Your ship is docking at Costa Maya, and the first thing most cruisers want to know is simple: how do we actually get off the ship and into the fun? We hear these questions every single day from guests stepping off the pier at Cafe Jaguar, so we put together the straight answers we wish every first-time visitor had before they arrived. Costa Maya is one of the easiest ports in the Caribbean to navigate once you know the layout. Here is the plain-language rundown. Do you tender or dock at Costa Maya? You dock. Unlike Cozumel's busy downtown piers or ports like Grand Cayman where you ride a small boat ashore, Costa Maya has a purpose-built pier, so your ship pulls up and you walk off on your own two feet. That is genuinely good news. There is no ticket number, no waiting for a tender boat to fill, and no line shuffling to get back aboard at the end of the day. You simply follow the ramp down and you are on land in a few minutes. What is the port village, and can you walk out of it? The pier leads directly into the Costa Maya port village - a gated, purpose-built area with shops, a pool, a swim-up bar, and the famous Flyers of Papantla show. Here is the part that surprises people: the port village is its own bubble. You can absolutely spend your whole day inside it, and plenty of passengers do. But it is not the real Costa Maya, and it is not Mahahual. If you want the beach town, the local restaurants, and the authentic side of the coast, you need to walk out of the port village and into the real world. Walk through the village, past the shops, and out to the street where the taxis and shuttle vans wait. The whole walk takes most people ten minutes from the ship. How do you get from Costa Maya to Mahahual? Mahahual is the small beach town about 2 miles from the cruise pier, and it is where the boardwalk, the beach clubs, and the local flavor live. You have a few options. Taxi Taxis are lined up just outside the port village gate and they run the short route to Mahahual all day. This is the most flexible choice: you leave when you want and come back when you want. Fares are posted, so agree on the price and the return time before you get in. For two to four people, a taxi is almost always the quickest and simplest answer. Golf Cart or Bicycle Rental Located in the port parking lot. Walk This takes 30-40 minutes, use our google maps walking directions. Its very safe residential area and the walkway is tree covered for half of the way. Then there is a stretch to the lighthouse that doesnt have a side walk where you walk to the lighthouse. When you get to the lighthouse you can walk along the pedestrian boarwark that goes along the beach. The taxis go on the back street. The taxis go between the port and the town constantly so at anytime you can flag a taxi if you which to change your mind! How long does the trip take? The drive itself is short - about five to ten minutes by taxi from the port gate to the center of Mahahual, sometimes a little more if traffic is heavy when several ships are in port. Add the five to ten minute walk out of the port village and you are looking at roughly fifteen to twenty minutes door to beach. That is the whole reason Mahahual works so well on a port day. You are not burning two hours of your shore time in transit. A few practical tips before you go ashore All ashore times are ship time, not local time. Set an alarm and leave a comfortable buffer - we recommend heading back an hour before the posted all-aboard. Bring cash in small bills for taxis, tips, and beach chair drinks and rentals. Cards are accepted in more places than you would expect, but cash still moves faster and you do not have to worry about currency exchange. Every place in town accepts US dollars and most will have change in USD as well. Check the current exchange rates for USD to the Mexican Peso as vendors charging in credit cards usually will charge in pesos. Wear shoes you can walk in. The pier, the port village, and Mahahual's malecon are all pedestrian territory. The bottom line Costa Maya is a docking port with a short, easy run to Mahahual, and you can be on a beach within twenty minutes of stepping off the ship. Tender boats are not part of your day here - taxis and shuttles are the simple answer, and staying close to the pier is the stress-free one. Whatever you choose, get off the ship and taste the place. That is what makes a port day memorable. We will keep the comal hot.  Photo taken from the balcony at Cafe Jaguar Bar.