Costa Maya is a western Caribbean port designed exclusively for the cruise ship industry. It is about 100 miles south of Tulum.
LOVED the color of the water at the pier
and look at the length of the pier!
musicians greeted us as we walked along the dock
our ship was the first to dock
two others joined us later in the morning
that meant several thousand people shopping and exploring the area
Welcome to Mexico
Mahahaul, a small fishing village, is nearly a ghost town
when the cruise ships aren't stopping
our excursion was to the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins
This Mayan community was flourishing in 360 AD and did so until around 1000 AD. The rainforest took over and hid most of the temples for the next 1000 years. In 1942 the Cohuo family established a farm at the base of the Gran Basamento and lived there with their children and cows until an American archaeologist when flying over the region, noticed the number of hills in an area that should have been flat. Excavation began in 1994 and Chacchoben opened to the public in 2002.
the tree of life
thorns on the tree of life
an uncovered temple
one of several excavated temples
wild palms
Cohune palms can grow to 90' tall and are very abundant in the this part of the rainforest. They produce a nut (large grape-like cluster) used for oil. The fronds are used to thatch roofs. The heart of the palm is also a human delicacy. The outer bark is used to feed pigs and chickens.
climbing to the top of Gran Basamento, the ritual hub of the community
not like the temple climb in Chichen Itza!
'Moses in a basket' plant
fresh pineapple
Oh, so yummy!
There were several fruit stands along the road from Costa Maya to Chacchoben offering coconuts, pineapple, melons, bananas and plantains. The prices were so reasonable, but the van did not stop. So we were excited to see we could buy fresh cut pineapple at a little mom 'n pop stand at the gift shop.
water, soda & beer was offered on our bus tour
I chose the beer
Good choice!
After the tour, we spent some time in Costa Maya. First on the agenda was some lunch and then some shopping. After all, this was the final opportunity!
interesting menus, especially the drink menu
some liquids and then some lunch
healthy flamingos on the property
loved the tile steps
no geocaching at this stop
It was an awesome cruise!
Always a history lesson on your blogs Coleen. The palm tree is multi purposeful. Great blog Coleen. We took a drive through CV a few days ago, had lunch with Mary and Al. The trees sure took a toll with the storm some months ago. We missed seeing you and Curt there. Safe journey to your winter home. Merry Christmas to you and your family, hugs to the grands!!
ReplyDeleteAn awesome stop on the cruise. Love those tropical locations with so much history! Safe travels on your next adventure!
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