CMFS was created around values of hard work, being fair and honest and serving great food and drinks with an excellent service.
Costa Maya Mexico-Belize
Los Ranchos Guatemala City, Zona 10 Fodor's Review: A pretty blue colonial facade with picture windows welcomes you to Guatemala's best steak house. Most meats, including the rib eye and chateaubriand, come from the United States, but the specialty of the house, a skirt steak called the churrasco los ranchos, is a hearty cut that hails from Argentina. Ask your server to recommend one of the excellent wines from Chile or France. Save room for dessert, which ranges from tiramisu to tres leches, a type of cake injected with sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and cream.
Banditos Lobster Shack, Costa Maya September 14th, 2009 While on our cruise in January we didn’t eat in port very often–why when, after all, the meals on the ship are already covered and many of the ports featured less than authentic cuisine or bar atmospheres that we weren’t very interested in. Still, while wandering the port in Costa Maya we got a bit peckish and decided to grab a bite in port instead of waiting until we walked back to and up that loooooong pier. The port’s not that big, mind you, but there were two restaurants right next to each other: Mamasitas and Banditos, the latter looking busier even though they seemed like they shared quite a bit of menu items from the ones we glanced at on a table. Well, no wonder: now I find they are all part of the Coast Maya Food Service, which seems to have locations stretching from Costa Maya to Roatan to Belize. Good to know, as it means the food will be reliable if our experience is any indication. We started with chips and salsa and a Pai Ai each: a very pink frozen drink of pineapple, orange, strawberry and tangerine with peach schnapps and rum. It was a nice thing to sip as we took in the view from the open-air restaurant. Todd ordered the Shrimp Burrito and it was good, but not quite as good as my Lobster Taquitos Banditos: they were light and flaky, well seasoned, freshly and evenly fried and just down-right tasty. Definitely worth the tourist prices you’re bound to pay in port but something I’d go back for if I ever find my way down that way again. You know, for those who’ve been thinking about getting away, cruising in the Fall, when school’s in and before the holidays, is actually a prime time for good rates and calm cruises. Too late this season? We had a fabulous time cruising while it was chilly elsewhere (it gets cold, even in Florida) though the sunburn was not the best idea of a souvenir
Two parts tequila we just use good tequila, good tequila is always better. Half part Grand Marnier (don't use cheap on the citrus liqueur, there are many look likes) Half part fresh lime juice. Half part fresh lemon juice. Half part regular syrup Pinch of salt, SALUTE!!!!
Make a salsa by combining yellow and green peppers, onion, jalapeno, tomato, cucumber, mint, cilantro, olive oil, juice of 1 lime and half of the orange juice. Season with salt and pepper. Marinate lobster meat in remaining lime juice and orange juice for 5 minutes. Take a chilled martini glass and put a small amount of salsa in the bottom of the glass. Arrange a layer of lobster meat on top and add a layer of the diced avocado. Repeat process until glass is almost full. End with a layer of avocado.
In a large bowl, gently toss the shrimp with the lime juice and lemon juice. Mix in onion, tomato, jalapeno, serrano, cilantro, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover bowl, and chill ceviche 1 hour in the refrigerator, until shrimp are opaque. Before serving put nice piece of avocado on top . Amazing!!!!!!
Costa Maya Food Service is pleased to have received nine Distintivos "H" award from the Mexican Tourism Board. Distintivo "H" is awarded to restaurants which have highly trained staff that passed international tests of quality and hygiene. Distintivo "H" is the most important award given to restaurants and Hotels in Mexico In May 2002, the Distintivo "H" became Mexico's official voluntary standard for all food handling industries. This new certificate demands the highest standards of hygiene in all sectors of the food and beverage industry including hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, etc. Distintivo "H" guarantees a hygienic environment for all patrons as it controls the full cycle in all food and beverage processes i.e. from supplier to consumption. This recognition is awarded by the Secretaries of Tourism and Health and the Distintivo "H" certifying agency which examines over 100 aspects of food preparation and handling before granting the certificate.
Overview: Mexico's newest port, Puerto Costa Maya, is the first port on Mexico's Caribbean Coast to have been built exclusively for cruise ships and cruise holiday visitors. Situated on the Yucatan Peninsula near the fishing village of Majahual, Puerto Costa Maya is the fastest growing cruise port in the Caribbean that consists of three grand pavilions in the style of ancient Maya.
The commercial, cultural and entertainment centre offers dining, shopping and recreational facilities, a swimming pool and swim-up bar, local performances in the amphitheatre, as well as art and craft galleries showcasing the region's local artists and their art - a lot to enjoy on holiday. The infrastructure has been carefully designed to meet the special needs of cruise ship passengers. Beyond the pavilions, Costa Maya provides access to undeveloped areas of coastline, colourful reefs and shipwrecks for diving and snorkelling, and exploration of ancient Mayan sites.
Puerto Costa Maya tour operators offer dune buggy tours, Mayan sites like Kohunlich and Dzibanche, and kayak adventures. Free shuttles transport passengers regularly between the pier complex and their ships. *Note: Costa Maya suffered severe damage by Hurricane Dean on 21 August 2007, and it is estimated that it will take at least six months before the port is operational again.
Shopping: Passengers alighting from cruise ships in Puerto Costa Maya are carried by shuttle to the Mayan-inspired port complex, which boasts 70,000 square feet (6,503sq m) of shops and a bazaar. On offer are a wide variety of typical Mexican holiday souvenirs, especially local crafts, as well as designer perfumes, leather goods, and jewellery. The bazaar stallholders expect bartering to take place.
Restaurants: The Puerto Costa Maya port complex contains some fast food outlets and eateries, but visitors docking here who want to enjoy a leisurely local meal can take a stroll into the fishing village of Majahual, where there are several small, rustic restaurants along the beach serving up Mexican favourites, as well as delicious lobster and fresh fish.
Costa Maya Overview If you build it they will come. Costa Maya, the newest port in the Western Caribbean, may be located on a peninsula but in effect it feels more like a private island created from scratch expressly for cruisers. Costa Maya is located on the Caribbean Sea approximately 100 miles south of Playa del Carmen and quite close to the border of Belize.
Costa Maya is what you'd expect if, say, Disney World decided to create its own private island in Mexico: a man-made tourism village with bars, restaurants, shops and pools at the ready. The faux village itself was created solely to woo cruise passengers and it has a myriad of facilities -- pools, restaurants, bars, shops and a small beach (though it's too rocky to swim). Since Costa Maya first began accepting cruise passengers in February of 2001, the developers have added a beach house and water sports area, which is actually well away from the main village and is typically used by cruise lines as a shore excursion option.
Beyond that? What's interesting is that in developing an entire destination out of scratch in a place whose only settlement was the nearby village of Majahual, 200 residents strong, the folks who created Costa Maya had to build everything. They worked with Coca-Cola to install water sanitation systems (and yes, it is safe to drink water within the Costa Maya confines). They built brick-paved roads and concrete cottages for the employees who pretty much all come from elsewhere and needed housing.
For travelers who just want to get into the "don't worry, be happy" mindset, the lure of Costa Maya can pretty much consume the day. Those who want to venture further have intriguing options, too. The region is home to some lesser known (but still important) Mayan ruins. The site most cruise passengers come here to see is Chacchoben, a city dating back to around 350 A.D.
Another place worth visiting beyond Costa Maya's boundaries is the seaside village of Majahual. Once a simple haunt for fishermen, now there are seaside huts serving fresh ceviche, lovely white sand beaches with shallow surf (perfect for families) and way, way too many entrepreneurs selling the usual souvenirs.
If Costa Maya -- and Majahual -- feel shiny new these days it's because they are. In August 2007, Hurricane Dean, a five category storm, came ashore here and created much havoc and destruction. In Costa Maya. The port, which was closed for 14 months for rebuilding, required cosmetic facelifts for its restaurants, shops and pools. The Uvero Beach Club, which was totally destroyed, was completely rebuilt.
In Majahual, residents took advantage of the terrible hurricane to rebuild and improved the village's appearance in the process. New is a gorgeous 1.5 mile beach promenade with restaurants and shops alongside.
Costa Maya welcomed its post-Hurricane Dean cruise ship in October 2008.
Currently, Costa Maya can handle at least three ships, resulting in more than 6,000 visitors per day.
