dlk3010

My sister and I are really anxious to visit some great Mayan ruins while on a cruise ship docked in Cozumel. Seems that we will be so near, yet so far. A poster recommended Ek Balam, but didn't know how far it was from Cozumel and if it is feasible to take a private van tour for the one day. Docked from 9:00 until 5 pm

kja

Have you checked viamichelin.com or rome2rio.com? I'm seeing estimates of 3.5 to 4.5 hours each way. Maybe I'm misreading the results.....

SambaChula

You should really get in touch with a couple of the private van tour companies to see if they can make it possible in that time period, from Playa del Carmen.

You have to get off the ship (time?)
Take the ferry (45 minutes to 1 hour, not a good idea if weather is rough)
Find the van at the dock
Drive to EkBalam (2 to 2 1/2 hours)
Explore the ruins, climb the pyramid
Reverse the process

Chichen Itza is about the same timing.
Coba is also an interesting ruin. Not sure if timing is any shorter.
Tulum ruins might do. Setting is beautiful, nice beach below. About 50 minutes from Playa iirc.
Is there a cruise line shore excursion to any of them, with the advantage, although pricey, that it guarantees a timely return to the ship?

dpgates

On our first cruise we visited Tulum via one of the ship's shore excursions. At that time, Chichen Itza was only do-able by airplane from Playa del Carmen, and it was a very pricey option. Since that first visit we have returned to the Yucatan several times and have visited Ek Balam, Chichen Itza, Coba, and Tulum again. My advice would be to visit Tulum on this trip. The ruins are only an hour from Playa del Carmen so you won't spend a lot of time in travel as with the other sites. The ruins are late post-classic so smaller and more compact than other, earlier sites. But they are quite charming and are located in possibly the most scenic spot of any Maya ruin, perched on a cliff overlooking the sea. There is a fabulous beach (which is my wife's favorite) below the ruins which you can reach via stairs. Simply beautiful! You could do Tulum via the ship's excursions or if you feel adventurous, take one of the buses which run regularly between PDC and Tulum. There are also colectivos which run between the towns. I think you could do it on your own without running a great risk of missing the departure time. I'd be extremely nervous about trying to visit any of the other sites and still be back to PDC/Cozumel in time to sail. Do you really want that kind of stress on your holiday?

jamie99

Timing sounds pretty tight to me since you have to get over to Valladolid then head north from there about a 20 minute drive.

dlk3010

Thank you all so much for your great responses. Think Tulum is really our only sane option. As you say, dpgates, we don't really need that stress on a vacation. Almost missed ship in Istanbul once, and swore I would never put myself in that situation again!!

dpgates

Glad to help out, dlk3010! I hope you enjoy your trip! You may find that once you visit Tulum's ruins, you will be eager to see more Maya sites. That is what happened to me. In a couple weeks we'll be going to Merida for two weeks and are planning to see Uxmal, Kabah, Mayapan, and Dzibilchaltun while there. So yeah, it's kind of got a grip on me!

SambaChula

Enjoy the Tulum ruins and the beach. Probably a wise choice, dlk3010.

We kind of got "bitten" by the culture and sights too, dpgates.
Met lovely local Maya who we keep in touch with between trips.
Learn to say bish-a-BEEL (How are you? In Yucatek Maya language) and folks will be quite pleased.

sf7307

Thank you all so much for your great responses. Think Tulum is really our only sane option.

We really enjoyed the Tulum ruins.

While you're there, if you're in the mood for a taco, and it's after 4 p.m. (which is when they open), try Antojito's in the pueblo. And follow that up with ice cream at Campanella Cremerie.

Or, if you have time, just head from the ruins toward the beach (rather than the pueblo) and stroll around "town" - very charming, loads of good restaurants.