AdGuy
18th October 2006, 07:53 AM
Hey Gang,
From time to time we get questions on "the other ruins"...specifically, Coba. I thought I'd share some photos and our experience from our June 2006 visit...
First off, let me say my wife and I are not the type to do the "organized trip thing". We'd rather research an area first, rent a car, grab a private guide, and explore the area on our own terms. After visiting Chichen Itza, Tulum, Chacchoben, and El Ray, we decided Coba was a must-see.
Several tour companies offer planned tours of this site. We quickly determined that they weren't for us because:
CROWDS: Though some tours only allowed 10-12 participants, others packed in nearly 100 site-seers...way TOO crowded for us.
TIMING: By the time everyone was picked up and the bus made its way to the site it was too late in the morning. We wanted to get there early to enjoy this magical place before it was overrun. Also, the tours only stayed for about two hours before packing everyone up to head to lunch. While this may be enough for some, we feared we wouldn't have enough time to see the entire site (it's BIG).
COST: We realized we could rent a car, fill up the tank, buy our tickets for admission, pay for a private guide, have lunch, get drinks, AND visit Gran Cenote afterward for LESS money than the cost of just two tour reservations.
FLEXIBILITY: We were able to go when we wanted, where we wanted, ate what we wanted, and leave when we felt like it. That kind of freedom...priceless.We visited Coba on a Tuesday. We started a bit later than we had hoped (we had to wait till the money exchange in Tulum opened as we were pretty sure credit cards were not going to cut it in the jungle!) but were still at the ruins by 10:15AM. The journey to the ruins was uneventful...it's pretty hard to get lost EXCEPT for the few topas that jar you awake if you're not looking for them as you head through the little towns along the way! Also, the road is very tight due to construction along a healthy stretch of the highway. As a result, you get very comfortable with the big trucks heading your way!! :eek:
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/DSCF1050.jpg
Okay, anyone want to guess why there's more scratches on the truck's bumper that's facing us rather than his other side? After an hour of playing bumper cars with the big boys, you arrive at Coba. We actually passed it the first time as we were expecting something a bit more "Disney like" with flags or a sign or something! Here's the entrance...
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/DSCF1056.jpg
The ticket office is to the right (along with bathrooms and a gift shop). The hut on the left is where you can get a private guide. I would highly recommend a private guide. It's a bit steep if it's just two of you (I think we paid 350 pesos (about $31 USD at the time) for a 45-minite tour. Our guide spoke Spanish, English, and Mayan and really knew his stuff. He started off by explaining the "lay of the land"...
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/DSCF1057.jpg
Before I go much further, let me say again...Coba is BIG. No wait, make that HUGE! They do offer bike rentals and bicycle taxis (if you don't want to pedal) but we chose to walk it...the ENTIRE thing. We're big hikers...we've hiked parts of the Apalachian Trail, have climbed to the top of some of Yosemite's tallest mountains, and walk at least three miles each day. We scaled any Coba ruin we were allowed to (yes, you can still climb on some of Coba's pyramids). Most of the trails are very well maintained and you should not have any problems getting around...some are overgrown and a bit hazardous (but the main routes to the structures and artwork are perfectly fine). Just remember to bring a good pair of walking/hiking shoes (no flip flops please), a good amount of water (we had both bottled water and a Camel-pak), bug spray (you are in the jungle afterall) and a snack (I don't recall seeing a McD's anywhere along the trails).
I know I'm limited on photo inserts and copy so I'll end the first part here and pick this up in a later reply post. Part two to follow...
From time to time we get questions on "the other ruins"...specifically, Coba. I thought I'd share some photos and our experience from our June 2006 visit...
First off, let me say my wife and I are not the type to do the "organized trip thing". We'd rather research an area first, rent a car, grab a private guide, and explore the area on our own terms. After visiting Chichen Itza, Tulum, Chacchoben, and El Ray, we decided Coba was a must-see.
Several tour companies offer planned tours of this site. We quickly determined that they weren't for us because:
CROWDS: Though some tours only allowed 10-12 participants, others packed in nearly 100 site-seers...way TOO crowded for us.
TIMING: By the time everyone was picked up and the bus made its way to the site it was too late in the morning. We wanted to get there early to enjoy this magical place before it was overrun. Also, the tours only stayed for about two hours before packing everyone up to head to lunch. While this may be enough for some, we feared we wouldn't have enough time to see the entire site (it's BIG).
COST: We realized we could rent a car, fill up the tank, buy our tickets for admission, pay for a private guide, have lunch, get drinks, AND visit Gran Cenote afterward for LESS money than the cost of just two tour reservations.
FLEXIBILITY: We were able to go when we wanted, where we wanted, ate what we wanted, and leave when we felt like it. That kind of freedom...priceless.We visited Coba on a Tuesday. We started a bit later than we had hoped (we had to wait till the money exchange in Tulum opened as we were pretty sure credit cards were not going to cut it in the jungle!) but were still at the ruins by 10:15AM. The journey to the ruins was uneventful...it's pretty hard to get lost EXCEPT for the few topas that jar you awake if you're not looking for them as you head through the little towns along the way! Also, the road is very tight due to construction along a healthy stretch of the highway. As a result, you get very comfortable with the big trucks heading your way!! :eek:
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/DSCF1050.jpg
Okay, anyone want to guess why there's more scratches on the truck's bumper that's facing us rather than his other side? After an hour of playing bumper cars with the big boys, you arrive at Coba. We actually passed it the first time as we were expecting something a bit more "Disney like" with flags or a sign or something! Here's the entrance...
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/DSCF1056.jpg
The ticket office is to the right (along with bathrooms and a gift shop). The hut on the left is where you can get a private guide. I would highly recommend a private guide. It's a bit steep if it's just two of you (I think we paid 350 pesos (about $31 USD at the time) for a 45-minite tour. Our guide spoke Spanish, English, and Mayan and really knew his stuff. He started off by explaining the "lay of the land"...
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i317/FloridaAdGuy/DSCF1057.jpg
Before I go much further, let me say again...Coba is BIG. No wait, make that HUGE! They do offer bike rentals and bicycle taxis (if you don't want to pedal) but we chose to walk it...the ENTIRE thing. We're big hikers...we've hiked parts of the Apalachian Trail, have climbed to the top of some of Yosemite's tallest mountains, and walk at least three miles each day. We scaled any Coba ruin we were allowed to (yes, you can still climb on some of Coba's pyramids). Most of the trails are very well maintained and you should not have any problems getting around...some are overgrown and a bit hazardous (but the main routes to the structures and artwork are perfectly fine). Just remember to bring a good pair of walking/hiking shoes (no flip flops please), a good amount of water (we had both bottled water and a Camel-pak), bug spray (you are in the jungle afterall) and a snack (I don't recall seeing a McD's anywhere along the trails).
I know I'm limited on photo inserts and copy so I'll end the first part here and pick this up in a later reply post. Part two to follow...