the version with that addition: Tierra Maya is a sanctuary where Mayan culture stays alive through practice. These aren't performances—they're traditions still used in rural Maya communities today. Your participation keeps them alive. Grind sacred cacao on volcanic stone. Press tortillas by hand. Crush fresh salsa in traditional molcajete. Meet gentle native stingless bees and taste their rare honey. Sample regional liquors found only in this jungle. This keeps culture alive. Every action connects you to thousands of years of living tradition. Guided by local hosts, you don't observe culture—you practice it.
Tour operator was very communicative, letting us know where to meet our guide, the guides name and when the guide would arrive. Our guide, Irving, was very prompt and very friendly, as an added plus also a very good driver getting us to the tour location quickly and safely!
An amazing hands-on experience, we learned about the daily activities of the Mayan people including importance of chocolate, honey from native bees, and many other bits of history. We ground our own chocolate, tasted native honey and tequilas, made tortillas and salsa. A truly immersive experience. Well worth the time and in a lovely setting. Great guides throughout the experience.
We had a fantastic time visiting Tierra Maya. The staff were very knowledgeable and they did a great job teaching Mayan culture and traditions. We spent more than two hours there with our very group, on a small private tour. We highly recommend it. Note-the terrain is not very accessible if you are travelling with wheelchairs.
This was a wonderful experience. We got to taste local honey, grind our own cacao powder and mix it with honey, do a tequila tasting, and make our own salsa and tortillas. The guides were very friendly and informative. It was worth traveling from the center to support this new business.
We have been to Cozumel several times and wanted to find an experience different from the normal tourist activities and found Tierra Maya. This is an interactive experience where we learned about Mayan culture through grinding cacao, pressing tortillas while making homemade salsa and learning about sacred tiny bees with demonstrations by passionate young Mayan culture enthusiasts done in very small groups.
We had a great experience here. Loved the people, the atmosphere, the education, etc. I wanted to do something different than just a beach day on our cruise port day. I’m glad we did this.
A must do in Cozumel! The experience gave us an authentic peek into Mayan culture, and the hands-on demos were really engaging. Our family of three all enjoyed our time there. Joel and the guides here were top-notch and so nice. They really care about their culture and their work. We came here with a private jeep tour, and we loved our experience that lasted a little under 2 hours. Don’t hesitate to book - especially if you’re looking to experience the culture. It’s such a great deal compared to some of the shore excursions that were offered on our cruise ship.
My dad and I went with a tour guide to this wonderful operation. We did all of the stations which included tequila tasting, special honey tasting and learning about the local stingless bees, making chocolate, and making salsa and tortillas. The hosts were very friendly, knowledgeable, and dedicated to teaching about Mayan traditions. I’d recommend anybody check out this place for an authentic experience!
Tierra Maya is a must visit when in Cozumel! Staffed with the most welcoming and knowledgeable guides, you’ll travel through an unforgettable experience for the senses. Meeting stingless bees, cooking and becoming more knowledgeable about the culture combine for an amazing experience. This is a must do for any visitor looking for an elevated, relaxing and informative tour. You won’t regret visiting!
A great experience. We learned so much and all hands on. Joel and Gabby were so informative and personable! Our driver, Diego, was great too. He personalized our experience with a tour of the Municipal Market and the East Coast.
We stopped at Tierra Maya with our private tour guide while we were on a shore excursion. We were looking for a local experience with Mayan history. This experience was perfect. The guides take you through their beautiful property to different "stations" where you learn about the honey bees, tequila, and cocoa beans. Then we made homemade salsa and tortillas. The family/staff were wonderful, and we had great conversation. There was no sales pressure, but they have wonderful products to bring home. I purchased some honey that I am really enjoying. Bring cash, as the internet is poor and they were unable to process my credit card. We very much recommend spending some time with the folks at Tierra Maya.
A spiritual visit to the past. We were shown and performed the ancient Maya traditions of extracting honey, making chocolate from beans, tequila tasting as Mayans made it and made our own tortillas and covered it with a tomato salsa we made from roasted tomatoes. Al in all very fun, very respectful of ancient traditions and tasting of one of kind creations. Well kept, well organized, clean and a great way to learn Mayan culture.
An unexpected gem! Our guide Ozzy (booked via Viator) suggested a stop at Tierra Maya. We were treated to a cultural experience that was not commercialized or over crowded. Making homemade salsa and tortillas, sampling honey and tequila in the shade of thatched huts is a perfect way to spend an afternoon.
Originally we had scheduled this excursion for 830am. We didn’t realize we weren’t getting to port until 1100 am We messaged the tour guides less than 12 hours before and they were so accommodating. They are excellent at communicating using: text, email and through the app. The excursion?? It was so awesome. It was a private tour guide Irving so knowledgeable and so kind! If you get Irving you are in good hands!! He picked up us from the port (waiting with our names on a sign). We took an air conditioned jeep around the island. We got to see the capital, and area where the locals live. About 30 min drive to the bee sanctuary. Once there we had a different private tour guide Cynthia: very smart, friendly and great sense of humor. We got to see and learn about vanilla, honey, bee cultivation and cocoa. They had stingless bees so we could get close and see their hives. The environment was tranquil and calming. We ground our own cocoa and made chocolate sauce when we mixed it with honey. Then tasted salsas and samples of organic beauty products. After that we drove another 10 min drive to the east side of the beach, where they had a beach side restaurant. No tourists, not crowded great service. We started with shots of tequila (2 each). My husband had a chicken quesadilla and a margarita and I had fish tacos and a mojito. They had a mariachi band come to our table and sing to us. After the meal we sampled 5 different types of tequila. We ended up buying a vanilla crème tequila. After that 15 min drive where the dropped us off right in front of the port. It’s was so lovely and my husband had a fabulous first time in Mexico! Highly recommended this!
This was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the resorts and downtown. They are curating an experience, not peddling sales. Our driver, Irving was very knowledgeable about the island and made the experience that much better.
Nice experience. Company just started 2 months ago. With heart and soul was told about the species of bees and have made chocolate from cocoa and honey Then another workshop making tortillas, which we ate afterwards
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