What excursion should you do in Progresso, Yucatan, Mexico?
Many people who visit Progresso, Yucatan, Mexico during a cruise say there’s not much to do and some of them don’t even get off the ship. They are missing so out on so much. Some that do end up getting off the ship end up going to see the Chichén Itzá Pyramid. Chichén Itzá is popular but very limited and restricted. You have to pay extra per camera to take a photo and you can only get so close to it.
The Costs
The Comparison – Crowded bus to one location or private tour to 3+
Carnivals Chichen Itza tour which includes the bus ride to the pyramid and a box lunch. (Cost was around 79.99 for adults and 74.99 for children and $5.00 per camera you take a photo with putting our total around 249.97 but check out Carnivals official site for current prices) Also the tours are very flexible and about to alterations and customization.
Yucatan Cenote Hole Enchilada Tour
Yucatan Cenote Hole Enchilada Tour’s main difference was we had a private van with a guide and a driver, snacks and drinks and a car seat ready and installed, informative personal tour and climbing experience at the Archaeological Site of the Mayapan, swim in a Cenote (partially underwater cave) and have an authentic lunch and tour at a Hacienda (Which is a large estate/ plantation). It costs us only $296. So yes it was $46.03 more but for all that we got it was totally worth the tiny bit extra.
You can find out the current prices at the Yucatan Cenote Eco Adventures official website linked below.
Booking a private excursion with Yucatan Cenote
We decided to do something different that most of our fellow cruisers. We booked an excursion with Yucatán Cenote through their website. I must admit I was a bit nervous booking an excursion in advance online that isn’t associated with the cruise lines, but my online research showed it is legit and highly reviewed and recommended. The main advantage of booking with Yucatan Cenote is its a non-crowded private tour.
The Hole Enchilada Cavern Tour
After some contact with the company and their friendly owners we set up the Hole Enchilada Cavern Tour Excursion. That tour included a tour of Mayan Ruins, a tour and snorkel experience in a Cenote and a Hacienda tour.
The Drive
Once we got off the ship a shuttle took us to an area where we met the owner of Yucatan Cenote and our guide and driver. They drove us to the Archaeological site which took around an hour to get to but on the way we enjoyed talking with our guide and learning about the area. We saw many sights from our window and enjoyed snacks and drinks. The drive was pleasant and I never felt bored or unsafe throughout the trip. I also had downloaded the areas maps offline on google maps so I could keep track of where we were without phone signal. You can learn how to set that up from our How to Save Google Maps Offline Video.
Archaeological Site of the Mayapan
Our first stop was the Archaeological site of the Mayapan. Where we had a guided tour around, and on top of the ruins. Yes we got to climb them! For more info about this check out our Mayapan Ruin Article and be sure to subscribe to our Family Travel Go YouTube Channel for a video and 360 VR Video which will be posted soon.
Cenote (Underwater Cavern)
Our second stop was the Cenote where we jumped in and snorkeled through the cave seeing fish and cave formations. I had never done anything like it, it was amazing. For more info on the Cenote check out our detailed Cenote Overview Article and be sure to subscribe to our Family Travel Go YouTube Channel for a video and 360 VR Video which will be posted soon.
Hacienda Tour
Our third stop was the Hacienda where we had a tour of the land, viewed some handmade crafts and art, and had a delicious… seriously mouth watering meal. For more info about the Hacienda Tour and Restaurant Review check out our article which will be up this Tuesday! (subscribe to our mailing list to be notified) and be sure to subscribe to our Family Travel Go YouTube Channel for a video and 360 VR Video which will be posted soon.
Overall Experience
Overall we were very pleased with our excursion with Yucatán Cenote and we highly recommended them.
Where is Progresso, Mexico and the stops we made on our excursion ? Check out the map below.
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Thanks for reading. Have you ever been to Progresso or explored any of Yucatan? Please let us know in the comment section below. Stay tuned for in depth coverage of each part of our excursion in posts and videos coming very soon! I will link to them here. For more information about booking an excursion with Yucatan Cenote please visit their site.
Ruins, cenote, and hacienda tour are great day trips from anywhere on the Yucatan. But you didn’t go to Celestun for the flamingoes?
No we will have to do that next time. We had to hurry back to our Carnival Cruise ship. We squeezed all we could in the time we had. 🙂
I love set tours so you don’t have to worry about logistics and time frame and you get to visit all the highlights with no thinking. These are fantastic experiences in my opinion and would love to experience this some day.
We have never gone on a cruise that stops close to Progresso in Mexico. But I am sure one day we will. So good to know that we can visit Chichén Itzá as a day trip. But I think I would rather do a cenote visit. Good to know that you can do this with a private excursion. It looks like an amazing spot for snorkelling. Thanks for this suggestion.
I have never gone to Progresso, but I’d certainly be interested after this post. It’s great to hear you found a good private tour. We often try to get private tours for the bigger attractions because they can normally work to your timeframe and are much more immersive. Cenote looks beautiful! We went to a similar underwater cavern in Samoa and loved it.
Looks like you had a lovely experience. The cenote is sooo beautiful! I think I would be there for hours. Will definitely check your YouTube channel for more inspiration on these places.
I had no idea there were so many beautiful places so close! The Cenote looks beautiful and I love visiting old ruins.
I would totally sign up for that cenote tour! It looks simply beautiful. I’ve been to one in Tulum and it was outstanding. Ruins are also my thing, I love to visit and climb them whenever possible. This is certainly a family friendly destination.