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Cozumel

Visitor Tips for San Gervasio Mayan Ruins

San Gervasio ruins
Partial view of San Gervasio ruins. Credit: Wikimedia Creative Commons license

Cozumel visitors who want to see Mayan ruins can take a ferry to reach Tulum on the Mexico mainland or go to San Gervasio right on Cozumel.

For cruise visitors with enough time, Tulum is a better excursion despite higher excursion prices and taking longer to reach it. For people with more limited time, San Gervasio is a better choice because of its convenience near the cruise port.

The San Gervasio ruins are about nine miles or 23 minutes by car, taxi or bus from San Miguel. They are the largest and most important ruins on the island and a common Cozumel shore excursion.

They are important not only for their size but because they were religious site for Ixchel, the goddess of Mayan midwifery and medicine, according to Wikipedia. Mayan women were obligated to visit Cozumel at least once during their lives to pay tribute.

The ruins are the only official archaeological site on Cozumel. The park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Visitors pay a fee to enter a park and another to enter the ruins. Tickets in total cost about $10 for anyone ages 10 and older. Access is free to children under 10.

San Gervasio Map

Cruise lines charge about $65 for adults and teens and $50 for children to take the three- to four-hour excursion. The fees pay for transportation, site access and a certified guide who takes visitors on a tour of the site and answers questions.

Past cruise excursion visitors say it is best to go in the mornings and bring mosquito repellent. They give the tour overall a high rating.

Anyone wanting to save money and planning to see other attractions will find that renting a car is a more budget-friendly choice. Taxi fares may be less expensive than a paid excursion, but they come without the tour guide.

Park facilities include restrooms, snack bars, souvenirs and free parking.

Scott S. Bateman is a professional journalist who has traveled widely throughout the Caribbean and the Americas. He is the author of four books about cruising in the Caribbean, Alaska and Mexican Riviera.
February 17, 2020

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