Chacchoben Mayan Ruins and Bacalar Lagoon

26 Ratings

Mahahual

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Explore Chacchoben Mayan ruins and Bacalar Lagoon with expert guides. Dive into history and culture on this customizable Costa Maya excursion.

Duration: 6 hours

Cancellation: 24 hours

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Highlights

Zona Arqueológica De Chacchoben - The Chacchoben archaeological site, meaning “Place of the Red Corn” in the Mayan language, served as a significant ceremonial and political hub during the Classic period. Nestled within a lush tropical jungle, its tiered temples and sacred plazas narrate centuries of history, immersing visitors in the grandeur of…

Zona Arqueológica De Chacchoben - The Chacchoben archaeological site, meaning “Place of the Red Corn” in the Mayan language, served as a significant ceremonial and political hub during the Classic period. Nestled within a lush tropical jungle, its tiered temples and sacred plazas narrate centuries of history, immersing visitors in the grandeur of the ancient Mayan civilization.

Stroll for an hour among ancient temples enveloped by tropical jungle and uncover the legacy of a legendary civilization. Expert guides will vividly bring its history, culture, and traditions to life.

Lago Bacalar (Lake of the Seven Colors) - Experience the enchanting Bacalar Lagoon, known as the “Lagoon of Seven Colors,” on an exclusive excursion crafted for cruise passengers arriving at Costa Maya Port. This natural haven is renowned for its vibrant turquoise hues, tranquil ambiance, and dreamlike landscapes.

Enjoy a scenic transfer to this unique destination and embark on a comfortable pontoon boat ride to explore its most iconic spots: Pirates Channel, Cenote Negro, and Cenote Esmeralda, where the shallow, crystal-clear waters invite you to swim, relax, and connect with nature.

During the tour, enjoy free time to float, cool off, and capture stunning photos with the lagoon as your perfect backdrop. The tour includes the boat ride, a local guide, life vests, drinks, tequila tasting, and a delicious traditional Mexican lunch by the water.

An authentic, relaxing, and magical experience.

Pedro Antonio Santos - On the journey, a stop will be made at Pedro Santos Pineapple Town, a vibrant and picturesque place where visitors can taste the freshest and sweetest pineapple in the region.
Mahahual - Optionally, a visit to the Mahahual lighthouse, one of the most iconic landmarks of this coastal town, can be arranged. Finally, guests will be taken back to the port entrance, ensuring a timely and hassle-free return to board the cruise.

History, nature, and Caribbean paradise… all in one unforgettable day.

What's Included

Guaranteed return to the ship on your schedule
Entrance to the Chacchoben Archaeological Site
Drinks included (Water, soft drinks, and beer)
Pontoon Boat Ride on Bacalar Lagoon
Snacks
In-vehicle air conditioning
Traveler Insurance
Brunch

What's Not Included

Gratuities

Additional Information

Prepare for an adventure that beautifully blends history, culture, and nature. You won’t just visit the remarkable Chacchoben Archaeological Site — you’ll dive into the heart of the ancient Mayan civilization. Expert guides will lead you through sacred temples and millennia-old structures, sharing stories, legends, and secrets that transform every stone…

Location

Av. P.º del Puerto 1300

Avenida Paseo del Puerto

Head to the meeting point just a few meters from Costa Maya Port. Our team will be waiting for you with a sign with your name to check you in and take you in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle with drinks and beer to the Chacchoben Archaeological Site and the stunning Bacalar Seven Colors Lagoon.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.2

(26 Ratings)

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1 star

Hebocat

Jan 11, 2026

Lagoon Swimming pool - We had a wonderful experience with this tour group. We had six in our party, and we were joined by two other families. We were a mix of ages and mobility. The tour people made sure to contact us directly and gave us great directions on how to meet up with them. This team provided clear instructions and time frames for the tour. We had a nice lunch while swimming. We highly recommend this tour for families.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Paul_s

Jan 9, 2026

Best Day Ever: Highlight Bacalar (Seven Colors) Lagoon - Our excursion was simply a most awesome day at Chacchoben Mayan Ruins and Bacalar Lagoon from port Costa Maya. Celina was our tour guide who was very personable, outgoing, friendly, informative and all about keeping it fun and freestyle. She had the best drivers both on land and on the lagoon. The Mayan Ruins made for a great stop, very interesting and educational. The roadside stop at Pedro Santos Pineapple Town was interesting to see the different local pineapple and mangos (especially the round honey pineapple), yet once out of the lagoon having the fresh cut pineapple and mangos was a sweet treat. Once on the pontoon boat, checking out a few of the Cenote's close by before heading over to Pirates Channel and then stopping out in the middle of this incredibly beautiful body of crystal-clear fresh water where the silky soft white sand bottom just makes it that more awesome. Time flew by and then off to a local spot for tacos before heading back to port where we arrived with an hour to spare for shopping or browsing the port before returning to the ship. A highlight of the trip was there were three couples, only 6 of us, which made it feel very much like a private tour. Celina absolutely made this day trip one of the best excursions we have ever had, and we would highly recommend asking for her by name.

Review provided by Viator

Josh_a

Dec 30, 2025

Relaxing, delicious and knowledgeable staff - Our family of 7 had a phenomenal time on this excursion! Pickup was a short walk from Princess port and found them easily (after we found our way out of the shopping center) Our guild was very knowledgeable and friendly! He actually helped dig out the ruins. His English wasn't great but effective enough. Boat tour was relaxing and beautiful. Hope for a sunny day, it is more vibrant. Lunch was at a great locale restaurant and was delicious!!! Guild was vast with information at the ruins.

Review provided by Viator

Sarfraz_m

Nov 3, 2025

Bacalar and Pyramids! - The host was very knowledgeable and made the whole experience enjoyable. We booked our excursion privately (not through the cruise), and they made sure we had a great time and returned to the ship on time. Bacalar is a must see, the freshwater lagoon is shallow, clean, and warm. The ruins and pyramid were also amazing. Definitely a mustgo experience!

Review provided by Viator

831arianaq

Aug 22, 2025

Excellent experience - Everything amazing we arrived at the port and they were already waiting for us just had to walk out of the port about 3 min and there was someone with our name on a board the on the trip the guide bought some drinks for us and they took us to the lagoon we met several cenotes and went down to swim in 2 of them back we stopped in some tacos and we were always on time at all times

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Marianavg7754oq

Aug 7, 2025

Very good experience - Excellent!! Very recommended. Very good experience. I really enjoyed it and the staff was kind. They picked us up at the meeting point of the cruise and they took us to the arqueological area. It was fantastic. The guide was spectacular and very knowledgeable. Also we were just in timw for our return at Costa Maya.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Janelysl2025

Aug 1, 2025

Experience on Chacchoben Mayan Ruins and Laguna Bacalar tour from Costa Maya - We had the opportunity to take the excursion of the lagoon bacalar with Mr. Andrés and it should be noted that it was a super good experience, the treatment was incredible and both Andrés and the person who did not give the boat tour are very attentive and have a lot of knowledge about Mayan coast. The service was excellent and we really enjoyed our time during the excursion. I recommend it 100% are humble and trustworthy people. When we return in the future I am sure we will take a trip with Mr Andrew again.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Fernando_g

Nov 13, 2025

Played the hand we were dealt. - Our experience was a little unique. We were contacted a day before the excursion and informed we would only be able to do the lagoon part of the excursion. We were reassured we would be refunded for the missed portion of the tour. However, we requested to do the Mayan ruins part of the tour instead since that was the primary reason for our booking. The representative, Andres, was very kind and helpful in working to fulfill our request. Ultimately, after a bit of back and forth, he worked out a way for us to get to the Mayan ruins. We were very grateful and the experience was truly amazing. A comfortable ride and excellent tour, with a charming guide by the name of Octavio. The weather turned and it was pouring rain by the time we arrived back to port, so we didn’t even ask about the potential to go on the second part of this combo experience at the lagoon. It took a couple days, but we ended up receiving a refund for half of what we paid. We appreciated the effort to get us to the ruins and the customer service which granted us our refund. Looking forward to our next visit so we can hopefully do that second part. Given the circumstances, we were satisfied with our excursion and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Review provided by Viator

Kimberly_a

Dec 6, 2025

Beware of Tours Naturaleza Bacalar! - Our guide Selena showed up to greet us at the time we were supposed to depart. She then left to pick up another customer for our trip and did not return for almost an hour. At this point too much time had gone by and we were not able to go on the excursion. Thankfully another company, Costa Maya Excursions, took pity on us and allowed us to go with them even though we were not their customer. We paid for this excursion and got absolutely nothing from Tours Naturaleza Bacalar, I would never book through them again!!! Beware of Tours Naturaleza Bacalar!!!

Review provided by Viator

Thinh_n

Dec 5, 2025

No service was delivered, and the operator refused a refund. Not recommended. - We were unable to take this tour because the operator could not return us to our cruise ship before the mandatory boarding time. We informed them that we could not disembark the ship earlier than the cruise line allowed, but they refused to provide a refund even though no part of the service was delivered. Disappointing experience and poor customer service.

Review provided by Viator

Check Availability

From $180

up to 15 guests

1 - Adult