So far on our press trip with Riviera Maya Tourism, we had experienced some great cave exploration as well as viewed an authentic Maya theatre performance. These were two excursions that would certainly be difficult to beat during our next few days in the area!
We awoke from our comfortable bed at Hacienda Tres Rios, grabbed a coffee to-go as well as were chosen up by a chauffeur from AllTourNative, a culture minded trip operator based in Playa del Carmen. After reading about the sustainable, eco-conscious work that AllTourNative has done, we were extremely thrilled to spend the day discovering about Maya culture & history.
Would you want to leave this bed?!
Laguna Chabela
We made our method to Laguna Chabela, a little village set in the jungle which is house to just a handful of Maya families. We were a bit amazed that we didn’t go to the ruins of Coba first, when there were fewer crowds, however on this day the schedule was already set.
On the method the chauffeur stopped as well as chosen up our friendly as well as informative guide who took us into the village where we satisfied the Cahum family. The Cahum’s have lived on this land for generations as well as they are totally self-sustaining. They gather crops, weave hammocks as well as farm turkeys. before tourists started coming here, one of the households would not have had sufficient money to send their kids to school. however thanks to the efforts of AllTourNative, these households are able to pay for education as well as online rather comfortably, in spite of the lack of electricity!
The hammock weaving was truly interesting
During our time at Laguna Chabela, we were able to view a conventional Mayan ritual where we were blessed by a Shaman as well as given consent to go to this enchanted place. Our guide showed us around the village as well as explained whatever from the plants as well as animals to the everyday goings on of the family. We went into one of the households houses as well as viewed as one of the siblings dealt with a hammock.
Asking the Gods to grant us consent to go into the village as well as sacred cenote
The village gets its name from a gorgeous lagoon at its center. The thick jungle was awesome in the morning sun as well as the village cenote looked extremely inviting, though it was a bit cold for a swim!
In overall we spent about 2 hours at the village as well as we discovered it extremely informative as well as interesting. The household was friendly as well as we felt honoured to be enabled into their homes. parts of the trip with the village felt a bit bit “put on” for tourists however general we had a great experience.
After Laguna Chabela, we headed to a regional restaurant for lunch which was truly a highlight of the trip! We feasted on tasty tamales, poultry stew, fresh tortillas as well as spicy rice. We washed everything down with a tasty wonderful hibiscus juice as well as soon we were on our method to Coba.
Coba Ruins:
By the time we reached the ancient Maya village of Coba, so had the rest of the tourists in the Yucatan Peninsula. The car parking great deal as well as street outside were packed as well as the sun was beaming on us in full force. even the Mexicans were sweating!
We were so thrilled to go to these ruins that no amount of warm might destroy our moods. We diverted away from the crowds as well as the huge groups as well as even though we were expected to be on a tour, we chose to check out Coba independently.
The style of this settlement is distinct from other Maya cities. There is a network of roads leading out from the primary city as well as linking with close-by Maya cities. kind of like an ancient highway! We were able to walk down these roads while enjoying the cooling shadow from the towering trees.
We were grateful for the shaded Maya Highway
Although there were numerous outstanding structures at Coba, Nohoch Mul, was the most astonishing. Not only is it the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan Peninsula, however it’s the second tallest in the Maya World. For now, tourists are still able to climb the 130 unequal steps to the top for beautiful views over the city. It was a bit of a hike as much as the top, however it was well worth the effort!
Views from the top of Nohoch Mul
Coba is a must-see site for anybody concerning the Yucatan Peninsula! right here are some suggestions that may assist you out on your trip to this interesting ruin.
Quick Tips:
You can book a trip with business like AllTourNative, or travel right here separately by regional bus from any type of of the close-by cities (3 hrs. from Cancun, 2 hrs. from Playadel Carmen as well as 1 hr. from Tulum).
The entrance charge to Coba is $10USD.
Since the site is so spread out, bicycles are offered for hire for 40 pesos (about $3.50) each, or, you can hire a cycle taxi with a chauffeur to shuttle you around for 120 pesos/hour (about $10). The cycle taxi can bring 2 people).
Make sure to wear great shoes if you plan to climb up the primary pyramid.
Even though the majority of the site is in the shade, bring great deals of water! The humidity is high right here as well as when inside the entrance, the only location water is offered is where you lease the bicycles.
Final Thoughts
All-in-all we had a fantastic day with AllTourNative as well as we would suggest utilizing them for a culture-conscious alternate to other similar trip operators. What truly sets them apart is the method they provide back to the neighborhood with such a constructive utilize of the already flourishing tourism market in the Yucatan.
Were we to take the trip again, we would request that the schedule be reversed so it’s not so hot at the ruins. We later discovered that this is a request that AllTourNative is pleased to cater to. No matter exactly how you get there, we extremely suggest going to Coba Ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula.
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Have you seen any type of Maya Ruins? If so, were you able to climb as much as the top?
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