Progresso Ruins & Cozumel (Advice/Help)

I have read this board for years (yes, years) before finally taking my second cruise. This time I am booked and ready to go on the Triump in December to Progresso & Cozumel.

What ruins are best? Dzi looks small and I can't find many pics without coming up on Uxmal. I'm undecided between the two, but Xcambo didn't seem spectacular enough to go. Is Uxmal worth the 1.5 hr drive each day.

Anyone been to Rio Secreto underground cave in Playa del Carmen from Cozumel? It looks awesome, but I wanted to hear your thoughts to see if the $100 from Carnival is worth it.

Is Merida worth going too? I'm thinking of nixing it and Dzi to just do Uxmal and shopping in Progresso.

Also, I'm reading SO MUCH stuff about the vanilla in Mexico--and that its hard to find the REAL stuff. Any truth to it? Thanks!

Uxmal is great. I think better than Chichen Itza. Way less crowded too.

I will be in Merida Monday. After two port calls I'v e been back to Merida and the Yucatan state for three 2 week vacations.

hdawson-thanks! I hope you're feeling much better now. I've never thought of the Yucatan as a vacationing place, but it's filled with so much culture, so I may have to look into it.

I've spoken with a tour guide and he's recommending Dzi & Merida b/c it's shorter. However, Uxmal seems more grand to me and I'm wondering if we'd be able to do it and a little shopping with the limited 8 hours there. I'd like to buy vanilla and other things.

Butterfly. Do look into Merida and the Yucatan state as a land vacation. It may surprise you. Like the beautiful, old and very active opera house with five balconys. Concerts or folklorics every night of the week in one of the plazas free. Not so much for tourists as much as local residents. The weekly street fair beginning late Sat afternoon into late Sunday night. Street bands and dancing, restaurants set up in the streets.

It really is "community".

hdawson, i most certainly will look into Merida as a land vacation! I love travel that is about culture and not tourist traps. I was looking for a way to private message you but I could not find a way. I think we're going to try to do Uxmal and a little shopping--esp for Vanilla. Have you ever purchased vanilla? I'd like to buy the pure stuff if it exists :-) I can send you my email if you like. I've read some comments that were negative about Merida, but I think Americans (yes, I am one) often want a watered down experience, vs taking in the culture, sights, and community. I've traveled abroad and did not speak the language, but I loved every minute of it. I love pyramids, and have always wanted to go to Egypt, so I don't know why I didn't think of Mexico before:) Thanks again.

Merida is a beautiful town! If you have never been you should go! There is an old church there built in the 1500's (I think) that is just amazing. Here is a web site that tells more about Merida http://yucatantoday.com/en/topics/merida. This will be our fourth trip to Progreso and we have always enjoyed looking around. We have been to the Dzibilchaltun ruin http://yucatantoday.com/en/topics/dzibilchaltun. We enjoyed it. I've heard that the museum is currently closed though. You would have enough time to go to Merida and to the Dzibilchaltun Ruin. This time we are going to the Uxmal Ruin for the first time and we can't wait.

Whatever you decide to do, just get off the ship. Enjoy the town. Also, you can save alot of money if you book use Auto Progreso instead of going through Carnival.

Happy Sailing!

We're actually going to do a personal tour with a tour guide I read about off the site--Pablo, and we're headed to Uxmal. May do DZ next time. Now, I'm off to post about finding a free beach in Coz. Thanks. I am checking out Merida now ;-)

Our friends who now live in Chelum are picking us up and taking us to Merida for a couple hours. What to do? DH loves history so we want to see the cathedral. What else should we do in our short 2-3 hours???

I would check out the yucatantoday website. It seems very thorough! Good luck. Thanks for the links Luc2CProgreso!!!!!!!!! I greatly appreciate it.

I have been to Progreso 3 times, and all 3 times, I went to Uxmal. (Last time was May 2010) I've been to several different Mayan ruins, and Uxmal is hands down the best, in my opinion. Not only are they beautiful ruins, but you are allowed to go into them and climb one of the pyramids/temples. It takes the experience to a whole new level when you are able to get up close and personal with the structures. For anyone who loves Mayan ruins, Uxmal is a MUST SEE!

August 2010 - I posted this on another thread, but since you asked, here is my thought:

We wanted to see a bit of the "back country" in the Yucatan. We have done the ‘cruise ship group’ tours and wanted to get away from the herd mentality of the bus as well as seeing some small towns and lesser-known sites.

William Lawson (lawson_william@hotmail.com) met us promptly as planned after we got off of the bus from the cruise ship – the ‘DOCK’ is 5 miles long and the ship is at the end of it!! With his nice clean and air/conditioned car, we headed out on the 'convent route' and to the Mayapan ruins

Our first stop was at Acanceh. In the main plaza photos were taken of the pyramid right in town, the local colonial-era buildings and we enjoyed the sights and delicious smells of the market. The church was also on the agenda. Then, on the way back out of town we stopped at a tortilleria, where they were making fresh corn tortillas and the very friendly owner gave us permission to step behind the counter and take photos of the corn grinding process and to see how the fresh tortillas are cut and baked in gas fired ovens. I bought a half-kilo of tortillas, which the owner graciously declined to charge for (but I paid him anyway) and we enjoyed a fresh healthy snack in the car on the way to...

Tecoh. This is a pretty little town. The towns residents are obviously very proud of their city and there were streamers over the church and city hall - to announce that yet another fiesta was in full swing, complete with a bullring made of sticks and string - which would make a American safety inspector cringe but which is evidently safe and normal.

After Tecoh, we stopped at Telchaquillo, whose main claim to fame is a cenote right there in the main square - it is easy to descend into which made it easy to explore.

Then on to Mayapan, for a walk around the Mayan community ruins and then we were back on the road, heading back towards Merida and lunch at the Hacienda Teya, known for their excellent Yucatecan food and great service. Lunch was very enjoyable and accompanied by a bottle of refreshing grenache rose wine and then it was time to hoof it to Progreso so as not to arrive late for the cruise ships departure. Had their been a little more time, we would have liked to stop at the Aristi liquor store, where local liquor is bottled and sold.

It was truly a most interesting and pleasant day made possible by William Lawson. I recommend his services to anyone wishing to have a local, very knowledgeable person conduct a personal tour at a reasonable fee.

Thanks for your suggestions all! I can imagine how great it was to do the "back country" Yucatan tour. Travel is all about experiencing the exotic. Thanks for your lovely review!

Those tortillas and rose wine sound awesome ;-)