Alltournative

Awesome! My wife and I took the Coba Maya Encounter. We wanted to see some ruins and learn the history — but we wanted more. This tour gives you more! Since we reserved late the night before, we were placed into a group where we were the only native English speakers. Gustavo, our guide, was amazing at making sure he translated each instruction. He was very personable, and funny.
The tour started with a drive which allowed us to rap a bit, and then we hiked to a Mayan ritual, hiked to the cenote, rappelled into the cenote landing inner tubes, floated and relaxed for a bit. There are two ways out of the cenote. You can hook back up to the top you rappelled in on and have the tour company employees pull you up– or you can climb up the Mayan ladder– only do thee ladder if you have strong legs and decent upper body strength.
A short hike later we were flying among the jungle tops on the zip line and then across a lagoon. The time on the zip line was so nice and peaceful. We the n canoed to our lunch. The Buffett was delicious.
After a change out of our swimsuits, we went to Coba. You could rent a bike, have some one pedal for you, or walk. The walk was just about a mile to the ruins. The view and the experience were worth the trek and sore legs with the heat and humidity.
You have to do this tour if you want to see the ruins– but want to keep active. My wife and I can’t stop talking about this trip!

This tour is absolutely incredible and I would strongly recommend this tour company to anyone. You will have a small group, we had 10 in ours — which made the experience much more intimate and fun. We had the pleasure of having Israel as our guide and we lucked out — he is amazing! He is HILARIOUS as long as you have a good sense of humor and he kept our entire group laughing the whole day.
We were picked up in a van 5 minutes earlier than scheduled! We were the first couple so we had a long chance to rest our eyes since it was an early pickup time. Once everybody was on board, Israel introduced himself and asked where everyone was from — and he remembered throughout the day. He really took the time to get to know the group.
We went to Jungle Maya first. It is easiest if you have your bathing suit underneath your clothes already! 5 total ziplines, one is with a water landing! Rappelling down into a cenote was amazing! And swimming through the underground rivers was breathtaking! You are only allowed to have cameras on your head or chest during the activities so prepare for that. The authentic Mayan lunch was the best meal we had during our entire trip. Delicious! The staff throughout the Jungle Maya take awesome pictures and videos for you to purchase, for a CD of photos it was $ 60 and for a USB of photos and videos it was $ 70. Not bad for once in a lifetime photos!
Then we headed to Tulum where Israel walked around the ruins and explained key points about the Mayan history. He really knew his stuff! He kept all the information really interesting and not boring at all. Then we had about 40 minutes of free explore time. I wish we had more time at Tulum because it is just so beautiful and a big area to walk around.
The ride home was nice, got a little nap in. Sitting near the front helped since we got good AC there. After a long day our tour was over and we gave Israel a nice tip. Cross your fingers you get Israel if you book! You won’t regret it.

The absolute best! We chose the Tulum Jungle Adventure tour because it had something for mom (archeological sites) and something for the teen (rappeling, ziplining). It exceeded expectations in every possible way.
The group was small — ten people — so you get good personal attention and can move at a reasonable pace. Our guide was Miguel, and he was super friendly and helpful. We started our tour at Tulum, which is a seaside Mayan temple and village. It isn’t as massive as Chichen-​Itza, but what it lacks in spectacle it more than makes up for in being relatively uncrowded, and very relaxed, with some fun local color — people taking your photos with giant iguanas, and some lemurs that my daughter fed a tortilla. The tour allowed us just the right amount of time for a guided section and time to wander and explore on our own.
Then we went on to the Jungle site, switching from our comfy van to a giant army surplus open jeep. It’s a rollicking ride — sit in the back for maximum bumps! Once there, everything goes into a locker, you change into a swimsuit, and your next stop is a hole in the ground that leads to one of the underground caves –you rappel down. Here’s where the rubber meets the road: I am not an athletic person, and I was terrified. Miguel said, no worries, I could just walk around, but in the end, the other travelers and Miguel made me feel comfortable enough that I took the plunge — so to speak — and did it.
It was so fun and after that? NO FEAR. We spent the rest of the afternoon on five different ziplines, one of which ends in a water plunge in a cave, where we spent 45 minutes snorkeling among the stalagmites and stalacites. Somewhere in there we had a Mayan purufication ceremony, and a lunch cooked by a local family, that was just to die for — chicken in red sauce, and rice that I would cook every night if I could duplicate the recipe. My kid — world’s pickiest eater — went for second helpings.
At the end, you have the chance to buy photos — just a couple or all of them on a flash drive. The prices are fairly reasonable, especially compared to area resorts. There was even video of us heading down one of the ziplines.
We had a fantastic day — it was worth every penny, and I unreservedly recommend this tour, our guide Miguel, and the company.

Coba Maya Ruins Tour was boot camp-​like, in the funnest way possible. Kayaking, bike riding, hiking up a temple, tube-​ing inside a sinkhole, rappelling and ziplining. The good news is that you get a coffee break in the morning, time to shop local handmade goods, and fed an awesome buffet of spicy and vegetarian friendly food at the end.
Our group had about 10 people in it. Along the hike, we visited a shaman where we were blessed. This was a cool and moving experience. I felt a lump growing in my throat during the ritual. Do not take your own photos with the shaman. A photographer follows you the entire time and those photos are available for purchase at the end.
We ziplined 2 – 3 different times along our hike. There’s a flat area that’s a few miles long where you’re given the option of walking, renting a bike, or hiring a bike taxi before meeting up with another guide. Along the path, there are places to stop and snap pics. I have a crazy fear of heights, but had to climb to the top of the temple. Take your time here, the rocks are quite steep and can be wobbly and uneven. There’s a sturdy rope to hold on to that extends down the middle of the pyramid. I crawled down because I am a chicken, but the majority of the tourists were doing the same.
Make sure you have your bathing suit underneath your clothes. There’s an area of outdoor showers, where you are required to rinse off all products used on your hair and body before entering the cenote. The Mayans are mindful of keeping the waters pure and safe for wildlife. It is here that you have the option of putting on a life vest. One by one, you rappel into a cenote and onto an inner tube that’s waiting down below. The sinkhole is dark and peaceful. It’s a much needed cool respite after a day of hiking under the sun.
By the end of the afternoon you will be exhausted. When you reach the kayak portion of the tour, that is the last push. Dig deep because you’ll be paddling toward lunch. The food was so good. Very vegetarian friendly, too. I was pleasantly surprised to find a dish with tvp.
Thomas was our tour guide who also served as interpreter. He was extremely charming and made this experience fun and memorable. Be sure to bring extra cash for tips. The Mayans rely on tourism and survive off of tips.

Did the Jungle Maya tour. What an excellent experience. Diego, our guide was witty and informative encouraging all of us in our group to enjoy the physical activities and experiences, bonding is into a team environment. Nobody in our group knew each other but we left friends. The experience for us started in Cancun, from there it’s 1.5 hours south, near Tolum to where the ranchitos are that give you access to the cenotes. Once there you’ll zip line, rappel and dive into beautiful and pristine underground caves where you’ll snorkel and swim. Alltournative will provide you with towels, so don’t worry about packing one. The only cameras allowed are GoPro style cameras the mount to you, because the activities require you to use your hands, they won’t allow you to take point and shoot cameras or your phones as it can be a safety hazard. The Mayan food is good and the staff (aside from your guide) were all friendly and supportive. I would gladly go back and see this as a comped able if not worthy ‘alltournative’ (see what I did there???) to Xcaret. Our driver who brought us to and from the park, ‘Cubitas’ got us there and back safely and comfortably (almost fell asleep on the ride back) in a newer Ford Transit. Would definitely recommend.

My husband and I did this when we went on our honeymoon a few weeks ago and it was amazing! We did the Mayan adventure where we got to canoe, zip line, eat an authentic Mayan lunch and rappel into a cenote! We then went to Coba which was absolutely incredible! It just seemed unreal everything was so big and beautiful! Our tour guides were amazing and so knowledgeable which made it so fun to learn about everything! It rained on us and it was still fantastic! The humidity was a killer, but that’s what happens when you venture into the jungle! Definitely recommend if you are looking for a full day excursion! (It will take all day and you will be pooped by the time you are done, but it’s worth it!)

I went on the Coba Mayan exursion and was very glad that I did. Ivan, my tour guide was hilarious and made the experience fun and educational. I learned about different communities and the Mayan culture. This particular tour is more for the active/​adventurous type.
The lunch buffet cooked by the local Mayan ladies was delicious! I was provided with water during the excursion, which was cool.
I really like that there is an actual person that answers the phone. She helped me with all my questions and in selecting the most appropriate excursion for me.

My family booked a Mayan encounter w/​Alltournative 6-​19-​2015. This was an incredible experience. Our tour guide Tzsam (Sam) is phenomenal! We highly recommend requesting him. He is very informative, went out of his way for us, & has a great sense of humor. The cenotes are a must see. The tour begins w/​a short hike to canoe across a lake to hike up a trail to zip line across an above ground cenotes. Then we enjoyed a delicious authentic Mayan lunch. Everyone in our group was thoroughly pleased. Then as the day warms up we repel into a cool underground cenotes. The cave is magnificent. My teens climbed the hanging ladder. Many of us accepted the lift up from the man powered pulley system. The tour ends at the Coba Mayan ruins. These are the oldest temples & the last that people are allowed to climb. It’s a great site even if you pass on the climb.

Amazing trip, and Oscar was the best. We did zip lines, repelling, swam in a cenote, had lunch, and visited Coba. Highly recommended. Oscar was great with everyone in the group, and including my daughter, we had two teenager girls that had a blast.

Die Tour mit Alltournative war mit einer der Besten, die wir in Mexiko gemacht haben und das waren einige. Gebucht haben wir den Ausflug im Hotel über Tui.
Da wir bei unserem ersten Mexiko-​Urlaub fast ausschließlich Ausflüge im, am oder auf dem Wasser hatten, sollte diesmal schon ein wenig Maya-​Kultur dabei sein! Wollten ja nicht wieder als totale Banausen heimkehren. Aber Cenote hätten wir auch gerne, und ein bisschen Action wäre auch nicht verkehrt.
Überrascht stellten wir fest, dass genau so ein Ausflug angeboten wurde:
Eine Aktivtour kombiniert mit Maya-​Stätte Coba und Cenoten… Perfekt!!!
Mit 8 weiteren internationalen Teilnehmern (eigentlich 10, aber 2 Personen aus unserem Hotel sind nicht erschienen, vermutlich am Vorabend das All-​Inklusiv an der Bar voll ausgekostet) starteten wir ins Abenteuer.
Um die durch das Warten verloren gegangene Zeit wieder aufzuholen, hat unser VAN-​Fahrer das Gaspedal ordentlich durchgedrückt. Das Fahrzeug hatte schon einige Touren hinter sich und die Anschnallgurte waren nicht mehr wirklich funktionstüchtig … hauptsache die Klimaanlage läuft.
Es blieb mir also leider nichts anderes übrig, als mich abzuschnallen und zu beten ;-)
Abenteuer inklusive halt …
Die Zeit bis zum ersten Stop Coba, ging schnell rum. Unser Guide Markus (Österreicher mit einer Maya-​Frau verheiratet) hat uns gut unterhalten.
In Coba angekommen sind wir dann anfangs zusammen losgezogen und Markus hat uns nicht nur mit allen wichtigen Infos zur Maya-​Stätte versorgt sondern auch anschaulich die damalige Lebensweise vermittelt und … by the way … auch gleich noch eine Vogelspinne in einem Erdloch präsentiert, die er zufällig entdeckt hatte.
Anschließend hatten wir 1 Stunde zur freien Verfügung um bis zur Pyramide zu gelangen, aufzusteigen (wer will) und wieder zurück zum Treffpunkt zu kommen. Es sind 20 bis 30 Minuten Fußmarsch bis zur Pyramide und ein Fahrradtaxi oder Fahrrad mieten ist empfehlenswert, denn der Aufstieg ist nicht ohne, aber lohnt sich auf jeden Fall!!! Außerdem sind die Taxifahrer sehr kontaktfreudig und teilen gerne ihr Insiderwissen … sehr unterhaltsam ;-))
Kultur: Check.
…weiter gehts!
Nächster Stop Cenoten!
Hier ging dann der «aktive» Teil der Tour los (WITZIG … die Pyramide zu erklimmen war ja auch nur ein Spaziergang …) mit Seilrutsche über eine Schlucht/​Lagune, am Felsen Abseilen, Kayak durch eine Lagune und zu Fuß durch den Dschungel bis zur Maya-​Segnungsstätte, wo wir in einer festlichen Zeremonie von einem Mayapriester wirklich gesegnet wurden. Obwohl es irgendwie absurd klingt, war es doch beeindruckend. Vielleicht auch, weil die Stimmung in der Gruppe einfach super war und Markus als unser Guide … besser geht nicht!
Von da aus war es nicht mehr weit bis zur «Froschmaul”-Cenote. Eine Tropfsteinhöhle mit kristallklarem Wasser, 8 – 11 Meter tief. Wir durften sogar darin schwimmen, … die lang ersehnte Abkühlung! Ein wunderschöner Moment in mystischer Atmosphäre.
Völlig ausgehungert ging es nun zum Essen, liebevoll von den Maya-​Dorfbewohnerinnen zubereitet. Eine kleine Auswahl landestypischer Köstlichkeiten!!! Der perfekte Abschluss für einen erlebnisreichen und perfekten Tag.
Während des 2. Teils der Tour sind wir von einem Fotografen begleitet worden, der tolle Bilder gemacht hat, die wir natürlich gekauft haben. Insbesondere weil die Einnahmen für einen guten Zweck sind und auch die Dorfbewohner unterstützen.
Ach ja … was natürlich nicht fehlen durfte bevor es wieder zurück ging … der gute golden Tequila … Salud!!!

For our first tour in Cancun my husband and I chose the Jungle Maya tour. Our tour guide Israel was very amiable, accommodating and funny as heck. He was our driver to the tour and our guide. One of my fears is heights and I overcame that in order to rappel down a hole into a cenote which are Mother Nature made beautiful underground caves with crystal clear mineral water. We got to zip line sixty feet above the jungle and the last zip line was into a cenote how refreshing and exhilarating. The last activity involved in snorkeling the longest underground river system and words can’t describe the beauty. We topped off our your with a wonderfully authentic Mexican meal and it was superb. For a wonderful day out off the beaten path I highly recommend this tour.

This was probably one of the coolest tours I have ever been on. My husband and I did the Ek Balam and Cenotes tour. It was about a 2 hour drive from the hotel zone and is a full day trip.
Our guide had a great personality, I just wish he would have engaged the group a little more and given us more facts as we went through the small towns. A lot of the time we were just driving around staring at things. Thank goodness for google!
Overall though I would book another tour with them if I was in Cancun, it’s a great company!

Our Best Day travel rep Gabriela at our resort highly recommended this company. We took the Tulum tour which included 2 hours at Tulum, then off to Jungla Maya for a fun truck ride through the jungle, swimming in cenotes, rappelling into the cenote, zip lining and snorkeling in the cenotes. Lunch was included as were margaritas at the end. Pictures were taken by the staff throughout our adventure and they did a fabulous job. We bought the whole CD of photos which we never do!
Our guide was Euri and we thought she was The Best! (Hi Euri!!). She was so fun, helpful, energetic and knowledgable. She picked us up in a 12 person van with A/​C (very important!). We liked the small tour size and would recommend that.
Tulum was beautiful and the adventure part of the tour was so well done. Everything was clean and safe and organized. The lunch they provided was one of my favorite meals we had in Mexico — homemade rice, beans, chicken and amazing empanadas! Wish I had a pile of those empanadas right now.
The cenotes were breathtaking… and the water was so wonderfully cool, clear and refreshing. (It was really hot there in July). They are a must see IMHO.
This tour was a highlight of our vacation. Thanks Euri for making it so fun!

Alltournative is by FAR the best ecotour company in the Riviera Maya. Me and my friends chose the Jungla Maya tour and the Cenote Maya. Both where excelent! Ziplines where in perfect conditions (the best I have experienced around here), The Cenotes are beautiful (Specially Cenote Maya), food was delicious and the staff very friendly and helpful. Cynthia from Grupos provide us with the best info to chose our tour and our guide Hugo The Boss had great maya history knowledge and speaks very well english. Highly Recommended.

There are many places to take tours to the various Mayan ruins throughout the Yucatan Peninsula. My wife and I chose AllTourNative, as it was one of the available tour desks in our hotel lobby. After talking with Samantha and Vincent (both were extremely helpful) about what tours we wanted to do, we chose the Ek Balam ruins combined with the Mayan Cenote tour. The tour van picked us up but we had to stop at their vehicle center to switch vehicles due to an issue with the van (I was glad because the new bus they put us in was WAY better than that van). Our tour guide Thomas picked us up and we began the 2 hour ride to Ek Balam. Thomas was very knowledgeable, spoke English very well (and French and Spanish), and was just a real, friendly guy.
We chose Ek Balam over Chichenitza as you can still climb on and around Ek Balam. Chichenitza is closed off to visitors to go inside and climb up the pyramid. The Ek Balam main pyramid is very high up. You can see for miles once you reach the top! This site is still being excavated and they just discovered some new hieroglyphs that are in pristine condition. Such history!
After Ek Balam, we visited the largest Mayan Cenote. If you ever get the chance to visit a Cenote in Mexico, make sure you get to rappel down one. Awesome experience! The water in the Cenote is crystal clear and cold (but after being in the hot sun for a few hours it feels wonderful).
After we finished the Cenote, we headed back to our hotel. My wife and I were the last stop and Thomas and I got to talking about various dive stories, history about the Mayan Riviera, etc.
Not sure you can request a specific guide but if you get Thomas, you will not be disappointed.