ElmoHongZito Posted November 22, 2022 Report Share Posted November 22, 2022 Tomorrow is port day in costa maya. I have not booked anything. I ready that 7 color lagoon has beach and sits on freshwater lagoon. Sounds cool. Any suggested way I jump on an excursion last minute not thru the cruise? They are charging $150 pp for that one. I know I really waited for last minute. Is there a way to get there and enjoy it without a tour? Like taxi there and taxi back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos A. Posted November 22, 2022 Report Share Posted November 22, 2022 This is Bacalar, It's a beautiful place. I wouldn't go without a tour, it's more than 1 hour away (56 miles aprox). If you don't want to spend so much in this tour you could take a taxi to Mahahual and look for a bar or restaurant next to the beach to spend the day. Very beautiful as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmoHongZito Posted November 22, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2022 23 minutes ago, Carlos A. said: This is Bacalar, It's a beautiful place. I wouldn't go without a tour, it's more than 1 hour away (56 miles aprox). If you don't want to spend so much in this tour you could take a taxi to Mahahual and look for a bar or restaurant next to the beach to spend the day. Very beautiful as well. Looks beautiful. We’re with our teen and preteen so I don’t think we’ll be at a restaurant too long. I’m wondering if there is a way to enjoy the natural lagoon without prepaying for an overpaid excursion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted November 22, 2022 Report Share Posted November 22, 2022 19 hours ago, ElmoHongZito said: I’m wondering if there is a way to enjoy the natural lagoon without prepaying for an overpaid excursion. I like using Viator. I can see reviews and they have pretty good policies. I see several options for Bacalar, but I don't know how they are priced compared to ship excursions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElmoHongZito Posted November 23, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2022 On 11/22/2022 at 4:11 PM, jbrinkm said: I like using Viator. I can see reviews and they have pretty good policies. I see several options for Bacalar, but I don't know how they are priced compared to ship excursions... We decided not to go to Bacalar because the drive is around 90 minutes each way and the weather was not looking to great when we made it off the ship (a little late too). We ended up going to Mahahual Beach and to be honest I did not like it there one bit. Very crowded, very persistent vendors everywhere trying the pull tourists in different directions, the majority of restaurants looked pretty run down, and the beach itself not very appealing (too many long chairs in a small space). Not my definition of a tropical beach experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbrinkm Posted November 23, 2022 Report Share Posted November 23, 2022 10 hours ago, ElmoHongZito said: We ended up going to Mahahual Beach and to be honest I did not like it there one bit. Very crowded, very persistent vendors everywhere trying the pull tourists in different directions, the majority of restaurants looked pretty run down, and the beach itself not very appealing (to many long chairs in a small space). Not my definition of a tropical beach experience. I understand why it is that way and don't begrudge the businesses and locals for trying to make a living from cruise ship guests, but I also didn't enjoy my experience very much. We paid $50 each for an AI - a highly recommended one on the Mahahual! - and felt the same as you. Definitely not worth the $200 I spent on the experience for my family of 4. Our food and drinks were also really slow to arrive during that "AI" experience so we didn't even get our money's worth from the package, and the little square of ocean allotted to our site was not fun for the paddleboarding my son wanted to do. He could only go forward about one paddle stoke before stopping to not bump someone or get to the rope. The bathroom was in horrible shape inside the hotel/building associated with the beach club. I know this is a first world problem, but I would have enjoyed it more if it had been less expensive. It was the same price as AI at some of the beach clubs on Cozumel with really nice beaches. There used to be a really fun water park & zip line combo at that stop that was fantastic for your kids' ages but it was shut down during covid and hasn't reopened. That seemed to be the main attraction for families during pre-covid stops. We're there again next April and booked Maya Chan. I've heard so many good things about it and it is much further down the beach, away from the Mahahual. If we don't have a good experience there, I won't get off at this stop again unless the water park reopens. ElmoHongZito 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChessE4 Posted November 24, 2022 Report Share Posted November 24, 2022 Mahahual is not a resort. It is simply a tourist beach in a foreign country. We found it quaint and pleasant for some light shopping or a lunch with local cuisine. I wouldn't expect it to be a fancy destination - it's a matter of expectations. As for Bacalar, we took a raft draft and found it rather tame. It's OK, but nothing to write home about. The only exciting trip we've had a Costa Maya was Chacchoben. For us, we enjoy the experience more when we realize we are guests and try to respect the local culture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GatorCruiser Posted November 24, 2022 Report Share Posted November 24, 2022 Ok so to piggyback this topic. It appears of late that Maya Chan closes down for a few months in the heart of the summer. This is not ideal for those of us who will be there at that time and wanted to book it. Question, has it always done this or is a by-product of Covid ? Also is jaimes at blue reef the next best option for an all inclusive if Maya Chan is closed when I’m there ? Any other all inclusive suggestions in Costa Maya ? Thanks ahead of time . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWB Posted July 20, 2023 Report Share Posted July 20, 2023 The Bacalar Lagoon is beautiful and was a refreshing way to end the excursion after visiting the ruins. The Mexican lunch was delicious and the water and views were beautiful. DDaley 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChessE4 Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 Nice pictures, and the water can be refreshing. However, we found our raft trip to Lake Bacalar a little too tame for our liking. I like the idea of a combination with Mayan ruins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaa Posted July 21, 2023 Report Share Posted July 21, 2023 Haven't visited Bacalar yet, but we've booked this outside of Royal. It's a combo Chacchoben and Bacalar with a boat excursion through the seven colors of the lagoon. https://www.chacekcostamaya.mx/tours/chacchoben-bacalar-en/ We booked it based on this person's experience. looks like a ton of fun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schagane Posted October 23, 2023 Report Share Posted October 23, 2023 On 7/21/2023 at 12:30 PM, Xaa said: Haven't visited Bacalar yet, but we've booked this outside of Royal. It's a combo Chacchoben and Bacalar with a boat excursion through the seven colors of the lagoon. https://www.chacekcostamaya.mx/tours/chacchoben-bacalar-en/ We booked it based on this person's experience. looks like a ton of fun Did you like this excursion? I am thinking to book it. How log did it take? My ship is only until 3 pm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaa Posted October 24, 2023 Report Share Posted October 24, 2023 Hi @Schagane! I have it booked for May 0f 2024 so I haven't yet taken it. I expect it is going to take a solid 6 hours from when you walk off the ship, so with cushion, I wouldn't do it without 7.5-8 hours in port. Be mindful however that you will have a private driver so you can likely customize and ensure your arrival back to port on time. Their business is designed around the cruise tourist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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