Costa Maya, Mexico
In Costa Maya, our last port stop, we visited Chacchoben Mayan ruins. Chacchoben, meaning "the place of red corn", dates back to around 350 A.D. when the Maya city flourished, but human settlements in the area date to around 1000 B.C. The site was discovered in 1972, largely unexplored until 1994, and only officially opened to the public in 2002.
Erick, our guide from The Native Choice, was of Mayan
descent, and his passion for the history and culture of his people was
evident. As he described what the area had once looked like, we felt like we could truly envision the people who lived here, their customs, and their everyday life. Although the three large temples are impressive, the site has not been fully excavated and there are other ruins yet to be uncovered.
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There were three pyramid-shaped temples and we were able to climb the temple stairs.
After our visit to the ruins, we enjoyed a wonderful lunch at the Bacalar Lagoon Resort at Seven Color Lagoon. The lagoon is so named for its ever-changing shades of blue. We were able to relax, swim or kayak before returning to the dock.
Once we were back at the dock, we had time to leisurely wander the
shops. Costa Maya's port has been designed with the cruise passenger in mind,
with attractive shopping pavilions resembling Mayan buildings that are built around a
large swimming pool. We couldn't have asked for a more pleasant day for our
last shore excursion.
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