Ruinas de Tulum Things to Do

Th most dominant building in Tulum was called El Castillo by the Spaniards because it looked like a castle, it must be one.
Wh knows for sure, perhaps they were right.
For sure, El Castillo was on fantastic lighthouse..

The ruins of Tulum are on top of a sheer cliff, high above the shimmering waters of the Mexican Caribbean.
Tulum, Maya for "wall", is protected by three massive walls and a 40 ft cliff with a sandy cove at its base.
From this beach, the seafaring inhabitants launched fishing and trade boats establishing Tulum as the principal port on the coast.

Tulum would not be a huge attraction if it not were for its extraordinary location look over the vast blue sea. The temples hang off 40 meter cliffs as the turquoise water crashes below.

The Tulum is Mayan for wall. There is a wall that completely encloses this tiny city whose occupants were barely hanging on to their civilization in the Late Post-classic period (AD 1200-1521). The buildings and temples are nearly doll-house size. There are no grand temples like those in nearby Chichen-Itza or Coba. However there are some nice murals and carvings in Toltec style that are very interesting.

Try to imagine the Spanish explores running down the coast in the Caribbean Sea and looking over to see the brightly painted buildings of Tulum and a massive ceremonial fire burning atop of El Castillo, the sea side watch tower fortress. It might have been frightening, even with the civilization in decline.

Come here early to avoid the entire maddening tourist influx from the cruise ships and Cancun. The sunrise is quite special here.

Hours 7am to 5pm
Cost about $3 US

The perfect picture "el Castillo" makes for a kewl contrast between the beautiful light blue colors of the Caribbean sea, and the impressive craftsmanship present on the Mayan ruins, which are located atop a cliff.

Tulum is a small, but exquisite site. In front of every structure there is a plaque with the name and the description of the building. You can easily visite the site even without a tourist guide.
If you want know more about the site please, go to my travelogues.

in the foreground:frescoes temple (today no frescoes!)
in the background:el castillo,as called by the spanish,for it's the greatest...
a very important religious site:every 52 years,mayas considered the world was arriving to the end of a period.then,a ceremony took place here:all the fires were out and...the debts canceled!!!!

Here we can see the beach side of the city. All other 3 sides were, are, protected with walls. There were only 5 small doors to access the city.

It's amazing that the detail is still visible. This corner is a face...the nose is made up of the corner.

Tulum is a wonderful destination for some relaxing ruin visiting. It has a beach right on the site and the ruins can be approached, and in some cases, stood upon.