Costa Maya's history as a cruise ship destination has been brief but eventful. The port at Mahahual (also written as "Majahual") was built from scratch specifically to serve cruise ships and began receiving guests in 2001. Mahahual quickly emerged as one of the most popular stops in the Caribbean. For several years, in fact, it ranked as the fastest growing cruise ship port in the world. Costa Maya's rapid growth, however, came to a halt in August 2007 when Mahahual suffered a direct hit from Hurricane Dean, a category 5 storm. The hurricane severely damaged the cruise ship terminal and devastated many of the tourist facilities.
The local population and port officials, however, were committed to rebuilding their industry. Within a year, Mahahual once again was welcoming cruise ship passengers. The new port is better than ever, with room to accommodate up to three cruise ships, including the next generation of super liners.
The recovery is especially remarkable considering that before 2001 Costa Maya was almost entirely overlooked by travelers and was dotted by a handful of small fishing villages. In terms of geography, Costa Maya begins where the major tourist areas of Cancun and Playa del Carmen end on the Yucatan Peninsula.
The region is still a far cry from the resort destinations up the coast, but the landscape has been rapidly transformed by the development of tourism and real estate, particularly by an influx of investors and retirees buying property in the area for vacation homes. Reconstruction after Hurricane Dean provided the fishing village of Mahahual with a dramatic facelift.
Costa Maya has made the most of its natural and cultural resources, including lush tropical beauty, spectacular coral reefs, and some of the most accessible and well-preserved Mayan ruins in the region.
The opening of the BioMaya ziplining complex in 2008 has proven to be a landmark event for the local tourism industry. BioMaya showcases
