Costa Maya is located on the southeastern coast of Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula,
roughly halfway between Cozumel, Mexico and Belize City.
Cruise ships visiting Costa Maya dock at a large pier and passengers can explore the cruise center
or enjoy a variety of shore excursions.
In this video, we’ll provide an overview of our December 2019 visit to Costa Maya,
when our ship -- the Norweigan Escape -- docked at the port on Christmas Day.
During our visit, we spent most of our time in and around the Costa Maya cruise
center since our Jelly Bean was too young to appreciate the Mayan ruins
or participate in the more adventurous excursions.
A quick note to be careful to not confuse this port with Puerta Maya,
which is located 130 miles to the north on the island of Cozumel.
If you’re visiting Puerta Maya, we have a Tips and Overview video available for that port as well.
During our visit to Costa Maya, three other ships were also in port:
Royal Caribbean’s megaship Harmony of the Seas, the Celebrity Edge, and the Carnival Glory.
With a total capacity of over 15,000 passengers for all four ships,
it was no surprise that the cruise center area
got more and more crowded -- almost uncomfortably crowded -- as the day went on.
If you’re not a fan of crowds and there are multiple ships in port,
you might want to plan on disembarking as soon as your ship is cleared by the port.
After you disembark your ship,
you’ll walk about 10 minutes along the pier to the entrance of the Costa Maya cruise center.
A bright teal and yellow Costa Maya sign is available for photo ops at the end of the pier,
just before you reach the gathering location for independent and ship-sponsored shore excursions.
This area was fairly crowded when we arrived
with many cruise passengers waiting for their excursions.
Several excursions are available for cruise passengers, including visits to lesser-known
Mayan ruins, snorkeling and diving at the second largest reef system in the world, and visiting
a nearby water park that also features a zip line circuit and other adventure activities.
Like several other cruise destinations, the Costa Maya cruise center includes shops,
restaurants,
restrooms,
and many attractions.
Some of the complimentary and fee-based attractions
available in the cruise center include:
a salt water pool with a swim-up bar and nearby loungers,
a small beach,
a dolphin encounter,
an aviary park consisting of a series of hanging bridges,
a tequila museum,
a chocolate factory,
a Mayan spa,
several photo ops,
and a traditional “Dance of the Flyers” aerial show.
If you’re considering the paid attractions in the Costa Maya cruise center, check with
your cruise line about port passes that provide entry to multiple attractions for a discount.
During our visit, we were told that the passes must be purchased on the ship
and they could not be purchased in the cruise center.
Overall, the Costa Maya cruise center is fairly easy to navigate
thanks to plenty of signage and maps being available throughout the facility.
A map was also available online, which we reviewed prior to our cruise
and have linked in the description below.
The exit for the Costa Maya cruise center is located at
the opposite side from the pier entrance.
At the cruise center exit, you’ll find a one-way shuttle that takes guests to
the local fishing village, which is located a little over two miles away.
During our visit, the fare for the shuttle was $4.00 per person.
When we asked the locals about the cost for a return trip,
we were told a cab with four or fewer people would cost a total of about $8.00.
Near the shuttle location -- in the center of a roundabout -- is
another bright teal and yellow Costa Maya sign available for a photo op.
We found this sign to be significantly less crowded than the one at the cruise
center’s pier entrance and the lush green plants and trees surrounding the sign
made for an overall better photo.
If you continue past the shuttle area and Costa Maya sign,
you’ll come to the gates for the cruise center exit.
During our visit, we exited the cruise center and walked about five minutes, along a
semi-shaded sidewalk, to a replica Mayan pyramid fountain display for a quick family photo op.
After completing the photo op, we walked back to the cruise center and explored a bit more
before returning to our ship around lunchtime.