Active Excursions

[Randomnist]

Hi folks! So my DW and I are going on our first cruise in a few months, stopping at Cozumel and Calica.

 

What are some recommendations for excursions that would be a bit more active than sitting on the beach? Anything that involves some hiking or other outdoor activities would be nice, any ideas? Thanks!!

[Colorado Kat]

Going to the Mayan ruins is always nice. Snorkling is great. Do you SCUBA dive?

[Randomnist]

Never have before, is it easy/cheap to learn? Or something you need to bring your own gear for?

[volive]

Never have before, is it easy/cheap to learn? Or something you need to bring your own gear for?

 

Scuba is something I would recommend getting pre-certified for at home before going on Vacation.

Cozumel has some of the best diving/snorkeling in the world. If your looking for adventure and something different I wouldn't hesitate to book a water excursion. If your not certified, its really no big deal, you can still snorkel and see 90% of the same stuff. :D

[LBinGA]

Good question!

 

We, too, are very active and would love to snorkel and as mentioned, hike. Someone said 'ruins'...which ones, in particular would you recommend to see?

 

Thanks,

[Randomnist]

I've heard Tulum is a good place for ruins, and close by, anyone out there who has been to Tulum? Better to book with the ship or on your own?

[MJL]

I've heard Tulum is a good place for ruins, and close by, anyone out there who has been to Tulum? Better to book with the ship or on your own?

 

Tulum is beautiful. I would book with the ship because the travel too and from Tulum could be somewhat complex and time-consuming. If you book on your own and don't make it back in time you're in big trouble. If you go with a ship excursion and there is a snafu, the ship will likely wait for you.

 

Mike

[fla_momuv3]

Check out Edventure Tours for the Calica day. They are AWESOME! We used them when we docked in Calica. A driver met us at the dock, and we had the whole day on a private tour including the Tulum Ruins, snorkeling in caves, snorkeling in a lagoon, lunch/dinner at a cool restaurant and shopping! Well worth checking out. We told them what time we wanted to be back at the ship, and we were dropped off on the dot.

[Randomnist]

Just looked at the Edventure Tours website and read some reviews, sounds like a great place!

 

Any other ideas for Cozumel then?

[crewsweeper]

I've heard Tulum is a good place for ruins, and close by, anyone out there who has been to Tulum? Better to book with the ship or on your own?

you can DIY Tulum from Calica with out a problem. Calica is the port for Playa Del Carmen. Used to be basically a gravel pit as it's a working port not a cruise ship port. But Playa is 10 minutes by cab tops and you might be able to get the cabbie to drive you to Tulum.

 

Other active adventure on the mainland that's more accessible from Calica is Xcaret adventure park. Maybe 45 minutes from the port. Google for the website.

 

In Coz, best snorkeling from shore is at the Money Bar. Best from boat is Eagle Ray Divers. Both have websites. There are also Jeep and xterra/ATV type tours in Coz if snorkeling isn't your thing.

[Sports Mama]

Agree with crewsweeper--

if you do the Tulum (or any of the Mayan Ruins) definitely recommend booking through the cruise line!! Way too much traveling to and from the Tulum. You will need catch a ferry than a shuttle bus way too many things could go wrong.

 

My family and I have done a couple of discovery scuba dives with Eagle Ray Divers and plan on doing another one when we go in July!! Highly recommend them. They are very professional and NEVER too many people. They will also do snorkeling trips as well. If you have some in your group that want to snorkel and some that want to dive they will do both!! Easy taxi drive to the marina. I always book this one on my own.

[ms35]

My daughter & I did the X-Rails in Feb 2010. It was very physical but we had a good time. Our buggy was very hard to drive (others didn't seem to have as hard a time). It took a lot of upper body strength to drive and the dirt roads were very rough. Several folks, including us, were literally bounced off the trail and into the bushes. We rode for about an hour and ended up at a cave to swim in. The water was green ("Jade" Caverns) and sulfur-smelly. I jumped in anyways since it was an adventure! There were bats around the cave opening and that was mostly where we swam.

If you're up for an extreme adventure, you'll like this. We had some whimpy folks in our group and all they did was whine. The tour was a bit more than they'd expected and they let everyone know it.

Bring clothes that can get dirty and OLD sneakers. You will get muddy. Wish we'd brought our camera for the stops but I wouldn't use it while splashing through muddy trails.