Hurricane Knocks Out Costa Maya for at Least Six Months

News is starting to trickle out of Costa Maya, the fast-growing Mexican cruise port walloped Tuesday by Hurricane Dean, and it's not good. After surveying the damage, officials say the port could be out of action for at least six months, maybe more.

Cesar Lizarraga, the area's director of sales and marketing, says in a statement that about half of the port's infrastructure, including the cruise ship pier, was damaged. Lizarraga didn't elaborate on the nature of the damage, but says that "an early estimate indicates the port will remain closed for six to eight months" for repairs. The cost, he added, will be in the millions.

Lizarraga says Costa Maya officials are currrently meeting with cruise lines that use the port to discuss the future. But it could be some time before ships return. In a hint of just how bad the damage is, Lizarraga mentioned "mid-2008" as a timetable for when ships might be back to the sunny locale.

Carved out of the jungle along the Yucatan coast just six years ago, Costa Maya has grown from nothing to become of the most visited ports in the Western Caribbean. The man-made beach area offers bars, restaurants, shops and entertainment, as well as excursions to nearby Mayan ruins.