Chacchoben Mayan Ruins: Guided Tour & Jungle Walk from Costa Maya

4.75

(132 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I didn’t expect the first thing I’d notice at Chacchoben would be the smell—kind of earthy and sweet, like wet leaves after rain. Our guide, Javier, met us right by the van (air-conditioned, thank god) and handed out cold bottled water before we even started. He had this gentle way of telling stories—sometimes pausing to let the jungle sounds fill in the gaps. There were birds everywhere, little flashes of color darting through the trees. I tried to catch a photo but mostly just ended up with blurry green shapes.

The walk itself was easy—flat paths, nothing too wild—and Javier kept stopping to show us things I’d never have noticed on my own. He pointed out these tiny red fruits locals used for dye (I still have a smudge on my fingers from trying it). At one point he asked if we could hear howler monkeys in the distance. I thought he was joking until that low rumble echoed through the trees—honestly gave me goosebumps. The ruins themselves felt quiet and old, not crowded at all. We stood in front of one temple while Javier explained how people would gather here centuries ago. I tried repeating a Mayan word for “sun” and totally butchered it; Javier just laughed and said I had “tourist accent.”

We got sodas at the end, which tasted weirdly perfect after all that humidity—sweeter than back home somehow. The ride back was sleepy; everyone kind of drifted off or stared out at the green rolling by. I keep thinking about that moment under the trees when everything went silent except for birds and wind. It’s hard to explain but it sticks with you.