10 hours
max. 12 people
English
This trip to Cobá and Punta Laguna is one of the most varied day trips in the Riviera Maya, because it puts history and adventure into a single day. First you explore the ancient Maya ruins of Cobá deep in the jungle. Then you cool off in a cenote and sit down to a Mexican lunch. Finally Punta Laguna waits with ziplines and wild spider monkeys. The group never exceeds twelve people, and a certified English-speaking guide is with you all day.

Cobá is one of the few Maya sites in Mexico where you may still climb the great pyramid, Nohoch Mul. A wooden stairway now leads to the top, installed by the national heritage institute INAH as part of its work on the site. The archaeological zone sits deep in dense jungle and is far larger than it first appears. Many visitors therefore cover the distances by bike or take a rickshaw between the temple groups. From the top you look out over the treetops to the horizon, and that view makes the climb worthwhile.

After the humid heat among the ruins, the cenote stop is almost mandatory. Above all, these natural freshwater sinkholes are crystal clear and pleasantly cool. Some hide in caves, while others lie open between roots and rocks. For most guests this half hour turns into one of the highlights of the day. There is real time in the schedule for a proper swim.

Before the afternoon starts, there is lunch at a small, family-run restaurant. Fresh tacos, cochinita pibil or chicken with rice and beans are usually on the table. Therefore the break is welcome after a morning of walking. In addition, it gives a glimpse of Mexican cooking away from the tourist centres.

The afternoon belongs to Punta Laguna, a nature reserve around a quiet lagoon in the jungle of the Yucatán Peninsula. Wild spider monkeys live here, although you need a moment to spot them. With a little patience and a local guide you spot them moving through the treetops. Because the reserve is community-run, the guides know exactly where the troops usually feed. For animal lovers this is the part of the day they remember.

Meanwhile, if you want more action, several ziplines cross the lake. The routes run high above the water and give you an open view of the lagoon and the forest around it. Gliding over the mirror-smooth surface with nothing below you but the lake and a few canoes is a short rush that many guests describe afterwards as the best minute of the trip.

Cobá and Punta Laguna show several sides of the region at once: Maya history, a refreshing cenote, good food and wildlife in the jungle. Exactly that mix is what makes the day feel long in the best sense. If you would rather travel without other guests, our private version of this tour runs the same programme. You can also browse our other excursions in Mexico.

Yes. A wooden stairway leads up Nohoch Mul, and from the top you look out across the jungle canopy.
The water is crystal clear and pleasantly cool. However, some cenotes here sit in caves, while others lie open between roots and rocks.
Lunch at a small, family-run restaurant, usually with fresh tacos, cochinita pibil or chicken with rice and beans. Drinking water is included as well.
Wild spider monkeys in a community-run nature reserve, plus ziplines over the lake. A local guide leads this part of the visit.

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