I accidentely found KaoKao on a web site and it looked interesting, after all, it is chocolate. I…read moresigned us up for the two hour "tour" and Chocolate making. The shop is located in a neighborhood and not a tourist area in a small storefront. Nancy led our experience and gave us an interesting talk on chocolate and its history. It was really interesting. We then actually ground some "nibs" and made our own chocolate for hot chocolate. It was a lit of fun and we ended up taking our little medallion of chocolate home with us to try on some winter evening. Nancy also gave us samples of different types of flavored chocolate. They were just small pieces but by the time we were finished I think we had about 20 different chocolates. The tour is inexpensive and a lot of fun. As an added comment, we were on a cruise and the cab fare was about the same as a ride into the tourist area. This is not in a tourist area so you'll see where people actually live. Nancy will call a cab for you for the trip back to the ship or to the tourist area. Again, this was a lot of fun.

Every time I go to Cozumel I like to buy their chocolates. I did not do any research prior and…read moredidn't know where to go. We asked our driver to take us to best chocolate shop in town and he took us to Kaokao. We were really please. We were greeted by the nicest ladies who walked us inside the shop. They also gave tours here but we were there strictly just to purchase. The lady behind the counter did offer us some samples. I had a lot of questions and the nice staff was able to answer all of them. She also knew all the ingredients in them and helped me choose what was best for me. I ended up getting some dark chocolate, milk chocolate, coffee espresso beans, and some other goodies. The shop was really cute and they had all things chocolate and more. They even had toys and souvenirs. But their star are their chocolates which are high-quality and made from the finest ingredients. They even had interesting chocolate flavor combinations. The shop should also be clean, well-maintained, and air conditioned. Pricing was also reasonable. I highly recommend if you are in Cozumel and want to stop in a good chocolate shop.

All staff members were excellent, the chocolate was delicious and the Mayan chocolate making was a…read moreunique one of a kind experience. The Melipona Bee is another one of a kind experienced. The honey tasting was also delicious and unique. Being able to compare two different kinds of honeys was awesome. I love honey and bees and there is no other experience like this one! The place was very nice and clean and the bathrooms spotless. The entire experience transports you to a different time in history, you feel completely relaxed and at peace with the place.

The Mayans used cacao as currency -- after one chocolate margarita, I'd happily do the same…read more Forget tequila -- this is the true spirit of Mexico. If tequila is Mexico's party drink, then cacao is its soul. The Maya Cacao Company in Cozumel takes you on a ride through 3,000 years of history, where chocolate wasn't just dessert -- it was currency, ritual, and even medicine. The Mayans were drinking cacao long before Europeans turned it into Hershey bars, and this place makes sure you taste that legacy in every sip. From the moment you step in, it feels like equal parts museum and tasting room. Guides walk you through the origins of cacao, from the Mayan belief that it was a gift from the gods to how beans were roasted, ground, and mixed into a bitter, frothy drink spiced with chili. You'll hear how cacao beans were once used as currency -- imagine paying your rent in hot chocolate! Then comes the tasting -- and this is where the Maya Cacao Company shines. Their drinks aren't just good; they're borderline spiritual: * Chocolate Margarita - smooth, rich, with just the right kick. A cocktail that shouldn't work, but does. * Luna Colada - think piña colada's mysterious cousin, infused with cacao for a tropical-meets-Mayan vibe. * Hot chocolate samples that feel like liquid history, spiced the way the ancients drank it. Yes, prices are a bit higher than you'd expect -- this isn't cheap grocery-store chocolate. But what you're buying is quality and heritage. The bars, powders, and drink mixes are perfect for bringing home a taste of Cozumel that isn't another fridge magnet. And making one of their cacao cocktails at home? Instant vacation flashback. The Mayans and Aztecs considered cacao sacred -- literally calling it "food of the gods." It was so important that Montezuma was said to drink dozens of cups of cacao daily for energy. Walking through this tour, you don't just hear about it -- you taste that history in every sip. The Maya Cacao Company is part history lesson, part tasting adventure, and totally worth the stop in Cozumel. It's pricier than a corner shop, but you're paying for craft, culture, and drinks so good you'll wish TSA allowed chocolate margaritas on board. Come for the history, stay for the cocktails, and leave with a suitcase that smells like cacao. Prices are higher, but so was Montezuma on cacao.

Adrian was a great guide to both the food and various topics about Baja and Mexico in general. All…read more3 eateries were delicious with a range of dishes from the freshest, moistest and lightest Baja fish tacos imaginable to ceviche and empanadas. Also a decent selection of beers and micheladas to accompany them. He was also patient while I shopped for a pendant for my wife. Really nice guy with life stories to share, including working as a personal chef and galley preparation on deep sea fishing boats. He definitely knows his seafood.

The food was amazing and all our questions about the history of each food item were answered. The…read morehost and hostess were kind and friendly. Will definitely do another tour.

https://www.toursplaza.com. Click the link and you will see that they are no longer in business…read more I have used Tours Plaza multiple times over the years and always requested Gerry as my driver. Last November our stop in Cozumel was canceled due to the ship needing to avoid a storm. I contacted Tours Plaza and requested a refund as their policy stated "Full refunds will be given in the event that your cruise ship does not make port." They replied the following day, November 7, 0224 "Hola Margaret. We're sorry your cruise changed the itinerary, we'll issue the refund, you must receive it in the next 7 days. See you the next time! Kind regards". That was 5 months ago. I have never received my $233.20 refund despite repeated promises by Eduardo that the refund was being processed. On January 31, 2025 "Our clients are very important to us, I'll issue a refund right away, you should receive it in the next few days. I'll write to you in a few days in order to confirm this went through." Never happened. On 2/07/25 " Hola Margaret. The refund usually takes 7 day... We just checked the status and it's processing, you should see it at your account shortly. In any case we are monitoring the situation because our clients are very important to us! And your refund is absolutely correct. We'll write to you on Monday again, in order to check you received your refund correctly. Kind regards". Never received. He then pretty much stopped responding to my emails. I never received the refund. Today I receive an email from Tours Plaza regarding yet another reservation (upcoming) telling me that I will need to try and get my deposit back from my credit card company "Dear M, bad news, our site was been hacked and several reservations were deleted and money was stolen from us and while we investigate, and try to get back the stolen money from us, Tours Plaza is no longer online, please ask for your deposit refund at your bank or Visa Card. Best Regards Eduardo" I strongly advise against using this company. They can no longer be trusted. And that's a shame because they were my go-to tour guides for many years.

We booked a car for 3 people a month ahead of time. Eduardo was quick to confirm by email and gave…read moreexcellent instructions for our arrival. We met our driver KELLY at the assigned location and he was extremely courteous and knowledgeable. We knew ahead of time that we wanted between 3-5 hours of tour and had a couple of places in mind, the Chocolate factory & Tequila factory (both were very fun and educational), then over to the beach to just enjoy the coast. Kelly picked several stops along the way and made it real easy to just relax and have a great time. We were ready to go back to our ship after about 4 hours and had the BEST DAY POSSIBLE. Thank you Kelly for a pleasant, comfortable, and informative day. You made our visit truly memorable.

This place came highly recommended on social media of moms who have littles in swim diapers. We…read moredidn't book an excursion through the cruise line but found a great option right at the pier before reaching the Cozumel sign. A gentleman had a booth for Playa Mia. You can purchase the $15 day pass to access the beach. There was another package that included food, but it seemed unnecessary since we didn't plan on staying too long. My goal was getting a spot where the kids can play with sand. The weather had been iffy too. It was raining on the taxi ride there, but thankfully it let up by the time we walked to the beach area. Once we arrived, we did have to pay $6 for an umbrella to use with our beach chairs. The umbrella kept closing so we had to get somebody to keep opening it back up. Finally, they told us they had to close the beach umbrellas for 30 minutes due to the wind that was coming. That was my sign to leave since it had already poured on our way there. The bathrooms are located to the left of the open buffet area. They have a feet washing area in front of the bathroom. There are two entrances. The left is for the toilets and the right is for the showers. Inside the shower area they have the baby change table. The beach area itself was clean and well maintained. Once you get there, keep going all the way inside. There were will be stores and excursions you can purchase. The ticket area to show you paid and to get your wristband will be on the left. We purchased a sand bucket that came with a toy from a store there for $10. They offer fun inflatables in the water for the older kids and banana boat rides. We apparently had a server who was helping our area. The gentleman who served us was friendly and attentive. My little one was thrilled to have chicken wings. We asked for the sauce on the side and the wings were crispy. We also tried the fajitas and they were pretty good. The salsa had a nice kick. I would definitely skip on the bean and cheese nachos! Overall, it was a great, affordable way to enjoy some time at the beach without committing to a full day excursion. I'd recommend this for anyone looking for a low-key, budget-friendly beach day with the kids.

I want to caveat this review straight away - we visited on a pretty quiet day. We came in on a…read moreDisney cruise and I checked before booking and only 1 other cruise ship was in port on the day we visited and that ship was a more adult oriented cruise line. Because of that I was fairly confident Playa Mia would not be overly full and I turned out to be correct. After doing some research before going there are other offerings that are better for pure adult visitors and Playa Mia strikes a good middle ground for everyone. We picked this beach park because it was the only one that didn't nickel-and-dime you on every little add-on: for example the obstacle course/water park is included with the all-inclusive package we bought. As I mentioned, we did get the all-inclusive package including travel. Some of the other guests were not on all-inclusive visit and most opted for their own travel. Having already been once, next time I may handle travel myself as I am an experienced traveler and the taxi's were very friendly, however with a young one in tow I must say the friendliness and helpfulness of the people who met us and arranged our travel in both directions was amazing and I absolutely do not regret paying a little extra for the included travel. Ultimately they did just put us in a taxi that they paid for but they met us super close to the boat exit and walked us all the way to the taxi stand and dealt with telling him where to go, etc. That was nice while we dealt with our hyped up kids in a new environment. I can't speak to the non all-inclusive experience but if you don't plan to drink a lot (including water/soft drinks for the kids) I think it can be a bargain. However, with the full package we bought, the only thing I ended up paying for was a deposit on the towels that we ultimately got back. I did tip our server (Alberto was awesome) decently well because of how much work he did during the almost full day we were there - so tipping is an additional expense that happens in any kind of place like this. One note, I did go for the top level all-inclusive package and with that the adults got a Tequila tasting and the kids got a chocolate tasting. Obviously the intent of these is to sell some goods but don't skip out on these if you get them - both tastings were delicious and even though we never buy anything at these things, in retrospect we still wish we had picked up some coffee Tequila. Because the day we visited wasn't super crowded, we had such a great time. The facilities are on the older side and the landscaping isn't perfectly manicured but it's on a beautiful beach and there was at least a little something for everyone: from 5 years old to 40. If it were considerably busier, that might pose an issue but they have a lot of room for people to spread out so except for the buffet being busy, I think it would take a lot of people for it to ruin your day.

Booked a tour for St Kitts island tour and beach. We waited in the hot sun for 30 minutes while the…read moretour owner tried to "fill the bus" then waited on a hot safari vehicle breathing fumes of other vans for 30 minutes while we waited for 2 more passengers. Tour advertised complimentary water which the driver had no idea about. We were supposed to go to Friar's beach or Cockleshell ( both nice beaches) as advertised, driver took us to very small and rocky Frigate Bay where we had to pay more for chairs and it was hard to go into water since we did not have water shoes. Other passengers on the tour were charged $25, when we booked ahead and were charged $70. Of course at the end when I asked to speak with the owner to voice my concerns he was gone for the day. I will never use this company or recommend them to other cruisers. I tried to post this review on their website but they only seem to publish 5 star reviews.

Shore Excursioneer, the tour operator for our planned trip from Progreso Mexico to Uxmal Mayan…read moreruins did NOT meet us at the port nor at the Duty Free area as per the contract. I even called the day before my cruise left to be sure. They lied! We had to take shuttle bus into town. No one met us there either! In small print, they expect CASH to be given not in an office but on the street for the balance of the account!! If you don't have it, they charge over 20% extra! The car did not comfortably hold 4 adults. The driver did not speak English. There was no tour guide at Uxmal as per the contract. We did not go to the agreed upon cenote and I still had to pay the entrance fee which they had already charged me. Horrible! Do not use this company!

Informative Tour and Free Samples of Authentic Mayan Chocolate - A Gem in Valladolid!…read more I was wandering around Valladolid on the afternoon of November 15th and stumbled upon this small chocolate museum located along the charming and quiet diagonal street known as Calzada de los Frailes on the way towards the Convent de San Bernardino de Siena. I stepped inside and was greeted by a very friendly and welcoming woman. There was already a group of people inside who were just about to go on a tour, so I joined them. The female guide who gave the tour told us all about the history and origins of chocolate, how the Mayans used it and its importance to them, and how it has changed over the years. She showed us various artifacts and photos in the small museum and explained the meaning of them and the process of turning the cacao bean into chocolate. The guide was knowledgeable, captivating, and entertaining. She also spoke at least three languages (English, Spanish, French and probably more) fluently and gave her spiels in all three as we had group members from Mexico, France and Canada. At the end of the tour, we got to sample a variety of authentic Mayan chocolates in different flavours, from honey to pure cacao to mint to vanilla to cinnamon to spicy to milk and more. They were all so unique and delicious! After the tasting, you are invited to look around the small store with a variety of chocolate products. You could purchase small boxes of the authentic Mayan chocolate in all flavours for 85 pesos, and they also sold chocolate shampoo, hair conditioner, body lotion and other things. In addition, the tour and tasting was completely free! The tour lasted about 20-30 minutes. I ended up buying a box of chocolates (they make great gifts for family and friends) because I really wanted to support this place. The tour was super informative. I learned a lot and I also really enjoyed the chocolate tasting at the end! There is also a small restaurant/café attached to the factory where you can purchase cacao-based drinks and treats. I definitely plan to check this place out next time I am in Valladolid! This place is definitely worth a visit. Highly recommended!

What a special place to check out. Sebastian gave us an informative tour that included a tasting at…read morethe very end. The aroma of chocolate made this the perfect attraction. We ended our visit at the cafe next door for some delicious chocolate beverages, made by Ariana, that I'm still smiling about.

Keep away from this company. First, they subcontract the tour company. The man that picked us at…read morethe ferry wasn't properly identified and didn't even introduce himself. They were 3 people that were supposed to go at the 10:30 time slot and they were still waiting. They came with our 1:30 group. In our case it was Snorkeling with Carla and they di suck. The boat is very old and uncomfortable. The life jackets for snorkeling are in appropriate and the water and beer are warm. When they took us to the site they just told us to jump without any instructions and to wear life jackets if we wanted. Some people didn't and they had a very very bad time. It's in the middle of the ocean and there are strong currents and it is very choppy waters. All the passengers were very mad at this situation. Then when we arrive to the beach they give us water and beer from a 5 gallos paint bucket. It is like they just don't care and don't give a shit and it is very very funny that at the end they ask for a tip. Nobody gave them one. Also there are no bathrooms or showers that we could use to rinse the saltwater away so we had to get to the ferry all wet. It was the worst experience I ve had in a tour. I thought they were good and reputable by looking at their website. Don't be fooled. They ara the WORST! If you value your time and life avoid these crappy tour company!!!

I had booked a tour for the day from Cancun. However, the harbour was closed due to high winds. I…read morehave repeatedly asked for my credit card to be refunded, and Manelu has written me back everytime to let me know she will follow up. There has been no refund issued. I don't believe there is any intention of refunding my $120 usd  down payment, even though I couldn't have gotten to Cozumel, even if I wanted to.

Nassim was a phenomenal host !!! He guided us through the outdoor food market with ease , giving us…read morephenomenal food tips along the way. ( ie .. how to pick the perfect tomato and avocado, explaining what each pepper is used for(and their heat levels ) and even recommended hot sauces to bring home as we gathered the ingredients for our cooking class. While at the market Nassim treated us to delicious authentic mexican enchiladas and beverages. After leaving the market we went to the La Parrilla restaurant for the cooking class. This is when Nassim showed us he was more than a tour guide , he is a phenomenal private chef. He was extremely patient with us as we attempted to follow his lead as he showed us how to prepare the dishes. HIs knife skills are amazing and his use of seasonings is spot on. Nassim showed us how to make authentic corn tortillas for chicken enchiladas along with the red sauce , handmade sopas for chicken sopas and an amazing guacamole . Nassim and the La parilla staff treated us to delicious margaritas while the food was cooking. When the food was almost finished cooking, we assisted Nassim in plating the meal and we sat down with him to eat. Nassim excused himself towards the end of the meal to finish making the arroz con leche, which is a delicious rice dessert he served us. In conversation I had mentioned we were in Mexico to celebrate my birthday. Nassim , very thoughtfully and unexpectedly, had a slice of birthday cake brought to me as he and the restaurant staff sung happy birthday to me at the end of the class. I could not have asked for a better experience. Thank you Nassim and Cancun Food Tours for this experience and the recipes. I cannot wait to recreate these dishes at home

My friend Anne and I had a great time with G and Leo (driver). Both men were very accommodating…read moregetting us in and out of the van as it was pouring down rain. Leo is an excellent driver and G was very personable and funny. We got lots of information on the places we were going - there was 5, 4 taco and one churro. All of different Mexican origins - all delicious. Churros really topped it off - sweet, crunchy and fresh. I would highly recommend this tour - it is a great way to spend an evening. Tasting wonderful food, enjoying different beers and making new friends. Enjoy!