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Quintana Roo · Mexico
A cruise port built for the beach, with Maya ruins and a lagoon inland.
Step off at a pier with pools and a water park, then spend the day on Mahahual's white-sand beach or at Chacchoben's Maya pyramids in the jungle.
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See Maya Ruins
Chacchoben, 43 miles by road
Chacchoben's restored pyramids stand in the jungle and date from as early as 200 AD, Royal Caribbean says. INAH, which runs the site, charges foreign visitors 155 pesos.
Visit INAH's Chacchoben Page (opens a new tab)Unwind Beach
Mahahual, 1.4 miles on foot
A long stretch of white sand and shallow, clear water, lined with beach bars and restaurants. Many visitors buy a day pass at a beach club for loungers, food and snorkeling.
Read Royal Caribbean's Guide (opens a new tab)Explore Lagoon
Bacalar, 65 miles by road
Known as the Lagoon of Seven Colors for its clear freshwater and blue tones. Royal Caribbean lists kayaking and boat rides here.
Read Royal Caribbean's Guide (opens a new tab)Skip the excursion desk
Ships dock at the pier, so there is no tender. Shops, dining and the port's pools are right by the ship.
Mahahual and the city of Chetumal are both in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, so its crime figures cover both.
Crime figures: SESNSP crimes recorded (fuero común), January to September 2026, per 100,000 residents of the 2020 census (INEGI; DataMéxico for Othón P. Blanco); our maths. Walking distance: OpenStreetMap walking route. Weather: SMN 1991–2020 normals, Chetumal station; NOAA National Hurricane Center.
Make it part of your voyage
Royal Caribbean, MSC and Norwegian ships make most of the calls here. Find cruises that visit.
Ships dock at a pier at the port complex, so you step ashore without a tender. Shops, dining and attractions are right by the ship.
Yes. The north end of the Malecón, Mahahual's beach boardwalk, is about 1.4 miles by road from the foot of the pier, on OpenStreetMap's walking route.
Mahahual Beach, a long stretch of white sand with shallow, clear water and a row of beach bars and restaurants. Many visitors buy a beach club day pass there.
Royal Caribbean lists pools, a water park, dolphin encounters, shops and craft markets right at the pier. Its page does not say which of these are free.
Yes. Royal Caribbean lists shops and craft markets at the pier.
Visit the Chacchoben Maya ruins, spend the day on Mahahual Beach, or see Bacalar Lagoon. Royal Caribbean also lists snorkeling and diving on nearby reefs, and trips to biosphere reserves.
About 43 miles by road; Royal Caribbean says roughly an hour. INAH charges foreign visitors 155 pesos and opens the site 9:00 am to 3:00 pm daily, with last entry at 2:30 pm.
Bacalar town is about 65 miles by road from the port, on OpenStreetMap's driving route. Royal Caribbean lists Bacalar among its farther-reaching trips from Costa Maya.
Othón P. Blanco, the municipality that includes Mahahual and Chetumal, recorded about 2,250 crimes per 100,000 residents from January to September 2026. That is about 87% higher than Mexico's rate of about 1,200.
At Chetumal, about 45 miles away, February averages a high of 88°F and a low of 69°F. It is one of the driest months, with about 1.2 inches of rain on six days.
Yes. Royal Caribbean says Mahahual Beach has plenty of snorkeling and diving, and beach club day passes include easy swimming and snorkeling.
Yucatán and Mayan dishes such as cochinita pibil, ceviche and grilled fish, served at beachside restaurants in Mahahual, Royal Caribbean says.
