We’ve visited the port of Costa Maya, Mexico several times, but we’ve never made it past the Carlos’n Charlie’s in the port compound. We will visit again soon, so we did a little research to learn about the area.
9 Fun Facts About Costa Maya, Mexico
1. Costa Maya is a tourist region located on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, 100 miles south of Playa del Carmen near Belize border. It includes two small villages — Mahahual and Xcalak — and extends about 62 miles between Xcalak to the southern border of the Sian Ka’an.
2. Developers created the Costa Maya dock and village complex specifically to woo cruise lines.
3. The port — opened in February, 2001 — features swimming pools, restaurants, bars such as Carlos ‘n Charlie’s, shops, a dolphin experience and a small beach (though it’s too rocky to swim). The port compound is only open to cruise ship passengers.
4. The Costa Maya port developers also updated the 200-resident fishing village of Mahahual that’s about two miles from the dock. You can reach it with a 30-minute walk or $5 cab ride, to find a malecon along a row of seaside hotels, restaurants, dive shops and beach clubs that serve fresh ceviche and offer water activities along white sand beaches.
5. The port developers also own a club and water sports area on Uvero Beach. Mainly used for shore excursions, Uvero Beach is Costa Maya’s most popular beach area, and features white sand, clear blue water and a variety of beach restaurants and shops.
6. Diving enthusiasts love Banco Chinchorro, considered the largest coral reef in the Atlantic Ocean, with more than 500 varieties of fish.
7. Early Mayans were predominant in the area from 200 B.C. to 900 A.D. The ruins at Chacchoben, constructed by the Mayans in the 4th century, include magnificent stone structures and pyramids.
8. In August of 2007, the port of Costa Maya and the cruise dock sustained heavy damage when Category 5 Hurricane Dean made landfall with sustained winds of 175 mph, with gusts up to 200 mph. The port reopened in the fall of 2008.
9. On February 1, 2015, Costa Maya and the Mexican state of Quintana Roo officially adopted a new time zone that corresponds to Eastern Standard Time.
Have you visited Costa Maya? What was your favorite attraction? Please share in comments below.
Check out these other ‘fun facts’ posts on other cruise ship ports around the world:
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- 18 Fun Facts About Phuket, Thailand
- 21 Fun Facts About Mormugao, Goa, India
- 5 Fun Facts About Jeju Island, South Korea
- 9 Fun Facts: Komodo Island, Indonesia
- 12 Fun Facts About Dutch Harbor, Alaska
- 17 Fun Facts About Kodiak, Alaska
- 42 Fun Facts About Seattle, Washington
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