One Day Tour to Chacchoben Mayan City and Bacalar Lagoon with a Certified Guide

Amazing tour!

Great trip, definitely recommend! Joel was an amazing tour guide and very knowledgeable. We learned a lot about the Mayan culture and the area.

Incomplete trip

Chacchoben was good but the lagoon trip was cancelled with no refund . Great guide Knowledgable and funny. Chacchoben is approx 1 hour drive. Van was comfortable with AC.

Amazing day in Costa Maya

the entire experience was absolutely amazing. Our guide, Yochi, was absolutely amazing and extremely knowledgeable. One of the kindest people i’ve met and took our photo and gave us a better insight to mayan culture. I cannot recommend this experience enough and to definitely book with native choice for your tour.

Great educational trip

Our guide, Joel, was very knowledgeable and told us the true history of the Mayan temples. Very educational trip.

Great trip

Our guide Rosie and our driver Miguel were great- the ruins were amazing Thanks so much for the great trip

Love it 😍

It was a beautiful place the tour guide was very informative and answered all the questions . Love it 🥰🥰🥰 100% recommended

Worth every penny.

Eric was amazing! He really enjoys what he does and his knowledge of the Mayan history is impressive. His driving was good. Even though the lagoon was not blue due to the rain I still had an amazing time. I recommend.

Nice experience

David, Romero, & Pedro were great! Very friendly and taught us a lot about this particular Mayan city. Definitely wear sneakers for the tour portion & wear bug spray. The mosquitos weren’t too bad but I got bit at the beginning of the tour about 6 times and I’m allergic so it was pretty painful. The lagoon wasn’t blue this day due to a storm the day before however it was still beautiful and relaxing. I suggest wearing water shoes in the lagoon because the rocks on the lagoon floor are very slippery. Overall was definitely worth the cost and even better that it was with a local company.

Excursions Trip

The tour guide was amazing, huge acknowledgment to the staff coordinator and driver. Abel, Allan and Yoxira you guys killed it.

I wish I knew our guides name!! A thousand 5 star reviews for that guy!

I can’t remember the name of our guide!!! He is what made this experience so great! He gave us so much great information about the myans. It was great hearing the information from a descendant that has lived there before the ruins were excavated and not someone that recently moved there. He made sure we got to the ruins early so we were able to get our pictures before all the tour buses arrived! Thank you for that!! We went to the Bacalar lagoon which was beautiful, but the water was not the prettiest. He made sure we arrived early so that we could get good beach chair views!

Friendly and knowledgeable staff

We had an amazing time . Our guides were so professional and we learned a lot on the way to the ruins . They also got us there early to best all the cruise ship crowds .It was so hot so the lagoon was much needed . Our kids kayaked and the food was pretty good .We were starving good after all the walking in the heat . Stopped at a local vendor on the way back for some freshly cut pins with chili powder . Super great experience.

Unforgettable Family Adventure with an Outstanding Guide

We recently had an exceptional experience with our tour operator during our family trip. Rosie, our guide, was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, ensuring we had a memorable time. She expertly guided us through the Chacchoben ruins, sharing fascinating historical insights, and then took us to the stunning Bacalar Lagoon. Rosie's enthusiasm and expertise made our trip truly special. Highly recommended!

Wish we had more time.

We had to walk outside the port quite a bit, and had some small confusion on where to meet, but we enjoyed the ruins and had a great guide there. I wish we would have spent a little more time there, but we did enjoy the lagoon where we had as many drinks and tacos as we wanted before we enjoyed some time in the water. We did have to leave both the ruins and the lagoon earlier than we would have liked and did feel slightly rushed.

The Ruins & Lagoon. A little history and then relaxing on the lake!

We enjoyed this excursion in Costa Maya! It was a great value for doing 2 things in 1 day compared to the other things I looked at. It was easy to walk to the meeting spot where they looked at my receipt and gave us wrist bands and we waited to board a lovely air conditioned bus where Alan gave us the ins and outs of our day as we drove 1 hour or so into the Yucatán… and how did I forget my bug spray????? But I did. We got to the ruins and we met a family from Texas and we kinda stayed together while many bigger tour busses unloaded. Our group was 17 which was super nice! We then found our next tour guide and he gave us the history after we took our photos and explored a little. My son got a fruit cup here and it was delicious! I wish I would have grabbed one before we loaded back up for a 15 minute ride to the Lagoon. Down a bumpy dirt road we went and were amazed at the lovely resort at the end. There were probably 50-70 people who were bussed there for lunch and the afternoon on the water. We had tacos, salsa and open bar. We just hung out in the water while some went kayaking. I had brought a blow up float, so we just floated around. The rocks are kinda slippery, so the float helped getting over them. The staff at the resort were kind and accommodating. Our driver Edgar kept us safe and sound on the road back to the port. We returned with hours to spare from our adventure and spent some time shopping in the port. Overall glad we booked this excursion- The Native Choice!

A Great Day off the Ship

Had a blast! We wanted an excursion away from the ships crowd. Easy to meet up with. Had a great time with this group. Highly recommended while in port.

Great excursion for the family!

Lorenzo was a great host and was always ensuring everyone in our party and in our van was comfortable and enjoying themselves. The van was quite new, clean & comfortable for the 50-60 min ride. The cold bottled water in the van was a nice touch. My age 20's adult children & friends had a great day. For me (dad), this excursion was a bit touristy at the ruins and at the lagoon, but it was still a great day overall with our family. The staff were very friendly and informative. Even though the meeting point is outside the port and just into the small town, it's very easy to find with the maps the staff provide.

Truly Enjoyable

The Mayan temples were amazing and our guide Eric was superb just make sure to bring bug spray. The lagoon and the taco lunch with drinks was very enjoyable.

Very great tour, well worth it.

The whole experience was amazing! Edder was a tremendous host and the lagoon was very nice. Just make sure you have bug spray for the ruins tour because the mosquitos are all over, but it was 100% worth the trip.

Highly recommend! Great experience, at a great value.

Our cruise was stopping at Costa Maya for a few hours, so we booked this excursion. It was a bit of a walk from the port, but once we got to the bus area, it was a snooth process. We were fortunate enough to have Edder our tour guide, and Carlos our driver. Edder did a wonderful job explaining the background of the Chaachoben ruins, as well as additional facts. After we visited the ruins, we went to the BEAUTIFUL Bacalar Lagoon. This location was exclusive to people who booked the tour, and even included food, drinks, and kayaks! They have easily accessible bathrooms, changing rooms, and the water was amazing. I definitely recommend this excursion and company. The Native Choice made us feel like family and we had a great time.

Great experience but felt rushed

Mayan ruins were very cool, highly recommend to bring lots of insect spray. There were so many mosquitos. Also the lagoon with food and margaritas were pretty good. Had around a hour to swim and kayak around the lagoon.

A wonderful walk-through history!

Our tour guide Eric was phenomenal. He is of Mayan descent and spent his childhood at these ruins. He is exceptionally bright, well studied and prepared to provide you as much information and history as you would like. We learned a lot. He was also very conscientious about the schedule and ensuring that the excursion moved along at a timely pace so we would be back at the ship in plenty of time. The only negative aspect was the incredible amount of mosquitoes due to recent rains that we did not anticipate. Absolutely bring insect repellent. We were covered in bites. The lagoon was lovely and our tour group of approximately 12 people were the only people at the location. As others have said, bring water shoes if you plan to swim as the rocks are slippery. This is a location to sit, relax and enjoy the view. It appeared there were kayaks available, but it was quite windy so we did not ask to use them. It is a one hour shuttle ride each way, so be aware that you will spend a lot of time traveling. The shuttle was nice, air-conditioned and water was provided.

Fun, educational, refreshing

Great trip! Maggie, Edgar, & Yoshido were excellent guides for our trip. Very knowledgeable in every aspect of the tour. Mayan ruins was hot so I suggest fans, shoes, water, & bug spray. The ruins were amazing and kids learned so much. The lago de 7 colores was so Beautiful & breathtaking. The food was so good, tacos!!! Drinks, kayaking. Overall good trip. Thank you Maggie, Edgar, Yoshido.

Fun

The driver was great. Would total recommend this trip if you you have older people with you. The lagoon we went to was a crazy ride to get to it, but once you arrive oh my to was a beautiful place. Now getting in and out of the lagoon is hard the stones are slippery. But everything was great.

Package not honored

Our experience at the Mayan ruins was good thanks to the excellent guides. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Unfortunately, that was overshadowed by the fact that the excursion we paid for was not honored by the company. They claimed Viator booked us for the wrong date even though I had screenshots with a confirmation number and the correct date. The company did squeeze us into their van and took us to the ruins. But we did not get the promised lunch or trip to the lagoon to kayak. Also, we were not aware that the bus ride was an hour each way.

CHACCOBEN TOUR JUNE 2024

The whole process was smooth, and we were met the Next Travel booth by people who although were very busy were able to confirm our trip. We were led to a later model Mercedes Van with cold AC. Our trip was led by Maggie and I can say the whole tour was a delight. The ruins were a treat and were in fact narrarated by a guide certified by the Mexican Tourism Agency. The drive was safe and we felt secure at all times. Our day at the Lagoon was awesome and the tacos and drinks provided were yummy. I would do this again for sure. We were returned to the boat with enough time. THANKS!

Amazing Day!

The pictures really don't do any justice for the beautiful Chacc hobem Ruins. The tour guide Lorenzo did an amazing job with information about the city and history of the culture. The Bacalar Lagoon was breathtaking. We swam and kayaked. My family had an amazing time.

Wonderful trip and great service 🚢

Great guide, made the journey such a wonderful experience for all 16 passengers in our group. Quite knowledgeable about the area and Joel our guide explained the history culture and economy of the Mayan people. We will book with him again 😃

Worthwhile cruise port tour

Great guide and the tour company. The Mayan temple ruins are great to see. The lagoon is scenic with tasty food and drinks.

Excellent Combo!

We had a great time on this excursion! They were flexible with our ship's shorter time in port and made sure to get us back on time. They gave very clear directions for how to get to the check-in point despite it being a challenging route (15 minute walk through the large port). The Mayan Ruins were very interesting and were still being excavated. Our tour guide was a Mayan decendent and had specific knowledge of the ruins. The lagoon was so beautiful and felt like a hidden oasis. The staff were very kind and provided cold water along the way on a hot day!

Worst experience

I tried canceling it a day before but refused to get refund. They told me to wait for response but still no help.

Excellent excursion,...

Excellent excursion, great staff, great lunch. On time, wonderful experience and will recommend to everyone.

Very professional! Loved...

Very professional! Loved the tour, food & swimming in the lagoon! Maggie, our tour guide did an amazing job! Along with Abner and David!

Ruins and a Beautiful Lagoon

It is quite a trek from the port to the ruins and then from the ruins to the lagoon, so be prepared with comfortable shoes, a hat, and portable fan. Our tour guide, Eric, and his team were great. They made sure we were able to see the ruins and still have plenty of time to eat and spend some time at the lagoon. The heat and humidity walking to the tour booth from the pier and then walking around the ruins was gross, but at the lagoon, the breeze off the water made it absolutely perfect. Make sure you bring water shoes to get in the water. The bottom is large, slippery rocks and can be difficult to navigate barefoot. Eric and his team made sure we made it back to the pier with time to spare. Aside from the heat and humidity, it was a great experience.

Don't book!

I am still waiting for my refund for the tour that we did not get. Arrived for our planned Chacchoben Mayan City and Bacalar Lagoon tour to be told there wasn't time to do both. No choice on what we could do, or to even refund the whole thing. They ended up taking us just to the ruins, not what we would have chosen. The tour guide was painfully overtalkative. There was no lunch, only 5 min to buy something from the small gift shop. We were supposed to have lunch, margaritas and beer included. Nothing! Told us that our refund was in progress already, but it has been 2.5 weeks and nothing. I had this planned for a long time, as it was my husbands birthday that day, thanks for ruining it. Super disappointed! I want my money.

Wonderful experience

The experience, once we were able to get out of the maze of a port, was great! The guide was knowledgeable and provided everyone with much needed water. The food was fabulous! The private lagoon was gorgeous.

Incredibly exciting!

We booked this tour with a bit of nervousness, but it turned out to be the best day of our cruise. The Mayan ruins in Chacchoben left us breathless, and then spending the rest of the day on the Mayan experience making our own tortillas and learning about Mayan culture was the perfect touch. Thank you Next Experience Travel for this unique experience! We'll be back soon!

This tour had fewer...

This tour had fewer people than other tour groups in the area. The lunch was delicious, and we loved all the sauces that we tried for our fajitas. The beach was lovely, with many seating options, and the tour guide and driver were friendly, knowledgeable, and willing to answer all of our questions. We had a lot of fun and plenty of time at each stop on the tour.

Fun time!

For history and beach buffs! The ruins were amazing and being able to see them in person and knowing some of the history behind them brought them to life. Group was small and we LOVED that. Guides were extremely knowledgeable and very friendly! The traditional meal provided was very very good! The Bacalar Lagoon was so beautiful!

Excursion Review

Elliott, our commentator in the van was knowledgeable, engaging, and very informative. We would give him 5 stars. After Elliot left our group, the rest of the excursion was very average. The lagoon had extreme winds, which is not their fall, but they did not offer us the opportunity to leave. Our lunch was mediocre at best

canceled booking without informing

If not for our awesome tour guide , David, I would give this a 1 star. Our booking apparently got canceled , without letting us know. And yet Viator sent us a confirmation and got my money! Thankfully the guys at Native Choice were able to get us an alternative tour which turned out good. But Viator and their provider have to get their acts together! will think twice before using Viator for future activities.

Great Experience!!

Excellent tour. Driver was Oswaldo and guide was Eddar (hope it's close.) He was very knowledgeable of the area. Talked most of the way to the ruins sharing what he knows. He was very excited that we were the first visitors of the day. By the time we came out it was very packed. Bacalar Lagoon was beautiful water. Not what I was expecting as it's an inland lake with freshwater at a resort that closed during covid. They had plenty of taco's, drinks, beach chairs and water toys for everyone. Book this tour, much more personal than anything the cruise line has to offer.

Great excursion from Puerto Costa Maya!!

Wonderful tour with Egarr and Tacho! Good history of the Mayan culture. Great experience at Bacalar Lagoon!!! 5 stars!!

Awesome excursion, that was family, friendly, fun, and informational

Eric was the best guide! He had personal knowledge and historical information, and shared with us, as well as the best directions to walk in, and how to avoid the crowds. He was so polite and helpful, answering our questions. He introduced us to all the other people at the lagoon, and even acted as our waiter.

Great

This was absolutely amazing our group of 10 adults and 1 infant all had a great time highly recommend!!

Great excursion

Wonderful day. Our guide was very informative and the kids had a blast climbing on the ruins and swimming in Bacalar Lagoon.

Luz was exceptional,...

Luz was exceptional, sharing ,happy and very informative. The driver was also skilled. I would recommend this team to every body

Great experience and lots of fun!

Great tour, we really enjoyed the ruins. The resort and lake was a life saver, great food and very fun! Edder was a fantastic guide!

Very accommodating.

We were late to our excursion. They were very accommodating and offered to take us to meet with our group. Magi our tour guide stood with us the whole time. She was wonderful and very knowledgeable.

Super fun!

Ruins were super neat. Our guide did a great job of giving us plenty of time to see everything, but nnot lingering too long either. The lagoon was beautiful, like out of a movie or travel ad. Definitely wish we had more time there. Would even do an excursion just to the lagoon.

Great tour for family with teens

We traveled as a family with teens and would highly recommend this tour to anyone. Eric offered so much information, there were absolutely no negatives.