If you’re visiting Cozumel on a cruise, then one popular destination you will surely hear about or see excursions to visit is Chankanaab Adventure Beach Park. It’s a mouthful, but Chankanaab (pronounced shon-ka-nob) offers a park with something for everyone at an affordable price, all located within a short taxi ride of the cruise piers.
We’re not kidding about something for everyone. From swimming with dolphins to food to snorkeling, or just hanging out on the beach, there are tons of things to do and see.
So what’s it like? And is it worth it? We recently visited the park while visiting on a cruise to Cozumel to provide you with a first-hand idea of what you can expect on your visit.
Location, Hours, and Getting to the Park
One of the best aspects of Chankanaab? Its location.
The park is less than four miles south of the cruise port. In fact, you can see the cruise ships in the distance once you are sitting on the beach. The trip down to Chankanaab is an easy 5-minute taxi ride.
Taxi rates are predetermined to and from the cruise port to make things easy. A ride from the pier should run $15 for up to four passengers. Rates back to the cruise pier are the same price. Frankly, while it is nice to have a set rate so that you know what you are paying, the taxi rate actually seems high for such a short distance.
Chankanaab sits just a few miles from the cruise piers. In fact, you can see the ships from the beach.
Chankanaab is open Monday-Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Crowds will vary dramatically based on the number of ships in port. These days it can seem like there are always a lot of cruise ships docking no matter the day, so expect the park to be busy. That said, our most recent visit was one with a half-dozen ships in port and the park still felt like it had plenty of elbow room. If you are in port on a day when several other ships are visiting, then we’d suggest getting to the park early to get your pick of beach spots.
Park Overview and Costs
Expect a rocky shore here. The beach is nice, the water is nice, but the shore is completely rocky. You use a staircase to get into the water.
It’s actually difficult to give an overview of Chankanaab simply because it has so many offerings. First and foremost, however, Chankanaab (which translates to “little sea” in Mayan) is a beach park. The park sits right on the water, with a wide expanse of beach to sit and hang out underneath a palapa in a lounge chair. There are all the expected beach activities, including snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing, volleyball, and more.
But if you’re expecting a nice sandy shoreline with the waves gently lapping the land, then put that idea out of your mind. On this side of Cozumel, the shore is rocky. That means the beach here is separated from the water with several sets of stairs down into the water. It’s not ideal for swimming because there simply isn’t a nice sandy bottom to wade into. However, it is amazing for snorkeling and there are even underwater statues for you to see.
If you want to swim, there is a small inlet at one edge of the beach with a sandy shoreline. It’s small and gets crowded. However, if you can snag a spot it’s the ideal place for swimming — especially for kids.
While it is a beach park, hanging out at the beach is just a small part of enjoying Chankanaab. The second-largest draw is the Dolphin Discovery Center. This complex, situated right near the entrance of the park, is a large modern building containing a restaurant, gift shop, lockers, coffee shop and showers. Behind it is a swimming pool and large fenced in expanse housing dolphins and manatees. Here you can swim with dolphins if you choose to purchase the package.
Other activities around the park include tequila tasting, a Mayan art walk in the jungle, sea lion shows, massages, and more. You can read more details of each below.
Cost of Visiting the Park
There’s a lot that is included with your day, but no everything.
You can spend as much or as little as you want at Chankanaab. If you choose to stay on the cheap end, it’s a surprisingly affordable day for a family or couple. Prices are $29 (USD) for adults and $20 for kids under 12. Kids under 3 years old are free.
That admission includes only access to the park, its facilities, chairs, umbrellas, and the like. It includes a number of attractions such at the Mayan replica art walk, swimming, and a sea lion show. The more adventurous activities — renting snorkel gear, swimming with dolphins, etc. — will cost extra, as will things like tequila tasting and the spa. As well, food and drinks cost extra (there are several bars/restaurants), although there are all-inclusive packages you can purchase that will include these items.
There are also cabanas for rent at the end of the park if you prefer to have a space that’s more secluded.
Things to Do at Chankanaab
Sea lion shows are performed several times a day and are free. Getting pictures with them, however, costs extra.
While we’ve talked somewhat about things to do at the park, the list below covers everything you can do at the park. Click the map below to enlarge and see in more detail.
Swimming (Free)
While you can swim off the main beach, it’s much better to take advantage of the small inlet with a sandy shore. Shallow and calm enough for kids, it can get crowded quickly.
Snorkeling (Free or Extra)
If you want to snorkel, we suggest bringing your own gear. There are facilities to rent snorkel, masks, and life jackets, but it will cost you extra ($15 for all day). The area just off the main beach in Chankanaab is world class snorkeling with coral, tons of fish, and underwater statues for you to view.
Mayan Art Walk/Historical Tour (Free)
This self-guided walk takes you through a landscaped jungle filled with replicas of Mayan art, as well as historical reenactments of ancient Mayan life. If you’re into Mayan history, it’s a neat tour. If no, it’s still a great way to get into the shade if you need a little break from the sunny beach.
Sea Lion Show (Free)
Great to take kids to, the sea lion shows happen three times a day. Here, the animals perform tricks for the crowd, similar to what you’d find at SeaWorld. Shows are free to attend and don’t last long.
Spa (Costs Extra)
Nothing more relaxing than a massage on the beach! Chankanaab features a spa where you can get your massage and other treatments. Prices vary based on the services you want to enjoy.
Tequila Tasting (Costs Extra)
Tequila and Mexico are synonymous. And even though it’s actually made in a different part of the country, you can do your own tequila tasting in the park. In fact, there is a small “village” built in the jungle to explore and have a taste of Mexico in liquid form.
Snuba/Seatrek (Costs Extra)
Want to go scuba diving but you aren’t certified? This is the next best thing. In these activities you are given an air hose (Snuba) or an air-filled helmet (Seatrek) that allow you to explore the bottom of sea without scuba diving.
Dolphin Discovery/Manatees (Costs Extra)
One of the biggest draws to Chankanaab, the Dolphin Discovery attraction gives you the once-in-a-lifetime chance to swim in the water with trained dolphins or with manatees. It does cost extra, but the packages also includes the entrance fee to the park and lunch.
Shopping (Costs Extra)
Around the park are a number of vendors selling all sorts of souvenirs. So if you want a keepsake to remember your time in Mexico, it’s easy to pick something up. There are also little bodegas if you want a drink, snack, or forgot sunscreen.
Our Time at Chankanaab
The Mayan Art Walk takes you on a path through the jungle with some cool pieces. We also liked this spot as a way to take a break from the sun.
As we said, there’s a lot to do at the park depending on how much time you have and how much you want to spend.
We booked an excursion to the park via the cruise line. It was more expensive than the admission cost, but when you factor in that it came with transportation and snorkel gear included, the price was in line with what you would pay if you visited independently.
Arriving at the park via taxi (it’s literally just a few minutes from the port), we were led to a designated area of the beach for our tour group. There, we had our pick of a number of loungers and palapas so that everyone had a little shade.
From there, we donned snorkel gear and went out for a 30-minute tour of the water. As mentioned above, there isn’t a nice sandy beachfront here. Instead, it’s down a set of steps. But once in the water, it is amazing. The water here is clear and the bottom quickly drops to a depth of around 10-15 feet. That’s plenty of depth to see all sorts of fish and coral and there are even sculptures under the surface to go and check out.
For lunch, there are a number of restaurants dotted around, but be prepared. There are tourist prices and then there are the food prices charged here. The menu is lots of classic Mexican food (fajitas, quesadillas, etc.) combined with things like burgers and sandwiches. The prices we found outrageous anywhere, but especially for Mexico, including $18 for a hamburger.
There’s tourist prices, and then there is paying $18 for a hamburger.
After enjoying the beach, we decided to explore the park. We took walking tours of the entire grounds. In all, it took about 30-45 minutes at a leisurely pace to walk around the manicured grounds. The Mayan art replicas were the most impressive part, with a couple of dozen pieces to see. This is a great place to get a little shade if you visit on a sunny day and just want a break from the heat.
The walk likely isn’t high on the list of things to do with kids as they are more likely to want to see the sea lion show (happening several times a day and free with admission) or hang at the beach. However, it is well done and not many people were around. With the jungle surrounding you it can feel a world away from the busier beach and is a nice cool and calm place to explore.
We didn’t do any swimming with dolphins (as a general rule we avoid any excursion that has to do with animals in captivity) but this definitely seemed popular. It’s also right near the small beach that features a sandy shoreline and the freshwater pool for guests to enjoy.
There are lots of palapas and loungers for you to enjoy while visiting the park.
The rest of the day, we spent largely relaxing on the beach, taking in the sun and just slowing down a bit (something we rarely do back home). While we do wish Chankanaab had a nicer shoreline, the sand and water are still beautiful. One nice benefit is that from here you are only a few miles from the ships so if the weather turns bad or you simply want to make sure you don’t go to far, it’s just a few minutes back to port.
For more on Chankanaab, you can visit the park’s website here.
Looking for more things to do in Cozumel? Check out our page on excursions on the island.The post We Visited Chankanaab Park (Cozumel) on a Cruise. Here’s What to Know first appeared on Cruzely.com.
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