Costa Maya/Maya Palms Resort

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

wsherwood

New
Messages
3
Reaction score
0
Location
Carbondale, IL
# of dives
100 - 199
My sixteen-year-old son and I spent six beautiful days at Maya Palms Resort in late July 2010. I am an experienced diver but my son was certified just a few days before we flew to Mexico. I chose to go to Maya Palms Resort because I have known the owner, Doug Goergens, for over 25 years. I was certified through his shop in St. Louis, West End Diving and did my open water certification at Bonne Terre Mine, located at Bonne Terre, Missouri, another facility he and his wife, Cathy, own. West End Diving and Bonne Terre Mine are first-class operations and I had no doubt that Maya Palms Resort would live up to my expectations.

We flew into Cancun, rented a car and drove to Maya Palms Resort. I admit that I had some trepidation about driving through the jungle to the resort since I don't speak Spanish and I was not familiar with driving in Mexico. As it turned out, the drive was uneventful and we made it safely to the resort in about 5 hours. As other reviewers have posted, the resort itself is comfortable in the food was great. The staff, Ken and Mark, could not have been friendlier. Since all three of us have roots in the St. Louis area, we had a lot in common. I should note that the grounds were beautiful with tropical plants and flowers as well as coconut palms everywhere.

The diving was incredible! The reefs are located approximately ¼ to ½ mile offshore and have an abundance of wildlife. The coral and sponges are healthy and teeming with fish, turtles, rays, moray eels and lobster. The ocean was a bit rough the first couple days, and visibility was down to about 70 to 80 feet because of storms that had rolled through the area a couple of days before we arrived; however, the diving was still spectacular. Ken is a skilled and experienced diver master who made our diving that much more enjoyable. There were only four divers during our stay and Ken spent the first couple of dives assessing our skills and making sure that we were safe divers. I should also note that Ken was very good with my son, who was making his first ocean dives. I would like to also mention that the rental equipment at Maya Palms is first class, which is what I expected from a dive operation operated by Doug Goergens. I rented a BC, regulator and wetsuit for my son and a BC for myself. All of the equipment was in excellent shape and we experienced no problems with it over the course of 10 dives. There are many positive reviews about Maya Palms Resort (and I agree with them) but few reviews say anything about the quality of its equipment, the experience of its dive master or the perceived safety of the dives at Maya Palms. I believe that divers looking for a dive destination and a dive center are concerned about diver safety and the condition of rental equipment as well as the accommodations so I thought I should mention that Doug, Ken and Mark take all three of these things very seriously

The diving is spectacular, the food is great, the service is wonderful and the accommodations are clean, air-conditioned at night and comfortable. The six days that my son and I spent at Maya Palms Resort were a memorable experience; in fact, I am making plans to return this summer.
 
SOUNDS awesome ! My girlfriend and I just won a trip to mya at the treasure hunt. I cant wait to go we are looking at going in February. Do you have any advise on flights and also the car thing worries me a little we have been to Cancun about 10 times but never rented. Who did you rent through and also I read it is only 3 hours from the airport? We did get a chance to meet the owners and they are very nice 1st rate business owners. Also what mil suit did you wear? My girlfriend froze in a 5mm hood/vest with a 5m suit at bonne terre.

Marcus
 
Marcus:
I am sorry that I did not reply to your questions. I don't spend a lot of time on this website but saw your questions as I was getting ready to post another review. I hope you enjoyed your trip to Maya Palms.

---------- Post added May 17th, 2012 at 06:10 PM ----------

I recently returned from my third week-long trip to Maya Palms in Mahahual and this trip was just as remarkable as the previous two. Each dive was a new adventure; nurse sharks, moray eels, sting rays, sea turtles, lobsters and thousands of fish living in and around the spur and groove reef system that is part of the second largest barrier reef in the world. The beautiful coral and sponges are pristine. The huge barrel sponges are so common that one tends to swim by them without giving them a second thought. There are so many dives sites that we never ran out of places to explore. I have now experienced over thirty dives on the reefs surrounding Maya Palms and I always look forward to what I am going to see on the next dive.

The dives sites are close to the resort, some being closer than others. Many of the dive sites are within ten minutes of the resort, which allowed us to return to the resort for our surface interval rather than spending it bobbing in a boat on the ocean. When we explored dive sites farther south of the resort, we were able to anchor the dive boat close to shore and spend the surface interval exploring the beach.

I can't say enough about the dive staff. Ken is an experienced diver who believes safety is a priority. Ken and the staff took care of all of our diving needs, answered questions and didn't leave for the dive site until everyone was ready. Once at the dive site, the dive plan was explained, equipment and tank valves were checked and divers confirmed their readiness before we rolled into the water. There were four to six divers at the resort when I was there so we had the opportunity to dive and explore more independently than if we had been part of a larger group. If you generally rent some or all of your equipment, don’t be concerned about the rental equipment at Maya Palms. I generally rent a BC but on this trip I also needed a regulator. The rental equipment was in excellent condition and functioned with no problems through thirteen dives. Note that Maya Palms now has nitrox available.

The resort itself is a great place to spend a week. It is a beautiful resort, the service is excellent and the food is outstanding. The rooms are air-conditioned and very comfortable but don't plan on spending much time in the room other than sleeping at night. The resort grounds are full of tropical plants and flowers, as well as coconut palms everywhere, and the lounges and hammocks surrounding the pool are a perfect place to read and nap after a morning of diving (both of which I succumbed to). The last place you want to spend your time is in the room.

I feel perfectly safe making the trip from Cancun to Maya Palms resort. If you are new to the experience of driving in Mexico, the first thing you will notice is that there are attendants that fill your car's gas tank so keep an eye on the gas pump when you get gas. You will also need to tip the attendant for his service. The petroleum industry in Mexico is nationalized so gas prices are the same from station to station so don't "shop" for the lowest gas price. I was advised not to let the attendant look under the hood of your rental car; the attendant will just want to sell you oil or some other product that you don't need. Finally, drive safely and obey the speed limit.

A week at Maya Palms is a wonderful experience and every diver should put it on their list of places to go. The staff, Mark and Ken, are wonderful hosts who will do everything possible to accommodate you and make your stay pleasurable. The owners, Doug and Catherine Goergens, are wonderful people who have worked very hard to create this divers’ paradise and their love for Maya Palms is evident. The fact that I have just booked my fourth trip to Maya Palms for me and my son should tell you how special I think it is.
 
Thanks for the trip report. Sounds like a great time!

Bjorn
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

Back
Top Bottom