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.
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.
