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 Cozumel Trip Report
Posted by Suze on 01/07/02

trip report

Occasionally I see folks asking about whether they have time to cross over on the ferry and drive to Chichen Itza in a day.  Coba, after Tikal, Guatemala, is the second largest mayan city in Mexico and Central America is much closer, with structures that are purely Mayan rather than those with Toltec influence like Chichen. Another difference that I especially like -- Coba is located in the jungle and ruins are accessed by walking small shaded paths which is so much cooler.

Although I had been there 14 years ago or so, much more of estimated 6,500 structures have been unearthed although we are still looking at only 5% of what's there.

Took an 8am ferry from Cozumel to Playa which arrived about 8:25 am.  Rented a car and headed toward Tulum.  We had thought to stay along the beach near Tulum and head to Coba the next day, but found the cabanas full and way too pricey for us.  Decided to head straight to Coba and take our chances with the Villas Arceologicas I had read about.  If they were full or too expensive we were doomed because they are in the middle of nowhere.  All told the drive from Playa to Coba is about an hour and fifteen minutes.  

The hotel is located on one of the five lakes that surround the Coba site and is absolutely lovely, built in sort of an hacienda style.  It is actually a Club Med, but don't let that throw you -- guests are generally folks interested in ruins/bird watching/relaxation.  There were five of us (three adults and two kids) and we had adjoining rooms for a total of $125 a night including tax.  Amenities include restaurant, tennis court, pool, billiards, and a huge den with a big screen TV (none in the rooms).  We made use of all of the above, and retired early with plans to head out for the ruins the next morning.

Decided to have breakfast at one of the local restaurants in the village.  Slow service, but pretty good food.  It was Sunday, so we entered the ruins with no charge, but normally it's around $4 per person or so, with an extra charge for bringing in a video camara.

Hired a guide who explained the overall history, the signficance of all of the important sites and then took us through a portion of the city ($20) and saw the rest on our own.  The highest pyramid is Nohoch Mul which is twelve stories high and 120 steps to the top, far higher than Chichen. From the small temple at the top you look out over the entire jungle and several lakes.  

Got a later check out time at our hotel and spent the next several hours around the pool before heading back.  We stopped in another small village midway between Coba and Tulum for a home-cooked Sunday meal at a little one-table restaurant and then headed back to Playa.  Plenty of time to return the rental and catch the 6pm ferry back to Cozumel.

Over the years I have visited many ruins here in Yucatan and other parts of Mexico, and still find Coba to be one of the most memorable.

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