Costa Maya Beach Break Excursion Reviews

Nice beach. People were nice, but a lot of college age spring breakers overindulged at the open bar.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Costa Maya- Go get a taxi for $3 per person to YaYa beach you can sit on their beach chairs and lay on the beach beds at no charge, We did buy food and drinks and get massages here as it was more resort like. Our massages were $35 each for an hour. Clean rest rooms. The beach was beautiful but, water still a bit cool. Taxi back was $2 per person. Watch your bags behind you here even in port as I caught one of the port store clerks trying to get into my back pack. He had it unzipped and money halfway out when I turned and caught him. So all money and ID's in front inside of clothes if possible.

Provider: Independent Operator

It was great. We went to Nohoch Kay. Food, drink and beach was wonderful. All inclusive package.

Provider: Independent Operator

Beach day! Had a great time here. Long bus ride (about 40 minutes). When we arrived it was like a different world! The beach was amazing and had an open bar. Kayaks were available and free. There was music and even covered massage tables on the beach. Cost for a massage was $30 per half hour but what an experience! There are plenty of comfortable lounge chairs and lots of places in the shade if you like. Will do this again one day!

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

In Costa Maya we went on an excursion to Maya Chan. The ride was long and bumpy but scenic. The resort was idyllic: palm trees, palapas, soft sand, clean, small, and intimate, excellent service! Not a good place to swim though, the rocky/silty sand has a peanut butter-like consistency and feels really icky especially when you start sinking.

Provider: Independent Operator

The facility was very nice, but the weather wasn't great. If I went back to Costa Maya, I would give this another try.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

We did the Nohoch Kay beach break at Mahahual, which we had also done in 2012. Liked it so much, we did it again! $40 per adult included: a full open bar, lunch with a choice of: Ceviche, Tacos, or Nachos. We also had guacamole, salsa and chips on the beach before lunch. We had reserved lounge chairs & palm frond palapas for shade. Could have used the kayak, but just chilled instead. Jaime was the best host. Staff of Bety Boop, Willie, Junior and Nacho were very attentive.

Provider: Independent Operator

Nohoch Kay beach break: Super relaxing, beautiful beach away from the masses of people piled up at many of the other beach breaks down the road from us. It was a private, clean beach with super great food all included. The owner, Jaime, and his staff went out of their way to make you feel welcome and comfortable. They kept the snacks and drinks coming all day, and everything was included in the price, with the exception of the massages available on the beach which my hubby took advantage of and thought he'd died and gone to heaven! We highly recommend Nohoch Kay Beach club.

Provider: Independent Operator

Just didn't get to spend much time here as the ship only docked from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. By the time we got off the ship and took a taxi to the beach, we only had 3 hours left to enjoy. Francisco was very nice. He is the manager and provided us with chairs and non-alcoholic drinks. You can book a package to include alcohol. We also rented wave runners for a half-hour. Cost $50. Beach was nice, but not as nice as Roatan or other Caribbean ports such as Barbados or Antigua.

Provider: Independent Operator

A beautiful morning spent in a private palapa. Fantastic drinks and food. Kayaked out to the reef and snorkeled....included in the price. Only downside is that our ship was only in port until 2pm and we didn't get a lot of time here.

Provider: Independent Operator

We booked the Boat Blast and Beach Break through NCL. The excursion began with a 40 minute bus ride, and then we were given a safety briefing prior to piloting our two-man boats. The excursion guides led us through the waters in a line, zigzagging and splashing and having a great time. We then had about 40 minutes to snorkel. That part of the excursion was average. Finally, we returned to the shore through a circuitous route and enjoyed a few hours of a national open bar. Unfortunately, it rained, but fortunately it was so warm the only reason we cared is because our chips got soggy. We felt it was worth the price we paid for the day.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

This was absolutely the perfect beach day. After doing a lot of research online, we booked an all inclusive beach day with Nohoch Kay. Best decision of our cruise!! We had looked at several of the options offered by the cruise line but they were overpriced and I was afraid they would be very crowded. Nohoch Kay only takes 42 people per day so you're guaranteed to have a relaxing and peaceful day. We took a grab from the port for only $2/person. We were greeted immediately upon arrival by the owner, Jaime, and shown to our reserved chairs and palapas for the day. A server greeted us almost instantly with a food and drink menu. We were never without a drink the entire day. The servers practically tripped over each other to take care of us but in a non intrusive way. We were able to relax and really enjoy a peaceful day at a beautiful beach. We ordered snacks around noon and they were delivered to our chairs. We enjoyed some of the best ceviche I've ever had, incredibly guacamole, and yummy homemade chips and salsa. We snorkeled for an hour or so, seeing some coral and a few fishes. There were several areas full of sea grass but the water was clear with good visibility. The beach was very clean and well taken care of. Around 2pm we went up to the restaurant for lunch. Jaime asked us a couple questions about our likes and dislikes and then asked if it would be ok for him to pick out our lunch. We were all thrilled with this idea and we enjoyed every thing we brought us. We ate shrimp tacos, fish tacos, fish and shrimp ceviche, and so much more. We were all stuffed, it was all so delicious!! When we were ready to head back to the ship (and we waited as long as possible!) Jaime called us a cab. He got us a round of to go rum punches too. And all the staff came over to say goodbye and thank us for coming. We couldn't have possibly asked for a better day, we were so well cared for! We will definitely return if we find ourselves in Costa Maya again. In fact I'd go out of my way to return here!!

Provider: Independent Operator

Isla Maya in Roatan was great. Lunch was included and was delicious. Plenty of chairs. We snorkeled and except for it being a bit crowded, was wonderful. Probably my favorite port.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Beautiful, modern and clean beach resort. Booked directly on-line with manager, Francisco. Included beach chairs, lunch and all you could drink. Overall experience excellent and would return if we visit Costa Maya in the future. One of the best values for our shore excursion dollar!

Provider: Independent Operator

It was a nice little place. It was small and seemed to lack real lively culture since cruise companies practically built the town, but still very nice people and a nice open bar beach. the beach was small and somewhat boring so bring a book. I had fun but enjoyed other ports much more. The highlight from this port was the baby lion which we petted and too pictures with in the terminal.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Yes free drinks here at the Jungle beach break but thats about it . 45 Minute one way ride in the middle of no where. We a=were also not told you needed cash here no ATM at this location. They had some nice souvenirs as well. Will save money next time and just walk off the ship, shop and use the free pool and beach area offered right outside the pier.

Provider: Disney Cruise Line

I rate this experience up there with Disney's private island .... LOVE Mahahual! I was a bit bummed that we had short port day in Costa Maya I think we had maybe a total of 5 hours in port. Our original plan was just to hang out at the port, because there are shops and a pool there. It was a nice port -- but we only walked through...and right out of the gates. We started to see this place pop up on the message boards and decided it sounded a little bit better then a cruise-line manufactured port. The place: Tropicante Ameri-Mex Grill in the town of Mahahual. http://www.sandalsandskis.com/Tropicante.html The plan: emailed the owner -- Steve prior to sailing, to reserve some loungers. This is FREE of charge, if you promise to eat and drink from his restaurant. Steve was great to deal with, emails were answered with great attention to detail and within 24 hours! He let us know how and where to hail a cab and how much we should be paying for the cab as well. He answered all of my questions and even gave me a tequila lesson -- which was to be continued once I arrived! The weather is looking great and I can't wait to get to our destination. We take a 5 min stroll through the port -- as it is not clearly marked how to get out. I suppose they want you to stay and spend your money there. We walk a block outside of port -- everything seems safe -- and speak to a cab driver about taking us to Tropicante. He takes us ($2 per person) and we arrive in about 5 minutes, safe and sound. The driving in Mexico does leave you a bit nerve racked. I wonder if they do that to boost tequila sales once you get to your destination We walk from the cab right to the beach, speak to our waiter who walks us to our loungers and just drink it all in for a minute. This is a beautiful tropical paradise right on the beach. If I looked to my left I could see our ship. Deceiving though -- because the walk would have taken a good 45 minutes to an hour. The kids went right to playing in the sand and water, while the adults ordered a few cold beverages Steve, the owner, chatted with us a bit. He was always visible for the whole time we were there chatting with all of his guests and making sure everyone was having a fantastic time. Aside from food and drink, you can also get a massage, snorkel, banana boat, and many other activities. We were just happy to eat, drink, and play in the water. The food was good. Though it was mostly Mexican fare, it was American enough to please pickier eaters too. I was sad to leave - and would definitely recommend this place to anyone in the area, or cruisers looking to have an amazing beach day.

Provider: Independent Operator

Awesome! Palapas, beach beds, massages, great drinks, delicious food, kayaks, snorkel, etc.!!

Provider: Independent Operator

After an active, early start for 4 days we decided to take it easy on the beach. The ride their, we were herded on to a bus, nobody said anything, they took our tickets and away we went. Our driving, after about 40 min pulled up to a beach, he said where we were. I understand their is sand on a beach, that is what a beach is, however, every chair on the beach was loaded with sand, not just a dusting. Their was an employee cleaning the beach, raking, removing seaweed, he just wasn't removing it where we were. If you don't mind walking through dry seaweed, unloading piles of sand off your chair, sending peddlers away about every 20 minutes then this would be a beach for you, but if you are looking for a nice well kept beach, look elsewhere. Also, packs snacks, the food was offensive, as were the beverages. My mother wanted a Margarita, which was so bad, she couldn't even drink it. I just wanted pineapple juice, after a 3 min conversation, declining alcohol many times I finally got a pineapple juice, or I should say water, with a splash of juice!

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

We booked the "Beach Break Lounge" at the YaYa Beach Club through Island Marketing. This was the bargain of our vacation! For $32.50 for adults, $20 for children, we were treated to a beautiful beach on a lagoon. The beach was not crowded at all, there was plenty of shade, the unlimited drinks were quite tasty, and the water was perfectly clear. DD and DS announced it was the best beach they have ever imagined and we had to agree with them.

Provider: Independent Operator

Easy ride on a bus. A little further of a ride than I expected at about 40 minutes. The beach set up was just like a Caribbean resort. Plenty of lounge chairs and enough shade for those wanting. Drinks were included in price, food was not. The food was good and very reasonable in price with most items at $5. Clean rest rooms and reasonable shopping.

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Like several others from our Cruise Critic roll call, we went to Maya Chan. Getting there involves a long bumpy taxi ride, but the resort was worth the trouble. Dave and the crew at the resort gave us a wonderful day. We were met with fruit punch made from fruit and alcoholic or nonalcoholic as you desired. There were rafts and kayaks to entertain us in the water, which was clear and warm. Each party had a private area to hang in with shade and lounges and a hammock. I want to go back.

Provider: Independent Operator

What a blast! Booked online with then for $108 had an all inclusive (except massages) for 1 drinking adult and one teen. The took us by van about 20 minutes from the Port to Maya Chan. It was exactly as described on the website. the staff was super friendly. we had a Palapa with hammock, beach bed, and chaise loungers under a coconut tree! so nice! Mango Daiquiris were fantastic; as was everything else. food was great too. we did the glass bottom kayaks and paddled the short distance to the reef and snorkeled for starfish that were vibrant red. Our server was Gabby and she never let our drinks empty. I did a massage and Man was it the best deal ever. $25 for a half hour? wow, sign me up! Our only regret was that we had to leave! i could stay there forever!

Provider: Independent Operator

We were able to take a short beach break. We only had 40 minutes left from our ATV ride and it did not seem like enough time to get wet and lay in the sun. The water was rough that day and there was seaweed and junk washing up on shore. But that was okay. We had a couple of beer and some salsa and just relaxed.

Provider: Independent Operator

Fabulous place! The road there is a bit rough, but the beach is well worth it. All inclusive food and drink. We had a palapa for the 6 of us and several had massages on the beach. The staff is super, and a couple of us did the sand golf course. Zach is great. We finished the day with shots of Tequila before heading back to the ship.

Provider: Independent Operator

In Costa Maya my family and I took a beach break. We booked through Tropicante. It was perfect. Steve and his staff were great. You only paid for what you ate, drank or activity. We ordered quite a bit for lunch, had margaritas, a bucket of beer and two 1 hour massages. Total, $125. The cab ride was $2 pp from the cruise terminal. It was a good time, very relaxing and we would definitely do it again.

Provider: Independent Operator

Nohoch Kay is the best place to go. I highly recommend this place. Great hospitality and the food and drinks are awesome. $40.00 per person.

Provider: Independent Operator

Costa Maya, Great Day! Say Maya Chan for an amazing time, 5 star if you are looking for a funky little beach resort, all you can eat or drink, snorkeling, kyacking, great food and star fish the size of a 5 year old head. No hassle, bus is waiting, greeted at the road and lead to your palapas, with hammocks, chairs and a beach bed. toys for the kids and rum punch in your hand in less than 15 seconds. For those who didn't drink, punch and fresh fruit. Yes, some sea grass, but the treasures that lay beyond. Booked on internet...

Provider: Independent Operator

Enjoyed a relaxing day at the beach at the Ya Ya Beach Club, which you can go online and read reviews of at tripadvisor, we wanted to go to Nohoch Kay but it was booked up. We paid $35 a person and this included beach chairs, and unlimited alcoholic beverages. You could catch a taxi here for $2 a person, don't stay in the port area, its just vendors selling the same stuff they sold in Cozumel.

Provider: Independent Operator

Costa Maya basically has nothing cultural to offer except for the tourism village that has been built right there at the port. In 2005, Hurricane Dean devastated this area. So we were very glad that we did book an excursion - Sea Trek Helmet Dive. We were taken to the site by an open sided safari-style bus, approximately 40 minute drive. Not much to see until we got closer to the site, mangrove forests on one side of the road and beautiful white beaches and aqua sea on the other. We were 16 in our group and only 8 can go down at one time, so we opted to be in the second group. There is a washroom and change area there. You can rent a small locker for $2 US. There are beach chairs and some umbrellas (thatched). There is also a snack bar where you can buy a beer, etc. After the briefing by our diver, Juan, the first group set went out and we stayed back. We spent this time in the water. It was so clear you could see the bottom, no problem. The temperature of the water was beautiful. The helmet dive was a bit scary. From our group of 8, 2 people had to be taken back to the surface. If you are claustrophobic this may not be for you. There is a lot of noise in the helmet, from the air being sent to the helmet, and this was hard to get used to, as well, as the fact you naturally want to hold your breath. I also found it very difficult to walk, but Juan who was in the water with us, took me and guided me to the rope and put my hand right on the rope. He was really great with us, checking on us several times throughout the dive to confirm we were ok. Up top, snorkeling was our other guide, Santiago. We felt very safe. Once everyone is down, you have about 25 minutes walking around and looking at the coral and fish. It was pretty neat. I had to keep talking to myself to keep myself from panicking. I was pleased to have stuck it out. Don't think this is a wimpy activity. The largest man from our group had to go back to the surface. Also, the minimum age is 9, but there was a young boy in the first group who couldn't stay down. I would think children would find it scary. This was a tease for my husband who now wants to learn to scuba dive. When we returned to the port, we had lots of time to shop, have a drink and nachos at Senor Frog's. Got a nasty burn while swimming in the ocean - us northerners keep forgetting we need to slap on the sunscreen. I did find some of the vendors here to be "in your face".

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Took a $2 taxi ride to Tropicante where we had reserved tables, chairs and lounge chairs, $25 hour massages, great food and very reasonable alcohol. They were extremely friendly and helpful and accommodating. Steve let people use his phone to make free calls back to family back home. A bucket of beer was $10 vs. $21 on the ship. The food was excellent, the weather perfect and all was reasaonble. This was a highlight of our trip. It was such a peaceful and incredible and relaxing day. Would totally recommend Steve and Tropicante.

Provider: Independent Operator

This port is what it was meant to be: a substitute for another port. Nothing more. We started by taking a cab to the Tropicante in Mahahual. We plunked down in our reserved loungers under the umbrella--just inches from the water's edge--to enjoy the fantastic weather. The service was a little slow, but they were busy. Lunch was excellent and reasonable; I had the sour cream chicken enchiladas (very good but too much sauce), and hubby had the chorizo tacos. Excellent guacamole! We didn't take the time for a massage, as there were only two tables and they stayed full. The beach peddlers were a pain, but just keep telling them no. It was so hard to resist the children ? After a few dips in the ocean and a few trinkets bargained, we headed back to port. We stopped at Senor Frogs, which was sadly almost deserted. Beware the waitress with the sombrero pouring booze down your gullet. She started on me, and got three shots down me before I made her stop. She then said "That will be nine dollars". What the...??? What a racket. We enjoyed people watching at the pool, and watching the dolphins in the small enclosure. So there is shopping, and drinking, and eating...and basically nothing else to do here.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Again this rating is due to time. We left the port at 730 and were back at 1045. So we ended up at the beach for only about 45 mins. They had a beach volleyball set up so we played a game with some of the other people on the tour. The beach was very beautiful but because it was so early the sun hadn't really burned through all the clouds. No one on our tour actually went into the water other than wading. They gave us fresh chips and salsa when we got back from the rhinos.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Everything I wanted in a beach break. Free drinks and all.

Provider: Royal Caribbean International

My only real complaint about this port was I found the merchants to be much more aggressive than in any other port. This was also the only port where we got eaten up with bug bites. The beach was beautiful, the drinks and food were good, and we had a nice time.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

Awesome! Great value. If you are looking to just relax on the beach and not worry about a thing for the day, this is for you. People, place, food, dinks and activities.. all great. (best fish tacos I've had in a good long time)

Provider: Norwegian Cruise Line

Independent excursion. A beach day at Nohoch Kay. We relaxed in loungers under our own palapa with a beautiful beachfront view and forgot about all our troubles. This place is a great all-inclusive deal. Jaime is the consummate host. It was not crowded. We were not hassled by vendors. He and his crew will give you as much or as little attention as you want. I can't say enough good things about them. This place is as good as advertised. It was the most relaxing day of our cruise. We had a great time and will return to Nohoch Kay on our next trip to Costa Maya.

Provider: Independent Operator

Great beach, friendly staff, good drinks (included) and nice beach toys: kayaks, etc

Provider: Independent Operator

Spent the better part of 5 hours at Tequila Beach for a flat rate of $30 per person. That included round trip transportation, beach chairs, ocean kayaks, fins, masks, snorkels, and unlimited drinks. A total "blast" had by the 8 of us and what a beach area. Clean, fun, warm water, clean white sand.........what a time we had.

Provider: Independent Operator

Everything you would expect from a tropical pampering beach day.

Provider: Independent Operator

Had a great time here, paid one price for all food and drink. The food was super! The servers were constantly getting us food or drink. Couldn't have asked for better. Also had a beach massage which was great also. Great day!

Provider: Independent Operator

What a Way to Spent a Perfect Day Booked this all-inclusive beach break through Island Marketing Ltd. The $40 per person fee was very reasonable for what we received. And the best shore excursion we have ever done! As per the instructions, we walked through the Costa Maya cruise port, following the signs for taxis. Taxi station was a few minutes walk just past the tour bus parking lot. Found a taxi opposite the mini Mayan temple, for $2.00 per person plus $1.00 tip, which took us from Costa Maya to Mahahual (Ma-Ha-Wah) Town. Armand didn't speak much English but we mentioned Nohoch Kay and the owner Jaime (Hy-me) and he knew exactly where to take us. We arrived within a few minutes and were warmly greeted by both Jaime and Jeff. Throughout the whole day they remembered our name, along with every other cruise guest. Simply amazing! We were shown to our reserved woven mesh lounge chairs under a thatched palm leaf palapa. We were then introduced to Brenda who, all day brought us ice cold local Dos Equis or Sol beers and gave us impromptu Spanish lessons. Mid-day we tried their homemade salsa, guacamole and chips. After mentioning that we liked spicy, they even brought us extra hot sauces to try. Nohoch Kay has a open-aired restaurant & bar with clean bathroom facilities in the back. The outdoor shower (to rinse sand off) and hand washing sink use conch shells for the faucets! Very cool! Be sure to check out my photos. They also have string lights made of conch shells in the dining area. After going out in the sit-on-top kayaks for a while. I decided to walk along the Malecon (boardwalk) Since it was a very warm day, I got a frozen Margarita to go! The Malecon had street vendor, other restaurants and several apartment rental units. I did end up purchasing a gourd that was hand-carved with cut-out palm trees, dolphins and suns. There were also blue half marbles and was wired with a cord & light socket. It looks so beautiful when lite. Vendor started at $35 and we settled on $25. After my shopping expedition, we decided to do a late lunch. Most of the passengers from the other cruise ship in port that day had left, as their ship departed sooner that ours. Jaime took the time to sit with us and knowing that we liked spicy, he ordered some items with a little kick. The shrimp and fish tacos were fresh & hot. The Ceviche was the best we have ever had!! I was served another frozen Margarita in a very large glass. As we were getting close to having to leave, Jaime shared a toast with Jose Cuervo Tequila Tradicional. Very smooth, not like other tequilas. Then hugs with Jaime, Brenda and Jeff, with a promise to come back again. Jaime already had a taxi waiting for us. We miss you guys!!! We did find Jose Cuervo Tequila Tradicional and toast to you often!!!

Provider: Independent Operator

The beach and free drinks were wonderful. But the 30 minute bus ride to the beach was nothing special.

Provider: Carnival Cruise Lines

I went to Maya Chan all inclusive beach and highly recommend it. There were some nice people from the ship there. I had a bed right on the beach, massage, all inclusive drinks and fajitas. Wonderful!

Provider: Independent Operator

We spent a pleasant day at Maya Chan resort. Food and drinks were wonderful, although because of recent expansion there were twice as many guests as were allowed when we originally booked the resort. Because of this, things were a little chaotic upon arrival, but settled down and service was attentive. Lunch was THE BEST and hubby enjoyed the tequila - a lot! Owners were friendly and pleasant hosts, and if we have the chance we would not hesitate to return.

Provider: Independent Operator

This was the highlight of my week. The resort was the most amazing place I have ever been. It was BEAUTIFULLY landscaped, it sat on a real blue lagoon, there were kayaks, hammocks & margaritas! It was a perfect day!!!

Provider: Independent Operator