A Slice of Paradise in Costa Maya

As much as I tend to enjoy being on the go, I’m not one to pass up a day at the beach doing absolutely nothing. Our last stop on our cruise in May was to Costa Maya, a small port city in Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula. After exiting the ship and walking down the long pier to the port plaza, the usual souvenir shops were systematically placed on the way to the exit. After trolling for any must-have souvenirs, we exited the port area and walked up the desolate main road towards the taxi waiting area.

After a little confusion and some time spent negotiating with a group of men lingering around the taxis, we hopped in a cab heading to Almaplena, an eco resort surrounded by turquoise blue water. Prior to leaving for our cruise, and after conducting research into the many all inclusive day use beach resorts in the area, I made a reservation with Almaplena, the farthest one from the port, but well worth the fifteen minute ride. Once we arrived at Almaplena, we were basically the only people there aside from one other couple from the cruise ship. We claimed our own little piece of paradise in a private cabana and plopped down onto a lounger. It was a little overcast and windy, but the sun beat down in equal strides. The sand was as soft and white as the clouds. Super fine grains stuck to our toes.

A rotweiler named Maria pranced around in the water as the waves crashed along the smooth shore. Before we knew it, lunch was ready – a delicious spread of fresh guacamole and chips, nachos, and three kinds of tacos – beef, chicken and shrimp. The food was excellent and the backdrop was superb; the palms over the railed deck provided a picture window to the Atlantic. The hosts of the resort were also very kind and gracious, making us feel at home. Although several hours from the closest major airport, I would return to Almaplena in a heartbeat, for a week of complete escape aside from the tempting wi-fi that was also available at the resort. After lunch, we only had a short time before heading back to the ship. The time spent at the resort was all but too short especially due to our late start, but it was certainly a highlight of our trip.

Before boarding the ship, we did our usual rounds of last minute souvenir shopping and caught a quick glimpse of the whole plaza and rocky shoreline before heading back on board. As the sun set on the day, as always, it was difficult to think about returning home so soon and leaving so many beautiful places behind. But we couldn’t complain. We could only look forward to the next one.