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+1
We took a Panama Canal Cruise aboard Holland America’s Oosterdam, and we took in the Izapa Mayan Ruins just off the highway in Tapachula, Mexico. A very hot day but our tour guide provided an informative talk on the Mayans and the history of the ruins unearthed in 2012, which included pyramids, sculptured plazas and squares, and two ball courts.. Of special note was their “ball” game, which was often deadly. Our guide indicated that the ball game was often played with a skull, wrapped in rubber and that the losers might be sacrificed.…
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Date of experience: April 2019
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We don't speak Spanish very well & also had a hard time finding information on this port before we left. So we got a cab driver which most do not speak english. That you can arrange at the port. He took us to 3 locations. One was the Izapa Ruins. It was $100USD for 4 of us. we perfer to be just the group of 4 of us that is why we chose this option. These are not your typical Mayan Ruins. Most websites say it is large but it is very small if you compare it to Coba or Chichen Itza. The enterance was free.This Mayan City is a ceremony center and they figure is the location where the Mayan calendar was created. The Mayan Calendar is not on site but in a museum about 8 hours away. Izapa Ruins has a beautful view of the Tacana volcano and some small wild life running about. Chicken's, Turkey's, Igauas. It was not very busy while we were there. It was very hot with not alot of shade. Make sure you bring water & sunscreen. I walked around in flip flops. The ground was a little uneven but not horrible. One of our travel companions is 60 with a bad knee and he had no problems. The grounds are very well maintained. We spent about an hour here doing a slow walk around and enjoying taking photos. But I don't think you could spend more then that. There isn't much to see in Tapachula/ Puerto Chiapas so I do recommend checking it out. There is also tour guides that take out groups of about 10 guests to the same 3 locations for about $35USD a person. Waiting at the terminal. These guides do speak english. Beside people in the tourism industry the people of Tapachula/Puerto Chiapas did not seem happy to see tourists. Most places did not take USD or and we had problems with Credit Cards. Also, very little English. But Prices in Tapachula were really reasonable. We got 2 large waters for $1.80CAD (Credit card when we got home).…
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Date of experience: March 2019
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+1
This was part of a ships excursion. We had an English speaking guide to explain the history of the ruins and area. So if you want to know the most about this area, it would be best to hire a guide. The area that you do see isn't that big, but as the guide explained, the site is much larger; but being where it is at, we can't get to it. Yes he explained why and geographically it would be hard to get to the rest of the site. As stated in other reviews, this is a old Mayan site, so no tall pyramids, no intricate carvings, no interesting buildings. Still it has much history to it and worth seeing. It is easy to walk around the grounds, but there are no pathways; so the ground can be uneven. Because of that, I would say if you have mobility issues; take into consideration that there are no sidewalks or other smooth pathways.…
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Date of experience: March 2019
1 Helpful vote
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We visited the ruins on a cruise ship excursion. It is about a 45-minute ride from the cruise port. The ruins are low to the ground, very well preserved and maintained. This is a very early Mayan ruin, so you don't see the towering ruins you do an other Mayan sites. The guide we had was very knowledgeable about everything that had happened in this area. The ground is pretty accessible, but you would have to be walking. It is a little uneven in spots, but I had no problem walking among the ruins.…
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Date of experience: March 2019
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+1
As we don't speak Spanish it was important to have our guide from Nativo Tours. The ruins are quite small but very worth a visit and a history lesson to understand their significance.
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Date of experience: February 2019
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