We purchased our tickets (the day before) from the ADO station on 5th Avenue. Tickets were $310 pesos per person, round-trip (see photo of tickets with pricing below). The bus left the ADO station on 5th Avenue right at 8:00 a.m., with the first stop being Tulum. We would strongly encourage you to use the restroom facilities at this time because there will be no other stops along the way. By the way, the cost of using the restroom is $5 pesos. We also suggest you bring a light sweater in the event the air conditioning on the bus is at full blast. And think ahead when planning your trip so that you can take healthy snacks for the long bus ride going there. You probably won’t need to worry about snacks coming back, since you can eat dinner before boarding the bus back to Playa del Carmen.
Once the bus leaves Tulum, the driver will start a movie to entertain you and help pass the time. The movie going to Mahahual was in Spanish with English subtitles, and coming back, the movie was in English with Spanish subtitles (a win-win both directions).
The bus leaves Mahahual, headed back to Playa del Carmen sharply at 5:00 p.m. You will board this bus the same place they dropped you off upon arrival (see photo below for the ADO station in Mahahual).
Mahahual is in southern Quintana Roo in the area known as Costa Maya. The cruise ship port is about 2 miles north of town. Mahahual in a small town with only about 1000 permanent residents. The population grows with tourists during high season (November through April) and swells daily all winter as cruise ships dock every day. The main attraction is the Malecon (or boardwalk) which stretches for a mile along the beach. The wide concrete path is for pedestrians only, so is perfect for a leisurely stroll. It is lined with shops, restaurants, and hotels.
We went in September, so things were pretty sleepy…no cruise ships and very few tourists. Most of the shops, and many of the restaurants were closed. We walked the entire length of the Malecon several times…from the lighthouse to the beginning of the local residential area. As with much of the Caribbean, sargassum has been a problem in Mahahual. To be honest, in a few places along the Malecon the stench from the sargassum was almost unbearable; we basically had to hold our breath and walk fast to get to an area with less seaweed and nauseating odor. We did find a nice restaurant toward the north end of the Malecon with no seaweed smell and a very nice beach. The Blue Kay has covered seating in the restaurant and also seating under mini palapas right on the beach. We had lunch there and hung out for several hours until it was time to head back to our ADO bus.
We certainly plan on returning during the high season when there is more activity and when all the shops and restaurants are open. It was a great day trip and worth considering spending a few days there.
If you decide to go, enjoy your trip!
See our photos below.
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