Tulum, Cancún

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A mandatory day trip from Cancun takes us to Xcaret or Xel-Ha, both close to the ruins of Tulum. The ruins are not so impressive as in some other areas , but it is a very interesting visit, and the bath by the ruins a special experience, even with a rough sea that didn't frighten the kids.

Tulum is not too far from Cancun that you can't go or too close to be exagerated full. Tulum is located at a good distance 2hr drive from Cancun. THere's many ways to get there; by renting a car or taking a tour, you can take the Bus "Mayab" to Tulum.

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This was our first place to visit and I just Love it, The entrance fee is very cheap, around $3.00Dlllrs. The ruins are small it take less than a hour, but is the better place for pictures because is the Only
place where you can see Mayan ruins and caribbean sea together.

You Can take Beautiful pictures. (1st picture was in my forst visit, ou honeymoon) 2nd picture (our last visit 2008 with our son, in the same place)

Tulum is my favorite place in the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, for many reasons, is the only place where you can have the opportunity to see the beautiful landscape created by the combination of the mayan ruins and the caribean. It's just magic!

The archaeological site is relatively compact and is one of the best-preserved coastal Maya sites.

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Tulum 's view facing the rising sun and looking over the Caribbean is spectacular. In Maya, Tulum means "Wall", and the city is one of very few the ancients ever built. Plan to spend a few hours roaming around as there are several interesting stustures to visit.

It is believed the site was built sometime around A.D. 564 (the inscription on a stele) This places Tulum within the Classic period.

Entrance is $35~40 pesos (video cameras extra $30 pesos)
Open 8am to 5 pm, everyday.

Be sure to take the 1/2 day excursion to the Mayan ruins of Tulum. Your tour guide will tell you all about the Mayan culture as you walk by each of the old buildings. Be sure to walk up the hill for breathtaking views of the ruins against the sea.

My trip to Tulum was gorgeous... We rented a car from our resort in Cancun - ab out $90 American for the day and drove up the coast. We stopped along the way for a sun break and lunch (and beer) on the Mayan Riviera... The beach was very nice... White sand and great swimming. Then continued on to Tulum. From what I remember (could be wrong) it was about $4 to get in - we didn't take the guided tour. It was nice to wander around checking out everything and then slip in and out of crowds aroung the guides when we heard somtething interesting. The ruins were well worth seeing. Not huge - but interesting anyway. My favourite thing was the view along the ocean - just gorgeous. Driving was a little hairy - but not bad. Thanks to my friend Anne for being the brave one!
All in all - A wickedly great day!

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We spent a half day at Tulum on our November 2004 trip and it was the highlight of the trip for me. Tulum is absolutely breathtaking! The town is so neat to walk through and imagine how it might have been back during the Mayans time there.
The water on the beach there is something else. The waves aren't regular waves, they roll in like beautiful soft fluffy waves, and the water is the bluest green I have seen in all of Mexico. You have to experience the beach to understand for yourself. A few pesos will get you in to see all of the sites. And remember, DO NOT climb on these ruins you will get in trouble, there was a guy climbing on them and it is forbidden and you will get whistled at and yelled at by the employee's who work there. Tulum is a must see for those who visit this area of Mexico.

One of our free trips included a bus tour of the Tulum ruins combined with an afternoon at the Xpu-Ha Palace Resort. Because of the crowds that descend on Tulum, the busses have to park away from the site and it involves quite a bit more walking than Chichen-Itza. Also, since this is a relatively small walled fortification, it can be crowded - especially if a cruise ship disgorges its load (Chichen-Itza is much further inland, making a quick cruise ship tour difficult). We did not have as much time to explore here, but it was interesting to compare the two sites.

Get there early and expect an hour (plus swim time) for site seeing. The massive waves of tour buses start coming around 10am - 11am and then you'll have no chance of getting a picture without wandering tourist everywhere.

There's a small (sometimes no) entrance fee, and for a couple bucks, you can get a tour guide to walk around and give you the long history of the ruins and surrounding area.

There are hundreds of iguanas wondering around posing for a great picture - if you dare to get close.

Bring a swimsuit as there is a small, but impressive beach to enjoy.