Today we are visiting the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins accessable from the Costa Maya Cruise port. Boris likes to call this a “made up cruise port” set up as the water access point for cruise ships to reach several Mayan ruins sites in Mexico. I wrote more extensively about this port in a previous post a few months ago.
Once again, there are a lot of passengers headed out on excursions today. We are going to the Mayan ruins at Chacchoben. Not a mini van today, we are in a full-size bus. The ruins are just under an hour away from the cruise port.
Locals still used the site in the 1960s when archeologists first visited the area. It was officially reported to the Mexican government in 1972. The ruins at Chacchoben were not opened to the public until 2002. Three pyramids and several site walls and steps have been uncovered and are open for visitors following a circular path. The number of uncovered ruins at this site was the biggest surprise for me. We first stopped at Plaza B and temple #24, what I had assumed would be the highlight of the tour, I wondered why we were there first and why a two-hour visit was needed. Leaving temple 24 behind, I realized there was so much more to see.
Note the rounded base
Chacchoben means place of the red corn in Yucatec Maya. There is a village of the same name nearby. When you enter the archeological site, there is a gift shop, restrooms, and a cafe. The tour groups leave from this location at staggered times. It was exceptionally hot. I recommend wearing cool, comfortable clothing; good walking shoes; a hat; and sunscreen during your visit. The accessisbility is good; there was only one stop where I found the climb a bit difficult. Most of the ruins are yet uncovered, but excavations continue in areas closed to the public.
Our first stop was Plaza B and temple 24, a step pyramid with interior chambers closed to the public. You can only climb a few of the steps at the base of the pyramid, but there are staircases on all four sides. The area was flooded with tourists, but we waited our turn to capture photos on the steps with just the four of us. The pyramids were built with steps of stone and concrete made from limestone, clay, stones and water.
Following the circular path, our guide took us by other ruins that you could climb on and see where the inner rooms would have been. We came next to the Grand Plaza and the area where dwellings and palace would originally been located. I hope someday they have a model that shows what the area would have looked like at the civilization’s peak.
Continuing our journey, we came to the grand staircase, the primary way up to the grande dame of the archeological site, the Gran Basamento plaza and Temple 1. This primary temple is 42 feet tall. The grand staircase is the best way to get the knockout view when the temple comes into focus and rises (as one blogger put it) “high over the jungle canopy.” Justin + Lauren Adventure & Kind Travel. Most of the participants went this way; a few of us choose the alternative pathway with fewer steps with a side wall to hold on to. Given the heat, my two foot surgeries, and a fall down the stairs in the not so distance past, I chose option two. It was still a little difficult and there was not really much to hold on to, but the climb was worth it. The site is spectacular.
Following my route, the first thing that comes into view is the Temple of the Vessels, just to the side of the Gran Basamento and Temple One. While the smallest of the three temples at the archeological site, for some reason I found it the most attractive. Maybe because it felt more approachable. The items used in the ceremonies held on the Gran Basamento would have been stored here. The thatched roof in the back is not original. It was added to preserve some surviving painting.
With your back to the main steps of The Temple of the Vessels, you see the few steps up to the plaza in front of Temple 1 and the Gran Basamento. The Gran Basamento is “the platform in front of Temple 1, [which] was Chacchoben’s ritual heart where many ceremonies were performed. During the equinox in the spring and the fall each year, the sun aligns with Temple 1 and 24.” Justin + Lauren Adventure & Kind Travel.
There were so many people there the day of our visit that it was impossible to get a clear picture of the Gran Basamento and Temple 1. However, the people served to show the grand scale of the pyramid and how visitors can actually experience the Gran Basamento. We were given free time in the area and some people used it to photograph the monkeys that live near the pyramid.
Retuning to the ship, we did a little shopping at the mall at the port and then got back on board. Once again rather than eat in the heat and with the crowds in port, we tried one of the onboard speciality restaurants at a time when they were not crowded. Today we went to Johnny Rockets. It looks like they moved it to the opposite side of the Boardwalk (although I could be wrong about this) and I did notice the Build-a-Bear is no longer there. I went to Johnny Rockets on our last time on the Allure and as before, the food and shakes were good. We may have gone a bit overboard with the ordering, but it was all included in the specialty restaurant fee. The shakes are extra, but are discounted for us as Diamond members.
Our last port of call is a longtime favorite of mine, Cozumel, Mexico. However I like Cozumel as a dive location which is how it first got discovered by frequent travelers. We didn’t do an excursion. Besides the fabulous drift diving, there aren’t a lot of unique excursion opportunities. Cozumel is an island so options are limited. It is a short 45-minute ferry ride from Cancun. I have written about Cozumel many times, including just two months ago.
We walked around and did some shopping. We returned again to Pancho’s Backyard and this time they asked how often I have been there. (It is probably at least 30 times). They brought out the frequent visitor sign-which I hadn’t see before-so I could grab a photo with my people. We had excellent food (order the superb guacamole), drinks (a fishbowl margarita), and xylophone music in a covered outdoor setting that stays relatively cool even at the height of summer.
We were docked at the far cruise terminal so we taxied to the other far end of town to begin our day. Our plan was to walk all the way back, but we only got about half way when the heat got to me. I was ready for the air conditioning on board the ship. Clyde and Bonnie stayed out to do a little more shopping and got a few things.
We got lucky and were able to get seats in the Comedy Show this evening, but it came at the price of a long wait in the standby line and missing our other production show. We later learned the production show got cancelled due to technical problems. It was also canceled the next night so we never saw it. We enjoyed the comedy show, although one of the two comics was very sexist.
The last full day of the cruise was a sea day which meant I was out at the pool early and eventually everyone joined me. Boris wanted Clyde to help model Mexican wrestler masks at the pool; Clyde wisely declined. It was hot in the afternoon, so we opted to go inside to pack, nap, see a parade, and make one more stop at the Diamond Club. In the evening we tried out our last specialty restaurant, Giovanni’s Table. It was just ok and we would have been just as happy in the dining room which is included.
Overall we had a great time and loved traveling with Bonnie and Clyde. We hope they will be up for a repeat adventure with Boris and Natasha. Until then….
–Natasha
travelbynatasha 