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San Gervasio Mayan Archaeological Site

San Gervasio Mayan Archaeological Site

San Gervasio Mayan Archaeological Site
4
Historic SitesAncient RuinsPoints of Interest & Landmarks
About
Although not as popular as Chichén Itzá, these ancient Mayan ruins are noteworthy in their own right, as this is the site where Mayan women paid tribute to the goddess of love and fertility.
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  • csserious2
    Chantilly, Virginia823 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A touch of Mayan history
    Mayans are ancient people and their archeological relics are spread throughout the vast stretch of land. We decided to take a look while vacationing in Cozumel. The first thing that will startle you is the erection of two ticket booths, they charge $7 first, then $6 about 100 yards into the site. The guides are present nearby in case you need one. They charge 600 pesos for less than hour, 50 extra for credit card. There are few buildings to take a look as well as an opportunity to photoshoot. The bigger Mayan sites located mainland are more impressive and worth the time and money.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written December 13, 2023
  • Hold-the-Elevator
    Kerrville, Texas61 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Visit to an ancient world.
    I recommend this tour. Do your visit in the morning, when it's cooler. We engaged Luis as our tour guide, and it is said that he is "the best," and I tend to agree. He answered questions when we had them, he was patient with us, and by the end of the tour he was practically a family friend. If you get Luis, and if he hasn't brought it up by the end of the tour, ask him for a brief explanation of the Mayan numbering system. I finally understand how it works. So tour these ruins, try to get Luis if he's available, and be sure to bring water.
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written January 2, 2024
  • mckjl3
    Washington DC, District of Columbia129 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent Morning Excursion!
    We really enjoyed our tour here. Our tour guide was excellent! Our group was the first to arrive and it’s so worth it to be the first ones there. It was cool and shady. The paths are all dirt or rocks so it is not handicap accessible. The ruins are in various stages of preservation. Seeing the handprints of the Mayan people was incredible. They do have a dozen or so shops outside of the park with people selling souvenirs. All were kind and pleasant. If you want to bring a drone, go pro, or large recording device (larger than a cell phone) you do have to pay for a permit (I believe they said it was $3).
    Visited January 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written January 22, 2024
  • Barbara S
    Lansing, Michigan12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mayan Ruins
    This was a fabulous visit to the ancient ruins within Cozumel. The grounds were just gorgeous and our tour guide, Trisha, was the best!! So knowledgeable, smart and kind. I would highly recommend a tour of these ruins while in Cozumel and asking for Trish. You won’t regret it!
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written February 13, 2024
  • Hines Edventures
    Marietta, Georgia68 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    No temples here but a great educational tour and beach time
    We had hoped to see a large Mayan temple, but we didn't. So, if you are looking for an excursion to see that, this is not the one. What you do see, however, is a great Mayan ruin of a once thriving society. The tour guide, Israel, was nice but very verbose. He shared all the information he had at every stop, but people ended up ignoring him. After the tour, we went to the beach. Be warned, this is a tourist money trap where they only accept cash! Bring about $100 per person for lunch, beach chairs, and umbrellas. The beach is Chen Rio, so you can look it up on a map to see where they are taking you. The tour bus driver was nice though, so I gave it a 4 because the beach was actually nice for the 90 minutes we had on it and the ruin site was very educational. Enjoy the experience.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 4, 2024
  • Jeff S
    Saint Charles, Missouri75 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great educational stop in Cozumel!
    This was a very educational stop on our “Legacy of the Maya and Chocolate Tasting” cruise excursion. We enjoyed learning more about the Mayan culture and way of life. This is an awesome stop for your Cozumel trip! I highly recommend a visit-especially for history buffs!
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 23, 2024
  • Monique J
    Halifax, Canada3 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    San Gervasio Mayan ruins excursion
    We went to the ruins as part of an excursion from the Celebrity Reflection. It was a bit of a drive there, on a bus, but once we were there it was very cool. Not literally, as the day we went it was 31°c! Thankfully, the bus had a/c. Our tour guide Yane was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and kept us on track. We learned a lot of the Mayan calendar, the limestone, the temples and what the Mayans worshipped. The structures were amazing to see in person and we also saw a couple of iguanas! Would highly recommend!
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written April 10, 2024
  • Roberta R
    33 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Ruins - expensive for a family
    The price was kind of high. $8 for federal tax, then take a few steps and you pay another $8 for state taxes, so around $16 pp. It was great seeing ruins, very hot, no shade, not many places to rest, recommend tennis shoes, bottle water is $4. No crowds when we went, does take awhile to see, we were there for an hour
    Visited May 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written May 20, 2024
  • Monica M
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Loved the experience
    The ruins were beautiful. Our tour guide Trisha was very knowledgeable. She gave us a lot of information and interesting facts. She was very quick to remind us not to touch the stones if we did not want any babies as this was a site for the elite to come to be blessed with fertility. Haha! I did not touch anything!
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled with friends
    Written June 16, 2024
  • ldeit
    Woodbridge, Virginia71 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great smaller scale ruin.
    Enjoyed this site very much. It is more "rustic" then some if the other sites. There are multiple ruins in the jungle so bring your bugspray and/or wear long pants. We booked the excursion through our cruise ship. It was about 45 minute bus ride from Costa Maya. Definitely book with tour so you can get the information because I don't remember any written information at the site.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 9, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles1,781 reviews
Excellent
702
Very good
679
Average
310
Poor
59
Terrible
31

Steve S
Chicago, IL10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Family
This was my 1st time visit to a Mayan archaeological site and was lucky enough to tour through it with a passionate and competent tour guide and employee, Luz. She introduced and brought to life basic Mayan beliefs and accomplishments, explaining the importance of numbers, hence mathematics, enhancing their precise calendars, noting original hand fingerprints still amazingly visible on one of the walls, pointing upwards indicating eastward or sunrise. We learn this Mayan favorite site was built to primarily focus on Ix Chel, a major Goddess of the moon and fertility, Luz expertly links the 2 and this important sanctuary is studied and documented today. Luz taps the walkway, repeatedly pointing out ‘obsidian, obsidian, as we step along our path explaining how Mayans cleverly mixed obsidian with limestone and sand to cement their walkways and constructions while also polishing thin slices of obsidian to look through and study the glorious sun! Mayan ancestors must be smiling down on Luz as she illuminates their discoveries. We are privileged to make this pilgrimage with her, thanks for the info Luz, I want to return and do this again.
Written April 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ananda
2 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Couples
Beautiful ruins but treated unfairly, we had a bottle of water with us and was told we were not allowed to bring it in, but the family that was behind us was speaking Spanish and allowed them to bring in bottles then another American couple was complaining about it as well. As we were leaving another Hispanic couple came in an they allowed them to bring in their water bottles in. You paid $6 usd to get in where the shops were and then $4 usd to see the ruins. It definitely made me not want to spend money in their shops.
Written August 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mayya
8 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2021
While you won't find large ruins here like those at Chichen Itza or Tulum, this was a major pilgrimage site for the Mayan people as it contained numerous temples to the goddess Ixchel. I strongly recommend hiring a guide, as you will be supporting their livelihood and the local economy, and will understand a lot more than you would by wandering around yourself. Our knowledgeable guide Nico shared a lot of interesting information and helped us to imagine what the site looked like in its heyday. A highlight is the Templo Nohoch Nah, a pyramid that is a 10 minute walk from the central ruins. The site is located in the middle of the forest, and the surroundings are very quiet and peaceful. We spotted numerous butterflies, birds, and even a collared peccary. It can get quite hot so visit in the early morning if possible.
Written April 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JLbrickey78
Houston, TX33 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2021 • Family
We stumbled upon this and decided to drive the 4 miles into the site. Once we got there, we were greeted by the security guard who was already selling us on the tickets. Then you get to the ticket spot and they’re selling you on the tour. We decided against the tour, so they decided to sell us again on the tour. We did not do the tour. Then you have to pay the federal ticket price, and more people ask you to buy stuff from their store. Once you finally get past all of the tourist trap stuff, you can enter into the archaeological site. That itself was nice to see, and you can follow along with signs that are printed in English. In total we spent about 45 minutes there, but 20 of it was trying to get past all the people that work there. If we had done a guided tour, that would have taken us about 90 minutes. Just beware if you come here— the site is nice to admire but don’t feel like you need to be trapped into a guided tour.
Written July 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Suellen T
Perth, Australia782 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2019 • Solo
First time visiting a historic Mayan site and really enjoyed it. It was peaceful, picturesque and informative. We were on a Eshowe excursion and the tour guide was excellent. We learned a lot about the people and the place as well as tidbits on current culture and history. Take the locals advice — pay the $1 for bug spray if you don’t have your own otherwise the massive mosquitos will carry you away! I also got some black coral from here at a very reasonable price. Check out the rules Re video cameras etc before you go — note that you may have to pay an additional fee in some circumstances (although I was fine with my zoom lens). Definitely worth a visit.
Written January 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cctravelbug
Huntsville, AL944 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
These ruins have been partially demolished and are not as amazing looking as the pics I’ve seen of Tulum but we had an extraordinary guide that explained in careful detail exactly what we were seeing and the amazing detail the Mayans had in everything they built. I don’t know that the park offers guides. Ours was an excursion booked off our cruise ship and he was exceptionally thorough. We went in February and it was pretty hot but we had no trouble with bugs. We did see several iguanas and the flora and fauna were beautiful and the ruins were very interesting.
Written February 17, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CatherineD425
Moncton, Canada33 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
Hidden deep in the jungle, we were amazed at the remains of ancient Mayan civilization. While it isn’t like the massive temples on the mainland, the interpretation and overall site info are well presented. The staff onsite are friendly and helpful.
There are a few breezes, however it is warm, bring a water bottle. Bug spray may be necessary and closed toe shoes are best (runners or sneakers) as the terrain is at times uneven. At the end, they have foot wash area.
Don’t miss the gift shops before leaving for quality pieces at reasonable prices, do ask for the discount though.
Written April 10, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Leonard
Centurion, South Africa71 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
We cruised in on the Carnival Conquest ship. Chose a 4 hour guided tour package on a tour bus of the island to the Mayan ruins followed by Techila and chocolate tasting, which included a taco style lunch. The tour guide option is well worth it. Cost of $89/person. Lots of history here. Island is totally dependent on tourism.
Written April 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Hines Edventures
Marietta, GA68 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Couples
We had hoped to see a large Mayan temple, but we didn't. So, if you are looking for an excursion to see that, this is not the one. What you do see, however, is a great Mayan ruin of a once thriving society. The tour guide, Israel, was nice but very verbose. He shared all the information he had at every stop, but people ended up ignoring him. After the tour, we went to the beach. Be warned, this is a tourist money trap where they only accept cash! Bring about $100 per person for lunch, beach chairs, and umbrellas. The beach is Chen Rio, so you can look it up on a map to see where they are taking you. The tour bus driver was nice though, so I gave it a 4 because the beach was actually nice for the 90 minutes we had on it and the ruin site was very educational. Enjoy the experience.
Written March 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Roberta R
33 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Family
The price was kind of high. $8 for federal tax, then take a few steps and you pay another $8 for state taxes, so around $16 pp. It was great seeing ruins, very hot, no shade, not many places to rest, recommend tennis shoes, bottle water is $4. No crowds when we went, does take awhile to see, we were there for an hour
Written May 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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San Gervasio Mayan Archaeological Site - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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