Menu Home The ship Life on board Ft. Lauderdale Half Moon Cay - Bahamas Georgetown - Gr, Cayman Costa Maya - Mexico Cozumel - Mexico Veracruz - Mexico Ft Lauderdale (disembark) Cruise FAQ About/Info   Costa Maya - Mexico Today it's culture time. We are at Costa Maya in Mexico, a great starting point to visit one of the ruined Mayan sites. Costa Maya's official name is Mahahual. Where we dock is only a small place mainly for cruise tourists and a few other tourists. There is a hotel, some shops, an amphitheater and a salt water swimming pool. Today we are going to visit the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins, where a 1-hour drive by motorcoach will take us. Arriving at Costa Maya. As you can see, it's a small place surrounded by trees and bushes. It's not a busy place, but a good starting point for shore excursions. Here we are at the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins, a virtually unexcavated Mayan Ruins hidden deep in the jungle near the border with Belize. Only a small portion of the site has been excavated, including one pyramid. The entrance fee paid by the tourists makes further excavation possible, bit by bit. Historicists think the Mayan culture started between 2000 and 1500 BC. The archaeologists think Chacchoben was settled about 200 BC but the buildings excavated thus far date from around 700 AD. A larger portion of the site is still hidden in the jungle, under trees and a layer of earth. But when you are IN the jungle, like us, an amateur eye can see there probably another pyramid here, still buried. And here, under the trees, are some remnants of a Mayan building. From the air this is completely invisible. Sometimes the official guide made us aware of the buildings, because sometimes you're standing on one, without even noticing! This looks like some steps. Probably there's a lot more buried under the surface. That's the nice thing about Chacchoben: you see the contrast between the excavated ruins and the (partly) buried unexcavated ruins in the surrounding jungle. What a great view, from within the woods. I can recommend a visit to the Chacchoben Mayan ruins, because it's relatively unspoilt. Not many tourists visit this place compared to for example Chichen Itza. And because of the fact that a large part is still unexcavated and hidden in the woods, but visible when you are in those woods, it's even more impressive. Here you can see how the Mayan ruins are hidden in the jungle. Here, at the jungle's border, a Mayan ruin reveals itself a bit. Chacchoben is a wonderful place to visit. Back in the tourist area of Costa Maya, where in the Amphitheater a show with Mexican and Mayan dances is performed. On our way back to the ship. This picture is taken from the small beach of Costa Maya. If you'd like to know more about Chacchoben, follow these links: Link 1 Link 2