A City Created for Cruise Ships: Costa Maya

Cold Drinks and Golf Carts

I imagine many of the cities visited by cruise ships existed before cruise lines started docking at them.  I don't think this is how Costa Maya came to be.  With no other infrastructure than the cruise dock and a downtown that caters exclusively to cruise tourists, it is miles away from any town of substance.  Costa Maya is a town built for cruise ships.

Driving the golf cart we rented to downtown Costa Maya.

Costa Maya has a dock and a downtown.  The downtown is a mile or two away from the dock and consists of a pedestrian walkway lined with the beach on one side, and bars and shops on the other.  There are many ways to get to the downtown area.  Visitors can rent a golf cart, pay a cab, or go on a Segway tour.  We decided to rent a golf cart, which while fun for the first five minutes proved useless in the downtown area that was limited to foot traffic.

The cruise ship as seen from downtown Costa Maya.

After wandering around the downtown area for  thirty minutes, I found it overwhelming boring.  All there was to do was drink at a bar or lay on an overcrowded beach as peddlers constantly bugged visitors to buy trinkets and junk.  I wanted to snorkel on fish laden reefs, hike volcanoes, or enjoy culturally enriching experiences.  Costa Maya offered none of that, just booze and busy beaches.  This is one city I won't be going back to.

One of the many bars with swings lining their perimeter.

Some family who joined us did enjoy swimming in the free pool at the cruise port.  So there is that, if the dolphin trapped in a tiny pool adjacent doesn't suck the soul out of you.