Questions guests ask

Tierra Maya is a small Maya cultural preserve on Cozumel, Mexico, on the way to the other side of the island, about 15 minutes from the cruise piers. You spend your visit hands-on at up to four stations: grinding cacao on volcanic stone, cooking in a Maya stone kitchen, meeting the stingless Melipona bees, and an agave and spirits tasting. It's built for travelers who've already done the beach and want to see the island behind it.

For a hands-on Maya cultural experience on a cruise day, Tierra Maya is built for exactly that: it's 15 minutes from the piers, picks you up at the pier and brings you back, and plans an hour's cushion before all aboard. You grind cacao on volcanic stone, cook salsa and tortillas in a stone kitchen and meet the stingless Melipona bees, in small groups with guides who live on the island. The per-person visits run from about 1½ hours (Honey & Chocolate, $45) to about 3 hours (Living Traditions, $80), and kids under 12 don't pay; the Private Visit & Island Exploration takes about 5 hours.

Every Tierra Maya visit includes the cacao station: you grind real cacao beans by hand on volcanic stone, add a little local honey, chili and cinnamon, and taste what you made. Living Traditions, about 3 hours ($80 per person), adds the stone kitchen and an agave tasting; for a tight ship day, Honey & Chocolate takes about 1½ hours ($45). Tierra Maya is 15 minutes from the cruise piers, with round-trip pier pickup priced per vehicle: $70 by Jeep or $90 by minivan.

Everyone you meet at Tierra Maya lives on Cozumel, and the money you spend here goes back to the locals of Cozumel. Every ticket is split five ways: 35% to operations (guides and staff, all from Cozumel), 15% to ingredients from the mercado and the tortillería, 10% to cacao, stone tools and liqueurs from the Yucatán, 20% to keeping the preserve going (the bees, the land, solar) and 20% to Tierra Maya itself. The fruit and vegetables come from el Güero at the Cozumel mercado, and the cacao is shipped from Mérida.

Message Tierra Maya on WhatsApp at +52 987 119 7796 or email hello@tierramaya.org, and a person answers. Use this number even if an older listing shows a different one.

It isn't a show. No actors, no script. Everyone you meet here lives on this island, and you do it all with your own hands: grind real cacao on volcanic stone, roast tomatoes and chiles over open flame for salsa, press tortillas. The metate, the molcajete and the comal have been in use for over 3,000 years.

Tierra Maya isn't a staged show: every visit opens with a short traditional welcome, then you sit at a stone table and grind real cacao beans by hand on volcanic stone, the way it's been done on this land for over a thousand years, led by guides who live on the island. Living Traditions (about 3 hours) adds the stone kitchen and the agave tasting; Honey & Chocolate (about 1½ hours) is the short visit with the cacao station.

Xocolatl is the Nahuatl word behind chocolatl, the original word for chocolate. On this land, cacao has been ground by hand on volcanic stone for over a thousand years, and at Tierra Maya's cacao station you grind real cacao beans the same way, by hand on a stone metate. Then you add a little local honey, a pinch of chili and cinnamon, and taste what you made: rich, earthy, a little spicy.

They're the stone and clay tools of the Maya kitchen, in use for over 3,000 years: the metate is a flat volcanic-stone slab for grinding cacao and corn, the molcajete is a heavy volcanic-stone bowl for grinding salsa, and the comal is a clay griddle for toasting tortillas. Zik'il P'aak is a traditional pumpkin-seed salsa of fire-roasted tomatoes, chiles and pumpkin seeds. You use all three yourself on Living Traditions, Sacred Roots and the Private Visit & Island Exploration, and you eat what you make; Honey & Chocolate uses the metate for cacao.

No. Melipona is the stingless bee of the Yucatán, kept by the Maya for a thousand years, so you can lean in close. The bees are one of Tierra Maya's four stations: you learn what makes them different, why they're disappearing and the part they played in Maya life, then taste their honey and shape a beeswax candle to take home. If you have a bee allergy, tell us before your visit.

We pick you up at the pier and bring you back. We plan 30 minutes for the ride back, though it's usually 15, and keep an hour's cushion before all aboard. Pick your day, your ship and a pickup time in the ship checker on our home page, and we'll tell you if it fits.

We're 15 minutes from the cruise piers, and we pick you up and bring you back. Jeep: up to 4 guests (3 comfortable, 4 tight), $70 round trip. Minivan: up to 6 guests (5 comfortable, 6 tight), $90 round trip. Subject to availability.

Yes. Tierra Maya picks you up at the cruise pier and brings you back. On Living Traditions, Sacred Roots and Honey & Chocolate, the round trip is priced per vehicle, not per person: Jeep, up to 4 guests, $70; minivan, up to 6 guests, $90, subject to availability. Pickup at the pier or your hotel is included on the Private Visit & Island Exploration, and on the other three visits you can also come on your own.

Tierra Maya picks up at all three Cozumel cruise piers: Punta Langosta, the International Cruise Terminal and Puerta Maya. Our guide or a representative waits right outside the terminal exit holding a sign with your name, about a 10-minute walk from the ship. Not sure which pier your ship uses? Tell us your ship on WhatsApp and we'll confirm the pier and the exact time.

You can choose a Tierra Maya pickup at the pier on the hour or half hour from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, no sooner than about an hour after your ship docks. The latest pickup that still fits depends on your all-aboard time and the visit: for a 4:30 PM all aboard, it's 1:00 PM for Honey & Chocolate, 12:30 PM for Sacred Roots, 11:30 AM for Living Traditions and 9:30 AM for the Private Visit & Island Exploration. The ship checker on tierramaya.org works it out for your ship, and if your times are tight, message us on WhatsApp.

Tierra Maya is on the Carretera Transversal, the cross-island road, at about Km 12.3, on the way to the other side of the island and about 15 minutes from the cruise piers. It's about 10 minutes from the San Gervasio ruins. On Google Maps it's listed as Tierra Maya Cozumel – Sanctuary of Living Traditions; use that pin for directions.

Each station takes about 45 minutes. Living Traditions, all 4 stations, is about 3 hours. Sacred Roots, 3 stations, is about 2¼ hours. Honey & Chocolate, 2 stations, is about 1½ hours: the short one, for tight ship days. We're 15 minutes from the cruise piers.

Tierra Maya has four hands-on stations of about 45 minutes each. Cacao: you grind real cacao beans by hand on volcanic stone with a little local honey, chili and cinnamon, and taste what you made. The stone kitchen: you fire-roast tomatoes, chiles and pumpkin seeds into Zik'il P'aak salsa in a molcajete and press your own corn tortillas. The bees: you meet the stingless Melipona and shape a beeswax candle to take home. Agave & spirits: how agave becomes mezcal and tequila, then a tasting, with a non-alcoholic fruit pairing for kids.

The Private Visit & Island Exploration is Tierra Maya just for your group: we pick you up at the pier or your hotel, you do all 4 stations, then spend two hours seeing the island with your own guide, about 5 hours in all. It's priced per vehicle, not per person: $249 by Jeep (3 comfortable, 4 tight) or $345 by minivan (5 comfortable, 6 tight), pickup included, so 2 guests pay the same as 4. Tell us on WhatsApp what you'd like to see in those two hours, and we'll confirm what's possible and whether anything costs extra.

Tierra Maya keeps groups small on purpose, so the guides know your name and go at your pace. On Living Traditions, Sacred Roots and Honey & Chocolate you may share the preserve with other small groups. If you want it to be only your party, book the Private Visit & Island Exploration. Online booking takes up to 6 guests; groups of 7 or more book with us directly on WhatsApp.

Tierra Maya's guides speak English and Spanish, so you can do the visit in either language.

Tierra Maya is about 10 minutes from the San Gervasio ruins. Our pier pickup is a round trip between the pier and Tierra Maya, so if you'd like to add the ruins or the beach the same day, message us on WhatsApp first and we'll check it still fits before all aboard. On the Private Visit & Island Exploration, you get two extra hours with your own guide after the stations; tell us on WhatsApp what you'd like to see.

Living Traditions is $80 per person, Sacred Roots $70 and Honey & Chocolate $45. Kids under 12 don't pay. Pickup at the pier: Jeep, up to 4 guests, $70 round trip; minivan, up to 6 guests, $90 round trip. The Private Visit & Island Exploration, just your group with pickup included, is $249 by Jeep or $345 by minivan. You pay in USD, charged in pesos.

A family of 2 adults and 2 kids under 12 on Living Traditions pays $160 (kids don't pay) plus $70 for the round-trip Jeep from the pier: $230 in all, and 4 is a tight fit in the Jeep. The same family on the Private Visit & Island Exploration by Jeep pays $249, with pickup and two extra hours on the island. Six adults pay $345 for the private visit by minivan, instead of $570 on Living Traditions with pickup. Groups of 7 or more book with us on WhatsApp.

Every visit includes the hands-on stations it lists, the tastings at each one and the beeswax candle you make at the bee station; pier pickup is included only on the Private Visit & Island Exploration. These are tastings, not lunch, so extra food and drinks aren't included, and neither are souvenirs or gratuities. Tipping your guide is up to you.

Booking ahead is best, especially on busy ship days, because the Jeeps and minivans for pier pickup can fill up. You can book online at tierramaya.org up to a year ahead; for a same-day pickup, message us on WhatsApp before you book so we can check there's a vehicle for you. If you're already on the island and want to come by, message us on WhatsApp first so we can make sure there's room.

You pay online by card on a secure payment page, and Apple Pay and Google Pay work too. Prices are in US dollars and charged in Mexican pesos at 18.5 pesos per dollar, so Living Traditions at $80 is charged as MX$1,480. Your bank converts the pesos at its own rate and may add a foreign-transaction fee, so the amount on your statement can differ from the dollar price.

Yes. Tierra Maya is rated 5.0 on Google. You book on a secure payment page, get a booking number and a confirmation email straight away, and a reminder the day before your visit. A person answers on WhatsApp at +52 987 119 7796.

Yes. Tierra Maya is made for families: kids grind cacao, press their own tortillas and meet the stingless bees. Children under 12 don't pay. At the agave station, kids get a non-alcoholic fruit pairing instead.

Kids under 12 don't pay on any Tierra Maya visit, and on the per-person visits guests 12 and over pay the adult price. Every child still takes a seat in the Jeep or minivan, so 2 adults and 3 kids need the minivan. At the agave station, anyone under 18, Mexico's legal drinking age, gets the non-alcoholic fruit pairing instead of the tasting.

Yes, babies and toddlers are welcome, and kids under 12 don't pay. The paths between the stations are natural jungle ground, so a baby carrier or a sturdy stroller works best, and keep little ones close at the open-fire stone kitchen. Every child takes a seat in our Jeep and minivan, so count babies when you choose a vehicle, and if you need a car seat, message us on WhatsApp before your visit.

Tierra Maya adapts the visit to older guests and anyone with mobility needs: message us on WhatsApp before you book so we can plan it with you. The paths between stations are natural jungle ground, so if walking is hard we can usually seat you at a table near the entrance. Foldable wheelchairs fit in our Jeep and minivan; mobility scooters don't. The grounds are shaded, with restrooms and water on site.

These are tastings, not lunch. Vegetarian and vegan friendly, and corn tortillas are naturally gluten-free. We work with cacao, honey, corn, tomato, pumpkin seeds, chili and spices.

Only at the last station, Agave & spirits: how agave becomes mezcal and tequila, told before anything is poured. No party, no hard sell. Kids get a non-alcoholic fruit pairing instead, and Sacred Roots has no alcohol.

Yes. The tequila Tierra Maya serves carries QR codes and meets every standard set by the Mexican government, and the liqueurs (cacao, chocolate, coconut and mazapán) are artisanal, handpicked from producers we trust. At the end of the visit you can browse tequila, liqueurs, chocolate and crafts if you'd like to take some home, with no pressure and no hard sell. If you're on a cruise, check your ship's rules first: most cruise lines hold bottles bought ashore until the end of the trip.

Tell us about any allergy or special diet when you book, and for a serious allergy (nuts, peanuts, dairy, seeds or anything else), message us on WhatsApp at +52 987 119 7796 before your visit so the team can check every tasting for you. The stations use cacao, honey, corn, tomato, pumpkin seeds, chili and spices, and one of the liqueurs at the agave station is mazapán, which in Mexico is usually made with peanuts. If you avoid honey, tell your guide and leave it out of your cacao.

We're open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and earlier for cruise guests: pickups start at 8:00 AM. Tell us your ship times and we'll fit around them.

No, Tierra Maya is closed on Sundays, and online booking won't take a Sunday date. We're open Monday to Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and earlier for cruise guests: pickups start at 8:00 AM.

Comfortable shoes. The grounds are shaded, with restrooms and water on site.

Bring sunscreen, a hat and insect repellent: the grounds are shaded, but you're in the jungle. Bring a little cash too, in dollars or pesos, for tips or anything you'd like to take home, though cards work as well.

The stations are under open-air palapas, thatched-roof shelters, so a passing tropical shower usually doesn't stop the visit. If the weather turns truly bad, we'll message you on WhatsApp about what to do with your booking.

Yes, take all the photos you like. Tierra Maya shares group photos, so tell your guide if you'd rather not be in them. For commercial photography or filming, message us before your visit.

Cancel at least 24 hours before your visit for a full refund. Inside 24 hours, or if you don't show up, there's no refund. If your ship skips Cozumel, you get a full refund.

Reply to your confirmation email or message us on WhatsApp at +52 987 119 7796 with your booking number. Cancel at least 24 hours before your visit for a full refund; inside 24 hours, or if you don't show up, there's no refund. To move your visit to another day or time, or to add guests, message us and we'll change it if there's room.

If your ship skips Cozumel, you get a full refund. If it arrives late or brings guests ashore by tender boat, message us on WhatsApp as soon as you know your new time, and we'll look at a later pickup or a shorter visit that still gets you back with an hour's cushion before all aboard. Pickups are planned from about an hour after your ship docks, which leaves room for the walk off the ship.