Looks like I have let this posting slip a little. I will try to be more prompt. This is our next stop on this adventure.

Puerto Costa Maya and nearby sleepy Mahahual were once rural fishing villages. In 2002, this region was transformed into a popular cruise ship destination.  It was the first “manufactured” cruise port in the Caribbean, but it didn’t last long.  After a year of rebuilding following Hurricane Dean’s devastating impact in 2007, the cruise port of Costa Maya reopened.  And it’s been growing ever since.

The Mayan archaeological zones of Chacchoben, Dzibanche, Kohunlich, Becan and Chicanna are located in the Costa Maya. You won’t have to battle the tour bus crowd here, as these sites are lesser known. And that is exactly what we did. We arranged our tour through The Native Choice. My sister has also booked with them and both had an amazing time. Having a Mayan ruin site to yourself is pretty special and lets you explore in more detail, the history of the Maya. We also stopped at a home in a small village where women claiming Mayan descent prepared a fresh lunch and wwe all got to take a hand in making our own tortillas.

Visit the Fortress de San Felipe Bacalar, built in 1729 to protect the pueblo of Bacalar from pirates. During the Caste War, the fort was used to defend the town against the Mayans who won their rightful land from the Spanish invaders. The fort has a musuem, a recap of local history and the events of the famous Caste War.