You’ll find pristine beaches, gorgeous lagoons, outstanding diving, and fantastic fishing.
The Costa Maya is a breathtakingly beautiful stretch of the Caribbean coastline with a rapidly growing tourism industry. Costa Maya, located south of the Riviera Maya, has fewer crowds and a focus on sustainable tourism. It's the perfect getaway. You'll find pristine beaches, gorgeous lagoons, outstanding diving, and fantastic fishing.
Geography and history
The Costa Maya spans the coast from Sian Ka'an to Belize, beginning where the Mayan Riviera ends. When the official effort to develop the area launched in the 1990s, this stretch of coastline gained the title Costa Maya.
Places to visit on Costa Maya excursions
The Chacchoben Mayan Ruins
The Chacchoben Mayan Ruins site is 10 acres of silent history and lush vegetation. Located 90 KM West of Costa Maya, it’s only around 50 minutes from the Costa Maya Port. It is one of the most famous tours in Costa Maya. To this day, only a fraction of the site is open to the public.
The first settlements in the Chacchoben (“place of the red corn”) area were established around 1000 BC. By 360AD, Chacchoben had grown to become the most sacred ceremonial center. And Gran Basamento serves as its most significant ritual plaza.
Temple One towers above the tropical forest canopy symbolizing the splendor of Chacchoben's ancient civilization. Standing in the midst of these incredible structures gives you a taste of what it was like to be Mayan back then. The place is definitely worth visiting.
The Seven Color Bacalar Lagoon
The water in the Bacalar Lagoon on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula is as clean as glacial ice. No rotting plant life clouds the water, making it clear so that in some places, the water has seven distinct shades of blue, ranging from deep-sea indigo to sunset violet. Bacalar is sometimes referred to as the Lagoon of Seven Colors.
Several Cenotes combined to form the lagoon. Cenotes are intrusions in the soil's limestone that allow access to groundwater. Underwater caves are common on the Yucatan Peninsula.
In Bacalar, you can also visit the Cenotes. Some of them are quite deep, making them ideal for cenote diving.
If you time your trip to the lagoon so you can catch the sunset, it will redefine what sunsets mean to you. These are unbelievably spectacular!
The Reef Lagoon and Mesoamerican reef, Mahahual
The Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) is the world's second-largest reef system. It runs along 600 miles of the Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras coasts in the Caribbean Sea.
You'll get to experience white sandy beaches and turquoise waters dotted with fishing villages. The picturesque beauty attracts thousands of visitors to tourist hotspots each year. More than 500 fish species, 60 coral species, 350 mollusks, marine mammals, algae, and seagrasses live in the MAR. It’s truly a scuba divers' paradise.
You can relax in hammocks or beach chairs on gleaming sand between spectacular dives or snorkel adventures. Imagine chilling out, drinking an ice-cold beer or soda with clear azure water right there in front of you!
A Typical Mayan house
Typical Mayan buildings featured stone or mud walls. And steep-pitched roofs thatched with grasses and palm leaves. The houses were oblong, oval with only one room, and families would live and sleep in the same room. Cooking takes place over low fires surrounded by stones or a concrete wall. In the cooking area, the thatch is quite dark and almost oily.
Dzibanche Mayan Temples
Dzibanche is a significant archaeological zone located north of the Kohunlich ruins. Despite its beauty and importance in Maya history, the archaeological site of Dzibanché is rarely visited. This is partly due to its remote location – far from the Yucatán Peninsula's more famous tourist routes.
According to a recent study, Dzibanché was one of Mesoamerica's largest early Maya cities. It could even have been the first capital of the Kan, the first great Maya dynasty.
If you visit in March, be sure to drive slowly. It's the time when thousands of iridescent blue butterflies migrate across the fields and road. Step out of the vehicle, and you'll be surrounded by shimmering blue. It's pretty awesome!
Costa Maya Beach
The raw and untouched beauty of the unpopulated Caribbean also offers endless water fun. You can enjoy snorkeling, kayaking, diving, beach combing, or just chilling in a hammock.
If you like, you can lie under a palm tree listening to music while sipping a great cocktail. Or sunbathe on super-fine sand beaches. And gaze dreamily into perfectly clear, turquoise blue seas that only the Caribbean can provide. If that sounds good, then this is the beach break for you!
The Kohunlich Mayan Ruins
Kohunlich (X-làabch'e'en in Modern Mayan) is an important pre-Columbian Maya archaeological site on the Yucatán Peninsula in Quintana Roo.
It's about a two-mile trek across the complex, which begins with a massive central square surrounded by pyramids and temple platforms. You’ll see a huge, raised acropolis with a palace complex to the north. The Pyramid of the Masks, erected in honor of their sun god, is further east, with six massive stucco masks guarding its central staircase. This is a lovely site that has remained unspoiled by tourism.
The Chunky Monkey Beach Club
You can spend a relaxed day at Chunky Monkey Restaurant & Beach Club in Costa Maya. This is an absolutely excellent location. Beautiful beach bar with delicious and fresh meals. Only wonderful vibes and good music. Excellent service and a breathtaking view. You'll be in paradise after only a short stroll from the city. This is a must-visit location.
Traditional food of Costa Maya
Traditional Mexican food is full of healthy ingredients such as avocados, beans, limes, tomatoes, and savory meats.
How do you get to Costa Maya
Although most tourists to the area arrive by ship, the trip down from Cozumel or Playa Del Carmen takes around four hours.
What to take with you on Costa Maya excursions
It’s pretty hot and humid on any of the Costa Maya Excursions so take plenty of water. Even if it’s raining when you set out, it’s still hot. Bring something to wipe away sweat and grime and to chill yourself off. Also, definitely wear comfy shoes.
To wrap up
The Southern Caribbean Coast, or Costa Maya, is the most recent location affected by the development boom. Everything is stunning, from the beaches to inland excursions to spectacular Mayan ruins. If you're searching for a fantastic getaway in the Mexican Caribbean, this is the place for you.
Photo by Ahmet Demiroğlu on Unsplash
Tatiana is the news coordinator for TravelDailyNews Media Network (traveldailynews.gr, traveldailynews.com and traveldailynews.asia). Her role includes monitoring the hundreds of news sources of TravelDailyNews Media Network and skimming the most important according to our strategy.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
