#OnTheMayanRoute : Tulum? Yes Please!

Tulum sums up pretty much everything I love: clear blue water, palm trees, archeological ruins and amazing sights. 

From the Temple of the “God of the Wind”: Tulum Ruins offer unique sights by the caribbean waters of the Riviera Maya

You have probably seen (or even better, been to) a picture perfect beach with Mayan ruins sitting by the cliffs of turquoise caribbean waters. That’s Tulum (or Tuluum), an ancient pre-mayan site in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. As part of a Series on major Mayan archeological sites in Central America (to come: Copan Ruins in Honduras and Tikal Site in Guatemala), let’s go straight to mayan travelers paradise: Tulum.

When our beautiful friends decided to get married in Mexico, we couldn’t but grasp the opportunity to visit this beautiful archeological site. We thank them for sharing with us this little piece of heaven. Tulum is absolutely unique, both because of the site’s historical importance and its incredible paradise-like location.

So how’s like visiting Tulum? Great, definitely. Is it worth the visit? Absolutely. Is it touristy? Of course.  Is that beach the most beautiful you’ve seen? Yes. Should I go back? ASAP please.

A little bit about Tulum Mayan Ruins

Tulum (or Tuluum) was a Maya city inhabited between the 13th and 15th and lasted for almost 70 years after the Spanish conquest before being abandoned due to diseases and casualties brought by the Spaniards.

So, without doing the whole archeological-mayanmania thing, let’s say – in (very) short that Tulum was one of the last cities inhabited by Maya people between the 13^th and the 15^th centuries. With Spanish occupation came along a lot of diseases that ended up to be deadly to Maya people and with increase of fatalities, they abandoned the city, leaving it to the ruins we get to visit today.

Visiting Tulum Ruins

The beach at Tulum is definitely one of the main attraction of the site… besides the beautiful mayan ruins of course 🙂

Because these ruins are so great and beautiful, the site is basically a tourists MAGNET. Try avoiding the crowds and tourist buses by getting there really early (opens 8 A.M). Compared to other Mayan sites like Cobá or Chichen Itzá, Tulum might seem smaller (6km) so it makes a great trip for the day or half a day.

From the road you can walk 500m to the site entry or pay extra for the Disney-like touristy little train from the road entrance to the site entrance. once you go though the ticket booth and security check, you’ll go through the visitor’s center where you can book a guide, learn more about mayan civilization and then go for it: hit the ruins!

OK, so what else is there to know?

Best part of visiting Tuluum? Getting to wander around in swimsuits and dip into the beautiful beach by the ruins!

Preparing your visit…what to bring:

– Sunscreen, a lot of sunscreen: there is no shadow and the sun will definitely hit your skin
– Comfortable shoes, you can not actually climb on the ruins (thankfully!) but the site is pretty big and you will do a lot of walking
– Snacks: I don’t recall seeing a restaurant or a snacks shop so I’d recommend bringing your own (warning: no alcohol admitted!)
– Your bathing suit + towel, YAY! : best part of visiting Tulum is getting to dip into Mayan turquoise waters. There is a little beach access right by the main ruin (the Castle or Castillo) access is free and it’s absolutely stunning. There are no bathrooms/changing rooms so prepare wisely. The stripy beach is not so wide so it usually gets pretty crowded but hey, you’re in Tulum!

How to get there from Playa del Carmen:

Take the time to admire this beautiful site, chosen centuries ago by Mayas as an exotic Ceremonial site by the caribbean.

– Try the very comfty ADO Buses, they’ll drop you right by the site entrance. Safe, air-con  comfortable buses for tourists. You can check departure schedules online. ADO buses also run from Cancun International airport and you’ll get %OFF when buying round-trips.

– Try hitching a colectivo straight from the Highway, cheaper option than the ADO bus. You’ll have to walk from/to the highway to the site entrance (yikes, it’s hot!) but these little vans are very convenient since they are very regular, air-con and felt quite safe. They’ll drop you at Playa del Carmen central park, run safely until 8 P.M, pay cash and tell the driver where you want to be dropped.

Otherwise, ENJOY ! Visiting Tulum is one of my favorite souvenirs from my Maya Riviera visit and it’s perfect for a day-trip. Just get there early, put your bikini on and you are set to be amazed.

Altho now a touristic attraction, Tulum is home to many exotic species like these little dragon iguanas. You’ll find them wandering all over the ruins !

Have you been to Tulum? How do you like turquoise waters? Did you say hi to our little dragon friends up here? Share in the comments box below 🙂