civilization! It was great!

We were late for our requested tour arrival time and the tour agency had two guides stay behind to accommodate us when we arrived. We were completely at fault and they still went WAY OUT OF THERE WAY to help us enjoy this excursion. The tour itself was awesome and the guides very informative.

This is the best tour you can get in Chacchoban! Do not let the short walk from the pier deter you--it is safe and they will drop you at the pier when you're done. Enrique and Pedro were the guide and driver for our group. The company puts a guide in each van (not bus) so that you are guaranteed a nice small group giving you the option to ask your guide the questions that you want. And, you will not find more knowledgeable guides. Some of the other people on our cruise were more than a little bitter that they did not opt for this, but went with the cruise company's excursion. They were on a large bus, one guide, not a local, etc.

I will certainly use shore excursions next time we cruise /a

Very pleased with experience. I would definitely recommend booking through Cruises only. Much cheaper and lots of fun.

Educational and fun

Our tour guide was fantastic -- his family owned the land that contained the Mayan Mounds and he was able to share a great deal of the history and his experiences as a boy playing in the area.

The guide was extremely educational and had a fun sense of humor. The ruins were wonderful (my first Maya experience).

Enjoyed the excursion. Great guide. Wish they could have picked us up at the port, but just a short walk.

Enrigue was very knowledgable. Enlish was very good. Good with the 2 kids we had in the group.

We had very organized service, the day went very smooth so we were able to relax and enjoy the tour. Thanks for setting everything up.

The tour was very well planned. Our guides were very knowledgeable. It was a short walk to the office. However we found out later that their were guides trying to pick us up to transport us. The group was small so it was easy to hear and ask questions. One thing that really impressed me was another employee went with us carrying umbrellas and bottles of water. Most importantly he also carried a first aid kit in case someone has a fall on the steep steps. A great experience.

our guide was David. He was very interesting and knowledgeable of this area. The ruins were very impressive. I would highly recommend this tour. There was a lot of walking and we climbed top in one area.

I liked having a native tour guide

This was a high quality tour of the ruins. The tour guides were knowledgeable and helped work you through the crowds to get good photos. The driver was safe and the vans seemed newer and of good quality. It takes about 1 hour each way to get to/from the cruise port to the ruins. The roads are paved and modern. This is a walking tour where you will be on your feet for about 1 hour. There are no hills and the ground is mostly smooth for walking. Occasionally there would be a bench but mostly this is a walking tour and then standing while the guide explains the history. The meeting place is about a 10 minute walk from the gate at the cruise port. It is very easy to find and the walk from the port felt safe. I recommend this tour if you wold like to see the ruins.

A bit tiring with lots of walking to see the Mayan temples

Well organised educational excursion.

Tour was excellent. Native-run company. All working there are Mayas. The son of the farmer who discovered the runis was our tour guide. He lived there as a kid and showed us where his mother's kitchen was. Once in a lifetime experience. Well worth the money. Went with Celebrity Equinox for 12-night trip.

We learned so much on this tour about Maya culture and about the ruins. Our family had a great time visiting the ruins and taking pictures.

This was a very interesting tour given by a great tour director. She was very knowledgable about the Mayan culture and the ancient buildings we saw. The bus was clean and good, and the 1 hour ride just right.

Great tour and great guide

Loved the fact that the organization was ""native"" and supported the locals that live and work in Costa Maya. Made the walk to the starting location worth it.

Great experience...

Easily could have sent a van to pick us up from the pier. Instead we had to walk to the tour agency and were already hot and sweaty before the tour even began. They offered cold water bottles once we arrived which was nice, but also is an acknowledgement that they realize we have to walk a distance to the tour agency.

small groups and good guide.

Our guide Joel was both informative and entertaining

Joel was our guild and we would highly recommend him. He was very educated in the History of the land and did a great job! I wish we would of had a little more time in town too, but we had to get back to the ship.

Awesome excursion

The excursion was well-organized, the bus was air-conditioned and comfortable. The guide was very knowlegable. The ruins did not disappoint.

This was easy to find. Again we were on Carnival. It was alot of waiting around we rushed to get there because we missed the excusion the last port. Once the tour took off, the guy was WONDERFUL!! My Mother was with us and not able to walk long ways and there were others not wanting to do alot of walking. The guide was very accomodating and took us to the dining area so she could sit down and get something cool to drink.

We felt like VIPs. The tour was more personalized and a better value than booking onboard. I would highly recommend. The tour was easy to find and we felt safe the entire time. We were provided with water throughout the trip. The guide was top notch. The driver even walked the entire trail to bring umbrellas because there was a chance of rain. Lots of photo opportunities.

Our guide Erick was knowledgeable and was able to provide us with interesting and factual information. A must do experience while in Costa Maya!

Our guide, Erich, went into great depth explaining the history of the Mayan Calendar and the different areas of the ruins. It was all very interesting. The driver even followed us around, offering additional water.

Erick with TheNativeChoice was an outstanding tour guide. Very informative and knowledgeable.

Very hard to fine where tour originated.

well run operation and tour

Was a cost effective trip by ship standards. Well organizes, updated transportation and well over expectation trip guide and especially the site guide. My past experience was about 20 years ago, guide criteria was speak English, this time communication was excellent but what impressed most was the guides passon for preserving the Mexican historical treasures.

Was very informative, the drive out to the ruins was great, Kasi, gave us a lot of information about the areas we were driving through, and the Myan people and culture. She was a wealth of knowledge. When we got there our guide for the tour was also great. I was somewhat worried about not using a cruise excursion, but, we had fun and learned a lot, got back in time to look around and shop some, though Costa Maya is very small.

best of the the 3 side trips during my cruise

Great informed and friendly tour guides. great bus.

A great tour to see the ruins at Chacchoben! Our guide David was a walking encyclopedia. He gave us so much history of the Mayans, and info about present-day life in Costa Maya, that it was almost overwhelming. He accompanied us during our tour of the actual ruins, very happy to answer any of our questions. He also made sure we were aware of problem areas, like the many fire ant mounds. Area is jungle and very humid. Recommend insect spray. The bus stopped so we could buy bags of fresh pineapple from a roadside vendor, and even that was a neat expeience, as well as delicious!

Weather was cool, otherwise this would have been a hot day. Mosquitoes were not out. Nice facilities at the ruins. We climbed ruins. Very strenuous. Not handicap friendly.

Had to walk off property but directions were fine. Walking route could have been better identified. Van transport was great. New vehicle. Guide was nice and very informative. His knowledge was great and very informative.

Excellent guide, good exercise and interesting history of the people plus very interesting discussion of medicinal plants

I wanted to see some Mayan ruins and this site seemed promising. It satisfied me. The tour company use by Shore Excursions Group took us to the site and back on a very good, flat and mostly straight road, in a reasonably comfortable van. The guide, whose name escapes me, was excellent -- very friendly and knowledgable. It was only a 50 minute ride from the port. The ruins are small, and only partly excavated, but certainly enough is there to give you a good sense of what the Mayans could do. The fact that it was not entirely excavated was a plus, for the contrast between before and after excavation. Note: the marketing material said there'd be a cafeteria on site. Not. I saw only a vending machine with drinks. I wouldn't have bought food anyway, so no big deal.

Having a true Aztec to guide the tour made it much more meaningful. Very knowledgeable and helpful.

The agents in Casa Maya, Mexico were friendly and accommodating. We arrived 20 minutes after our group had already left, yet they managed to find us a ride and get us with our group for the rest of the tour. Very impressive!

Above and beyond on customer service and friendliness. Tour guide Erik grew going to the site as a child since his parents worked on uncovering it. Erik spoke English very well. Bus driver was kind also. Be prepared to walk and climb up and down some steps on the ruins (only about a flight,but without Railings).

A wonderful experience with fantastic guides. As a true plus, we asked and our guide graciously agreed to stop on the return trip at the road side business so we could buy fresh sliced pineapple. It had been harvested earlier in the day. Be sure to get the local ""chili"" pepper to put on the pineapple. For the whole sum of one US dollar, we had a great culinary experience to top off a truly remarkable educational/historical experience.

Great trip! The tour guide, at our request, had the bus stop along the way so we could buy fresh pineapple from the vendors along the road. Simply fantastic - be sure to try the ""pepper"" on your pineapple. And for only one dollar per zip lock bag - how could you go wrong.

Great excursion. Guide was very knowledgeable and informative. Made the trip a really good experience. Learned a great deal of the Mayan Culture as well as seeing the ruins of the civilization.

The mini bus was clean and comfortable. Our guide was knowledgeable and easy to understand. We had reasonable amounts of time at each spot.

The park has done an exceptional job of allowing access to this unique site while protecting it at the same time. The number of excavated sites was far more than we expected. We also saw several monkeys in the park. Great walk on well maintained trails. A few vendors at the entrance but no hassle at all. A fwe unique items among the generic if you look. Clean restrooms.

Our guide was extremely informative. He got all the information he could possibly pack in on our drive to the ruins. Once at the ruins he spent a lot of time explaining everything. The ride back was filled with even more information. He was really great.

Other than the unnecessarily convoluted directions to the tour office, I have only praise for this service. The bus was the most luxurious, comfortable, clean bus I've ever encountered. All personnel were welcoming, personable, very fluent in English, and knowledgeable. I was very impressed with the plentiful free water provided - big change from the cruise ship that sold bottles of water for $4.50! I loved every aspect of this excursion.

Native Destinations tour group was an excellent choice. Transportation in clean cool vans; small tour groups; knowledgeable guides. They had a second person following with umbrellas for unexpected rain and water and insect spray if needed. Wonderful experience.

Extremely informed guide..Ivan Cohuo..he shared personal insight and really enjoyed our interest. I would like to go back in 5 or 10 years to see the advancement in restoration. I have recommended this excursion with ""Native Choice"" tours to several people already!

What a thrill to tour these ruins with the son of the man who discovered them. It was very interesting and educational. I would do it again. It makes me want to know more.

Very Informative and Interesting

Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and really enjoyed sharing historical information with us. Our tour guide went out of her way to show all of us a great time

This was a great tour. Beautiful ruins and park area. Water provided for participants. Stopped for fresh pineapple!!

This excursion was so fun and educational at the same time! Our guide Ivan knew his stuff! We learned so much about the Mayan culture and we were amazed by the ruins. They were much bigger than I had anticipated! We got a very personal tour and our guide Ivan made the drive and tour very fun and entertaining. He even let us stop to try the local favorite...Pineapple with chili powder. It was delicious. I was glad they started the tour early before it got too hot and we also beat the crowds from the cruise line excursions. We were left with plenty of time to shop and dine afterwards too. I highly recommend this tour!

This was a super excursion. Our native guide, Enricque, has been studing Mayan history and culture for 47+ years. He is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of the area. He explain the local culture and all facets of what happened to and where the Mayans are. He even stopped the van, 10 tourist aboard, and bought local pineapple for us to try it's taste using local hot pepper spice. A delight! I'll never eat fresh pineapple again without it. The trip was very interesting and comfortable. At the ruins our small group was instilled with more facts and knowledge then the tourists who came in on the 3 large busses from the ship booked excursions. We highly recommend this excursion as we had a super time. We would go back in a heart beat!

The trasportation vehicles to and from the site were very clean, comfortable, and the AC worked well. The guides were very knowledgeable and personable. They spoke english well. Wonderful was to experience something that was on my ""bucket list.""

Our guide was very knowledgeable and interesting!

Was very interesting. Our guide, Frine, was very knowledgable and was able to answer all of our questions even some that were a little off the wall. I actually thought she was possibly an archeologist herself. The only thing wrong was it was raining pretty hard. Take an umbrella.

well organized trip van ride was good

This was an excellent excursion run by The Native Choice. The guides have personal ties to the area and the culture and taught us so much! The location is beautiful and wonderous. Our guide, Ivan Cohou was totally amazing with his stories, knowledge, personal experiences and passion for this place and his native heritage. Even the smallest detail was pointed out and explained to us. His sense of humour made the van ride most enjoyable (along with the pineapple and chile pepper...yum!) Our group was small and intimate which allowed you to hear and experience everything so well and also gave the opportunity to ask lots of questions and just talk in general. Please, if you want an excellent, informative, and complete experience do yourself a favour and check out the opportunites with The Native Choice!

This excursion was amazing! Our guide, Frine, was so knowledgeable. She was very friendly and knew everything there is to know about the Maya. She explained geography and info about the land during the ride out to the ruins. There wasn't a lull in conversation and she answered all our questons and engaged us in conversation. The ruins themselves were amazing! So beautiful and Frine had amazing stories and information on all the areas we saw. She even knew about the plants, trees, bugs, and other vegetation. There seemed to be nothing she didn't know! She was so interesting to talk to - she even memorized some of our names! She was the best guide we've ever had on an excursion. We did walk for about 2 hours but we went at a very slow pace and we didn't get very worn out. The tour group had a guy come up to us half way through and brought us cold bottles of water. On the way home we asked more questions and Frine shared a little about herself. She was the most interesting person we met while on our 7 day vacation and we feel so lucky to have has such a wonderful guide. She really cared about our experience and wanted to share all her knowledge with us. She was awesome!

Our guide, Ivan Cohou was so knowledgeable and passionate about this place and tour. Really made you feel how special the entire experience was. I learned so very much! Would recommend to any and everyone. Was a lot of fun too because Ivan had a great sense of humour as well as a wealth of knowledge.

Loved the guide, very Knowledgeable. He knew his history. Loved the smaller group. Worth the $$.

JUST THE WHOLE TRIP WAS VERY WORTHWILE,AND THE FACT THE GUIDE REALY KNEW HIS STUFF.

Good trip.

Excellent Native Choice, timely return to ship and extra time at the beach

The guide was great. Lots of unique information. Even the ride was entertaining.

We were a little apprehensive as to the meeting point, but once the bus arrived, we were in for a comfortable ride and a wonderful experience. The guide was knowledgable and the site was well maintained. we never felt rushed, and frequently stopped to ask questions on the spur of the moment. There were plenty of photo ops.

Our guide Ivan grew up living in the ruins and has an amazing grasp on the local native heritage and society. The bus was clean and had great A/C. Our guide was a wonderful host and conversationalist. We left knowing more about the Mayan lifestyle and history than I expected. Shop keepers at the ruins are nice and have better prices than town. Just bring cash and a smile!

The native guide knew everything about the ruins and the city. She was obviously very excited to share. Bonus: We were really the only ones there as the cruise ship excursions went somewhere else. Bonus: The guide also provided alot of ecological/biological knowledge.

WE ENJOYED THIS TOUR IMMENSELY. THE DRIVE TO THE MAYAN RUINS GAVE US A NICE TOUR OF THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY. THE RUINS ITSELF WAS TREMONDOUS.

Our guide was very knowledgable and did an excellent job explaining about the Mayan Ruins and the local culture. The smaller group was a very big plus. I felt we had plenty of personal attention and experienced answers to our questions.

it was great, nothing bad to say

Our well informed tour guide, Ivan, brought these Mayan people back to life during this tour. We learned so much about the Mayan culture both then and now. I hope that my Mayan history buff grandson will be able to visit this site in the very near future. Thanks for a great tour.

Our guide, Ivan, really made the excursion. He is a native Mayan and really endeavered to convey not only the historical and archeologica facts of the Mayan civilization but the spirit of their culture-what they believed in.

Best tourguide ever

The trip to the Chacchoben ruins was just an incredible excursion. Our guide could not have been better. She was knowledgeable about the ruins and wanted to share this knowledge with us. Our guide in the van was very accommodating. I had a excellent day.

Very good tour, glad we picked Native Choice, with Jacob and Veronica and Saul our driver. Much better than if we went with a big tour. Also saved $50 by going with them plus got free water unkike the cruise ship tour. So please pick them and help the little guy

This was very informative. We learned things we did not know about Mayan culture. Very well done.

The trip and the guide were exceptional. The Maya Ruins are well worth seeing. Part of this trip is easy going and part is more strenous. I was not able to go on all of the trip, but I waited in the shade while the groupe toured the rest of the site and returned to pick up me and a few other handicaped people. The tour was enjoyable for all.

Great experience.

I have been to several Mayan sites and this was my favorite.

The guides were fantastic and we felt safe and well cared for. It's an hour ride each way in a van so keep that in mind. There are restrooms and snacks available on site.

Excellent service and very knowledgeable guide.

Our guide was highly knowledgeable about everything we asked about from local culture to Mayan history. The tour itself does require some walking but it was at a comfortable pace with several opportunities to rest. It was a wondeful experience overall.

Our tour guide at the ruins, Ivan, is an owner of the company and a Mayan by birth. He was beyond knowledgeable and a great teacher...took us on a tour that was about twice as long as we expected and we could have continued all day! Afterwards, the trip to the Blue Lagoon offered a nice, freshly made lunch and then a relaxing swim. The lagoon is pretty and offers kayaking and bouncy water toys that the kids on the tour enjoyed. The supervisor of the tour was really nice and accommodating. He even stopped the bus so we could buy fresh pineapple with lime and chili powder on the way to the ruins.

The tour guide we had was so good! She had an in depth knowledge of the Maya people and their cultural history. I have toured Mayan ruins before and been disappointed. Our tour guide this time is what made this tour so worth while. Well worth the money for the excursion.

This was a good experience. It was very hot, so I would definitely recommend bringing some water and wearing cool clothes. The guide seemed educated on the ruins, but he was very hard to hear. The ruins themselves made the trip worthwhile, since you can't see them anywhere. you can climb on some and take pictures. However, if you are really interested in the ruins, I would recommend visiting a larger city. We chose this one because it was the only place we didn't have another excursion booked. It was kind of a long drive (I don't know exactly how long because I slept), but my wife told me the guide in the van was giving somewhat of a tour. If you have young kids, I would say this is not for you. However, if you would like to say you went to the ruins, but don't want a 6 hour excursion like all the other ones, and don't care to see a huge city then this is for you.

Excellent tour. The operators picked us up at the pier where we transferred by air conditioned bus to the main office where we were split into smaller groups. We then took an approximately 45 minute air conditioned van ride to the ruins. Our van guide Luiza and driver Rudy were great. At the ruins we were assgned to Joel who lives in the Chacchoben area and was very informative. Knowing that the excursions booked through the cruise line were coming later, he gave us the opportunity to take pictures while there were limited people in the area and then proceeded with each of his talks which were all very informative and very interesting. He was very passionate about his job and it showed. At the last stop on the tour you get to climb to an incredible view of multiple ruins. On the way back to the pier, we stopped in a local village for pineapple ($1 US) and some ""3 spice chili"" powder (INCREDIBLE). Great time and great tour.

Probably one of the best shore excursions ever and the best one on this cruise! Highly knowledgable guide and friendly staff.

Fun

Our guide was great. He educated us as much as led us. His detailed explanation of the Mayan culture went a long ways toward putting the ruins and the history of the Mayan people (and that part of Mexico)into the proper context. The guide and driver were both very responsive to the groups needs. The one down side is the incovenience of getting to the tour company offices from the port.

Seeing the Ruins was the highlight of our Costa Maya trip. We took the bus to the site and stopped for delicious Mexican pineapple along the way, which I thought was a unique part of the experience. Our guide, Victoria, was extremely knowledgeable and funny and made learning all about the Mayan culture a terrific and entertaining experience. The only complaint I have is that the bus we rode in on filled up w/others who were not originally on it, forcing us to ask for another ride from others at the site. Everyone was very nice and very helpful. Other than that, though, visting Chacchoben was money AND time well spent. I would do it all over again!

We were enjoying our small group tour very much when another large group was added to ours because their guide did not show up. We had specifically chosen the smaller group tour and were not happy that we became part of a huge group. Our guide was excellent and handled both groups well. It was very hot and we appreciated the bottled water that was freely handed out along the tour. I would definitely recommend this company and hope that all the guides show up next time.

Easy reservation process. Easy to locate company at the port. Helpful and polite employees.

Great tour! Our guide was born on the site of the ruins. He was so knowledgeable and anxious to share his heritage with our group. We would highly recommend this tour.

This was a great experience! The guide was very knowledgable and was personally expereienced with the location.

This was the only excursion that we booked on our own and it was the best one we took. They had the same one through the cruse line but we saved a few dollars by booking it on our own. The local guide we had was great and knew alot about the Mayans and the Ruins. We had a great time and I will use Shore Excursions again.