Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is understood for its historical Mayan ruins and freshwater cenotes, and I wished to expertise the very best of each worlds on my current port day in Cozumel.
I booked the Tulum Ruins & Mayan Cenote tour by way of Royal Caribbean. This tour combines a go to to the oceanfront Tulum Archeological website with time to swim at close by cenotes.
This tour was positioned on mainland Mexico versus the island of Cozumel, so I knew I used to be in for an journey.
Reserving choices
Due to the ferry concerned from the island of Cozumel to mainland Mexico, I booked this tour instantly by way of Royal Caribbean.
I normally favor to e-book smaller excursions by way of impartial corporations, however I had heard tales of ferries being delayed and inflicting folks to overlook the cruise ship.
I figured it was finest to e-book instantly by way of Royal Caribbean for the added safety.
Associated: Is it higher to e-book excursions by way of the cruise ship?
I bought the Tulum Ruins & Mayan Cenote tour for $101.99 on Royal Caribbean’s Cruise Planner web site.
Transportation to the mainland
All excursions touring to mainland Mexico from Cozumel met within the ship’s theater at 7:45 AM. Up vibrant and early, I used to be anticipating to depart shortly after the assembly time, however we didn’t go away the theater till round 8:20 AM.
We boarded the Winjet Quick Ferry to the mainland, and there are two ranges: an out of doors deck and an indoor deck with no window views.
I selected to sit down indoors and this turned out to be an enormous mistake. I had heard tales of the ferry being depressing by way of uneven waters between Cozumel and the mainland, and these tales are fully true.
The ferry journey was past depressing. A number of folks had been vomiting round me and I used to be doing every thing in my energy to not throw up myself!
I’ve by no means wished to kiss the bottom greater than after I disembarked the ferry on the mainland. Fortunately the non-drowsy Dramamine I took earlier than the ferry saved me and I arrived in Playa del Carmen unscathed.
On the way in which again, I sat on the highest deck so I may maintain my eyes on the horizon all through the entire journey. Being exterior was a lot better than indoors.
Tulum Ruins
Following the 45 minute ferry, our group of 44 passengers boarded a 1 hour bus to the Tulum archaeological website.
The Tulum Archeological Web site is the one website in Mexico’s Quintana Roo state going through the Caribbean Sea, and the town was as soon as the middle of land and sea commerce within the area. It’s thought to have been constructed between 1200 AD and 1450 AD.
Many temples and buildings are positioned proper on the ocean, resulting in spectacular views of historical historical past blended with turquoise Caribbean waters.
Our tour included a beautiful information, Tony, and it was fascinating to study concerning the traditions and tradition of those that as soon as known as this website residence. We got earpieces to put on so everybody may hear the information.
The archeological website was not outrageously busy once we visited, and we got an hour of free time to discover after our ~1 hour tour of the ruins.
I all the time take pleasure in visiting archeological websites, and the Tulum Ruins are significantly stunning as they’re proper on the water. They had been all well-preserved and I appreciated that guests are neither permitted to climb on the ruins nor stroll on the seashores to maintain the location in glorious situation.
After exploring by myself, I headed again to the doorway of the archaeological website, the place there are memento retailers and locations to eat. Our tour included a small sandwich within the morning, however most visitors ordered tacos on the website.
Cenote tour
After round two hours on the Tulum Ruins, we boarded the bus for a fast, 15-minute drive to the second a part of our tour: a cenote tour.
Cenotes are pure sinkholes shaped by the collapse of limestone bedrock, exposing the groundwater beneath. The Yucatán Peninsula is claimed to have over 6,000 cenotes.
These have change into standard vacationer locations in recent times, permitting guests to chill off within the area’s sizzling temperatures in a pure, tropical oasis.
Our tour introduced us to 2 cenotes. I had by no means seen a cenote earlier than and so they had been simply as stunning as I had imagined.
The primary cenote was totally uncovered to open air and had clear, chilly water excellent for swimming. We had been supplied life jackets because the cenotes are fairly deep, and lots of guests had been cliff leaping into the cenote from above.
The 5-minute stroll to the second cenote was stunning alongside a path by way of mangroves.
The second cenote was in a cave, and our group was guided into the cave’s small opening and thru an underground pathway to the opposite facet.
Food and drinks stands had been obtainable all through the cenote complicated, and I ordered a recent mango and keenness fruit juice earlier than beginning the lengthy journey again to Cozumel.
What I preferred about this tour
I felt this tour had a pleasant mixture of historical past, pure magnificence, and adrenaline. It was attention-grabbing to go to mainland Mexico from Cozumel even when it required the uneven ferry journey, and the 2 locations we visited had been undeniably stunning.
I cherished with the ability to settle down within the cenotes after strolling across the Tulum Ruins within the September humidity, and I’d like to discover extra cenotes on future visits to Mexico.
Our driver and two guides had been pleasant, educated, {and professional} all through the tour.
What I didn’t like
One of many causes I don’t e-book Royal Caribbean excursions or massive group excursions fairly often is because of how slowly the excursions transfer.
A variety of this tour was spent ready round for all visitors to complete on the bogs, board the bus, arrive on the theater within the morning, and so forth.
Moreover, whereas the cenotes had been beautiful and refreshing, our time on the cenotes was very transient. We had been solely given round quarter-hour to swim at every cenote, and there have been a number of crowds. I felt our time on the ruins was a superb size, nonetheless.
The ferry was by far the worst a part of the day, so should you’re planning this tour it’s crucial to pack motion-sickness treatment and sit on the out of doors deck.
Must you e-book this shore tour?
Whereas this tour had its downsides, it nonetheless supplied the quintessential Yucatán trip expertise of visiting ruins and cenotes. The Tulum Ruins are bigger and extra spectacular than something discovered on Cozumel, so should you’re fascinated about visiting Mayan Ruins it’s well worth the journey.
Plus, once you look again on the tour in 10 years, you received’t bear in mind the nausea-inducing ferry journey or summer season humidity. What you’ll bear in mind are the implausible websites, historical past, and nature you skilled!
In case you do choose this tour, I’d extremely advocate planning extra stress-free port days for the remainder of your itinerary. This tour is tiring and busy; it lasted 9 hours!
Reserving an all-inclusive seaside membership or catamaran tour for the opposite port days in your cruise is a good suggestion to make sure you don’t get too worn out.
I’d not advocate making an attempt to do that tour by yourself. Because of prolonged journey time required with the ferry, it’s finest to e-book instantly by way of Royal Caribbean.
