Maya Adventure From Cancun Coba And Tulum Ruins With Cenote Swim

The tour delivered on all they promised. The timing of the day was much longer than communicated in TripAdvisor. Instead of 10-11 hours it was more than 13 hours. Here was our timing: We were staying toward northern end of hotel zone around km 12. We were scheduled to be picked up at 7:50, imagine others, further south were picked up earlier. We were not picked up til 8:15, not super big deal. could have been due to late arriving tourists -- don't know, but had no idea what was going. Would think in 2024 the tour could send text or WhatsApp just telling us they were delayed. We met up with other buses at 8:50 where people from the pick-up bus were distributed to differen tours. We arrived in Tulum at 10:50 and met back at bus at 1:00 - which was a good time for Tulum. We then went to Coba --arrived almost 2:30 - though we were delayed by :25 because one of the tourists was sick. Coba was great - we took the bike/taxi ride to the end and walked back. When we boarded the bus around 4:10 they did share a snack -- would have been better to have snack as we were arriving in instead of departing from coba - should definitley bring along your own snacks or get something quasi-substantial at the end of tulum. We arrived at Cenotes around 5 and had "lunch" at 5:15. All good. After "lunch" and swimming in 2 cenotes and demonstration on making chocolate and blessing from a shaman. We left a little before 7:00 PM. We arrived back at our hotel at 9:20 - > 13 hours after start. I t was all good but positioning was not clear, at least to us, after full length of the day.

There was a group of six of us that booked the ATV/snorkeling/cenotes/zip line experience while we were staying at Sun Palace. Besides the 3 hours it took to get there (totally not the fault of our drivers/guide - Peter and Armando) ….. the experiences were amazing. My husband lost grip of his GoPro while zip lining and Armando and a few other employees spent a lot of time looking for it near the zip line platform, to no avail. The trip back to the hotel was shorter, but the construction in the area makes traffic a mess! Peter and Armando both deserve awards for being able to drive through that chaos without being involved in a collision! They were great drivers!

Amazing day snorkeling with Maya adventure, visiting cenotes, grotto and seaside at the end. Transport was a efficient, guide very friendly and attentive and food was good as well. Highly recommend for a nice day of activities with kids (16, 10).

Wasn’t sure when I booked this if the teens would enjoy or not, but it was the best thing we did in Cancun. We would have loved fir the snorkeling to have lasted longer though. The boats were a blast and scenery was beautiful.

First things first, don't wear sunscreen as it isn't allowed in the cenote. Bring it with you to apply after the cenote swim. Wear your comfortable swim suit. Don't bring a towel, they have towels. Wear comfortable shoes sturdy enough for light to moderate hiking. We started with a hotel pick-up time of 6:30 am from Dreams Playa Mujeres in a 12 passenger van. Luis was both our driver and tour guide and was outstanding. We were a small group of 10 who stayed together the whole tour. There was a stop at another hotel, so we drove around 2.5 - 3 hrs each way. Don't let that hinder you from the fun! I did take dramamine and was glad for that as the last 1/2 hour of the drive was twisty and hilly. Upon arrival, we were able to put extra items in lockers on-site and visited the restrooms. We were in swimsuits for the hike. The hike was fun, but rocky. Wear sturdy sneakers because I didn't and felt ALL the rocks. We crossed a suspension bridge on our way to the cenote. Sneakers and t-shirts or hats were left at the repelling for the cenote area on shelves. We rappelled down to the cenote and landed in a large inner tube waiting in the water, which was amazing. We spent some time in the cenote and Luis told us all about this cenote, the depth, fish, etc... There was a rope ladder to out again or you could get elevated out on the same rope you went down on by the workers. Next, we did a short zipline..wheeee! Hiked a little more and did a longer zipline. So cool with beautiful jungle scenery. We hiked a little more to canoes and crossed a small lake area in our canoes. Authentic Mayan lunch was waiting for us. It was so good and there are some vegetarian choices. After a fairly long lunch time, we could buy extra drinks, snacks or souvenirs on site. Also, you can't take your own camera in unless it's a go pro, so if you want to, you can purchase the pictures they took for 60 or 70 dollars depending on if you want them on a disk or thumb drive. We bought them and I thought they were very good. After all, when will I ever get photographed repelling or ziplining again? After lunch, we hopped into the van to head to the temple climb at Coba. Again we had a knowledgeable tour guide at Coba, I can't remember her name, but Luis joked it was his fiance. She gave us details on the Mayan culture. We then were able to hike, take a bike or hire a rickshaw (Luis called it tricycle) driver to take us to the main temple. We went the rickshaw route as it was hot and we weren't sure how the hiking would go after a temple climb. It's steep and the steps can be slippery and we aren't young. Lol! Hubby made it up to the top and I took pictures. After returning to the meeting spot for the bus drive back, there are bathrooms, souvenirs and drinks and food to purchase, and enough time to even sit down and eat some chips and guac from restaurant there. I had my doubts about a 9 year old on our tour, but she was adventurous and was a curious learner. So it was right for her. If your kid hates hiking and adventures, this might be a poor fit. A great time was had by all! Thanks Luis and all the staff who showed great hospitality!

I decided on this tour because of all the activities promised for the day. Not to mention the good reviews. I was worried I'd be disappointed because they cancelled & changed days on us. They redeemed themselves though & promised us we'd get some pictures. I'm so glad we went because every single activity was fun & worth it. Our guide Israel was knowledgeable & funny. Everything I asked he answered & nothing felt rushed. Our group was a small 10-12 people. We got to experience everything that was promised. Our group was the first to arrive & I loved that! We did a walk through the jungle to get to the cenote. The cenote was wonderful & relaxing. We did two zip lines, then rode a canoe to get our lunch which was completely authentic & delicious. Once we were done in the mayan community we went on our way to Coba, and what a marvelous place. Not an easy task climbing up the amazing pyramid but so worth it. If I'd change anything, it would only be to have more time available to shop, but by the end of the day you do so much that you end up beyond satisfied.

Our tour guide was MARIO!! He was so great! So enthusiastic and fun. He really made the whole experience worthwhile. We went to a Mayan village where we were given a blessing by a shaman. Then we repelled down into a cenote. Once in a lifetime experience! Looks intimidating, but you can do it! Then we went down two different ziplines, and canoed, before being fed a delicious meal prepared by the people who lived in the village. We then drove to the ruins at COBA. Mario walked us around and told us about the ruins. Then we had free time to rent bikes and ride them to the tallest structure that you can still climb (this year is the last year). By the time we got down, it was time to head back. Oh, and we saw a wild spider monkey! Check that one off the bucket list. Trust me, if you're in reasonably good health and can see yourself repelling down a 60 foot drop, this is the tour for you! Had so much fun! Only downside - we could only retrieve a few pictures off of the $60 CD we bought at the village (not sure what happened). But, the few that we got are still worth the price.

We enjoyed the resort but it was very large and not what we have been used to in the past. It was a gated community which was hard to get out of. We thoroughly enjoyed our week there. We did not like that we were not able to go to town easily without catching a shuttle. Not a resort for us.

This is a perfect choice for those who love to explore and learn while traveling, rather than simply lay at the pool. The area is absolutely stunning, the activities are very enjoyable, and most importantly the guides really focus on helping their group learn about the historical significance and culture of the community. Our guide Alejandro is super knowledgable, outgoing, and did so well with people of all ages and backgrounds. Our driver (also named Alex) was fantastic, and Christina who was our archeological guide for the Coba Ruins was excellent at diving into the historical elements. Absolutely would recommend, thank you guys!!

Gustavo (our guide) picked us up at our hotel (right on time) and drove us 1 hour and forty-five minutes to the Coba area where he lead us on a hike to two zip lines, a rope suspension bridge, a short canoe ride, and walked us though repelling into a cenote and climbing up a rope ladder...all before lunch. Gustavo speaks five languages to include Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, and a little Mayan. After our Mayan lunch Gustavo lead us through the ruins of the ancient Mayan city of Coba and up to the top of the Mayan pyramid. He stopped all along the hikes to describe a variety of unique items that we would have missed without a guide. I highly recommend taking this tour and would suggest asking for Gustavo if he is available. Bring comfortable walking or running shoes as there is a lot of walking over rocks and through the jungle. There are photographers all over the tour so unless you're a professional (or at least think you are) leave the camera at home and just enjoy the tour!

I highly recommend this tour if you want to experience nature and learn about the Mayan culture. Our tour guide, Perfecto, made us feel so welcomed and comfortable. Cobá was amazing and being able to climb to the top was great as the views were astounding. Then our trip to Pac Chen engulfed us in Mayan culture and fun adventures like zip lining and cenote swimming. All of the guides and helpers involved were incredibly friendly and ready to assist. I’ll always remember this tour!

Had a wonderful time ATVing, swimming in the cenotes, and having a guided tour through Talum. Special thanks to Jimmy, Fabrio, and Roger for making it such a great day!

<p>Luis is great! We loved the whole tour because most of it took place at the same site. The climb up the ruins can be scary, but the trick is to climb the sides instead of using the middle. The middle with the support rope is really smooth and slippery. The sides have more traction. Just do a crab crawl up there. The views are amazing and it's so special to be able to climb this ancient ruin! The traditional village was great in that we were able to stay at the same site to do the cenote swim, lunch and ziplining. We also got to kayak a little. The cenote is very cavernous and does contain bats, but the bats keep to themselves. The cenote is nicely uplit. They don't allow you to take cameras or gopros, but the reason is that the local villagers take the photos and sell them at the end. This allows you to support their community and allow for other youths to get trained in photography. It's a win-win, as you don't want to fear losing your camera to the cenote. The food was amazing and the experience was very well-rounded. The trails are very pebble-y, so wear appropriate water shoes.</p>

We had a wonderful day exploring Coba and participating in several adventures. We were very impressed that the company supports a local village by having tourists canoe, zipline, rapell, swim and enjoy a meal in the area. Marcus is a very knowledgeable guide and made the day a wonderful experience.

We loved this trip, although it was raining all day! Our guide, Rebecca, did a great job and the maya village with its adventures was a blast!

I went on this tour on January 28, 2018 with my brother in law with our three eldest children, Pepe was our guide from Alltournative and he picked us up early at the resort we were staying at, we then picked up a couple from another resort and we all travelled to the a Mayan village situated adjacent to a lake and a cenote. Pepe was a great guide and spoke English very well, he explained everything we saw during the day and was very knowledgeable. We travelled across the small lake in canoes then went on two short zip lines. A short walk through the bush then we attended a ceremony given by a Mayan shaman who blessed us and wished us the best on our travels. The cenote was next which required you to be lowered approximately 75 feet to the water, the water was refreshing. We then went back to the village and were given a traditional lunch at the small restaurant run by the local Mayans, very good food consisting of chicken, tacos, soup, beans, etc... I thought that the cenote would be more refreshing after visiting the Coba site and Pepe says they sometimes reverse the order. Coba was toasty warm by the time we arrived in the early afternoon but most of it is covered in jungle canopy which provides shade, unlike Chichen Itza and Tulum which are much more developed and exposed. Coba was amazing and the partially uncovered main pyramid at the Nohoch Mul area known as Ixmoja was really impressive, not as ornate as the Kukulkan pyramid at Chichen Itza but just as imposing. You can still climb on many of the structures at Coba until the end of the calendar year, the view and the feeling you get from the top of Ixmoja is definitely something everyone should experience, the highest point in the northern Yucatan. Another imposing building at Coba is the lookout tower named Xaibe, it is completely excavated and very beautiful. Unlike most buildings it is round which is interesting. The largest ball court is really nice and has some great carvings on the sides and a skull shaped rock on the floor of the court. There are a number of stone slabs called stelae that are found throughout the site, some are very large and ornately carved although much of the carving has been eroded by nature. Stelae were raised to essentially glorify kings and record his deeds. We got approximately 2 hours to visit the site at Coba and that was rushed, I would have liked another hour or two to explore. If I ever return I will be sure to hire a private tour so I can dictate how much time I can spend on each portion of the tour, I've done this in the past at other sites. Coba is not as popular as some of the other Mayan ruins which I really enjoyed. Important to note that Alltournative is a collaboration between the tour operator and the Mayan people, many of the people working at the different sites on the tour were of Mayan decent. Most of the economy in the northeastern Yucatan revolves around tourism and even more so in small, remote Mayan villages. The Mayans are very nice people, humble and hospitable people, please support them by booking tours which employ them.

My cousin and I had a great day! Josh our guide was very nice and all of the activities kept us busy the whole day, highly recommend!

We went to Coba with Alltournative tours on Monday 11/12/2017 where we were picked up at 6.20am from Excellence Playa Mujeres and driven south to Cancun. We transferred onto another tour bus and met our guides for the day: Josea (driver and historical guide) and Luis (adventure guide). It’s a long day from Excellence Playa Mujeres or Cancún but don’t let that put you off, the day is worth it. We started out by ziplining across a crevice and then rapelling down a cliff. We then canoed a short distance and then another zip line before heading to a cenote where we were attended a Mayan ceremony blessing us to allow us to descend into the underworld. We moved onto the cenote where we had a cold shower to remove chemicals on our skin before swimming in the cenote as it is a water source for the local people. On the way to lunch, my wife slipped on a rock and fell flat on her face. She cut her hand, damaged her wrist and foot and scratched her leg. Josea and another Alltournative guide were excellent in helping her. They both had first aid kits and were able to clean her cuts and bandage her hand until we could see the doctor at the hotel. After lunch, we moved onto Coba where Josea explained how the Mayans built the temples and other structures and lived there. It was an interesting tour which is optional as you can use all the time to explore on your own. I recommend staying with your guide though. There was a short time afterwards to explore where you can hire bikes or a bike ‘taxi’ to ride you around, or walk. We opted for the ‘taxi’ as my wife wasn’t up to walking or riding after her fall. We climbed the main temple which was more difficult to climb back down and the views were great. There are other buildings to see and the ‘taxi’ guide will stop wherever you want. We saw some monkeys swinging across the trees on the way back. After leaving Coba, it was a long drive back to Cancún. We were only offered bottles of water upon arriving at Coba and we should have been offered more for the journey back as it was warm on the bus and at least 2.5 to 3 hours without a drink. A few of our group transferred onto another bus so that our bus didn’t have to go back into the hotel zone and we arrived back at our hotel around 6pm, an hour ahead of schedule. A really great day out. I like Alltournative because the groups are small as the buses can’t hold more than about 15 people plus driver. Their guides are informative and entertaining (we did another tour with them to Ek Balam - another tour worth doing).

We booked this tour with ALLTOURNATIVE The morning started with a 7:40am pickup at our hotel. My wife, 16 year old son, and myself hopped in the van and we were off. 10 of us in the tour, which was all English speaking, and our tour guide Josue. It was approx. 2 hours to the first stop of the day so Josue explained to us all how the day would go, gave us some Mayan education, and entertained us on the way. The first stop was in a Mayan village where we rappelled down a cliff into a dry cenote, then back up some stairs to get suited up for our first zip-line. Then we got back into the van and drove a little ways to the second zip line, followed by a short kayak trip. Then back into the van for another short drive to the cenote. We were greeted by a Mayan elder of the community where he performed a ceremony and blessed us before we were allowed to enter the cenote. We had to have a shower before entering the cenote as this is a fresh water supply for the community. A staircase led our way down into the cenote which was lit up in the water giving it a nice aqua/blue look. The water was cool, not cold, and VERY clear. Stalactites hung from the ceiling as bats flew overhead. It was a very beautiful place. After swimming for a while, we were taken back to the village for a small buffet lunch made for us by the community people. It was very good, and very authentic Mexican food. After lunch we went to the shop where the photographers had computers set up with all the pictures they had taken from the morning with our group. We listened to one of the workers say that the DVD with just the pictures would be US$60 and a flash drive with some extra videos of the day on it would be US$80. We decided we would take the flash drive but were then told that because there were 3 of us in my family (me, my wife, and son) that the DVD would be US$90 ($30 each). He never said the price of the flash drive for 3 people but I would assume US$100 to $120. There was no way I was paying $90 just for a DVD or more for the flash drive so they lost a sale with us that day. VERY EXPENSIVE just for pics that weren't even that good. If you have a GoPro strapped to your helmet or chest you can take your own pics/video, but no phones, camera, or anything hung around your neck were allowed. Back on the van we go and we are off to COBA (about 20 minutes away). We were taken in through the main entrance to COBA and given a short tour around a few of the ruins. I was glad that we stayed with the tour guide for this as we learned a lot about the area/time/customs, etc. You do not have to stay with the guide if you just want to go off on your own but again, I am glad we did. After about 25 minutes the guide was finished with his part and we were then allowed to go off on our own exploring. We rented bikes to ride in as the main pyramid is a ways in. We stopped at a few ruins on the way in for pictures. It's amazing how these things were built way back when. When we finally got to the main pyramid it was pretty breathtaking. Just a massive structure that juts up into the sky. My son and I climbed the 120 stairs to the top (mind you the "stairs" are made of stone so some are pretty high/slippery. The view from the top is unbelievable. Miles and miles in every direction. I believe this was a watch tower for the Mayan Civilization. After a bit of gazing around, we headed back down (carefully) and just when we got to the bottom, the skies opened up and it started pouring. We rode our bikes back in the warm jungle downpour and then took cover in the store at the entrance when we got back. It stopped raining shortly after and we went in to a restaurant near the entrance for a drink/cervesa. Then we got back in the van for the 2 hour drive back to our hotel in Cancun. Over all it was a very good tour, and our guide Josue was awesome. He was very knowledgeable and very good at his job keeping us entertained along the way. The only thing I didn't like was the price of the pictures after the first half of the tour. Very expensive and I feel if they lowered the price they would make a lot more sales. I don't think anybody bought pictures that were in our group. The tour alone cost us $475 Canadian after the exchange and I was not going to pay another $125 or so for the pictures. I would recommend ALLTOURNATIVE as a tour company, just take a GoPro with you if you have one so you could get pics of your tour.

We did the full day Coba trip from Cancun to Coba. Gustav was our guide and this was through All Tour Native (they have a good website and I will use this tour company again the next time I'm in Mexico) and Gustav and the company were amazing. It's a small group, maximum 12. We had 7 people on our trip, that included us. What a wonderful way to enjoy Coba. We rappelled, zip-lined, paddled through lagoons, had a Mayan blessing, a Mayan lunch and then went to Coba and climbed the pyramid. I agree with everyone else reviews - this is a great adventure. I had my 73 year old father and my 13 year old son and my wife (ageless) and all are still talking about what an amazing day this was. The tour fit a wide range of fitness and fun.

This was the best experience we have ever had in our trips to Cancun. In a single day you get to canoe a short distance, take 2 zip lines, be blessed in a ritual by a Mayan priest, repel down a rope into the Jaguar Cenote, swim or relax in inner-tubes in the Cenote, and climb or be hoisted back up out of the Cenote. And all that is before a traditional Mayan lunch! The afternoon was off to Coba and climbing up the tallest Mayan pyramid; careful, as difficult as it is going up, coming down is far more dangerous as the stones can be slippery. Tip: Rent a bike at the entrance as the pyramid is 1.5 kilometers (about a mile) in from the entrance and biking is a great way to quickly get around this large site. Not only do you get to interact with today's Mayan people, but the 13-person van (not a large bus) approach allowed us to interact with our fellow travelers from Canada, Germany, Mexico, and the United States. Our guide, Josue Cruz, was extremely knowledgeable, spoke excellent English, and was fun and entertaining! It was a day very well spent and I look forward to returning in the future for another tour.

So, as the description says, you're going to start with a short canoe trip in a lagoon to the first zip line. A short hike to the second zip line and a short walk back across a bridge before proceeding to the cenotes. If you haven't zip lined before, these were pretty fun but there were only two of them so it's not the highlight of the trip. Afterwards, you'll be brought into the jungle where you will participate in a Mayan blessing ritual with a shaman asking for your protection and permission into the cenotes. From here you will actually repel down about 25 feet into almost complete darkness to the waters below with the only light coming from the entrance and exit points above you. The water is black, the cave walls are high, and bats fly overhead while you're floating around on inter tubes. Quite the experience. Then you can either climb up a rope ladder (a lot of regrets by those that did that) or be hauled up like freight (no complaints here) back to the top. After a simple, but delicious lunch in the village, you can buy the pictures and videos of your adventures before continuing onto Coba. Coba was quite fascinating and climbing Nohoc was an adventure in itself. "Gary" was a great guide and we had a fantastic time. Highly recommended! Tips: First, this is easily a 12-hour day, so prepare yourselves. Bring water. You'll be given water but we ended up drinking what we had and what we were given. You can pick up snacks and drinks at the entrance of Coba and in the Mayan village where you view and buy your pictures, though. The drive to the Mayan Village and from Coba back to the resorts is about 2 hours each way. Not a lot of bathroom opportunities on the road. Don't bother putting sunscreen on while you're in the Mayan village. No chemicals are allowed in the cenotes and you're required to shower off before entering. There's plenty of foliage coverage, however and we were given bug repellent after we exited, so there's that. The Mayan villagers rely heavily on the tourism trade. A picture CD and USB stick with pictures and videos were $60 and $90 respectively. They take cards so be generous. You can rent bikes or rent a bike taxi ($8.50) to get you to the various points of interest in Coba. The taxi driver will wait for you at each site and you pay when you get back to the entrance. It's about a mile walk if you do it on foot. The climb up Nohoc is pretty enduring. The climb down is somewhat treacherous but the view is pretty cool. We had a 5 year-old in our group and he had a great time, so bring the kids!

<p>This is the perfect Maya adventure! Blessing with shaman in jungle, rappel into cenote, ziplining, canoeing don't tip it over!, to conclude with yummy authentic cuisine! Tour guide is friendly, knowledgeable, attentive and fun.</p>

<p>The tour guide Daniel was amazing and highly knowledgeable and friendly, as were his workforce from the guys helping us through the jungle to the lovely ladies cooking us our lunch. <br/> The adventure of all the activities are excellently handled and hugely enjoyable.</p>

<p>This was everything and more than we expected! We had the best guide Sam and his whole team made the experience a once in a lifetime experience! From the blessing of the Mayan Holy man to climbing Coba the tallest Mayan ruin on the Yucatan, to repelling 60 feet into a Cenote cave to zip lining across the open Cenote to the amazing food....cannot say enought great things!</p>

<p>We had such a good time! We were in kind of a small group 5 people and Lily Sanchez was an excellent tour guide. She really helped us understand what we were looking at and we were very pleased with our tour!</p>

An unforgettable experience Many thanks to Joshua our guide for his excellent predisposition Not only have we visited the archaeological site of Coba (we had it pending for a long time) but we were also able to descend to a cenote and witness a Mayan ritual Not suitable for children under 12 years

Erityisen onnistuneeksi matkan teki se, että yrityksellä oli taitava ja osaava suomalainen opas Riikka. Suosittelen kaikille paikallisesta Maya- kulttuurista kiinnostuneille.

If you really like to venture outside the established parameters, this is a great activity for you. Josue, our guide passed very early by us, being located in Cancun, we took the road to Merida and then took a detour to Coba in the town of Nuevo Xcan. Of course, this time, the interaction would be with the Mayan inhabitants of Paac-Chen, a small town that has a great natural attraction, a lagoon in which we row in canoes, then a bed in the jungle and finally a spectacular seconds flying over the jungle and the lagoon through zip lines. Before we head to visit a cenote (natural well, abundant in the Yucatan peninsula), a Shaman (Mayan holy man) performs a ceremony to protect us since according to Mayan tradition, these cenotes are the accesses to the underworld. In this place, we descend to the water mirror by a rope, abseiling, enjoying the cool waters of the cenote with a height of 26 meters from the mouth of the cenote to the water mirror. After this experience, and with good appetite, we are prepared to enjoy a traditional Mayan meal, consisting of vegetables from the region, chicken in annatto, bean patties, fresh water and other delicacies. Already with the energetic response we head to one of the most impressive archaeological areas of the state of Quintana Roo, Coba! With its impressive Nohoch-Mul pyramid (42 meters high) you can appreciate the emerald green color of the jungle and the different shades of turquoise that reflect the four lakes that surround this archaeological site. This is where the hidden talent of our guide Josue comes out, providing us with a wealth of information about Mayan culture, religion, architecture and traditions. A very round day, if you like outdoor activities, I think this is a great proposal. If you think it is strenuous, there is the option with more culture and instead of Paac Chen, you visit the town of Tres Reyes where you know another Mayan community, you interact with them, you know a Mayan house and its "modus vivendi" of the inhabitants, as well as a walk through a small self sufficient Mayan property. Definitely an adventure you can't miss.