I know in the past there's not been a ton of excitement about the Costa Maya port day on the Western Caribbean itineraries. I've done a bit of digging around and researching, determined to find something of interest for us on this port day. The excursion offerings from the cruise line weren't the most interesting. Plus, y'all know how I am, getting off the beaten path away from the herds is what I'm about!
Sooooo, for anyone else looking to expand their horizons in Costa Maya or any port, I suggest you go to Trip Advisor and search! Read reviews. Cross-reference the reviews. How? Try Cruise Critic! You can go in by location then do searches for what you're investigating. Works great.
That said, I feel like I'm on the right path and have squared away a day I'd almost say I'm looking forward to above all others on our upcoming Fantasy cruise! Believe it! First, I had to convince the old man that it's okay to leave the port area. "Costa Maya" as the cruise ship passengers know is pretty much an area that was built for the cruise ships to visit. It's shops, a pool, etc. all within a little gated-off area. Yes, some ports you're best to stay IN the gates while others (gotta do your homework) are okay to venture outside of. Costa Maya is okay to venture outside the gates. Just a short 5 minute taxi ride outside the port is a fishing village called Mahahual where there's plenty to see & do that won't be pounded by the herds.
Now, the old man & I like to explore places via Google maps and the street-level pictures. I'll warn you now, if you go look at the street views of Mahahual you'll likely be taken aback. We, on the other hand, took one look and immediately agreed, "These images were taken after a hurricane came thru." Go search Mahahual and hurricanes. Yikes. Just to lend a little perspective, Hurricane Dean all but wiped this place off the map in 2007 when it made landfall directly on the village as a strong Category 5 storm. Yet, there's so much there now...including the businesses owned & operated by American expats. Takes a lot of spirit to rebuild. Trust me. And with that we found ourselves drawn-in even more.
So what did I find to do?! At first I read about an American fella named Steve who owned/operated the Tropicante restaurant & beach club right on the beach. Basically, you email Steve ahead of time & he'll happily hold a table, loungers, umbrellas, etc. for you right on the beautiful stretch of beach. Doesn't cost a thing as long as you buy some beverages & food plus catch your cab fare to/from. ((Cab fare runs $2pp each way.)) I hear the food is good, the drinks are cold, and the prices are all quite reasonable. There's plenty of vendors who will come along offering jet ski rentals, fishing, massages right on the beach, etc. all at veeeery reasonable prices. I've read quite a few reviews about the Tropicante and I think the word has really gotten out. I'm reading more and more where he's fully booked-up for a lot of the days the Disney ships are set to visit.
We're not exactly sit-on-the-beach people so I wanted a little something more for us. I don't recall just HOW I came across the idea to seek out standup paddle boarding (SUP) but I did a search which opened a whole other can of worms! There's a couple ladies from Austin, Texas who sold everything they had and moved down to Mahahual to start their own business renting the SUP boards, offering instruction, and even doing week long "camps" based out of another nearby village. I've exchanged emails with Carolyn of Under Toe Mexico a few times to square away a reservation for 5 SUP boards for our upcoming visit. What a great lady! I mentioned I frequent a few Disney cruise fan forums and hadn't seen much about her like I have Steve/Tropicante. I also told her we should change that! Carolyn is one cool chicka. Seriously think about the courage it'd take to sell off everything you have and haul down to Mexico to start a business and chase a dream. She's a gringa in a machismo world. I'll thump the interwebs all I can to lend a hand. I'm soooo looking forward to trying out the paddle boards but I think I'm even more excited to see their slice of paradise and meet such cool people.
Aaaaand, conveniently located right next to Carolyn's Under Toe spot is another restaurant/beach club called the Black Pearl. Ironic? Hhmmm... Anywhoo, the Black Pearl seems to be a newer-ish spot that functions the same as Steve & the Tropicante. It's run by, I believe, an American expat and a Canadian. Both gals. Amber & Christina. I've already been in touch with them to reserve some cushy loungers, a table, and a hammock if possible for our afternoon. Very friendly! Can't wait to meet these ladies, too! And, hey, can't beat the prices....$2 cold beers sounds right up my alley.
I'm also looking into another expat fella down there who does guided fishing excursions. I'm going to see if he can haul the big boys off for an hour or two to throw some lines in the water & hook some fishies. That'd be right up their alley!
Anywhoo, it won't be until late May when we get down to Costa Maya & Mahahual. I'm so psyched! Just thought I'd mention that in spite of the not-so-appealing things that I'd read online or lack of interesting offerings (to me) from the cruise line, all it takes is a little exploring and you're bound to find something! I sure did!
Sooooo, for anyone else looking to expand their horizons in Costa Maya or any port, I suggest you go to Trip Advisor and search! Read reviews. Cross-reference the reviews. How? Try Cruise Critic! You can go in by location then do searches for what you're investigating. Works great.
That said, I feel like I'm on the right path and have squared away a day I'd almost say I'm looking forward to above all others on our upcoming Fantasy cruise! Believe it! First, I had to convince the old man that it's okay to leave the port area. "Costa Maya" as the cruise ship passengers know is pretty much an area that was built for the cruise ships to visit. It's shops, a pool, etc. all within a little gated-off area. Yes, some ports you're best to stay IN the gates while others (gotta do your homework) are okay to venture outside of. Costa Maya is okay to venture outside the gates. Just a short 5 minute taxi ride outside the port is a fishing village called Mahahual where there's plenty to see & do that won't be pounded by the herds.
Now, the old man & I like to explore places via Google maps and the street-level pictures. I'll warn you now, if you go look at the street views of Mahahual you'll likely be taken aback. We, on the other hand, took one look and immediately agreed, "These images were taken after a hurricane came thru." Go search Mahahual and hurricanes. Yikes. Just to lend a little perspective, Hurricane Dean all but wiped this place off the map in 2007 when it made landfall directly on the village as a strong Category 5 storm. Yet, there's so much there now...including the businesses owned & operated by American expats. Takes a lot of spirit to rebuild. Trust me. And with that we found ourselves drawn-in even more.
So what did I find to do?! At first I read about an American fella named Steve who owned/operated the Tropicante restaurant & beach club right on the beach. Basically, you email Steve ahead of time & he'll happily hold a table, loungers, umbrellas, etc. for you right on the beautiful stretch of beach. Doesn't cost a thing as long as you buy some beverages & food plus catch your cab fare to/from. ((Cab fare runs $2pp each way.)) I hear the food is good, the drinks are cold, and the prices are all quite reasonable. There's plenty of vendors who will come along offering jet ski rentals, fishing, massages right on the beach, etc. all at veeeery reasonable prices. I've read quite a few reviews about the Tropicante and I think the word has really gotten out. I'm reading more and more where he's fully booked-up for a lot of the days the Disney ships are set to visit.
We're not exactly sit-on-the-beach people so I wanted a little something more for us. I don't recall just HOW I came across the idea to seek out standup paddle boarding (SUP) but I did a search which opened a whole other can of worms! There's a couple ladies from Austin, Texas who sold everything they had and moved down to Mahahual to start their own business renting the SUP boards, offering instruction, and even doing week long "camps" based out of another nearby village. I've exchanged emails with Carolyn of Under Toe Mexico a few times to square away a reservation for 5 SUP boards for our upcoming visit. What a great lady! I mentioned I frequent a few Disney cruise fan forums and hadn't seen much about her like I have Steve/Tropicante. I also told her we should change that! Carolyn is one cool chicka. Seriously think about the courage it'd take to sell off everything you have and haul down to Mexico to start a business and chase a dream. She's a gringa in a machismo world. I'll thump the interwebs all I can to lend a hand. I'm soooo looking forward to trying out the paddle boards but I think I'm even more excited to see their slice of paradise and meet such cool people.
Aaaaand, conveniently located right next to Carolyn's Under Toe spot is another restaurant/beach club called the Black Pearl. Ironic? Hhmmm... Anywhoo, the Black Pearl seems to be a newer-ish spot that functions the same as Steve & the Tropicante. It's run by, I believe, an American expat and a Canadian. Both gals. Amber & Christina. I've already been in touch with them to reserve some cushy loungers, a table, and a hammock if possible for our afternoon. Very friendly! Can't wait to meet these ladies, too! And, hey, can't beat the prices....$2 cold beers sounds right up my alley.
I'm also looking into another expat fella down there who does guided fishing excursions. I'm going to see if he can haul the big boys off for an hour or two to throw some lines in the water & hook some fishies. That'd be right up their alley!
Anywhoo, it won't be until late May when we get down to Costa Maya & Mahahual. I'm so psyched! Just thought I'd mention that in spite of the not-so-appealing things that I'd read online or lack of interesting offerings (to me) from the cruise line, all it takes is a little exploring and you're bound to find something! I sure did!
