Chichenitza pyramids in Mexico?

Question

my cruiseship has changed the itinerary at the last minute from costa maya to progreso mexico. does anyone know if it is possible to get to chicienitza by bus rather than pay for private tours? only have 8 or 9 hours in the port. any help is much appreciated. leaving sunday:) bon voyage!:)

Answer 1

I can't say for sure that it's not possible but I do think it would be unlikely that you would have anything other than a tour bus going directly from Progreso to Chichen Itza. If you were looking for a non-tour bus you would likely need to go from Progreso to Merida then Merida to Piste (near Chichen Itza). Given your time crunch, I think you are going to need a tour bus of some sort.

Also, if you are looking at ruins, you may want to consider Uxmal. I think it's as impressive as Chichen Itza and it's about the same distance from Progreso maybe a little closer. There's a couple of reason why I suggest this. One Uxmal is less crowded. And two, you are more likely to have another chance to see Chichen Itza since it can be reached easily from Cancun or Playa del Carmen. This is not the case with Uxmal. (And truthfully, don't you think you are much more likely to find yourself in Cancun again before Progreso?)

If you are looking for alternatives because the cruise line is gouging you on the price of the tours you could try to send an email to these people. They might have an idea about local tour companies.

http://www.casaisidora.com/index-english...

Also, if you are looking to call home cheap you can stop in at Casa Isidora and call home to the US or Canada for about $20 pesos for a five minute call.

Just a heads up for you, Entrance into Chichen itza & Uxmal is about $8 USD, a guide will cost you about $40. The road there is a toll road but I think the first toll booth is just after the exit to Piste/Chichen Itza so I'm not sure if you have to pay but if you did it would be about $7.50 USD. Add in lunch, that would be about $5 USD. And if you rent a car then that cost plus gas. Gas is a little more expensive in Mexico than the US. It is a really simple drive to Chichen Itza, and a fairly simple drive to Uxmal so you can do it. I just wanted to let you know what some of the costs you can expect are. I saw the post below and looked at the one cost quoted there that said $77, I don't think that's bad at all if it includes the bus there and back, your entrance into the ruins, plus a guide and if they throw in lunch too that's a bonus. Plus you'll have the piece of mind knowing that you're not going to miss your ship. Of course if you can split a car rental and guide 3 or 4 ways then yes it would be considerably cheaper if you went on your own.

Answer 2

Yes it is possible to catch a bus or rent a car and avoid the the organized tours.Cruise ship passengers are usually dropped off at a little market area in Progresso and you can ask some of the local people there.Progresso is fairly small and getting around town is simple enough.Finding your way to Chichen Itza and back is not a problem either.Have a great time!

Feel free to email me if you have any other questions.

This link is dated 2005 but has some info that might help you.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/archive/i...

Answer 3

Yes you can do it. Chichen Itzá is in Yucatán State, just like Puerto Progreso; in the mid way to Cancún. But 8 hours could be to short time to go, see them and get back on time.

From Puerto Progreso to Chichen Itzá it takes almost 2 hours.