Coastal and jungle archaeological ruins, enchanting beaches, reserved areas and dream cenotes are the main tourist attractions of Tulum, in the Riviera Maya.
These are the 15 main things you should do on your visit to the beautiful town of Quintana Roo.
1. Stay in a beautiful and comfortable hotel next to nature
In Tulum and the Riviera Maya there are accommodations of all categories, finding comfortable and cheap options in small hotels and inns.
On Calle Luna Sur 5 in Tulum is the Posada Luna del Sur, an establishment located just 5 minutes from the archaeological zone. They provide excellent service and breakfast is included in the rate.
The Om Tulum Hotel Cabañas and Beach Club is in front of the beach and is one of the accommodations with the best value for money.
Very close to the archaeological site is the Mango Tulum Hotel, a place of great privacy and tranquility, with exquisite attention from its staff.
In Playa Paraíso there are splendid cabin accommodations, such as Villa Pescadores Tulum, La Vita e Bella and Cabañas Zazilkin.
2. Get to know the Archaeological Zone of Tulum
This archaeological site located in front of the sea in the Riviera Maya is one of the most photographed in Mexico due to the beautiful contrast between the sober ruins and the radiant Caribbean.
The main building of the complex is El Castillo, which was an astronomical observatory and a lighthouse that helped Mayan navigators to avoid the Great Reef located a few meters from the coast.
Other relevant constructions of the Archaeological Zone of Tulum are The Palace, the Temple of the Descending God and the Temple of the Frescoes.
The first was a residential building for the political and religious elite of the walled city of Tulum, while the second is named for a figure located at the door that seems to descend from heaven.
In the Temple of the Frescoes there are some paintings of fabulous beings that suggest that the Mayan artists had a great imagination or carried out their works under the influence of some hallucinogen.
3. Tour the Tulum National Park
The archaeological site of Tulum is located within this national park, which also includes a long strip of beaches, forests, wildlife reserves, and many other attractions.
The Tulum National Park has an extension of 664 hectares and covers the coastal zone, both offshore and inland, approximately between the municipal seat of Tulum and the point where Casa Cenote is located.
Apart from beautiful beaches , in the park there are several environments of great beauty and importance for biodiversity, such as mangroves, cenotes and tropical forests.
The park is home to various species of fauna at risk of extinction, such as the white and loggerhead turtles, which spawn on the beaches of the protected area.
4. Take a tour of the best cenotes
The municipality of Tulum and its nearby areas are dotted with cenotes, the wonderful aquatic bodies that are formed by the slow dissolution of the superficial layer of limestone due to the effect of the waters.
The Mayans believed that cenotes were the entrance to the underworld or world of the dead, but beyond mythology, these bodies of karst origin teem with life, as the thousands of tourists who go diving and swimming in them can testify. .
Cenote Dos Ojos is so called because of its two cavities that look like the eyes of a colossal stone monster and is integrated into a system of underwater caves more than 60 km long, being a paradise for diving.
Other cenotes very close to Tulum that stand out for their beauty are Cristal, Calavera and Escondido. The Cenote Calavera, lives up to its name with a bewitching atmosphere and is located 3.5 km from Tulum.
Also near the municipal seat of Tulum are the Aktun and Casa Cenote cenotes, which are among the most frequented for diving.
5. Spend a lovely day at Playa Paraíso
Smooth white sand; warm, clear and incomparable blue waters; bright and hot sun; and the best Caribbean cocktails is what awaits you at Playa Paraíso, for many, the most spectacular beach in Mexico.
This natural jewel of the Riviera Maya is located 7 km from the municipal seat of Tulum and has all the services and entertainment for you to spend a splendid day sunbathing, resting, swimming, reading or sharing with friends while the daisies parade. , ice cold beers and pina coladas.
6. Get to know the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
This protected natural area has an area of 528,000 hectares and is shared by the Quintana Roo municipalities of Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto.
The reserve is located 50 km from the municipal seat of Tulum and is worth admiring for its archaeological ruins, petenes, sandbanks, cenotes, mangroves and other environments among which are settled more than 20 Mayan communities that live in perfect harmony with their natural environment.
7. Visit the Archaeological Zone of Cobá
47 km from the municipal seat of Tulum, nestled in the jungle of Quintana Roo, is this archaeological site in which the Nohoch Mul Pyramid stands out, which at 42 meters high, is the tallest pre-Hispanic construction in the Yucatan Peninsula.
The Nohoch Mul Pyramid has 120 steps and from its top there are spectacular views of the immense green carpet of the jungle, adorned by the blue of the lagoons.
8. Dive in the Great Mayan Reef
This immense coral reef of about a thousand km covers the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, being the second largest in the world, after the Great Barrier Reef in Oceania.
Due to its dimensions and rich marine biodiversity, the Great Mayan Reef or Mesoamerican Reef System, is one of the world sanctuaries for the sport of diving.