Hurricane Dean devastated the port of Costa Maya, Mexico. Port officials estimate that 50 percent of the pier is gone and that it’s a multimillion-dollar loss. Officials say there were no casualties at the port and they are in the process of assessing the facilities for damage reports. Port spokesman Cesar Lizarraga has stated it could be at least six to eight months before the port will reopen.

Costa Maya is located some 100 miles south of Cozumel and is a remote area with access to many of the lesser known Mayan ruins in the Yucatan including Chacchoben and Kohunlich. Costa Maya became a popular cruise port in recent years after major construction of new facilities. The port facilities include beaches, shopping mall, and plaza area with pools and “swim-up” style bars.

Many cruise lines called on the port and officials anticipate that cruise lines will redeploy their ships to Western Caribbean ports such as Roatán and Belize while Costa Maya is rebuilding.