I went to Cozumel in 2004 and it has evolved tremendously over the past twenty years. There is…read moreplenty to do when you get off at the cruise terminal and lots of picture taking. If you don't have an excursion, it'll be fine since the area has plenty to do and isn't like Costa Maya. We went to Chankanaab to spend the day there and saw the manatees as well as the dolphins. We were able to have an open bar and non-alcoholic beverages and lunch. I highly recommend this part of Cozumel to explore since it's a great experience. After we arrived back at the terminal, we did some shopping and got shirts and souvenirs to bring back home. There are plenty of bars and restaurants to check out if you want to get your fix. It was a fun hump day!

The cruise terminal in Cozumel has five main piers, three of which are for cruise ships and two of…read morewhich are for ferries. My husband and I have visited this cruise terminal a couple of times, most recently in March 2026. Our cruise ships seemed to dock just fine, and I cannot recall experiencing any problems with disembarking or embarking our cruise ships. We did take ferries between Cozumel and Playa del Carmen, but Cozumel itself has beaches, wildlife, and more. I will write about the city of San Miguel de Cozumel in a separate review.

Soy La Pesera was recommended to us by someone who traveled to Playa regularly and loved their…read moreservice. They're an independent tour company and will customize private tours for a reasonable price. We had a group of 4, and for $100/pp US had a full day of fun. (That's the same or less as a non-private tour thru big operators!) That included a private, clean, air conditioned van with a private driver (more on that later). Plenty of ice cold water and beer too! They'll offer you suggestions but you really can build your day according to your interests. We started at Tulum to see the ruins, moved to the Paraiso beach club for complete relaxation on powdery sand and then visited 2 ceynotes. Let's not forget an incredible lunch - all included. I really liked that we went to smaller, local ceynotes - ones the big groups just can't get to. Takbiha ceynote is family owned and completely underground - we were the only ones there! Azul ceynote is popular with locals and offered a refreshing end to our day - probably my favorite part. Our driver/guide was Yayo and I'd highly recommend requesting him. He was super friendly, and made sure we spent our time wisely (went to Tulum early to beat the crowds and did ceynotes last for the same reason). He also took us to a great small spot in Tulum for the BEST lechon and cochinita! Monica, the owner was quick to respond to our booking questions too. So happy we used them instead of one the big group tours on 5th!!

I was recommended this company by my coworker who visited cancun a few weeks earlier, and let me…read moretell you, IT DOES NOT DISSAPOINT. 10/10 would recommend this company for unique and personalized tours in cancun. We booked our tour through Monica for a full day of swimming/snorkeling at various spots with one of her amazing guides, Omar. Not only were the places we visited absolutely beautiful but we practically had the places to ourselves. Our guide, Omar was the best! He was so friendly and welcoming, educating us on the places we visited as well as just making wonderful conversation. It was like hanging out with a friend all day. We were even fortunate enough to see wild manatees while paddle boarding, just an extra surprise in such a breath taking place. I could not recommend this place enough to anyone coming to cancun, and looking for something less touristy.

My first time experiencing Alina and Jungle Path Tours was back in 2021 during my first visit to…read moreTulum. Our group booked a tour with Alina to visit Chichén Itzá, which included pickup/dropoff from our AirBNB, plus a visit to the grand cenote + lunch. Our group was running late that day, and Alina was very accomodating and patient with us. Our lateness meant that we got to the grand cenote later on the day and it was packed. While we still had a good time (and it being the first one I've ever been to it was still amazing). During the long ride home though, Alina mentioned that she has a private cenote tour available, which we booked two days later. The private cenote tour includes time in a cenote which you get all to your groups' self, nobody else but y'all, it's amazing and beautiful. Plus you get to visit a couple of another cenotes along the way. Alina handles everything from paying for entrance, transportation, and it allows you to just enjoy and be on vacation. Fast forward to June 2023, I came back to visit Tulum with my girlfriend and her friends, and the one thing I was adamant about was booking a tour with Alina and doing the private cenote tour again. Booking was super easy, as you pay your deposit via their website ($20 USD pp), and then pay cash at the end of the excursion. The price will vary depending on how many people are in your group, but honestly the smaller the group the better IMO. Alina handles all the logistics, which makes planning so much easier. This time was even more magical because it was a smaller intimate group, and we got to spend more time just embracing the beauty of cenote. Being able to sit in pitch black darkness, no outside noise, underground, was very calming and peaceful. I was ready to go home after the private cenote, my cup was filled, but we still got to visit a couple more before having lunch. The PRIVATE cenote tour on it's own is worth every dime you'll pay (and it's affordable) and then some. I've never been an excursion person because I've gotten burned so many times, but Alina really changed my mind of what eco-friendly and personable tour guides can provide. Anytime any of my friends mention they are going to Cancun/Playa de Carmen/Riveria Maya/Tulum, I always share Jungle Path Tours with them because this experience meant so much to me and it was unlike anything I've ever done before. Any future trip to this area, I'm booking a tour with Alina and Jungle Path Tours!

The only reason I would recommend visiting Tulum is to do Jungle Path's private cenote tour. Big…read morestatement...I know...I stand by it 1000%! This tour came heavily, heavily recommended by my dude who did the same one 2 years ago. I really couldn't understand why he would want to do the same excursion again. But damn, once I did it myself, I finally got it. This was one of the coolest, most unique experiences. Excursions are never appealing to me: they're long, expensive, and typically with a bunch of randoms. Hard pass. Jungle Path offered a completely personal experience! We got in contact with Alina via Instagram and she was so flexible to give us the type of experience we were looking for. Our small group of 4 visited 3 cenotes, one being completely private. PRIVATE, I mean literally just us, Alina, and that is it! Can you even imagine!? That itself was worth every penny and my entire trip to Tulum. The other two cenotes were not private but compared to other cenotes I have done in Yucatán, these were alot less populated. Alina did the damn thing. Aside from the basics: provided private transportation, took care of any entry fees, offered the necessities (water shoes, water, brewskies), she was so incredibly knowledgeable, personable and offered a magnificent insight on history and culture. She even offered to take all of our photos & videos. If you're visiting Rivera Maya, check them out. Trust - you will not regret booking anything through Jungle Path.

If you want the convenience of getting to your destinations safely and the freedom to enjoy the…read moresites at your own pace, Playa Vacation is the way go to. Enjoyed the private tour to Tulum & Grand Cenote, US$150 flat rate for the van. It's essentially a private driver for the day, as entrance fees to the ruins & cenote are not included in the flat rate. Direct and convenient pick up & drop off from our lodging (and at each site), got to stroll and enjoy the sites at our own pace, and also had the freedom to add locations as we went (we got to explore Akumal & a local tacos al pastor spot). Great value!

I don't even have the correct words for this trip. Let's start at the beginning of the trip...We…read morechose the Rio Secreto Classic Tour. Cost was roughly $109 usd per person. We got in touch with Lomas Hospitality and set up the tour with them. They got us our tickets and told us when to meet the driver from Rio Secreto. This all happened as per normal and we took a short 20-30 minute drive to get to the location (we stayed at El Dorado Maroma). You get a wrist band when you get to the reception area (our driver got ours for us) and then you're told to go to the area where everyone is sitting and there is a person at the podium that asks what language you speak so they know which form to have you fill out. We are English speakers so we filled out the waiver and handed it back in. A quick 5 minute wait and they let us know that our guide would be Guillermo (Memo) and we learned Charles was our photographer. There were 10 of us in our group and Memo let us know what to expect and what was coming up. He let everyone know we'd need to change into our swimwear, get their water shoes on (they have some there if you need them), and lock our things in the locker (each couple/family received a lock and key to wear on the wrist). There were restrooms and changing rooms for whatever was needed. We then met out front and were told that we needed to rinse off to get the oils off of our skin so as to reduce the damage to the cave we were going to be traipsing through. He also let us know that when we got done with the rinse (it is all outside), at that point, if we would like to wear a wetsuit, just line up and they'd get that for us. My husband and I chose to go without the wetsuits, while the other people in our group chose to wear them. Every person MUST wear a life vest and a helmet. No way around it, and it is a darn good thing! They also offer a PVC walking cane/stick for people that wish to have it. I'm going to highly suggest that if a person is even a little bit wobbly on their feet...use it. We then took a short 10 minute walk to the cave entrance after some pictures (Thank you Charles!!!) in front of signs and other things, we started the tour. There is a good reason this is considered in the top 10 of National Geographic. I can't even explain in words how amazing this whole trip was for us. The knowledge that both young men had regarding the cave, its exploration, how it is created, the animals inside and out...they were amazing. We walked, we swam, we crouched, we enjoyed, we were in awe of the beauty of the system itself. You DEFINITELY need the helmet (crouching isn't always fun when you get older or are taller and you will bump your head), and the life vest (swimming is awesome, but floating in one area and looking up at everything around you takes your mind from treading water and you MUST see everything!). We saw bats, we saw blind cave fish, we saw tiny catfish, cave crickets, we saw isopods, we saw 1mm shrimp, we saw stalactites, stalagmites, fossils from corals, tailless whip scorpions, isopods, and beauty. So much beauty all around us. And it is cold water...70 - 75 degree's Fahrenheit was about normal apparently. It was cold but when you're in it, it isn't so bad. This is a must if you are in the area. 100% After we finished the tour, you can buy the photos they take ($120 usd) and there is a buffet style meal for you if you wish. The soda's need to be bought in the gift shop (on the side you came into the meal area) and are 1 for $3.00 or 2 for $4.00 each, they obviously can change that. The photos are delivered electronically, and I know our guy did phenomenal for us! A ride back to our resort and we were sad to see it go. I wish my words could be more descriptive, but you should just go and see it for yourselves. It is a whole other world down there.

Rio Secreto was an amazing experience!…read more I went to Cancun for a girls' trip, and honestly, I was very nervous because I didn't know what to expect. I tend to get anxious about new experiences, but I always try to push myself--knowing I'll be happy I did afterward. When you arrive, check-in takes place in a hidden, lush area with benches. A short video plays so you can get an idea of what Rio Secreto is all about. After that, you check in, sign your waivers, and meet your guide for the day. We totally lucked out--our guide, George, was incredible! The guide makes all the difference. George was full of life, personality, and knowledge. He truly immersed us in the caves and shared so much about Mayan culture. I can't say enough nice things about him! Your guide then takes you by van to the Rio Secreto caves, about a 15-minute drive on an unpaved, natural, and bumpy road. I don't get carsick, but if you're prone to it, you may want to take something beforehand. The ride itself is scenic and surrounded by lush greenery. Once you arrive, you'll find lockers, showers, bathrooms, and seating areas. Be prepared to remove all jewelry, as it's not allowed in the caves--the water must remain pure. You'll take a quick shower before putting on your wetsuit and water shoes (they provide them, or you can bring your own). You'll also wear a helmet with a light. The facility is extremely clean and well-maintained. I was genuinely impressed by how often they sanitized the equipment, floors, and bathrooms. Once you're geared up, you take about a 10-minute walk to the caves. Before entering, you'll participate in a beautiful Mayan ceremony meant to cleanse your spirit--and take a quick group photo. Important tip: You cannot bring your cell phone! Let it go and just enjoy the moment. A photographer will take pictures throughout the tour, and trust me, it's worth it. Walking and swimming through the caves while listening to George share stories about the Mayans, the legends, and the discovery of Rio Secreto was truly magical. The water is cool at first, but you get used to it quickly. Floating through the crystal-clear water surrounded by stunning cave formations took my breath away. After the tour, you're treated to a delicious meal--including handmade tortillas! An amazing day and an unforgettable experience. Highly recommend Rio Secreto!

Went on our adventure just a couple days ago. Had an AMAZING experience with Alex and Lalo…read more We chose the Akumal and Tulum snorkeling, plus cenotes. Tulum waters were clear and there were so many different varieties of fish! Took underwater photos and videos and they came out clear as day! Was nervous we might not see any sea turtles, but we saw 6 turtles at Akumal! And a stingray! Alex and Lalo definitely made the adventure better with their knowledge, great sense of humor and excellent service. This was my first time seeing the cenotes, and hey were beautiful and full of culture/history. Even got to do a cliff/cenote dive! Would definitely recommend this package for someone looking for snorkeling/cenotes experience.

Last October, our timeshare resort (the Sun Palace) set us up for a bus ride that included a tour…read moreof Chichen Itza, swim in a cenote, and visit a little town called Valladolid. We had used hotel credits to basically pay for the trip. As the only thing I actually paid for was the Mexican taxes. Here's a few highlights: ~ Started our day early around 7am, as the tour groups from several hotels gathered the tourists. ~ As the tour began, our guides introduced themselves as Walter and Fernando. Both bilingual and really nice guys. ~ Breakfast consisted of two types of tamales and a traditional balché Mayan drink. ~ On our way to Chichen Itza, Fernando and Walter referenced many historical facts about the Maya people and how they live today. They passed around artifacts as well. ~ We visited their local gift shop that they specifically support. And they do take credit card, even though I only carried cash. ~ Watched a video in a dome theater, about the Mayan culture and how it all began. ~ In the heat, Walter showed us all around the Chichen Itza grounds. Simply amazing! ~ For lunch we all met up at The Lodge at Chichen Itza (beautiful hotel btw). It was a buffet filled with freshly made tacos and other time-honored traditional dishes. A bit salty for me though. ~ After that, we trucked along to the cenote. Now this was probably my favorite highlight of my entire trip. To swim and relax in a natural pool of fresh water was just exhilarating! I loved seeing it, taking pics of it, and just disconnecting from that thing called "work". ~ On our way back, our final stop, we went to the town of Valladolid. Here we checked out the Cathedral of San Gervasio and bought some last minute gifts at the local shops. Tips: ~ They serve you bottled water, but I'd still bring some just in case. October was still hot and humid, yet bearable. ~ Bring a hand towel. Again, just in case, you'll thank me. ~ Sandals for the cenote. ~ Extra battery for your camera, or a charger. Overall: ~ Although the tour company seems to want to cater or sell you something from their local partners, it didn't really bother me. I enjoyed it, and still would recommend going with these guys.

My wife and I can't recommend My Quest Concierge Private Tours enough. Shout-out to our amazing…read moreguide, Heriberto Lopez. He took excellent care of us for the day. It was just us three. We loved having a guide all to ourselves. We stayed at Grand Velas Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen. My wife found out about My Quest from Tripadvisor. We booked a "VIP Tulum Private Tour" over two months in advance through Viator. It cost $340, prepaid online, and we tipped Heriberto $75 in cash after the tour ($415 total in US dollars). We thought it was worth it. The preferred method of communication for My Quest, like most of Mexico, is WhatsApp. Two days before our tour, we got a WhatsApp text message from Carolina to confirm details. Our only gripe with My Quest came in this message. The company wanted to change our pickup time from 7:30am "to 6:45am since we have found more people due to the season." We were a bit annoyed with that because we booked and prepaid with My Quest in order to get a private tour at the time we specified months ago. I politely replied and asked if we could keep the original reservation time. I received a prompt response, yes. Around 8:30pm the night before our tour, we got a message from Fernanda. She confirmed our pickup time, told us that Heriberto would be our guide, and gave us his phone number so that we could message him via WhatsApp. Once again, I had to correct the pickup time from 6:45am to 7:30am. I messaged Heriberto to make extra sure. Heriberto showed up on time at 7:30am. He picked us up in a company car, a GMC Acadia, I believe. It could've been a GMC Terrain. I don't remember exactly. The SUV had a transmission issue where it would downshift unexpectedly, usually after we got going on the highway. This mildly concerned both us and Heriberto. He reported the issue to My Quest. Heriberto is local to Playa del Carmen, where My Quest is based. He's friendly and intelligent. We could tell he is passionate about his job. He loves his family, Mexico, and the environment. We felt safe when we were with him. Our tour consisted of three stops, each of which I reviewed on Yelp. In order, they were: 1. Zona Arqueologica de Tulum 8:45am to 10:00am (times approximate) https://www.yelp.com/biz/zona-arqueol%C3%B3gica-de-tulum-tulum-2 Zona Arqueologica de Tulum is the famous ruins of Tulum. This is a popular tourist attraction. Heriberto and My Quest proved to be very valuable here for two main reasons: First, Heriberto knew the most efficient route through the ruins and he was terrific at timing our stops so we were rarely around other people. He made our tour of Tulum feel special and intimate. Second, Heriberto was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Tulum and the Maya people. He brought an iPad to show us pictures and diagrams, which added another layer to his history lessons. 2. Cenote Xunaan Ha 10:30am to 11:45am (times approximate) https://www.yelp.com/biz/cenote-xunaan-ha-ciudad-chemuyil 3. Cenote Taak Bi Ha 12:15pm to 1:45pm (times approximate) https://www.yelp.com/biz/taak-bi-ha-zona-hotelera-tulum Cenote Xunaan Ha is an open, above-ground cenote. Cenote Taak Bi Ha is a closed, underground cenote. At both cenotes, Heriberto provided us with life jackets and snorkeling gear. Life jackets came from the cenotes and snorkeling gear came from My Quest. Xunaan Ha was a leisurely swim and snorkel. Taak Bi Ha was a guided tour. We absolutely loved both. Cenotes are some of the most beautiful natural occurrences on earth and they must be experienced in person. No hiking was involved, but the swimming, especially in the cold water of Taak Bi Ha, did take some energy. Eat a good breakfast and bring snacks for the car. Heriberto had bottled water for us. We arrived back at the resort around 3:45pm. We were gone for over eight hours. Due to highway traffic, it took over one hour to get from our resort in Playa del Carmen to Tulum and it took over one hour to get from Taak Bi Ha back to our resort. Therefore, there was a lot of drive time. We also made a pit stop at a Pemex gas station on the way back. At all three stops, Heriberto took care of everything: translation, parking, restrooms, escorting, tickets, access, etc. He was also great at taking pictures and videos of us, and knew all the best spots and angles. He knew how to make the pictures look as if there weren't other people there, especially at Tulum, which had large groups of tourists. We appreciated that even though we didn't ask for it. He just made it happen. Heriberto was fantastic. Tips: - Both Viator (via an emailed link to a web page) and My Quest (via WhatsApp messages) will tell you what to expect, what you can and cannot bring, and what's included and not included (e.g., lunch was not included on the tour we booked). - Don't wear sunscreen to the cenotes. It's generally not allowed because it harms the cenote ecosystems. - Strongly consider bringing water shoes. Ours came in handy at Taak Bi Ha.

This tour was the highlight of our trip to the Yucatan Peninsula and will forever be one of my…read morefavorite travel memories. Our guide, Manuel, was not only communicative and informative but went above and beyond to ensure we were comfortable and relaxed the entire day. He even stopped at a pharmacy on the way out to find a good medicine for my mom's back, which she hurt a few days before our trip. Without that she would have been miserable and unable to enjoy any of the activities at our stops. The pyramid at Chichén Itzá was breathtaking and Manuel took amazing pictures of us from the perfect vantage point. I have been interested in and studied Latin American history for several years so I found his knowledge about new and relevant information only just being released in academic circles incredibly fascinating. Our lunch at Paladar De Cura in Valladolid was the best meal I had our entire stay, and we also did a tequila tasting and some souvenir shopping in town. After lunch we headed to Cenote Chukum where we swam in the cool waters of a cavernous sinkhole with small catfish flitting beneath our feet. It's no mystery why this tour is rated the #1 activity on Tripadvisor out of 700 others. You will not regret booking it.

We took the Mexico Waterjets ferry from Playa to Cozumel at the last min (they held the 1:00 pm…read moreferry for us). The cost was $8.50 USD ida y vuelta (roundtrip). It takes about 45 min to make the crossing. Inside the ferry is nice enough, but it was kinda warm. A couple of my rellies got mareada (seasick) bc of the heat and the movement of the boat. However, the employees were very considerate and offered bags and sympathy. On the return, we sat on top outside and had better results. One of my rellies waited til we were on the dock to get sick. The 4 ferry companies run like clockwork every hour on the hour to/from Playa to Cozumel. Take a look at which one has the best price, I believe the service is comparable. In this case our choice was Mexico Waterjets.

One of two main ferries, they are known as WinJet around town (not Mexico Waterjets) which is why…read moreI'm only the fifth review). Basically they are orange and the other guys are yellow. Because they offer basically the same service, leaving from the same place, at the same time, they seem interchangable. They might be, but I rode with WinJet twice and I liked the friendly workers who seemed happy to be working there, the organization, and the looping video (upbeat music, information, ads, Senor Frijole aka Mr. Bean, etc). We were lucky and got on right away. One time we bought tickets just eight minutes before departure without issue. Another time, we were ten minutes late and managed to board. $9 one way and $15 round trip (recommended) as of 2/19. Buy your tickets directly from orange Winjet booths and make sure you aren't in some timeshare. I thought the 35 minute ferry ride itself would be part of the fun, but I guess I'm getting old... The February waters were choppy and two days later I still feel like I'm bobbing.