Tulum is a resort paradise in Mexico, which is located on east coast the Yucatan Peninsula. Conventionally, the resort is divided into three parts: the first is an entertainment and tourist area, it stretches along the coast Caribbean 8 km., then - Tulum Pueblo, Indians live here and the third zone - the visiting card of Tulum - destroyed ancient city where the Mayan civilization once flourished. The best beaches and hotels in Mexico are also located here.
Weather in Tulum
The climate at the resort is tropical, the average air temperature is +26 ° C, in summer up to +30 ° C, and in winter it can drop to +5 ° C. In the autumn-winter period, there is always more precipitation. In principle, on the peninsula there is always good weather, but the best time for travel - from October to May. Every vacationer will find pleasant moments of relaxation in the Mexican climate.
How to get to Tulum
You can get there by bus from Playa del Carmen or, which runs every hour from the bus station. It takes about two hours (135 km) to get to your destination and costs 80-100 pesos. At the request of tourists, the driver makes stops to view the archaeological parks. Some vacationers take a "minibus" (collectivo van) for 50 pesos.
Tulum is a very small town, so if you want to take a short tour of it, it is better to walk or rent a rickshaw. If you are planning a trip to cenotes in the vicinity of the city, remote beaches or Mayan ruins outside Tulum, then you can rent a car or use a taxi service.
Tulum landmarks
When the ancient Maya civilization flourished, they called this place Sama, which means "city of dawn". It was a religious and at the same time a military center. Tulum appeared in the 13th century, but when the Americans came here in the last century, an era of new life and the development of tourist infrastructure began.
The ancient city was built on the steep coast of the Caribbean Sea and is surrounded on all sides by fortress walls. Their height reaches 5 meters, and their width is about 8 meters. All these buildings are the subject and pride of the most ancient Mayan civilization. Some buildings were badly destroyed, others have survived to this day.
Tulum pyramid. Its walls are so bright with sunlight that you can see it from any part of the resort. Other attractions are also worth seeing: ruins of old houses, Castillo fortress, watchtower, Temples of the sea, wind and the God of clouds.
The Indians used to paint their buildings in bright and rich colors, but to our time, alas, they have not survived. Of particular interest is the Temple of Frescoes, which contains galleries of sculptures and frescoes dedicated to the "Descending God" of the Maya.
In the Tulum area, there are many cenotes (natural wells) and cave systems filled with water. Inside the caves, you can see stalagmites and stalactites, and if you go down under the water, you can feel the full power of ancient natural monuments.
It is better to go on excursions early in the morning, as it gets too hot at lunchtime and it is better to spend this time on the beach.
Tulum beaches
Tulum has the best and finest beaches along the coast. This is a real exotic and fabulous paradise for vacationers: the purest emerald water, snow-white sand, tropical nature, amazing and rich underwater world which drivers love so much. It turned out here perfect combination country life and archeology, romance and exoticism.
Shopping in Tulum
Avenida Tulum is the main street of the city, along which all kinds of shopping services are located: supermarkets, shops for every taste, souvenir shops. The main purchases are best done in the store, and it would be nice to bargain with street vendors. If you manage to agree, you can bring down the price twice, or even more. The Indians are more compliant and do not bargain for a long time, and the Mexicans do not surrender, defend their positions, as during hostilities. If they will yield, then quite a bit.
There are a lot of jewelry stores in Mexico. Tulum is no exception. The prices are quite reasonable, the choice is huge, and if the jewelry does not fit you in size, you can customize it on the spot.
Tourists from Mexico bring not only jewelry, but also tequila ($ 40-50), sombreros, colorful ponchos.
Tulum Restaurants
Cuisine in Tulum will satisfy any tastes of visiting vacationers, it is very diverse, but preference is given to Mexican dishes. The organizers of the hotels thoughtfully approached the choice of food, but if you wish, you can always visit the local restaurants. You can find food and cheaper - catering, it is located in the city. For only 100 pesos, you can eat a decent meal.
Don Cafetos is the most best restaurant Mexican food. For Thai food, head to Mezzanine, which sits on a 12-meter high cliff, while Italian dishes are prepared at Posada Magherita. Tourists who love desserts and ice cream do not pass by Panna e Cioccolato. Kebabs and dishes on the fire will be prepared at your presence at El Asadero.
Tulum Attractions
For those who are not tired of entertainment on the beach during the day, you can visit the city bars, listen to the music of local performers, enjoy live dances and drink spicy drinks. Teetotum offers rooftop movies when the weekend comes. You can't do without the local DJ parties that take place at Akiin. A must-see is the Sky Bar, where there is a real palm-tree roof garden.
Compared to other Mexican resorts, Tulum attracts tourists not only with the exotic beauty of nature and the emerald sea, but also ancient civilization Mayan. After all, not everyone had to rest, sleep, breathe the same air among the ancient ancestors of the Maya Indians.
Tulum Accommodation
Tulum's infrastructure is well developed. Despite the fact that the city is quite small, here you will find a large number of hotels and hotels for every taste and budget. Mostly they are not very large, but very cozy, creating comfort and a homely atmosphere. Most of the hotels are located on the coast, with a wonderful view of the ocean, but some are located in the city center, close to entertainment complexes and restaurants. For $ 20 a day, you can stay in a private villa or bungalow, the average price for a double room in a hotel is $ 80-100.
Tulum is an unusually amazing and picturesque corner of the Earth, with its own voice, history and spirit. And, probably, there is not a single person who has not been conquered by this land, and everyone dreams of being in this wonderful place again.
The ruins are the third most visited by tourists in the country. This pre-Colombian old City is located on a high 12-meter cliff on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, in addition, it is surrounded by thick fortress walls, at each corner of the wall there was a watchtower. It was the most protected city at the time.
The uniqueness of the ancient city Tulum is that it is located near the sea, while all other Mayan cities were built inland. Another exception is the defensive wall. As a rule, the Maya were not worth the defenses around the cities. But this is what allowed the city to exist longer.
At the time of the arrival of the conquistadors, Old city was badly destroyed. At the end of the 16th century, it was completely abandoned.
Preserved to this day 13 architectural structures: Temple of Frescoes, Temple of the Descending God, Temple of the Sea, Temple of the Wind God, Senote House, Chultun Well and several residential buildings.
Not far from the cliff is the El Castillo pyramid, which served as a beacon for ships. There are three entrances to the pyramid. The feathered serpent Kukulkan is depicted above each entrance.
Stone stairs lead to all buildings. Each house had columns and a small altar. All this testifies to the fact that in the past Tulum was a very prosperous city, and occupied an important place in the Mayan civilization.
The archaeological site can be visited from 8 am to 5 pm. It is best to go on an excursion in the early morning, when there are still no big clashes of tourists. Entrance ticket costs 60 pesos ($ 4). Guide services and filming permits are charged separately. Most of the buildings are not allowed to be visited as they are in a very ruined state.
Also inside the fortress you can visit several cafes, a restaurant and souvenir shops.
V modern city in addition to residential buildings, there are government offices, banks, a theater, a car rental, shops, restaurants, budget hotels.
In the central part of Tulum is the Zocalo Square. It is surrounded by a cafe, restaurant, city hall and a small park. This part of the city is much quieter and quieter compared to other areas, where the influx of tourists significantly exceeds the number local residents... It looks more like provincial town rather than a popular resort.
In addition to ancient monuments, tourists are attracted by local beaches... This resort area Tulum is often referred to as the Riviera Maya. The tourist and entertainment zone of the resort stretches for several kilometers along the coast of the Caribbean Sea.
are considered one of best beaches Mexico. Turquoise pure water, fine white sand, well-developed tourist infrastructure - all this characterizes the local resort perfectly. Another advantage is the excellent weather throughout the year in this part of the island.
Almost all of Tulum's beaches are public. However, most of them can only be accessed through a hotel or beach club.
The most popular beaches are: Playa Santa Fe, Playa Esperanza, Playa Condesa, Playa Pescadito, Playa Las Palmas.
Entertainment
In addition to lazy lying on the beach, you can go diving or snorkeling. Numerous caves with stalactites and stalagmites, a rich water world will turn scuba diving into an exciting activity.
You can go on a short excursion into the jungle on motorcycles or ATVs. And for more extreme tourists, local tour operators offer a zip line through the jungle.
I'll start talking about my recent trip to Mexico precisely from the ancient city. Tulum.
Do not even think to deny yourself this excursion, you will not regret it! That's for sure!
The only Mayan settlement on the seashore, not hidden in the jungle. And the sea is probably the most beautiful in the world! See for yourself the color of the water - it's incredible.
I think in any hotel in resort towns will offer an excursion to Tulum. Usually offered in a set with Tulum - Koba, and maybe a cenote. But we have already visited Chichen Itza , Palenque and Uxmale , so Coba was not of much interest, we stopped in for a swim in the Cenote Grand Cenote near Tulum.
The three of us traveled, and at the moment when we were going to visit Tulum, we were resting at a hotel in the RIVIERA MAYA. Tour operators offered a tour for $ 70 per person, lasting until lunch.
None of us like to walk with a crowd and a tour guide, so we just left the hotel in the morning to catch a taxi. It takes about half an hour to get to the city, and in a taxi they would take $ 30 one way. But, as you know, the language will bring to Kiev (= We talked with the taxi driver, crossed the road and sat in intercity minibus to Tulum straight from the curb, paying per person 2.5 dollars! Simply gorgeous!
Another 10 minutes walk - and we are at the checkout. The ticket price is 65 pesos, which is about 4 ye.
On the way through the forest, a flock of such noses talked to us. Grab 2 bananas - the beast eats with pleasure straight from your hands.
And now specifically about the city.
Picturesque ruins with tropical vegetation in the territory. In the bright sun it is very beautiful, it is pleasant to wander between the ruins.
I will not load the names of buildings and stories about what they served for and who lived there. Just look at the photos and enjoy the scenery.
And the guide will tell you in more detail when you come to see these miracles with your own eyes. As a last resort, Google will tell (((=
Here is such a cute cactus - one of the many plants unusual for us:
Unfortunately, almost all the ruins are fenced off, you cannot climb, touch and stroke, everywhere you can only iguanas, which are slightly less than tourists. They calmly bask in the sun and run away if you only get closer than a meter.
Well BEACH BEACH BEACH!
An incredibly beautiful beach with blue water and white, soft as semolina sand!
Warm waves with foam are what you need after a tour of the Mexican heat.
People splash with pleasure. By the way, don't forget to put on your swimsuit right away. There is nowhere to change.
Even more sea and beach in the review of the blue Bandeau SWIMSUIT with aliexpress.
There is another small beach, but it is fenced. Turtles lay their eggs there, so tourists are not allowed to go there. But you can admire the beach without people.
Here is such a beauty!
On top of that, we were lucky with the weather. In November, Mexico has a generally favorable dry climate.
Well, how without a fly in the ointment? (((=
This is how it looks tourist place in reality, if you do not choose angles and areas without people:
Everyone wants to see this beauty (((= Don't even count on a deserted walk. Moreover, a bunch of pictures without people, if you came with an excursion group.
But neither the crowds nor the heat can spoil the impression of this wonderful town! Only 5 stars and my recommendations.
Visit Tulum - you won't regret it! It's unforgettable!
Tulum- these are three in one: a city, ruins and beaches, or rather, these are all three different Tulum. Actually, there is nothing to write about the city - one central street, dotted with small hotels, shops and restaurants-cafes. You go a little to the side - a village-village. I have already talked about the Tulum pyramids. What remains? Yes, the beaches!
Tulum is not a posh bustling resort with huge five-star hotels like Cancun or even the crowded provincial Playa del Carmen. Tulum is a long, almost deserted beach where you feel like a grain of sand amidst the riot of nature. We managed to see only a small part of them, and even then, apparently, not the best, but we managed to get some idea.
All of Tulum's beaches are public, and many are easily accessible from the road that runs along the coast from ruins to the side Sian Kaan Nature Reserve(Reserva de la Biósfera Sian-Ka "an) However, many of them can only be accessed via private lands or beach clubs.
Tulum beaches
On the first day, as soon as Andriusiks and I arrived in the city of Tulum and checked into the hotel, we went to get acquainted with the beaches. Why waste your time, right? Moreover, we had catastrophically little of it. We started from the very beginning, that is, we got on a minibus, and then walked to the archaeological complex, and from it we walked to the right. Soon we went to the first, the so-called city Santa Fe beach(Playa Santa Fe).
This beach became the starting point. In the next few hours we managed to walk along the sea to Avenue Coba Sur, along which we headed back to the city.
There are several beaches on this small stretch:
- Playa Santa Fe
- Pescadito beach (Playa Pescadito)
- Playa Maya
- Esperanza beach
- Paraiso beach
- Boca beach
- Playa Las Palmas
- Condesa Beach
The names of the beaches appear on the signs along the carriageway(highway 109), there are no markings on the shore.
The overall picture is as follows: the stretch of coastline between the beaches of Santa Fe and Esperanza has given rise to ambivalence. On the one hand, the water turned out to be very far from ideal, since it was full of algae and in some places it was not that blue, but even worse - black.
On the other hand, the places for walking are very good: very few people, solitude, photogenic boats, lonely cozy houses along the coast, complementing the picture.
The closer to Esperanza beach(Playa Esperanza), so the coast and the water became cleaner, and there were more people, because a hotel was built on it. Note that there are not so many hotels in this part of Tulum beaches, and those that do exist are not at all like the network giants.
Esperanza beach is very clean and very crowded. But what, here is almost the only "crooked" palm tree in the vicinity))
Another one distinctive features the aforementioned beaches of Tulum in comparison with those in Cancun and Playa del Carmen - a complete lack of entertainment. No jet skis, parachutes, surfing and other joys for you cultural recreation... Only sea, sun and sand.
Esperanza is followed by Paraiso beach(Playa Paraiso) and this is where the fun begins. The coast turns from sandy to rocky. At first, everything looks very friendly, but the further, the stones become larger and larger and it is impossible to get around them. It remains only to confidently walk directly.
Believe me, climbing the rocky slopes is not easy at all, but very entertaining. Do not think that where the sea is adjacent to stones, the coast is empty. Along the rocky shore, we found a lot of hotels and houses (even if some were without signs of life), and in some places they were pretty sandy bays ready to embrace those who wish.
Half-forgotten private houses are scattered along the rocky coastline, which at first glance look completely abandoned. Opposite one of these houses, we met a boat with fishermen who had just returned with their catch. Not a bad catch!
Look, these nearby bungalows with hammocks look absolutely fabulous, like frames from a commercial. No pretentiousness and licking, just pure romance and unity with nature.
The further, the stones became larger and larger, sharper and sharper. At some point, I had to put on sneakers in order to jump on them more confidently. How to get out of here on the road is completely unclear, there are no hints of paths. On the one hand there is the sea, on the other, there are no-pass thickets. You feel trapped, but how beautiful!
But in this pretty cove, Andryusiks and I managed to swim in splendid isolation. Still, few people are ready to climb through such thorns to the stars))
We bathed, rested and began to think how we could get out of these thorns. There was nothing like an exit on the road and was not close. I had to move on in the hope of liberation.
From time to time we came across some paths, but except deep into the thickets, they did not lead us anywhere. To be honest, it was even a little uncomfortable: the feeling that we were in someone's private territories did not leave, but we did not know how to get out of them.
At that moment, when the sandy coast appeared in the distance, we had no strength left. A hotel loomed nearby, to which we headed with the aim of making our way through it onto the road. The helpful guy took us to the gate, opened the lock and released us, for which we are very grateful to him!
We'd finally get out to sandy shore and it would be much easier to walk. In a couple of kilometers we would have reached the end National park Tulum and hit the lane sandy beaches stretching for several tens of kilometers. According to one of our readers, these are the beaches - the best in Tulum... This beauty we, tired of climbing the stones, did not see. Maybe they didn't come back the next day in vain, or maybe this will be a reason to visit this region again someday!
Enjoy your stay in Tulum, dear readers!
How to get to the beaches from Tulum city
- On the collective: to get to public beaches near the ruins, you need to get to the pyramid complex and turn right, then the path will go left. Go to the Acceso Playa publico sign. Walk for 15-20 minutes. Then you can move along the sea along the beaches from one to another.
- By bike, taxi, rented car: any particular beach can be easily reached (if preferred) as there are a number of beach accesses from the road between the ruins and Sian Kaan Nature Reserve (Highway 109).
The ancient city of Tulum differs from other Mayan cities in that it is built on a high cliff on the shores of the Caribbean Sea. Why the Mayan tribes preferred to build their cities mainly in the interior of the country, and not on the coast, remains a mystery to me.
In Mayan times, the city was called Itself- the city of dawn, and modern name Tulum, which in translation means "wall" or "fenced off place", the city received in the 19th century.
Remains of the city walls. Usually the Maya did not fence their cities, but Tulum was fenced. 
- the only one of all the ancient Mayan cities, which is located on the coast of the Caribbean Sea and the only one surrounded by a wall, the height of which is 3-5 m.In ancient times, Tulum is the only seaport Mayan tribes. The city's dawn peaked in the 14th and 16th centuries, when trade flourished between the modern state of Tabasco and Guatemala. Maya exported salt, cotton, rubber.
