Costa Maya cruise port

Costa Maya: a walk-off pier, a fishing-village beach and real Maya ruins

Costa Maya is a purpose-built cruise pier on Mexico’s southern Caribbean coast, about three hours south of Cozumel by sea, with a resort-style port village at the end of the dock and the laid-back beach town of Mahahual a five-minute cab ride away. Most cruisers either settle into a Mahahual beach club or head inland to the Chacchoben ruins or the Bacalar lagoon. SmartCruiser lists every cruise that calls here from every line, priced with taxes, fees and port expenses included, with the sailings that carry SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit or instant savings at the top.

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Dockedlong pier, walk-off, up to 4 ships

Mahahual5 minutes by cab, about $5 a person

Dec to Aprdry season, low 80s, little seaweed

All inevery price includes taxes and fees

Start here

Three ways to do Costa Maya

Beach club in Mahahual, a Maya ruins or lagoon excursion, or a lazy day inside the port village; the buttons filter the list of sailings below.

Beach day

Mahahual beach clubs

Cab from the pier about $5 a person each way, 5 minutes
Beach clubs with loungers, snorkel gear and lunch from about $25 to $65 a person
The malecón walkway runs the length of the beach with bars and massage tents

Best for: families, couples, anyone who wants sand and a swim without a long bus ride

Big excursion

Chacchoben ruins or Bacalar lagoon

Chacchoben pyramids are about an hour inland, roughly 4 hours door to door, about $90 to $120
Bacalar’s Lagoon of Seven Colors is about an hour away, swim and kayak, about $110 to $140
Ship-sold versions guarantee you are back before all-aboard

Best for: history lovers, photographers, repeat cruisers who have done Cozumel

Stay close

The port village on your own

Free pool with swim-up bar at the end of the pier (buy a drink or lunch)
Shops, a tequila tasting, a flamingo habitat and a Maya show on the plaza
Back on board in two minutes when you have had enough sun

Best for: short visits, first-timers, anyone with mobility concerns

Live from the cruise lines

Costa Maya cruises: SmartCruiser picks first

Every cruise that calls at Costa Maya from every line, priced live with taxes, fees and port expenses included. The picks at the top are sailings where booking with SmartCruiser gets you something extra: instant savings or bonus onboard credit. Below them, every other sailing that stops here, with full sorting by home port, line, month, length and price.

SmartCruiser picks

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Every cruise that calls at Costa Maya

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Prices are per person, double occupancy, in US dollars, and include cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses as published by the cruise line at the moment you load this page. Fares are capacity controlled and change daily; the fare is confirmed when you book. Flights, hotels and transfers are extra unless the line’s offer says otherwise. SmartCruiser instant savings and bonus onboard credit are provided by SmartCruiser on top of the cruise line’s price and are not available when booking direct; amounts are per stateroom, vary by stateroom category and are shown for the lowest category offered. Special SmartCruiser rates are pricing SmartCruiser holds on that sailing for its clients, with extra onboard credit; you book your own stateroom and travel on your own. Senior fares apply to guests 55 and over; resident fares need proof of residency in a listed state or province at check-in; police and fire fares apply to active or retired police, fire and EMT personnel with ID. Qualifier-fare savings are measured against the best fare the cruise line offers the general public for the same stateroom category on the day the list was pulled, updated weekly.

Where you start

Home ports that sail to Costa Maya

Pick a home port and the list above narrows to cruises leaving from there.

GalvestonThe busiest route: Carnival and Royal Caribbean 7 night Western Caribbean loops with Cozumel and Costa Maya back to back MiamiCarnival, MSC, Norwegian and Virgin on 5 to 7 night Western Caribbean sailings Port CanaveralCarnival and Royal Caribbean 7 night Western Caribbean loops that add Cozumel and Roatán Fort LauderdalePrincess, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean 7 night Western Caribbean itineraries TampaCarnival and Royal Caribbean 5 to 7 night sailings, the shortest sea run to the Yucatán New OrleansCarnival 7 night Western Caribbean loops that pair Costa Maya with Cozumel and Belize MobileCarnival 6 and 7 night sailings from Alabama to the Mexican Caribbean

In port

Things to do in Costa Maya

Beach clubs, Maya ruins, a lagoon of seven colors and a port village you never have to leave.

Mahahual beach clubsA $5 per person cab (5 minutes) drops you on the malecón, where clubs like Krazy Lobster, Blue Kay and Jaime’s rent loungers and sell lunch, and all-inclusive packages run about $25 to $65 a person. The reef sits close to shore for easy snorkeling.

Chacchoben Maya ruinsRestored pyramids and plazas in the jungle about an hour inland, lightly visited compared with Tulum. About 4 hours door to door, about $90 to $120 through the ship or a licensed operator; bring $5 cash for the camera fee.

Bacalar LagoonThe freshwater Lagoon of Seven Colors about an hour away, with swimming, kayaking, cenote stops and a lunch on the dock. Full-day tours run about 5 to 6 hours and about $110 to $140 a person.

Maya Chan BeachA private all-inclusive beach day about 5 miles south of the port with a reserved palapa, open bar, lunch, kayaks and snorkel gear. Book well ahead online; it sells out on multi-ship days.

The port village pool and showsAt the end of the pier: a free pool with swim-up bar (spend on food or drinks), shops, a tequila tasting, a flamingo habitat and a Maya dance show several times a day. Easy for anyone who does not want to leave the port.

Kohunlich ruinsFamous for its Temple of the Masks, about 1.5 hours away and almost empty of crowds. A long day at about 6 hours; book through the ship so the bus waits for no one but you.

Reef snorkel by boatShort boat trips from Mahahual run about 1.5 hours and about $30 to $40 a person to the Mesoamerican reef just offshore, with turtles and rays most days.

Golf cart or ATV rentalRental booths at the port exit rent golf carts for about $60 a day, the easy way to see the lighthouse, the town and the beaches at your own pace.

Pick your style

Which lines call at Costa Maya?

Costa Maya is on most Western Caribbean loops from Texas and Florida; Royal Caribbean bought the port in 2025 and it stays open to every line.

      CarnivalThe most frequent caller: Jubilee and Breeze from Galveston, Mardi Gras and Vista from Port Canaveral, plus ships from Miami, Tampa, New Orleans and MobileSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Royal CaribbeanMariner of the Seas from Galveston, Enchantment of the Seas from Tampa and fleetmates from Port Canaveral and Fort Lauderdale on Western Caribbean loopsSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      MSC CruisesMSC Seascape from Miami and fleetmates from Port Canaveral, among the busiest callers in 2026SmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      NorwegianNorwegian ships from Miami, Port Canaveral and Galveston on 7 night Western Caribbean runsSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      PrincessCaribbean Princess and fleetmates from Fort Lauderdale and GalvestonSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      CelebrityCelebrity ships from Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral on Western Caribbean weeksSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      Virgin VoyagesScarlet Lady and Valiant Lady from Miami on adults-only 5 to 7 night sailingsSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
      DisneyDisney ships from Port Canaveral and Galveston on select Western Caribbean sailingsSmartCruiser bonus onboard credit
    

Timing

When to go

Hot year-round; December to April is dry, sunny and mostly seaweed-free, while June to November brings rain, humidity and the hurricane season.

December to AprilHighs in the low 80s, lowest rain of the year, calm seas and the cleanest beaches; the busiest and best months to be here.

May to JuneHotter, upper 80s, with the first rains and the start of the sargassum seaweed season on the beaches; fewer ships and good value.

July to OctoberHurricane season peak from August to October, humid with afternoon downpours and the most seaweed; itineraries can change on short notice.

NovemberRain tapers off, seaweed clears and the beaches come back; a sweet spot for value before the holidays.

Good to know

Costa Maya questions we answer every day

Where do ships dock in Costa Maya and how far is town?

Ships tie up at a long purpose-built pier that can take up to four ships at once; you walk off straight into the port village of shops, restaurants and a pool. Mahahual, the beach town, is about 2 miles south: a taxi is about $5 a person each way (5 minutes) and the walk is 45 minutes along a hot road, so take the cab.

How do I get around and what do taxis cost?

Taxis and shared shuttles wait at the port exit; agree the fare before you get in. Figure about $5 a person each way to Mahahual and about $30 or more to the ruins, which is why most people book Chacchoben or Bacalar through the ship. Golf carts rent for about $60 a day and there is no Uber.

What currency, language and time zone?

US dollars are accepted everywhere, change usually comes in pesos, and cards work in the port village. Spanish is the language but English is spoken anywhere cruisers go. Quintana Roo stays on Eastern Standard Time all year, so your ship’s clock may differ by an hour in summer; US phones roam here on most plans.

Is Costa Maya safe?

Yes for the port, Mahahual and the excursion routes, which are tourist areas with a visible police presence. The U.S. State Department rates Quintana Roo at the same advisory level as most of Mexico’s resort coast: stay in the tourist areas, use the licensed taxis at the pier and keep an eye on your belongings on the beach.

What is the best excursion, and should I book it through the ship?

For a first visit, Chacchoben is the easy win: real pyramids about an hour away, back in 4 hours. Bacalar is the showstopper if you have a long port day. Both involve a bus on a two-lane road, so booking through the ship (or a reputable operator with a back-to-ship guarantee) is the safe choice; beach days in Mahahual you can do on your own.

Do I need a passport?

On a round-trip cruise from a US port, US citizens can sail with a government photo ID plus an original birth certificate under the closed-loop rule, but we recommend a passport: if you miss the ship or need to fly home from Mexico, only a passport gets you there.

Are taxes and fees included in the prices here?

Yes. Every price on this page includes the cruise fare, taxes, fees and port expenses. Flights, hotels, shore excursions and gratuities are extra.

Talk to a Costa Maya cruise specialist

We know which ships call on Costa Maya, which beach clubs are worth it and which sailings carry bonus onboard credit, so call to check availability and book. Monday to Thursday 9 to 6, Friday 9 to 5, Saturday 10 to 6 ET.

1-800-444-1560