Bobredtop
New
Hi, we wanted to pass on some GREAT Mexican diving.
We are from Landlocked Hershey Pennsylvania. While the chocolate is plentiful and tasty, the diving is sparse and cold, so we like to go where the water is warm, the diving pristine, and the food is great. Maya Palms fit all those requirements. I'd have to say that our Maya Palms Vacation in August of 2007 was the best dive vacation we ever experienced. A five Star, divers paradise. We have dove in Cozumel, Caymens, Key West, Key Largo, and Bahamas and this area surpasses all those put together. The diving is well worth the drive from Cancun.
On a previous vacation we visited Mahahual, Mexico while on a cruise and scheduled a dive through the cruise ship company. This was a big mistake as the diving company the cruise line used near Mahahaul (name withheld to protect the guilty) was a bad experience. Overloaded dive boats, rushed dives and a cattle car feel. We definitely felt that safety was not one of their priorities. As a matter of fact just prior to our arriving in Maya Palms this "Other" dive company sank one of their dive boats because it was overloaded. I guess there were too many overweight buffet consuming cruisers. However once we were in the water we entered the best reefs we have ever seen. We vowed to return to Mahahual area if we could find a good dive resort.
Upon returning home my wife did an internet search and found "Maya Palms Resort". She called Doug and Catherine the owners (they also own Bonne Terre Mine near St. Louis) and found them to be informative, helpful and honest in answering her questions about the resort, transportation and diving facilities. So for our next vacation in August we were on our way to Maya Palms via Cancun, Mexico.
Upon arriving at Cancun we picked up our rental car and headed south toward Maya Palms. On the way we stopped at Sam's Club and picked up a few snacks for our two ravenous teenagers for the 4 hr. trip to the Maya Palms Resort. The drive was fun and interesting as the road went from 4 lanes to (4 lanes with construction) to 2 lanes to (2 lanes with construction), the drive was pleasant and safe with lots of interesting sights to see along the way. Toward the end of our journey we turned off the highway onto a single lane road with jungle all around. We have driven in Mexico before to Chichen-Itza and other Mexican sites so the roads and sights were not a surprise to us. However upon reaching the sandy beach road at the coast, the area was not looking like the the resort area that we had pictured in our mind. (Doug and Catherine explained to us on the phone before the trip that they were in an isolated area.) A few times during our trip south the kids, Gregg (16) and Alyssa (13) said to mom "What did you reserve and where are you taking us." After a few miles on this beach road with all of us looking at each other with questionable looks we rounded a corner and there it was, beautiful "Maya Palms Resort."
We hopped out of the car and were met by Pedro with a big smile and three lovable dogs welcoming us to the Maya Palms. We were given the tour and were amazed at the lovely trees, vegetation, palapas, and a concrete pyramid. The rooms were charming and very clean and there was even a large fresh water pool for swimming. After unpacking, Pedro came out with a welcome drink and some gourmet snacks. On the way down the kids were wondering if there were going to be other kids at the resort hoping to meet some new friends. We asked Pedro how many other guests were staying at the resort, he said we were the only ones scheduled for that week as this was the slow August season. You could see the look of "Were the only ones" on the faces of our kids. However after a few hours they made friends with the three dogs, Barney, Nemo, and Chaparro and were excited that we were the only guest at the resort and had the place to ourselves.
Pedro asked us on arrival what we liked to eat. We said we like anything and his eyes lit up. "Do you like gourmet?" We said we sure do. He was delighted as his guests of the previous week were hamburger and hotdog folks and he was ready to get back to real gourmet cooking.
Our first night was was wonderful as Pedro cooked us a gourmet meal. My wife is a wonderful cook, she was amazed at the quality, presentation, and taste of the meals coming out of the kitchen day after day in this remote place. After days of talking with Pedro about recipes, getting a tour of the kitchen we found out that Pedro and Rodrigo were professionally trained culinary chefs from Mexico City. Still she was amazed at the freshness, quality, and variety of the meals.
The next day we met Ken and Kenny, both boat captains and dive masters. Ken ran the boat most days and Kenny spent the week diving with us and taking pictures of us and the sea life with his new camera. The diving is the best we've encountered. Pedro gave us ginger to eat before our dives to keep our stomachs happy while Ken and Kenny got the boat ready and our gear onboard.
The coral reefs are just a 5 to 10 minute boat ride away. Kenny showed us the way around many coral reefs, coral canyons and showed us marine life that we would have missed. We saw barrel coral so big you could almost swim in, sea fans so big you could hide behind them, sea turtles that swam in circles keeping an eye on us, nurse sharks resting in and around the coral reefs and marine life that was so abundant we were amazed each time we dove. This is pristine diving with not a piece of dead coral to be found. Upon surfacing Ken had the boat a few swim strokes away and met us with pineapple spears to help get the saltwater taste out of our mouths.
Upon returning to shore we rinsed off at the outside showers and headed to the freshwater pool while Pedro prepared a gourmet lunch. Lunch was followed by a "siesta" by the pool. Around 2 or 3 o'clock we were ready to go back out for our second dive of the day. My wife especially liked this relaxed routine as it was a big change from some of the other dive excursions we've been on. Ken and Kenny made us feel relaxed and we were really able to enjoy our diving experience to its fullest.
After our second dive we came back and swam some more in the fresh water pool, my wife and I walked the beach while the kids played with the dogs, used the kayaks or just had fun on the beach. After Pedro's wonderful evening meal the kids talked to their friends on the internet while my wife and I read a book in the hammock while listening to some Jimmy Buffet from their Satellite Radio. This was repeated night after night forgetting about the rest of the world.
During the latter part of our stay I was keeping an eye on the weather and was watching a low depression build in the Atlantic. This low developed into a hurricane marching it's way toward the Yucatan Peninsula. It's name was Dean. We had planned on 10 dives and asked our kids if they wanted to go into town or do something else during a planned "down day." Both kids said they wanted to stay at Maya Palms and do two more dives. So we finished up the week with 12 wonderful dives.
The morning of our departure our car was packed with luggage and the car doors open to let out the heat of sitting for a week. I started the car with the air-conditioner running to help cool the car so we were just minutes from heading north. While the kids and my wife were all saying their goodbyes and good lucks I was checking our rooms one last time for any remaining leftover items. Coming out of the room I heard "slam", "slam", "slam, "slam. It was my daughters good intentions of closing the car doors because she saw the air-conditioner running and wondered why the car doors were open. Yep you guessed it. All the doors were now locked with the car running and the nearest locksmith was 4 hours away. BIG problem because our flight left in 6 hours and we still had a 4 hour drive to the airport and a Hurricane Dean bearing down on us.
While I was not amused and showing it, Ken kept calm and retrieved a piece of metal from his tool box that at one time probably was a metal coat hanger. After working for about 5 minutes "click" up popped the lock. I asked Kenny and Pedro if they ever did a background check on Ken before they hired him. This was really a full service resort. We all had a good laugh said our goodbyes and vowed to return soon.
Two days later Hurricane Dean slammed dead center into Mahahaul and decimated the cruise ship pier, the small town of Mahahaul and the Yucatan Peninsula. Ken, Kenny and Pedro weathered out the category 5 hurricane in the large concrete pyramid. They said it was scary, a very good understatement. It took about 2 weeks for them to get word out that Maya Palms received substantial damage but they were OK and were already cleaning up and starting to rebuild.
We feel the Costa Maya Riviera region is a divers paradise. Doug & Catherine really take pride in their Maya Palms resort and the friendly competent staff of Ken, Kenny, Pedro and Rodrigo really make you feel like family and want your stay and dive experience to be the best it can be. The rental equipment is excellent and safety is a priority. I would recommend Maya Palms to any potential diver or diver of any level or just to couples of families that just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist areas.
Since the Hurricane of August 2007 we've read and heard they have been working hard to repair the damage and the resort is up and running with re-planted vegetation and looking great. The reviews of others have been terrific this year. We plan on returning in August to this gem of Costa Maya.
Maya Palms website is: Costa Maya Scuba Diving and Snorkel in Mahahual, Mexico: Maya Palms Resort
We are from Landlocked Hershey Pennsylvania. While the chocolate is plentiful and tasty, the diving is sparse and cold, so we like to go where the water is warm, the diving pristine, and the food is great. Maya Palms fit all those requirements. I'd have to say that our Maya Palms Vacation in August of 2007 was the best dive vacation we ever experienced. A five Star, divers paradise. We have dove in Cozumel, Caymens, Key West, Key Largo, and Bahamas and this area surpasses all those put together. The diving is well worth the drive from Cancun.
On a previous vacation we visited Mahahual, Mexico while on a cruise and scheduled a dive through the cruise ship company. This was a big mistake as the diving company the cruise line used near Mahahaul (name withheld to protect the guilty) was a bad experience. Overloaded dive boats, rushed dives and a cattle car feel. We definitely felt that safety was not one of their priorities. As a matter of fact just prior to our arriving in Maya Palms this "Other" dive company sank one of their dive boats because it was overloaded. I guess there were too many overweight buffet consuming cruisers. However once we were in the water we entered the best reefs we have ever seen. We vowed to return to Mahahual area if we could find a good dive resort.
Upon returning home my wife did an internet search and found "Maya Palms Resort". She called Doug and Catherine the owners (they also own Bonne Terre Mine near St. Louis) and found them to be informative, helpful and honest in answering her questions about the resort, transportation and diving facilities. So for our next vacation in August we were on our way to Maya Palms via Cancun, Mexico.
Upon arriving at Cancun we picked up our rental car and headed south toward Maya Palms. On the way we stopped at Sam's Club and picked up a few snacks for our two ravenous teenagers for the 4 hr. trip to the Maya Palms Resort. The drive was fun and interesting as the road went from 4 lanes to (4 lanes with construction) to 2 lanes to (2 lanes with construction), the drive was pleasant and safe with lots of interesting sights to see along the way. Toward the end of our journey we turned off the highway onto a single lane road with jungle all around. We have driven in Mexico before to Chichen-Itza and other Mexican sites so the roads and sights were not a surprise to us. However upon reaching the sandy beach road at the coast, the area was not looking like the the resort area that we had pictured in our mind. (Doug and Catherine explained to us on the phone before the trip that they were in an isolated area.) A few times during our trip south the kids, Gregg (16) and Alyssa (13) said to mom "What did you reserve and where are you taking us." After a few miles on this beach road with all of us looking at each other with questionable looks we rounded a corner and there it was, beautiful "Maya Palms Resort."
We hopped out of the car and were met by Pedro with a big smile and three lovable dogs welcoming us to the Maya Palms. We were given the tour and were amazed at the lovely trees, vegetation, palapas, and a concrete pyramid. The rooms were charming and very clean and there was even a large fresh water pool for swimming. After unpacking, Pedro came out with a welcome drink and some gourmet snacks. On the way down the kids were wondering if there were going to be other kids at the resort hoping to meet some new friends. We asked Pedro how many other guests were staying at the resort, he said we were the only ones scheduled for that week as this was the slow August season. You could see the look of "Were the only ones" on the faces of our kids. However after a few hours they made friends with the three dogs, Barney, Nemo, and Chaparro and were excited that we were the only guest at the resort and had the place to ourselves.
Pedro asked us on arrival what we liked to eat. We said we like anything and his eyes lit up. "Do you like gourmet?" We said we sure do. He was delighted as his guests of the previous week were hamburger and hotdog folks and he was ready to get back to real gourmet cooking.
Our first night was was wonderful as Pedro cooked us a gourmet meal. My wife is a wonderful cook, she was amazed at the quality, presentation, and taste of the meals coming out of the kitchen day after day in this remote place. After days of talking with Pedro about recipes, getting a tour of the kitchen we found out that Pedro and Rodrigo were professionally trained culinary chefs from Mexico City. Still she was amazed at the freshness, quality, and variety of the meals.
The next day we met Ken and Kenny, both boat captains and dive masters. Ken ran the boat most days and Kenny spent the week diving with us and taking pictures of us and the sea life with his new camera. The diving is the best we've encountered. Pedro gave us ginger to eat before our dives to keep our stomachs happy while Ken and Kenny got the boat ready and our gear onboard.
The coral reefs are just a 5 to 10 minute boat ride away. Kenny showed us the way around many coral reefs, coral canyons and showed us marine life that we would have missed. We saw barrel coral so big you could almost swim in, sea fans so big you could hide behind them, sea turtles that swam in circles keeping an eye on us, nurse sharks resting in and around the coral reefs and marine life that was so abundant we were amazed each time we dove. This is pristine diving with not a piece of dead coral to be found. Upon surfacing Ken had the boat a few swim strokes away and met us with pineapple spears to help get the saltwater taste out of our mouths.
Upon returning to shore we rinsed off at the outside showers and headed to the freshwater pool while Pedro prepared a gourmet lunch. Lunch was followed by a "siesta" by the pool. Around 2 or 3 o'clock we were ready to go back out for our second dive of the day. My wife especially liked this relaxed routine as it was a big change from some of the other dive excursions we've been on. Ken and Kenny made us feel relaxed and we were really able to enjoy our diving experience to its fullest.
After our second dive we came back and swam some more in the fresh water pool, my wife and I walked the beach while the kids played with the dogs, used the kayaks or just had fun on the beach. After Pedro's wonderful evening meal the kids talked to their friends on the internet while my wife and I read a book in the hammock while listening to some Jimmy Buffet from their Satellite Radio. This was repeated night after night forgetting about the rest of the world.
During the latter part of our stay I was keeping an eye on the weather and was watching a low depression build in the Atlantic. This low developed into a hurricane marching it's way toward the Yucatan Peninsula. It's name was Dean. We had planned on 10 dives and asked our kids if they wanted to go into town or do something else during a planned "down day." Both kids said they wanted to stay at Maya Palms and do two more dives. So we finished up the week with 12 wonderful dives.
The morning of our departure our car was packed with luggage and the car doors open to let out the heat of sitting for a week. I started the car with the air-conditioner running to help cool the car so we were just minutes from heading north. While the kids and my wife were all saying their goodbyes and good lucks I was checking our rooms one last time for any remaining leftover items. Coming out of the room I heard "slam", "slam", "slam, "slam. It was my daughters good intentions of closing the car doors because she saw the air-conditioner running and wondered why the car doors were open. Yep you guessed it. All the doors were now locked with the car running and the nearest locksmith was 4 hours away. BIG problem because our flight left in 6 hours and we still had a 4 hour drive to the airport and a Hurricane Dean bearing down on us.
While I was not amused and showing it, Ken kept calm and retrieved a piece of metal from his tool box that at one time probably was a metal coat hanger. After working for about 5 minutes "click" up popped the lock. I asked Kenny and Pedro if they ever did a background check on Ken before they hired him. This was really a full service resort. We all had a good laugh said our goodbyes and vowed to return soon.
Two days later Hurricane Dean slammed dead center into Mahahaul and decimated the cruise ship pier, the small town of Mahahaul and the Yucatan Peninsula. Ken, Kenny and Pedro weathered out the category 5 hurricane in the large concrete pyramid. They said it was scary, a very good understatement. It took about 2 weeks for them to get word out that Maya Palms received substantial damage but they were OK and were already cleaning up and starting to rebuild.
We feel the Costa Maya Riviera region is a divers paradise. Doug & Catherine really take pride in their Maya Palms resort and the friendly competent staff of Ken, Kenny, Pedro and Rodrigo really make you feel like family and want your stay and dive experience to be the best it can be. The rental equipment is excellent and safety is a priority. I would recommend Maya Palms to any potential diver or diver of any level or just to couples of families that just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist areas.
Since the Hurricane of August 2007 we've read and heard they have been working hard to repair the damage and the resort is up and running with re-planted vegetation and looking great. The reviews of others have been terrific this year. We plan on returning in August to this gem of Costa Maya.
Maya Palms website is: Costa Maya Scuba Diving and Snorkel in Mahahual, Mexico: Maya Palms Resort
