Cycle around Coba Ruins
Explore the Zona Arqueologica de Cobá by bicycle
Are you thinking about visiting Coba ruins with your kids? There are lots of ruins in the Mayan Riviera to chose from. We recently visited Coba with our kids and think it’s a great site for families looking to make an easy day trip from nearby Cancun.
This ruins site is easily accessible by car, making it easy to beat the large groups and bus tours which arrive directly from nearby resorts or main cities. It’s not a long trip, so you can make it to Coba from Cancun at a reasonable hour, but if you stay the night in one of the small local guest houses, you can get a jump on the masses and have the place to yourselves. That’s what we did and it was a really manageable trip.
We booked a single night at a local hotel (Sac Be Hotel). It was a simple, no frills place, but it was clean and close to the ruins site. (Note: the town nearest Coba is tiny. It really is just a strip of single storey buildings running along the road to the ruins site. There are a few shops and restaurants, but don’t expect much. You’re here for the ruins.)
We woke up early, had breakfast at the restaurant next door and made our way to the park. We opted to get the shortest of the available guided tours, which was informative, and didn’t last long enough to lose the attention of the kids.
There are three distinct sites within the archeological zone, and the tour covered the first two. The third was quite a distance away, and since our girls are strong enough cyclists, we rented a bike each (for a couple of dollars). This allowed us to bike the 4km to the farther site, which we then explored without any other visitors around. The ride is flat and easy, and our 7 and 9 year olds managed it without any issues.
We highly recommend the bikes. It’s not only an easy ride, it’s very peaceful. The path is wide and it’s quite a unique experience – riding through a jungle. While roaming around the last site, three monkeys appeared and swung around through the trees overhead, making for a really memorable stop.
Pro tip: we made the mistake of ordering too large a breakfast. If the point is to get there early, have a small breakfast, pack a fruit in your day bag and get to the park sooner rather than later. Even with the bike ride, we were done in a few hours and could have made it to lunch at one of the nearby restaurants without risking the kids getting too hangry.
Special note: when we were there last, the government and the locals were embroiled in some kind of dispute. The official (government run) website said that the site was closed, but that was not true – it was open when we were there. Ask around and do some research to check on the status. Trip Advisor is a good resource to check with other travellers who may have recently been to the site.
More awesome day trips from Cancun, Mexico
Explore the sea floor In A Submarine
Want to experience the excitement of diving without actually scuba diving? Try a submarine excursion! Great for children who are too young to scuba dive.
Go for a Swim in a Cenote
A cenote is a unique experience that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. There are hundreds throughout the Yucatan Peninsula, and whichever you decide to visit, they make an amazing day trip.
Swim with a sea turtle
Swimming with sea turtles is an incredible experience that you and your family will never forget. Get on your swimsuit, grab your mask and snorkel and see these giants up close and personal.
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