Costa Maya travel info

Arriving to Costa Maya on a cruise

Currently you can only arrive to Costa Maya by sea or by land.

If you're arriving by sea, most likely it'll be on a cruise ship and you'll spend only a few hours at this beautiful destination. In this case your cruise will dock at the Costa Maya Port.
Disembarking process in Costa Maya is easy and fast, delays can happen some times but only when there's more than one ship arriving at the exact same time.

The port isn't the most representative place of Costa Maya but it's where you can find most shops and services for tourists. It has a nice pool, restaurants and bars but these are exclusively for tourists arriving on a cruise ship, land visitors aren't allowed to enter the port.

The port compound is designed to keep tourists inside so they consume the port services. If you've planned any activities with any local company you'll have to leave the port to find your service provider.

Arriving to Costa Maya by land

Getting from Chetumal to Costa Maya
Take highway 307 which is the main one and crosses the State of Quintana Roo. You'll be traveling from South to North.

As you leave Chetumal, you'll cross four towns before you get to Costa Maya, first Huay-Pix, then Xul-Ha, then a few kilometers ahead you'll get to Bacalar. You may want to stop at Bacalar which is the largest town in the area. It's famous for the San Felipe Fortress build by the Spaniards in the 17th century, the Bacalar Lagoon (also known as the Seven Color Lagoon) and Cenote Azul (Blue Sinkhole).
After you pass Bacalar you'll get to Pedro Santos, the fourth town, you'll easily identify Pedro Santos because of the ladies selling pineapple on the sides of the road by the speed bumps.
A few kilometers after you pass Pedro Santos, you'll see a turnoff on the right with clear signs indicating the way to Costa Maya or Mahahual. From there you'll leave highway 307 and will head East for 55 Kilometers to Mahahual.

Getting from Cancun to Costa Maya

Whether you rent a car, take the bus or have someone pick you up in Cancun, you'll end up traveling on highway 307, heading from North to South.

You'll pass Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and then Carrillo Puerto. After Carrillo Puerto you'll pass three small towns. First Uh-May, then Andres Quintana Roo and finally Limones. Three Kilometers after you pass Limones you'll see a turnoff on the left with clear signs indicating the way to Costa Maya or Mahahual. From there you'll leave highway 307 and will head East for 55 Kilometers to Mahahual.

Some info about Costa Maya

So you made it to Costa Maya, here are some useful facts that can make your visit more enjoyable.

Don't drink the water!
Yes, we know you've been told this before. It's always recommended to drink bottled water, even locals drink only bottled water and you can find it everywhere, just make sure the seal is intact.

Food in Costa Maya
If you decide to taste the different flavors of Mexico while in Costa Maya, there's a "light" version of Mexican food for tourists which is what most tourists call Mexican food and it's usually served with corn tortillas and guacamole. Most likely you'll see one or more small bottles with red or green industrial "salsa" on your table as well.

In Costa Maya you'll find a few "puestos" and "taquerias" where you can find a simple taco, quesadilla or sope. There are also restaurants that offer more elaborated dishes, manly seafood.

If you're interested in tasting the flavors of the Yucatan and enjoying an authentic meal have a look at our Mayan Experience Tour, it includes a delicious meal which is way beyond tacos, quesadillas and that kind of stuff.

Habla Español?
Official language in Mexico is Spanish, in Costa Maya you'll find out that many people also speak English, Italian and German. Wherever you go in Costa Maya at one point you'll find someone who also speaks Mayan or speaks only Mayan.

Need a doctor?
You can find a doctor at the clinics in Mahahual and Xcalak Villages in case you need it.

If you're planning to spend a long time in Costa Maya it's recommended that you talk to your doctor about any vaccine that you may need before you travel.
Remember that when you travel to a different part of the world your body will need some time to adapt to the conditions, temperature, food and even the germs of the place you visit, some times these changes are suffered through your stomach.

At the moment there are only two pharmacies in Mahahual and they have a limited variety of medicines. If you're under a special medication make sure you bring your medicines and your prescription.