The 13 Best Archaeological Sites in Costa Maya

1.Costa Maya Shore Excursion: Chacchoben Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,109 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $64Our pick

Travel by air-conditioned minivan from Costa Maya to Chacchoben, where guides such as Ismael and Octavio explain the temples, pigments, hieroglyphics, and jungle wildlife. Expect about 50 minutes each way, 90 minutes at the ruins, uneven paths, steep steps, bottled water, and a small-group feel for $64.11.

“After multiple excursions, my family finally found one that was all around amazing. Like alot of reviews on here, Octavio was our tour guide. He did an excellent job explaining all the history to us. I was watching the ship ran tour groups and felt we were getting alot more info. Lucky for my family of 4, the other family cancelled and we got private tour of the ruins. We never felt rushed, we got to explore by ourselves when we wanted, and Octavio helped us take family photos. After having 2 shore excursions where we were begged for tips, and had mediocre experiences at best, this shore excursion was…”

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2.Chacchoben Mayan Ruins from Costa Maya

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 381 reviews · 4.5 hours · from $58Best value

Ride from Costa Maya to Chacchoben for a 70-minute guided walk among Maya temples, jungle, and possible spider monkey sightings. Guides such as Carlos, Eliseo, and JC are known for lively cultural explanations. Finish with up to 1.5 hours at Mahahual Beach before returning to port. Price: $58 per person.

“Eliseo and Victor were great, very hot in May but we were given complimentary iced water. Your was very informative and we even saw some Spider monkeys.”

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3.One Day Tour to Chacchoben Mayan City and Bacalar Lagoon with a Certified Guide

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 372 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $119

Travel from Costa Maya to Chacchoben, where guides such as Erick, Yoshi, Joel, and Diego explain Maya history among jungle-covered ruins. Then relax at Bacalar Lagoon with fajitas or tacos, aguas frescas, kayaking, swimming, and time by the water. The air-conditioned ride takes about an hour each way, so plan for a full outing with limited free time at the ruins.

“It was a great tour. Lots of good information. It was interesting and I learned some things I did not know.”

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4.Chacchoben & Bacalar Combo Excursion Costa Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 338 reviews · 7 hours (approx.) · from $160

Spend about seven hours combining Chacchoben’s jungle temples with a boat ride on Bacalar’s Seven Colors Lagoon. Guides such as Juan Corona, Leo, Carol, and Francisco are praised for clear English and strong local knowledge. Expect air-conditioned transport, lunch, drinks, fresh fruit, and time to swim.

“This tour is well worth it. Being ab out to tour the ruins with a small group made a big difference in the experience. All the staff were wonderful that we interacted with.”

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5.Chacchoben Mayan Ruins with Local Experience Costa Maya Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 191 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $80

Travel from Mahahual to Chacchoben in a small group of up to 14, with an English-speaking local guide such as Juan, Rafael, or Francisco. Expect a 1.5-hour guided visit, air-conditioned transport, drinks and snacks, plus possible stops for fresh fruit or local hot sauce before returning to the meeting point.

“Our guide was Frank with driver Miguel. We had a wonderful time learning about the history of the Chacchoben people. Frank was very knowledgeable and went out of his way to answer all our questions. He was kind and helped me up the stairs so that i can could keep my balance. On our ride to Chacchoben Ruins he told us about the people that now live in the area. We recommend Frank and Miguel should you visit the ruins. This personal tour was the way to go then being in a large group. We were never rushed and did what we wanted.”

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6.Chacchoben Mayan Ruins with Local Village

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 159 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $80

Travel from Puerto Costa Maya to Chacchoben with a bilingual guide such as Carlos, Octavio, Ishmael, or Genesis. Walk among jungle-covered temples, learn about Maya society and architecture, taste honey pineapple, enjoy drinks, and pass through a traditional local village. The advertised private format offers a flexible, personal outing, though group arrangements can vary.

“It was a great tour. Our tour guide Octavio did a great job and was very knowledgeable regarding the history of the town and the ruins. It was quite a history lesson. We got back in plenty of time for the ship and the refreshments were an added bonus. You do need to walk quite a distance through the entire port off the main property before meeting your guide.”

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7.Chacchoben Mayan Ruins Excursion

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 122 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $59

Travel from Costa Maya to Chacchoben for a two-hour guided walk among restored Mayan temples and jungle. Guides such as Octavio, Rafael, Ismael, and Victor bring local history to life, while air-conditioned transport, drinks, site admission, and small groups keep the outing simple. Allow about three and a half hours, plus a walk to the meeting point.

“Excellent, very interesting and informative. Our guides were excellent and extremely knowledgeable. Loved it.”

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8.CHACCHOBEN Ruins and BACALAR Lagoon Boat Excursion from Costa Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 117 reviews · 6 hours (approx.) · from $169

Travel from Costa Maya to Chacchoben with guides such as Jhoana, Ivan, or Charlie, then swim from a pontoon boat in Bacalar’s seven-color lagoon. The six-hour outing includes transport, an archaeological guide, fruit, tacos, bottled water, soda, beer, and tequila. Expect a long day with rewarding sights and some road time.

“We had a great time with our guide and driver.. they were very helpful and the lagoon was beautiful.. they stopped when we wanted to get some street food on route and helped get a cake for my cousin’s birthday.. only item was that restroom facilities were a little challenging in Bacalar but the overall experience was great..”

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9.Mahahual: Chacchoben Mayan Ruins and Seven Color Lagoon Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 100 reviews · 7 hours · from $94

From Costa Maya, ride with an English- or Spanish-speaking guide to Chacchoben for a 70-minute archaeological visit, then continue to Bacalar for two hours of swimming, kayaking, lunch, and drinks at the Seven Color Lagoon. Drivers such as Victor and Huizty have earned praise for their friendly care.

“Highly recommend this excursion & Toucan Tours to Chacchoban & Bacalar. They collect you from the ship, excellent staff at the registration desk (excellent complimentary tequila also)! Victor our driver such good fun & really made the tour really enjoyable. Chacchoban and the guides there are incredible. The Bacalar lagoon & lunch were much needed. There is a lot of travel time on this excursion but it's great fun & a lovely way to see some of costa Maya. Highly recommend Toucan tours & Victor!”

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10.Ancient Chacchoben Mayan Ruins & Mayan Experience from Costa Maya

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 96 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $119

Travel from Costa Maya to Chacchoben with guides such as Edder, Elliot, Lorenzo, or Yoshi, then meet a Mayan family for tortilla-making, home remedies, and a traditional lunch. The 5.5-hour outing includes transfers, water, a certified ruins guide, and air-conditioned transport.

“Perfect small group tour. Great direction to get to tour operator. After a 49 min ride to the temple the guide gave us a very informative overview of Mayan culture and the temple. Lunch and making tortillas ourselves was a treat.”

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11.Chacchoben Mayan Ruins and Bacalar Lagoon Combo Tour from Costa Maya

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 88 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $129

Spend about five and a half hours visiting Chacchoben Mayan Ruins and Bacalar Lagoon from Costa Maya. Guides such as Eliot, Edder, Rosy, and David have led informative visits, while the lagoon stop adds fajitas, aguas frescas, swimming, and kayaking. Expect a 15-minute walk from the port and a firm departure schedule.

“this excursion has the best of both worlds. A tour of the ruins, which was very interesting. Plus we got to see some monkeys in the trees. The second part we got to go to a type of beach club with drinks, and food, and lounge, chairs, and swimming. What a great day! Our excursion guide, was the best! He was very informative, and we learned a lot from him and he had a great sense of humor.”

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12.Costa Maya Chacchoben Mayan Ruins & Mexican Lunch at the Beach

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 78 reviews · 5 hours (approx.) · from $85

Travel by air-conditioned vehicle from Costa Maya to Chacchoben, where guides such as Carlos, Gabriela, and Eliseo explain the Maya sites and wildlife. After about an hour on site, continue to Mahahual for Mexican food, two alcoholic drinks, and beach time. The day lasts about five hours, though delays can stretch it longer.

“It was good for those who like historical trips. For our family it was a little boring since you’re not allowed to climb up the steps in some of the ruins. The guide, Eliseo, was amazing. We did not complete the lunch at the beach because some of the people had to come back to the ship because they did not buy the lunch at the beach part of the excursion. so, we ended up missing that part of the Excursion, because even though the driver went back to the beach, we first had to take some of the people back to the ship and because we waited forever for…”

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13.Bacalar Lagoon & Chacchoben Mayan Ruins from Costa Maya

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 55 reviews · 5 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $129

Combine Chacchoben’s ancient temples with a lakeside visit to Bacalar Lagoon on this 5.5-hour Costa Maya excursion. A certified guide such as Rosie, Lorenzo, or Joel leads the ruins tour, followed by tacos or fajitas, aguas frescas, swimming, and kayaking. Round-trip transfers, bottled water, lunch, and air-conditioned transport are included.

“We loved the tour. Well staffed, well run, very professional. Our guide was amazing. The tour was a little confusing to find coming out of the port.”

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