Best things to do in Tulum (México): a travel guide with everything you need to know

In addition to boasting one of the most visited archaeological sites in the country, Tulum offers other attractions that invite travelers to stay a few days longer. After contemplating the famous Mayan Ruins on the shores of the Caribbean sea, there is a succession of fine white sand beaches lined with palm trees and a turquoise sea that make up the idea we have of a Caribbean paradise. Although, as we will tell you in this guide, enjoying this paradise comes at a price (and sometimes too high).

In its surroundings you will discover that there is Mayan life beyond Tulum , such as, for example, the lesser known but no less interesting Cobá and, of course, many cenotes to explore, some of the highlights of the Riviera Maya.

In this guide we tell you what you can visit in Tulum and its surroundings with specific itineraries for one, two or three days, with practical suggestions, where to stay and even where to eat on your trip to the area.

Basic facts for traveling to Tulum

As in other parts of the Riviera Maya, Tulum has become very popular in recent years and its infrastructure has not kept up with the abrupt acceleration of tourism. This had a negative impact on the area, especially in the so-called hotel zone, where hotel complexes reign (most of them disguised as eco-friendly), where beaches are private and you can only access if you stay at the hotels or pay the expensive admission to a Beach Club, and gastronomic and leisure offer come at inflated prices. For this reason, in this guide, we suggest you stay in the town of Tulum and explore the area on your own, with several alternatives.

Currency: MXN ($) Mexican Peso (1$ equals 20$ MXN approx.). Check the updated exchange rate here

Official Language: Spanish

Population: 46,000 (in 2020)

When to visit: As in all the Yucatan Peninsula, there are two main seasons, the dry season (November to April) and the rainy season (with probability of hurricanes, from May to October), so it is recommended to visit during the dry season (in November/December there are still rainy days, it depends on luck). Also, you will have to take into account the famous sargassum that usually invades the beaches from April to August, although it varies from year to year. We detail more about when to visit Tulum in this section of the guide.

How long to stay: With 1 or 2 days you can get to visit the main attractions, although if you want to stay longer there are plans to fill up to 4 or 5 days. In this section we share specific itineraries for Tulum to help you organize your trip.

How to get there: There are some direct international flights to the new (2023) Tulum airport, although from abroad it is usually easiest and cheaper to fly to Cancun. We recommend you use flight comparators such as Skyscanner and Kiwi and be flexible with dates to get the best possible price. More details in this section of the guide.

Visa: With a US, Canadian, European or UK passport it is not necessary to obtain a visa. Upon arrival in Mexico, it will be enough to show your valid passport, and depending on your departure date, you will be given up to a maximum of 180 days. Although Mexico does not require a passport with at least 6 months validity, some airlines do, so it’s better to comply.

Where to stay: The most economical and what we recommend is to stay in Tulum town, although you can also stay in the so-called Hotel Zone (in resorts and boutique hotels with direct access to the beach, which are generally very expensive, although we have found more reasonable and, very important, more sustainable options that we recommend here). There is also the option of staying in a couple of intermediate areas, close to town (Aldea Zama and La Veleta) that are growing a lot due to the boom of Tulum, but there you will have fewer transportation and gastronomic options (there are cheaper accommodations, so if you have a rented car it can be a good option). Another option if your visit is more focused on the archaeological zone, is to stay close to it. More details in the Where to Stay in Tulum section of the guide.

What to bring: A good travel insurance (in this link we give you a 5% discount on the one we always carry) and here is the list of what you must have in your backpack for this trip

: To explore the surroundings you can go by colectivos (shared vans that work like public buses) and you also have the option of renting a car to move around freely. Many people rent bikes although we didn’t find that there were enough areas to ride them safely. More info onw how to get around Tulum in this section of the blog.

How much does it cost: From 45$/day per person (approx.) depending on the type of accommodation, meals and how much you want to explore the surroundings. More budget information in this section of the guide.

Internet connection: If you are visiting for a few days, your phone supports eSIM and you don’t want to complicate things, we recommend Holafly eSIM (unlimited data, 5% discount with the code RANDOMTRIP) or Airalo eSIM (limited data, but cheaper, 15% discount with the code RANDOMTRIP15). Otherwise, the cheapest way is to get a local SIM (we recommend Telcel). More info here

Vaccines: there are some recommended vaccines if you travel to Mexico, you can check them here

Time zone: UTC -5.

Where is Tulum

Tulum is located in the Riviera Maya, in the south of the Yucatan Peninsula, 1 hour from Playa del Carmen, 2 hours from Cancun, 1h30 from Valladolid and almost 3 hours from Bacalar.

When to visit Tulum

To choose when to visit Tulum you must take into account 3 main factors: weather, sargassum and tourist demand. Here are the best times to visit Tulum based on these factors.

Weather in Tulum

The weather in Tulum, as in all of the Riviera Maya, is divided mainly into two seasons:

• Dry season (November to April): less chance of rain, milder temperatures (it is still hot). The winter months (December to March) usually have the best weather, although depending on the year this may vary.
• Rainy season (May to October): it rains more, it is hotter and there is a probability of hurricanes (especially during the summer months).

The ideal time to visit Tulum is during the dry season, to have a better chance of good weather and absence of hurricanes.

Here is a summary table of the weather in Tulum to give you an idea of what to expect:

Tulum weather chart, with temperatures and rainy days per month:

Month	Minimum temperature	Maximum temperature	Water temperature (average)	Risk of sargassum	Rainy days
January	17º	28º	27º	Low	6
February	17º	29º	26º	Low	5
March	18º	31º	27º	Medium	5
April	19º	32º	27º	High	4
May	21º	33º	28º	High	9
June	21º	32º	29º	High	13
July	21º	32º	29º	High	13
August	21º	32º	29º	Medium	14
September	21º	31º	29º	Medium	17
October	20º	30º	29º	Low	15
November	19º	29º	28º	Low	8
December	17º	28º	27º	Low	6
Month	Minimum temperature	Maximum temperature	Water temperature (average)	Risk of sargassum	Rainy days

Sargassum in Tulum

Another increasingly common problem in the Riviera Maya is sargassum, which tends to affect Tulum in particular, although like everything else, it depends on the year.

Sargassum is a floating macroalgae that moves with the currents. It has its important function in the ocean (for example, it produces oxygen through photosynthesis and is a habitat for different species). On the other hand, an excessive amount of sargassum can generate problems in the ocean itself (for example, if it sinks it can suffocate corals).

In theory it has always existed in the Gulf of Mexico, but since 2011 it began to increase its area, and from then on large quantities of sargassum began to arrive on the shores of the Caribbean beaches, disfiguring them and producing a nauseating odor.

The amount of sargassum that arrives and the months during which it appears varies from year to year, being very difficult to predict: normally the sargassum season goes from April to August, but for example in 2023 it started to appear already in February.

The Mexican government and businesses/hotels have several initiatives to try to mitigate the effects of sargassum, such as cleaning the beaches or even installing anti-sargassum nets/barriers in the sea, but they are not 100% effective so the ideal is to avoid the months with more risk of sargassum if your goal is to travel to the Mexican Caribbean to enjoy its beaches.

If you want to check the updated status of the different beaches of the Mexican Caribbean, there is the Facebook page Red de Monitoreo del Sargazo de Quintana Roo, which frequently updates the data (although not always), in Viajefest or in Sargassum Monitoring. We also recommend searching for Instagram stories by location to see “real time” images of the beaches you plan to visit.

Tourist demand in Tulum

The times of highest tourist demand in Tulum (and therefore, when we will find more people, more lines, more expensive prices and more complications to go to the most famous restaurants or places) are, as in all the Riviera Maya:

• National holidays (November, December)
• Christmas
• Easter Week (March/April)
• Summer (July and August school vacations)

So we recommend you to avoid those dates if you want to enjoy Tulum more calmly and with better accommodation prices.

Important festivities in Tulum

If you want to be in Tulum for the biggest parties of the year, don’t miss out:

• Tulum Carnival (February): Parades with floats, marching bands, elaborate costumes (with prizes), dancing and singing in the streets, fireworks and food. It is usually celebrated a week before Ash Wednesday in the Catholic calendar as the festival exists precisely to celebrate fun before the rigor of Lent. Carnival is not a festival exclusive to Tulum, of course, it is celebrated throughout the Riviera Maya and most of the country.
• Mayan Alborada (March): It is a celebration where Mayan and Catholic traditions merge. It takes place in the Mayan Ceremonial Center of Tulum (which is dressed for the occasion with colorful decorations) where Mayan priests perform ceremonies to give thanks for the good harvests and people pay homage to the saints through pilgrimages, prayers, offerings, Mayan music and ceremonies.
• Festival of the Talking Cross (July): it’s another celebration where Catholic and pagan cultures merge. The origin of this unique religious sect dates back to the Caste War of the early 19th century when rebel leader José María Barrera discovered a wooden object in a nearby cenote and helped the Mayan population to unite under the same cultural identity. The object resembled a Christian cross and also the symbol of the Maya tree of life. This “Talking Cross” became the centerpiece of an entirely new religion that uniquely combines Catholic traditions with Mayan words and gods, and is now a festival in Tulum.
• Sea Turtle Festival (October): a festival that was born decades ago to raise awareness about the care and conservation of the four species of sea turtles that arrive to the coasts of Quintana Roo and especially Tulum: Hawksbill Turtle, Green Turtle, Leatherback Turtle and Loggerhead Turtle, promoting their care and protection and celebrating the end of the nesting season through cultural and environmental activities, and aimed at locals and tourists. This festival is also held in other parts of the Riviera Maya.
• New Year’s Eve (December 31): the farewell to the old year and the entry into the new one is very famous at the Zamna Festival. It is defined as an immersive electronic experience, and consists of a rave, in an environment of jungle, palm trees and a cenote. If you are looking for a party in Tulum, we will tell you more in this section but let us tell you that every month the Fiesta de la Luna Llena (Full Moon Party) is celebrated at the Papaya Playa Project.

Summary: Best months to visit Tulum

Based on the above, if you are looking to visit Tulum with less people, good weather and reasonable prices, the best months are November, December, January and February, avoiding holidays (Christmas and long weekends), taking into account that in November and December you can still have cloudy and/or rainy days. At Randomtrip we visited Tulum in the first two weeks of December and we had several cloudy and/or rainy days.

Depending on the year, March to May can also be a good time (excluding Easter week) and with better prices, although the weather in these months is more unpredictable, and most likely the sargassum will already be there.

How to get to Tulum

There are some direct domestic and international flights to the new (2023) Tulum airport, although the most common and cheapest from abroad is usually to fly to Cancun. We recommend you use flight comparators such as Skyscanner and Kiwi and be flexible with dates to get the best possible price.

Here is how to get to Tulum from different nearby points of the Yucatan Peninsula.

How to get from Tulum Airport to Tulum

If you arrive at Tulum’s new airport (Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport), inaugurated in December 2023, you have several options for getting to Tulum, which is approximately 45 minutes by road from the town of Tulum.

• By Bus: ADO bus company connects the airport with Tulum, at the time of writing this post with 4 frequencies per day (12:40, 14:00, 17:00 and 17:30), and for a price of 175 pesos per person. The ADO will drop you off at the ADO terminal in Tulum, and from there you will have to walk or take another transportation to your accommodation. A cab from here to our accommodation in Tulum town cost us 100 pesos, and it’s more expensive if your accommodation is in the hotel zone more (probably between 300 and 500 pesos). You can buy tickets online at the ADO website (this is what we did at Randomtrip) or right there on arrival.
• By Taxi: there are also taxis available, although they are much more expensive (about 1000 pesos per cab), Of you are a group of 4, it may be worth it since it will take you directly to your accommodation.
• By Combis/colectivos: these are shared vans, very common in Mexico, costing 200 pesos per person.
• By rental car: if you are going to visit several places in the Riviera Maya or the Yucatan Peninsula, it can be a good option to rent a car so you don’t have to depend on transportation. Driving in the Yucatan Peninsula is generally easy and safe, although you should carefully read the rental conditions because in Mexico there is a lot of confusion with the different types of insurance and you may get a surprise when you arrive to pick up the car.

How to get from Cancun Airport to Tulum

If you arrive at the Cancun airport, Tulum is about 120km away, and these are the options to get there:

• By bus: ADO bus company connects directly Cancun’s airport to Tulum. It has several frequencies per day (check them on the official website, where you can also buy tickets online), takes about 2h30 and costs 420 pesos per person. The ADO will drop you off at the ADO terminal in Tulum, and from there you will have to walk or take another transportation to your accommodation. A cab from here to our accommodation in Tulum town cost us 100 pesos, and it’s more expensive if your accommodation is in the hotel zone more (probably between 300 and 500 pesos).
• By Taxi: there is also cab service, although it will probably be much more expensive (we were told that from 1200 to 3000 pesos, although we do not have official information), although if you are a group of 3 or 4 people it can compensate you since it takes you directly to your accommodation and without stops. If you are several people, you can also hire a private transfer that will wait for you at the Cancun airport (from 2400 pesos – about 130€ – for 6 people) – at Randomtrip we used this service to go from Cancun airport to Puerto Morelos and it worked perfectly.
• By rental car: if you are going to visit several places in the Riviera Maya or the Yucatan Peninsula, it can be a good option to rent a car so you don’t have to depend on transportation. Driving in the Yucatan Peninsula is generally easy and safe, although you should carefully read the rental conditions because in Mexico there is a lot of confusion with the different types of insurance and you may get a surprise when you arrive to pick up the car.

How to get from other areas of Riviera Maya to Tulum

If you are already in other parts of the Riviera Maya and the Yucatan Peninsula (Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Holbox, Bacalar…) you can also easily reach Tulum with ADO buses, by cab, or by car or rental car. Just follow federal highway 307, which connects most of these points. There are also many connections by van (colectivo), depending on your route, ask at your accommodation or local people to see all the options you have.

Do I need a visa to travel to Mexico?

For people with USA, Canada, UK and European passports it is not necessary to obtain a visa. Upon arrival in Mexico, it will be enough to show your valid passport, and depending on your departure date, you will be given up to a maximum of 180 days.

Although Mexico does not require a passport with at least 6 months validity, some airlines do, so it’s better to comply.

Are there required vaccines to travel to Mexico?

There are some recommended vaccines if you travel to Mexico, you can check them here

How many days to visit Tulum

To see the main attractions of Tulum you will need at least 1 day, but to get to know Tulum and its surroundings well we recommend at least 2 or 3 days, although we must warn you that practically all the nearby plans (cenotes, archaeological sites, beaches…) are paid and in some cases, with very expensive prices.

It is practically impossible to go to the beach without paying in Tulum, unless you stay in one of the hotels in the Hotel Zone that have direct access to the beach, so if you are looking for a beach destination and don’t want to spend a lot of money, we regret to say that Tulum is not the place (in that case, 1-2 days is enough to visit the Tulum Archaeological Zone, maybe others nearby like Coba or Muyil, go to some beach, visit some of the cenotes, etc.).

In this section we share specific itineraries for Tulum to help you organize your trip.

Things to do in Tulum

To make it easier for you to plan your trip around Tulum, we have divided the places in two zones, those in Tulum and those in the surrounding areas.

Map of Tulum

We have divided the places into two zones, based on whether they are in the “core” of Tulum (the town, the archaeological zone – in the Jaguar Park – and the Hotel Zone) or in the surrounding area, and we have put each zone in a different color to make them easier for you to identify. It’s all on a Google Maps map that you can take with you on your smartphone to use during your trip.

Here is a tourist map of Tulum (source). You can download it in larger size and resolution here

Things to do in Tulum

Tulum Ruins (Tulum Archaeological Zone)

The Tulum Archaeological Zone is one of the 3 most visited in Mexico (the other two are Chichen Itzá and Teotihuacan), and the only ones next to the Caribbean Sea (in fact during your visit you can go near the beach and swim). Because of this, it is advisable to try to avoid the busiest hours, as the area is small and loses its charm when it becomes crowded.

We leave you our complete guide explaining how to visit the archaeological site of Tulum (if you don’t want to complicate things, you can hire a tour from different areas of the Riviera Maya with transportation, which will also take you to visit the archaeological site of Coba and a cenote).

Tulum ruins guide (Mexico): how to visit the mayan ruins next to the beach

Here we leave you a small summary with useful information about the Tulum Archaeological Zone:

• Entrance fee: 153 pesos per person (95 pesos for the Archaeological Zone, 58 pesos for the Jaguar Park – take advantage of the opportunity to visit the beaches on the same day).
• Parking: if you go by car, there are several parking lots at the entrance, which cost between 50 and 200 pesos for the whole day).
• Guide: we recommend hiring a guide to learn more about what you will see, the price is 600 pesos for two people, 800 pesos for 4 people. If you hire the tour, it normally includes a guide for the whole group.
• How to get there: in your own or rented car, simply go to this point. If you hire the tour, transportation is already included. If you are on your own, there is an ADO stop right at the intersection (choose the “Tulum Zona Arqueológica” stop), or if you are already in Tulum or nearby, you can take any of the colectivos (shared vans) that travel along federal highway 307 and ask to be dropped off at the intersection (you can simply stop the vans on the road and confirm destination and price).
• Duration of the visit: 1h30 to 2h (if you hire a guide, the tour lasts 1h).
• What to visit: the main points to visit are the Castle, the Temple of the Frescoes, the Temple of the Wind, the House of Chultun and the House of Halach Uinic. You can see more info of all the points and explanation of them in our guide of the archaeological zone of Tulum.

Tulum Beaches: Ruins beach, Jaguar Park Beaches, Hotel Zone Beaches

Tulum is known for its beaches, although unfortunately, it has suffered a very large tourism boom in recent years, and nowadays it is practically impossible to visit its beaches without paying, with prices also very inflated in most cases, oriented to tourists with high purchasing power. Here are your different options to go to the beach in Tulum

Ruinas Beach (Tulum Archaeological Zone Beach)

Ruins Beach is located within the Tulum Archaeological Zone, so you can only access it from there. It is a beach with a privileged location, since right behind it you will have Mayan ruins, and the beach itself is beautiful, with fine white sand and turquoise waters.

Unfortunately, during our visit in December 2023 (and we were told, since the pandemic), access was prohibited. When we asked the official agencies (the Tulum Tourism Department and Parque del Jaguar, Tulum’s national park) they told us that it is a temporary closure, while they prepare for the inauguration of Parque del Jaguar, which will manage the access. We hope that on your visit you have better luck and can take a dip in this paradise.

Price and access: to access this beach (when it reopens) you must first enter the Jaguar Park (58 pesos) and then the Archaeological Zone (95 pesos), so you will have to pay both entrances (153 pesos per person). It is something to include in your visit to the Tulum Archaeological Zone, to make the most of it.

Jaguar Park Beaches: Santa Fé Beach, Pescadores Beach, Paraíso Beach…

It is all the same beach, it just has different names at different accesses. They used to be free access beaches, but since the creation of the Jaguar Park for its protection and conservation, to access them you have to pay the entrance fee to the park. We recommend you take advantage of them the same day you visit the Archaeological Zone, since you will have already paid the entrance fee.

• Playa Santa Fé: the first one from the Archaeological Zone, you go down a path from the lighthouse.
• Playa Pescadores: the next beach you will find from the Archaeological Zone, which has another access.
• Playa Paraiso: the next beach from the Archaeological Zone, is the best known name, although they are all similar. From here they sell boat tours to snorkel in the coral reef (the second largest in the world after Australia, it goes from Cancun to Honduras).
• Playa Las Palmas: the last one joined to the previous ones, after here there are rocks.

Theoretically there will be 3 more beach accesses to that last little piece, we will update here once confirmed.

Price and access: to access any of these beaches, you will have to pay the entrance fee to the Jaguar Park (58 pesos). We recommend visiting them on the same day as the Archaeological Zone (where you will be charged the entrance fee). You can go early to the Archaeological Zone (8am) to avoid crowds, take your first dip at Playa Ruinas, and spend the rest of the day at these Jaguar Park beaches.

Beaches of the Hotel Zone

The other option for going to the beach in Tulum is the Hotel Zone: kilometers of fine white sand, palm trees and turquoise waters that have been privatized by the huge number of boutique hotels and resorts. In our opinion, this is an aberration and an attack on public space, which we hope will change in the future, since in theory it is illegal in Mexico to prevent access to the beaches (which are public).

Basically, when you get to the road that runs along the Hotel Zone, you will not be able to see the sea, even though you are only a few meters away from it. All you will see are the palm trees lining the road, expensive accommodations, stores and restaurants on both sides of the road, which will prevent you from getting to the beach unless you pay their inflated prices.

If you want to enjoy the beach without complications, you can stay in one of the accommodations with access to the beach, or spend some time or all day at a beach club, which generally have either minimum consumption (from 400 pesos – about 20$ per person – to more than 2000 pesos, more than 100$ per person).

Searching and asking, you will manage to find a small access where you can still get to the beach without being charged, although obviously they are not the best pieces of beach and tend to be more crowded. In our case we only found these two accesses:

• Free access to the beach: next to the beach club Mivida, it is a small beach, with rocks on both sides, so it gets crowded very quickly, and yet it has two beach clubs on it.

• Beach at the foot of the road: in this case, there was no space to build anything between the road and the beach so the hotel monsters left this piece of beach free of charge. On weekends it gets crowded with locals.

Price and access: the beaches of the Hotel Zone are public and free, but because the hotels and beach clubs block access, except for the two cases we told you that are free, for the rest you will have to pay what they ask you in each hotel/restaurant to access the beach, from 20$ per person.

Downtown Tulum

The town of Tulum is crossed by federal highway 307, the main highway of the Riviera Maya, which connects Cancun with Chetumal. In the town you will find a multitude of restaurants and accommodations for all budgets, and it is where you will meet the most local people. It was here that we stayed and made our base to explore Tulum and surroundings on Randomtrip, more specifically at Artec Studios.

There is not much else to see in downtown Tulum, beyond some street art in the streets and the park.

Tulum hotel zone

As in other parts of the Riviera Maya, Tulum has become very popular in recent years and its infrastructure has not kept up with the abrupt acceleration of tourism. This had a negative impact on the area, especially in the so-called Hotel Zone, where the local population is scarce (only in the working class), there are too many tourists and it stinks of greenwashing in several of the hotel complexes disguised as eco-friendly but which, in reality, since they do not have direct electricity, they generate it using fuel generators.

In addition, the whole area has highly inflated prices (to which you have to add in many cases the tip, which they try with different techniques to make it at least 15% or 20%), privatized beaches that you can only access if you stay at the hotel or pay their very expensive Beach Club admission, etc. In our opinion, it is much better to stay in the town of Tulum (although it is also becoming more and more of an expat hub with less and less local people) with more popular prices in lodging and restaurant options where going to dinner does not cost you a kidney. The option of staying in Tulum town has the “disadvantage” of having to travel to the beach, either by colectivo (shared van), bike or rented scooter.

Still, if what you want is a beach vacation, staying a few steps away from the Caribbean Sea, in this section of the guide we propose some hotels in the Tulum Hotel Zone that include beach access and, apparently, they are making an effort and were selected for Booking’s Sustainability Program. They are not going to solve the various problems facing Tulum but, at least, they are accommodations that are making an effort unlike many of their neighbors that we would not feel comfortable recommending.

“Instagram spots” in Tulum’s Hotel Zone

In the hotel zone there are a multitude of boutique hotels, with modern architecture and with “claims” for people to go and take pictures, so this has become an activity in itself in Tulum. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit (December 2023) in some areas there is a certain air of decadence, and several of the places we saw in social media no longer exist, or are closed, or are now paid (and not exactly cheap).

Here is a list of the most famous ones:

• SFER IK: is a kind of museum with beautiful architecture and several spaces that house various exhibitions and rooms where you can “be in contact with nature”. It is located in the famous Hotel Azulik (posh-hippy hotel without electricity, without shower – you can bathe in your bathtub with water from the cenote that you will pour with a coconut – and paying from 750$ per night). Sfer Ik looks nice but it is quite a tourist trap (a few years ago it was free, then they started charging 200 pesos to enter and now they charge 400 pesos – 20$ – which we don’t think is worth it due to the small size of the place).

• Sculpture “Come to the light” at Hotel Ahau Tulum: surely you have already seen photos of this sculpture on Instagram. It is located at the entrance of a hotel, the Ahau Tulum. When we went there it could not be visited because they were remodeling the area, but you now need to pay to enter the enclosure where it is located (currently, 100 pesos per person, about 5$), there are long lines and they give you just 1 minute to take the photo. It is open from 9:00h to 18:00h. However, in our opinion it is not worth paying 5$ for a photo, although the sculpture is beautiful.

• Vagalume and its walkway held by stone hands: In this famous beach club they have a pool with a wooden walkway “held” by two stone hands, very photogenic. To be able to access the enclosure, you must use their beach club, which has a minimum entrance fee of 500 pesos (we were told that depending on the day they sometimes ask for more, like 1000 pesos – 50$).

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• Hand over the jungle at Hun Tulum: another place for a photo that you’ve probably also seen on Instagram. When we went (December 2023) the place was definitely closed and with the “for rent” sign, so you could not access the hand….
• “Follow that Dream” sign, almost at the end of the hotel zone. It is simply a green road sign with the letters “Follow that Dream”.

If you are really interested in visiting the most famous places in Tulum and you don’t have much time, this tour includes visiting the best photo spots in Tulum.

Tulum Cenotes: Calavera, Gran Cenote, Cenote Escondido and Cenote Corazón del Paraíso.

The most famous and popular cenotes around the core of Tulum are the following:

Cenote Calavera

Cenote Calavera is so called because seen from above, it has two eyes (two small holes) and a mouth (a large hole), resembling a skull (Calavera in spanish). In theory it is not too crowded, although it is quite small, so if you go early in the morning and you are lucky it is possible to enjoy it alone.

You can enter by jumping and exit by wooden ladder, but be careful because it is slippery.

It is quite close to the center of Tulum, so you can even walk there (half an hour or so on foot) by bike (10 min) or by motorcycle, cab or colectivo (any van that goes in the direction of Coba can drop you there).

However, the entrance fee is 250 pesos per person and apparently you can’t bring water or food, if you want to eat or drink you have to pay on the spot.

Gran Cenote

El Gran Cenote is one of the most known and crowded cenotes around Tulum. Despite the name, it is not so big and being so famous it gets crowded which, like any place, takes away its charm (apparently several tours pass through here, so if you want to visit it, go early in the morning).

Worst of all is that it has a very high price to enter (500 pesos per person, more than 25$), so unless you are going to spend the whole day there or you are very interested in this particular cenote, we believe it is not worth it.

To get there, it is on the same road that connects Tulum with Cobá, after Cenote Calavera, so you can use the same transportation options although it is a little further (1h walk, 15 min by bike, or 10 min by cab, motorcycle, car or bus).

Cenote Escondido and Cenote Cristal

Cenotes Escondido and Cristal are also relatively close to downtown Tulum, on federal highway 307 (1h walk, 20 min by bike, 10 min by motorcycle, car, cab or colectivo – you can stop any van going southbound). The ticket office is on the side of Cenote Cristal, and each one costs 150 pesos per person.

In theory they are not so crowded, so taking into account the price and proximity, they would be the ones we would recommend you to visit.

Cenote Corazón del Paraíso

Cenote Corazón del Paraíso was recommended to us locally as a cenote that is still not so well known, although it is quite small so if you want to go and be in solitude, better go early in the morning. Its waters are crystal clear and in theory there are plenty of fish, if you want to bring your snorkeling gear. The entrance fee is 200 pesos per person.

Things to do near Tulum

Kaam Luum Lagoon

Kaam Luum Lagoon is a large freshwater lagoon with crystal clear waters, where the plan is to go to spend the day (or at least a few hours). In the center it has a deeper cenote (85 meters deep and 25m in diameter), which is easily detected because the color changes from emerald green to darker blue.

Access to the center’s cenote is limited only to those who dive there, but you can enjoy the shallow, calm waters.

It is important to choose a sunny day and verify that it has not rained recently, because when it rains a lot the color of the water turns greenish-brown and loses part of the charm (this was our case and the reason why we did not visited it in the end). If you want to confirm how it is, you can see the latest reviews and photos on Google Maps or recent stories in the Instagram search engine (searching by location).

You pay 300 pesos (about 15$) per person for access, and it is best to avoid holidays and weekends.

To get there, simply follow federal highway 307 south out of Tulum, the Kaam Luum lagoon is about 15 minutes away. If you don’t have your own/rented car, you can stop any colectivo (shared vans) on the main road heading south.

Dos Ojos, Nicte-Ha and Jaguar Cenotes

This group of 3 cenotes are located in the same area, although the least crowded and ideal if you are looking to try to be alone in a cenote is Nicte-Ha. The best known is Cenote Dos Ojos, so called because it is actually two cenotes joined together (each one is an “eye”). Cenote Jaguar stands out because it is possible to do water jumps or zip-lining, for the more adventurous people.

Entrance to each cenote costs 300/400 pesos per person, and they have a package to visit all 3 for 700 pesos, which seems quite expensive unless you are going to spend half a day or a whole day there.

To get there, you can go by colectivo on highway 307 (ask to be dropped off at Dos Ojos), although from the crossing to the cenotes you will have a 20-30 minute walk (wear comfortable shoes). Otherwise, you can pay for a cab or ask if any of the tours from Tulum include these cenotes.

Xcacel Beach, Sea Turtle Sanctuary

Arriving at Xcacel Beach was an incredible surprise! It is located about 15 minutes north of Tulum, and is a complete paradise: fine white sand, turquoise waters protected by the coral reef, no vendors or services, and at least for now, not many people.

We owe this paradise to the local people, who came together to protect the area when it was sold, like so many other coastal areas in the Riviera Maya, for the construction of hotels (which privatize the beach and do not allow access to the beach unless you stay at their hotel).

In this case, apparently, the governor at that time sold the beach to the Meliá group (a hotel group from Spain) and other developers; being at that time one of the beaches in the area where local people could go freely, the population took it as an offense and got together to prevent the project and protect the area. You can read some info about the project here.

The importance of this beach also lies in the fact that it is one of the nesting areas for sea turtles (of the 7 species that exist in the world, all in danger of extinction, 6 are present here on the Mexican coast). For this reason, the beach is currently part of a Natural Protected Area and is a Turtle Sanctuary, so the turtles are prioritized and areas of the beach are closed according to the season to protect the turtle eggs.

This also implies control and surveillance of access, which is paid (with symbolic prices for local people), with the following prices (in our case as foreigners, 110 MXN per person):

For your visit, don’t forget to bring plenty of water (it is forbidden to bring food and alcohol, although if you bring food you are allowed to eat it at some tables at the entrance, before reaching the beach), sun protection (there are no shades on the beach), towel and swimsuit, sunglasses, and your snorkeling equipment (the reef is not far away, and you can see small fish and hopefully some turtles).

Price of access to Xcacel Beach:

• Foreigners: 110 pesos
• Mexicans: 58 pesos
• Quintana Roo residents: 33 pesos
• Locals in nearby towns (Chemuyil, Tulum, Akumal): 13 pesos

Xcacel Beach Schedule:

• Open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 16:00 (at 15:45 you must leave the beach).

How to get to Playa Xcacel:

• With your own vehicle: simply put in your GPS this point and drive to the site (it is easy, just follow federal highway 307, the intersection for the Xcacel is about 15 min north of Tulum). The access is not paved and is in fair condition, so drive with caution. There is a parking lot at Xcacel included with the entrance fee.
• By combi from Tulum: any of the combis (vans that operate as local transportation) that pass along the main road (federal highway 307) to the north can drop you off at the intersection, so just go out to the road and stop for the vans you see (many pass by and you rarely have to wait long). It was the option we chose. They charged us 30 pesos per person. To return just do the same in the reverse direction (it involves crossing the road – which has 2 lanes on each side and a maximum speed of 100km/h – so be very careful when crossing. You have to walk a little to the right of the intersection to cross in the area where there is no high central barrier separating the lanes).
• By cab from Tulum: you also have the option of a cab although it will be much more expensive (we did not ask but we imagine they will charge a minimum of between 200 and 300 pesos for the trip) and you would have to arrange a pick up at a specific time or keep the phone number of the taxi driver to call and be picked up.

Xunaan-Ha Cenote

Cenote Xunaan-Ha is also one of those little visited cenotes, ideal if you are looking for solitude or less people. It is located near the previous beach (Xcacel). Being less touristy, it also has less infrastructure, so it is more “authentic” and natural and you will have a lot of vegetation around you. Also a couple of jumping off points.

The entrance fee is 200 pesos per person, and to get there by van is the same as to go to Xcacel (ask the van to drop you off in that area, then you will have to walk for a while).

Cenotes Car Wash and Zacil-Ha

In our case we visited the Cenote Car Wash, which has an entrance fee of 300 pesos per person (and 150 pesos more if you want to take photos or videos with a camera or go-pro – you don’t pay for taking photos and videos with a smartphone).

The day was not very nice for our visit (it was cloudy and a little cooler than normal), but still the cenote is beautiful and we went in. The highlight was that we saw a couple of turtles and a crocodile! They told us it is a resident crocodile there, apparently harmless.

We found it too expensive, as 300 pesos is about 15$ (unless you are going to spend the whole day there, although you can’t bring in food from outside and you would have to spend more on buying food there) and being so close to the road detracts from its charm as you can hear all the cars and trucks passing by.

Next to it is Cenote Zacil-Ha, small and more frequented by people with children. It has a jumping area, and is connected to the Cenote Car Wash (in fact we saw people who dive crossing from one to the other). It also costs 300 pesos per person.

To get there, in our case we went one day when we rented a car to go to the Cobá Archaeological Zone, but you can also go by colectivo (stopping any of the vans on the road that connects Tulum with Cobá).

Cobá Ruins (Cobá Archaeological Zone)

The Coba Archaeological Zone, located only about 50 minutes from downtown Tulum, is an excellent half-day excursion to learn more about Mayan history.

Here we leave you a small summary with useful information about the Archaeological Zone of Cobá:

• Entrance fee: 195 pesos per person (95 pesos for the Archaeological Zone, 100 pesos for the community that manages it).
• Parking: if you go by car, there is parking at the entrance, they charge 60 pesos all day.
• Guide: we recommend hiring a guide to learn more about everything you will see, in our case after haggling we were offered a short tour (45 min) for 600 pesos, and a long tour (1h30) for 800 pesos, which was the one we hired. If you hire this tour (which also takes you to the archaeological site of Tulum), they usually include a guide for the whole group.
• How to get there: in your own or rented car, simply go to this point. If you hire this tour, transportation is already included. If you go on your own, you can take a van to Cobá from Tulum. In our case, we rented a car to visit the area and some cenotes.
• Duration of the visit: 1h30 to 2h (if you hire a guide, the tour lasts between 45min and 1h30).
• What to visit: the main places to visit are the Nohoch Mul Pyramid (the highest at 42m), the Mayan roads (Sacbé), the ball court and the church.
• How to get around: despite what we read, it is completely feasible and advisable to do the tour on foot, as the distances are not that long. But if you prefer, you can rent a bike inside (65 pesos) or there are some tricycles with driver that take you to the farthest area (100 pesos one way, 150 pesos round trip).

And here are some interesting notes (we will publish a more complete guide about the archaeological site of Cobá where we will include more information):

• The Archaeological Zone kept its original name (Cobá) although our guide Nicolás told us that it used to be something like “Coc Há” or “Cop Há”.
• The area is surrounded by 5 lakes, so it is believed that the name meant “choppy water”, “water agitated by the wind” or “muddy water” in relation to them. In the lakes there are crocodiles.
• In the archaeological zone there are 5 temples, although at the moment only 3 can be visited.
• Several Mayan roads (sacbé) can be seen: the area has 45 roads (35 local, 8 zonal and 2 regional). These roads are elevated, and some are still hidden under vegetation. Sacbé 1 is about 100km to Yaxnah, and another 20km to Chichén Itzá and Ek Balam. Every 2km or so there is a ramp: they carried the goods on their backs, and at those points there was another person to relieve the previous person.
• Coba is said to have had about 55,000 inhabitants.
• You can see that most of the constructions are squared: the Mayan did not build rounded buldings, because the Mayan calendar is circular and sacred. The round columns that can be seen arrived with the Toltecs (for the Toltecs, the round represents the god of the wind – kukulkan, feathered serpent). The square for the Mayan people represents the 4 cardinal points.
• There are two ball courts. In one of them a stone representation of a human skull was found (which is believed to indicate that human sacrifices were performed there) and also a stone representing a decapitated jaguar.
• The tallest building, Nohoch Mul (meaning big mound), is a solid temple (it has nothing inside), and since the pandemic it is not allowed to be climbed.

Cenotes Multun-Ha, Choo-Ha and Takach-Ha next to the Cobá Archaeological Zone.

These 3 cenotes are relatively close to each other and close to Cobá, although to get there from the archaeological site you will need a car or pay a cab (there is the option of renting a bike but it is 6km one way and another 6km back).

Each cenote costs 100 pesos/person for entrance and they are three underground cenotes, that is, if the day is cloudy or rainy you can enjoy them just the same because they are in caverns, they are closed cenotes and the light you see in the pictures is artificial since they do not receive sunlight.

• Cenote Choo-Ha: in this cenote the protagonists are the stalactites and stalagmites that give the cenote a unique scenery, with its crystalline and shallow waters, from half a meter to 10 meters. It is suitable for all ages, it is included in some tours and, being shallow, some families with children.
• Cenote Tamcach-Ha: this cenote is included in most tours and is clearly the most touristic. It is sought after by adventurous people because it has 2 platforms, one of 5 meters and another of 10 meters from where you can jump into the water. Here the water reaches 27 meters deep.
• Multun-Ha: of the three, this cenote is probably the least visited. It is located in the Mayan jungle and is ideal for snorkeling. It also has deeper waters and a platform to jump from. It is supposedly the most magical and beautiful.

In Randomtrip we went to Cenote Choo-Ha because we thought it was the most beautiful because of the stalactite and stalagmite formations. We went after the ruins of Cobá, we arrived around 1pm and initially we enjoyed it in solitude, but then a noisy tour arrived and the tranquility ended…

Sian Ka’an Reserve

The Sian Ka’an Reserve is a protected natural area that in Mayan means “Gateway to Heaven”, with a lot of species of flora and fauna (including turtles, dolphins and manatees).

There are two ways to visit (or two areas to enter) the reserve: from Muyil or from Punta Allen, which are quite far from each other (Muyil is next to federal highway 307, while Punta Allen is at the end of the road to Tulum’s Hotel Zone). This last area is, as we were told, very little visited and wilder, an ideal plan if you want to “get away from the World”, although once you enter the reserve the road is dirt and depending on the rains, it may not be doable with a “normal” car (only 4×4), if you want to go in your car or rental car get well informed before.

Both sides offer boat excursions (either through the mangroves or on the sea), which tend to be expensive. If you are interested, take a look at this half or full day excursion.

In the Muyil area, the typical tour consists of a boat ride through the mangroves where they tell you a little about the area, then they put a life jacket on you as if it were a diaper and throw you into the water so that you can travel a few kilometers in absolute calm letting yourself be carried by the gentle current, and then walk back on foot along a wooden walkway. The problem: the price of this tour, which lasts a couple of hours, is 1000 pesos per person (about 50$), a price that seems very high to us, especially since most people who go barely see any wildlife. If you hire the excursion in Tulum it is even more expensive, probably twice as much (you can go by colectivo – any van that goes south on highway 307 – asking them to drop you off in Muyil).

In Muyil there is also an archaeological site that you can visit. Here is a tour that includes both a visit to the archaeological site and a walk through the canals of the Sian Ka’an Reserve.

If you are particularly interested in bird watching, on this four-hour tour you will be able to see herons, cormorants, gulls, kingfishers, storks, plovers, ibis, and even the Reserve’s largest flamingos.

For the area of Punta Allen we read better opinions, although without your own vehicle (at the time we visited it would have to be on a 4×4) there is only the tour option, which is quite expensive so it depends on your budget (as public transport by van or similar is very limited or non-existent). We were going to try to do this option, but the days we had planned for it were bad weather and it rained, so we discarded it. According to what we were told, from Punta Allen you leave by boat to an area where there is a lot of life (animals and coral), and it is likely to see turtles and dolphins (hopefully also manatees). If you want more information about this option, you can contact the agency Pixan Ka’an.

If you are looking for a place to relax and spend some special days, Punta Allen could be the ideal place for that whim. If that is the case, we recommend Hotel Cielo y Selva, perfect to relax and rest near the sea…

Hotel Cielo y Selva in Punta Allen, photos from Booking

Akumal

Akumal is synonymous with turtles, as there is a very popular tour to go to its beach and have the chance to snorkel with turtles. Unfortunately, the tour became so popular that they had to limit the amount of people, the areas where you can and can not access and put several rules, also making it a more expensive experience, and even then the rules are not respected and we consider that the activity does not meet the standards and can be considered animal abuse. If you want to know more about it, we recommend you to read this post. In this post they mention a scientific article that contains evidence that touching turtles not only produces psychological stress but also ulcers and even cancer as a result of physical stress and the transfer of harmful chemicals and bacteria.

We were also told that there is the possibility of going to the beach on your own and snorkeling in the unmarked area, where with luck you can sometimes see a turtle, but we were also told that if you do this, you still have to pay an entrance fee to access the beach (although the beach is public, access is private and therefore there is no way to get in for free) and that the tour sellers “harass” you all the time to buy a tour.

In general, all the information we received about Akumal goes against what we consider responsible tourism and the type of tourism we like (more relaxed, less crowded, etc.), so we decided not to go so as not to be part of this type of tourism that promotes animal abuse. You can see turtles while snorkeling in several areas of the Caribbean Sea like in Tulum itself, Puerto Morelos, Mahahual…

If this kind of activity suits you and you want to do it, you can go to Akumal with your own vehicle or by colectivo (from Tulum, any van going northbound – Playa del Carmen), or hiring a tour. If you go on your own, you will have to pay the entrance fee to the natural area (120 pesos per person), and there you can choose whether to try your luck on the beach without paying for access to the limited area, or whether to pay the tour there to snorkel (BCD required) in the limited area. As in most places in the Riviera Maya, the ideal way to enjoy some peace and quiet is to go as early as possible. Please, whichever option you choose, respect the rules and do not disturb the turtles or other animals you see, even if you see other people breaking the rules (and in that case, please report the breach to the authorities and/or whoever you have contracted the tour with).

The rules for turtle watching in Akumal are as follows (Source: CONANP):

Xpu-ha Beach

Xpu-ha Beach is a beach halfway between Tulum and Playa del Carmen, with fine white sand and turquoise waters. In theory it is a public beach, but like almost everywhere in the Riviera Maya, the beach clubs have “privatized access”, although in theory here you can pay an entrance fee of 50 pesos and bring food/drinks to spend the day (or consume at the beach clubs, although it is more expensive).

Caleta Tankah

If there is sargassum when you visit Tulum, this beach club (Caleta Tankah) is an excellent option for a day at the beach since the sargassum does not reach here. However, you will have to pay a fee of 300 pesos per person (which includes parking in case you bring your own vehicle, a beach bunk bed with umbrella, and access to a cenote that is also there).

Get inspired by the stories of our visit to Tulum

You can see the featured Instagram stories about our visit to Tulum here.

Where to stay in Tulum

In Tulum you have 5 areas where you can stay:

• Tulum Town: at Randomtrip we stayed at Artec Studios. More options here
• Hotel Zone (on the beach): we recommend you the most sustainable options here
• Tulum Archaeological Zone, near the Ruins: several options within 1 km of the ruins here.
• La Veleta and Aldea Zama: a good option if you have your own vehicle, accommodation options here.

The most economical and what we recommend is to stay in Tulum town, as there you will have many options for cheaper lodging and you will also be close to several dining options with local prices.

Tulum has become very popular in recent years and, far from this popularity being accompanied by strategic infrastructure planning, this has had a negative impact on the area, especially in the so-called hotel zone, where the presence of local people is scarce (except in the working class), there are too many tourists and it stinks of greenwashing in several of the resorts disguised as eco-friendly (as, for example, having no direct electricity they generate electricity with fuel generators…). We have found more reasonable and, very importantly, sustainable options in the Tulum Hotel Zone that we recommend here.

The hotel zone, however, has highly inflated prices in bars and restaurants (to which in many cases a 20% tip is added) around the hotel complexes with already inflated prices, most of the beaches are privatized (and you can only access them if you stay at the hotel or pay the expensive admission fee at the Beach Club) and even getting around is expensive (cabs ask between 300 and 500 pesos for any trip in this area), purely and simply because the type of tourist who comes here pays what they are asked to pay without thinking twice.

For all these reasons, we reiterate, we recommend staying where we did in Randomtrip, in the town of Tulum (although it is also becoming more and more of an expat hub with less and less local people) with more popular prices in accommodation and restaurant options where going to dinner does not cost you a kidney. The only “disadvantage” is that if you want to go to the beach, you will have to get around, either by colectivo (shared van), bike or rented scooter, since walking is a considerable distance from taking a dip.

Where to stay in Tulum town

At RandomTrip we stayed at Artec Studios (from 50$/night, depending on the season) because we were looking for something with a kitchen and, above all, good wifi to be able to work (although some rooms had better speed than others and we had problems in this regard). If this is important to you, please confirm in writing when booking. It has a small pool shared with other studios and, being that we went in high season in December, we found it to be good value for money.

Other options that we valued or that we learned about are:

• Meteora Stay & Coffeehouse Tulum (from 36$/night bed in shared room and 60$/night private room): rooms have desk and balcony overlooking the pool.

• Casa Almendro (from 42$/night): economic or deluxe double rooms including desk and private bathroom.
• Hotel La Palmita by MIJ(from 45$/night): rooms or studios
• Noah luxury loft in Downtown (from 49$/night): 1-bedroom apartment with terrace and private pool
• Casa Elda (from 61$/night): studios with good Wifi (something that may not be easy in the town of Tulum) and kitchen. Ideal if you are staying more than a couple of nights to be able to work and cook.

• Selina Tulum Downtown (from 77$/night): double rooms or bed in shared room in the Tulum Village space of the famous Selina chain. Features outdoor pool, free private parking, terrace and restaurant.

• Zenses Wellness and Yoga Resort – Adults Only (from 98$/night): deluxe suites in an adults-only hotel with wellness center and yoga resort so if you are looking for tranquility, this is the place for you.

Find more accommodations in Tulum town here and remember that the prices we mention are approximate and change according to the type of room and the season.

Where to stay in the Tulum Hotel Zone

If you come to Tulum for the beach, you will usually look for accommodation with direct access to the beach. Although, in addition to all the reasons we mentioned above for this area, keep in mind that the prices of accommodations in the Hotel Zone tend to be much more expensive, as well as the dining options in the surrounding area are also much more expensive.

Even so, if what you want is a beach vacation, staying a few steps away from the Caribbean Sea, here are some hotels in the Tulum Hotel Zone that, apparently, are making an effort and were selected for Booking’s Sustainable Travel Program. They are not going to solve the problems Tulum is facing, far from it, but it seems that these are accommodations that are trying to improve their resource management and community support, unlike many of their neighbors that we could not and would not feel good recommending:

• Casa Coyote (from 108$/night): In addition to cozy rooms, you won’t find single-use plastic, the water used on the property is recycled, its energy comes from solar panels, and the hotel supports local artists. Its restaurant Loco claims to use local and seasonal products created with sustainable practices. This hotel is the “lower cost version” of the famous Papaya Playa Project, which we talk about further down in this list.

• Alaya Tulum (from 230$/night): rooms, suites and villas (depending on how much you can/want to spend) in a Green Key certified hotel.

• Libelula Tulum BeachFront Hotel (from 264$/night): rooms and bungalows, some with ocean views, in a family-run business located at the end of the Tulum hotel zone and very close to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. It is ideal if you are looking for tranquility and more privacy precisely because of its location, away from the famous electronic parties of the Tulum Hotel Zone. All the cabins are made and furnished with Mexican labor and materials and the hotel is part of the Sea Turtle Conservation Program. Since it is a bit secluded, if you don’t feel like walking or biking to go out in search of a restaurant, you will find vegetables and fruits as well as fresh fish of the day in their restaurant.

• Our Habitas Tulum (from 272$/night): In addition to recycling and composting, the hotel collaborates and launched several projects to support the environment and the community of Tulum such as the Scolel’te Program of the Ambio Cooperative that supports reforestation with the profits obtained from concerts and other actions carried out at the hotel and the Proactiva Tulum Response in which, together with their next door neighbor Papaya Playa Project, they joined efforts to help the local population during the pandemic. In their Moro restaurant they only use organically produced ingredients, the hotel’s construction was done preserving the jungle soil in which it is located and they also won the Oceanic Champion Badge for having eliminated all single-use plastics on the property.

• Hotel Shibari (from 357$/night): we had to include this hotel because its pool is a natural cenote… which probably makes it one of the nicest hotels in Yucatán. Sleeping around here is not at all cheap (like none in the Tulum Hotel Zone) but if you are looking to surprise someone with something very special, this might fit the bill.

• Papaya Playa Project (from 703$/night): Offers beachfront cabanas and houses and features access to the beach, spa (specializing in Mayan shamanic therapies), pool and the Roca restaurant. Since launching their 2015 zero emissions and zero pollution challenge, the hotel used in its construction (barely, especially compared to its neighbors) an approximate 7% of the original jungle found here, maintaining the remaining 93%. The water used to maintain the property and its fauna and flora is recycled. It is quite a famous place so if you plan to spend at least one night book as soon as possible. Every Saturday there is music at the beach bar, with international DJs and every month they host the famous Full Moon Party.

More options in the Tulum Hotel Zone here and remember that the prices we mention are approximate and change according to the type of room and the season.

Where to stay near Tulum Ruins

If your main purpose of your visit to Tulum is only to visit the archaeological site, you can also choose to sleep nearby.

• The Free Hostel (from 32$/night): double rooms or beds in a shared room less than 2 km from the Ruins and 1.3 km from Playa Paraiso
• Siente Tulum (from 152$/night): suites very close to the archaeological site of Tulum with outdoor pool, fitness center and terrace.
• Hotel Poc Na Tulum (from 165$/night): if you want the best of both worlds, to be close to the ruins of Tulum but also to the beach, this hotel offers rooms and suites, with sea or jungle views, 1.7 km from the Archaeological Zone.
• Amazing 3Br & Private Patio With Pool in Tulum (from 171$/night): house with three bedrooms and private pool, ideal for a large group of up to 9 people.

• Villa Pescadores (from 218$/night): double rooms and suites, some with ocean views, 1 km from the Tulum Archaeological Zone.

• Kai Tulum (from 253$/night): suites, some with ocean view, 1.1 km from the famous Tulum ruins

• Exclusive Jungle Villas W Luxury Amenities (from 222$/night): four-bedroom houses for 6 or 8 people with rooftop pool.

Find more accommodations near Tulum Ruins here and remember that the prices we mention are approximate and change according to the type of room and season.

Where to stay in La Veleta and Aldea Zama

Finally, two other options to stay in Tulum that are growing in the last few years, between the town and the hotel zone, are La Veleta and Aldea Zama: in these two areas there are usually newer accommodations with very good prices, but they are a little less well connected in terms of transportation and have less gastronomic options (or more expensive) than the town. If you have your own or a rental car and are going to spend some time working remotely from Tulum, they can be a good option, although in our opinion we still prefer to stay in town.

Accommodation options in La Veleta:

• Santal Tulum La Veleta (from 42$/night): newly renovated apartments and studios
• Hotel Boutique TerraNova La Veleta (from 59$/night): nice and comfortable rooms and studios with high speed wifi (not so common in these areas) so perfect if you are a digital nomad. In addition, the hotel is in Booking’s Sustainable Travel Program for its good practices regarding reducing plastic and water waste.

• Little Gem Hotel Tulum la Veleta (from 71$/night): beautiful and comfortable suites in accommodation with free bicycles, free private parking, outdoor pool and garden.
• Villa Ek’Balam & Villa Flamingo La Veleta (from 283$/night): 3-bedroom villas ideal for families or groups of up to 7 people.

Lodging options in Aldea Zama:

• Miraluna B223 at Luum Zama (from 48$/night): studios for up to 4 people

• Faisanos Nomadas (from 108$/night): double rooms and suites from 2 to 4 persons

Find more accommodations in La Veleta and Aldea Zama here and remember that the prices we mention are approximate and change according to the type of room and the season.

Where to eat in Tulum

In Tulum town you have many dining options, both local and international (more tourist oriented). In the hotel zone, on the other hand, most of the options are expensive and tourist oriented. Here are some suggestions

Where to eat in Tulum town

• Taqueria Honorio: undoubtedly one of the most famous restaurants in Tulum, both for locals and outsiders, this restaurant specializing in cochinita pibil tacos is always full. It is open only in the morning (until 3:00 pm) and the service is friendly, fast and efficient. The most famous tacos, apart from the cochinita pibil ones (which is cooked for 12 hours underground), are the suckling pig and roast beef tacos. They also have tortas, quesadillas and very tasty fruit juices (in Mexico they are called aguas de fruta). We went twice and would go back if we had more time. We paid about 320 pesos for 6 tacos, a torta to take away and two aguas de fruta. It was featured in a Netflix series, The Taco Chronicles.

• Tropitacos: next to the previous one, but this one is open until 1:00 am. Slightly cheaper and the tacos are also delicious. We paid 240 pesos for 3 tacos, 2 quesadillas and 2 beers.
• Acqua & Farina: if you have a craving for Italian, here is a small authentic restaurant. We liked it so much that we went twice. The pastas are very good (we tried the Carbonara – with guanciale, pecorino and egg, without cream obviously -, the Arrabbiata, the Fruti di mare and the Amatriciana) and the tiramisu for dessert as well. We paid 750 pesos for 2 pastas, 1 glass of wine, 1 beer and 1 tiramisu.

• La Barracuda: restaurant where many local people go to eat fresh fish. it was recommended to us by the guide of the Tulum archaeological zone and we loved it. We paid 470 pesos for shrimp tacos, a grilled fish fillet and 2 beers.

• Alfonsina: for a more European breakfast, there is a pack of a ham and cheese sandwich, hot drink and cold drink for 145 pesos.
• Antojitos La Chiapaneca: it was recommended to us for local and cheap food (tacos, tortas, gringas…), although in the end we didn’t have a chance to visit it.
• El Dorado: also recommended by our guide in the archaeological zone for fish and seafood, although we didn’t get to go.

Where to eat, drink or party in Tulum’s Hotel Zone:

• Beach Club Alquimia: here we spent a few hours and ate something, as there were few people they let us in with no minimum consumption, and the food was delicious (although expensive). We ordered 6 beers, Alquimia guacamole (with shrimp) and tacos gobernador, and paid 950 pesos.

• Ciel Rose Sunset Bar: here we enjoyed two margaritas at sunset at Tulum Hotel Zone prices but the truth is that the views were incredible.

For partying in the Hotel Zone of Tulum, famous for its parties, we were recommended:

• Zamna on the beach: famous for its impressive electronic music parties.

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• Bonbonniere
• Bagatelle: also has a restaurant in addition to events.
• Vagalume: in addition to the party, it has restaurant and beach club
• Mia: like most people, besides partying you can also go out to dinner or to their beachclub.

Tulum Itineraries

Here are different itineraries depending on the number of days you have in Tulum.

Things to do in Tulum in 1 day

If you only have one day, we would definitely dedicate it to the archaeological site of Tulum and the beaches of the Jaguar Park, and you can also go to the hotel zone or to a cenote:

• 8:00 enter the archaeological zone to enjoy it without people.
• 10:00/10:30 walk to the Jaguar Park beaches (Santa Fé, Pescadores, Paraíso) and enjoy the beach.
• 13:00/14:00 depending on what you feel like, you can continue walking to the Hotel Zone and have lunch there at a beach club to continue enjoying the beach, or go to town to eat at Taqueria Honorio for example, and in the afternoon visit one of the nearby cenotes.

Things to do in Tulum in 2 days

In two days, in addition to the previous plan (one day), you can add another plan, such as visiting the archaeological site of Coba and combine it with some cenotes, visit the Sian Ka’an reserve or the Kaam Luum lagoon. Here is a suggested two-day itinerary for Tulum:

• Day 1: Tulum archaeological site at 8:00, enjoy the beaches of the jaguar park, continue to the hotel zone and/or have lunch in town and visit a nearby cenote.
• Day 2: visit the archaeological site of Coba in the morning and stop at some cenotes on the way back or go to Xcacel beach.

Things to do in Tulum in 3 days

With 3 days in Tulum we recommend the following itinerary:

• Day 1: Tulum archaeological site at 8:00, enjoy the beaches of the jaguar park, continue to the hotel zone and/or have lunch in town and visit a nearby cenote.
• Day 2: visit the archaeological site of Coba in the morning and stop at some cenotes on the way back or go to Xcacel beach.
• Day 3: visit the Sian Ka’an reserve (all day at Punta Allen or half day at Muyil) and if you have time, visit the Kaam Luum lagoon.

Transportation: How to get around Tulum

Distances in and around Tulum can be long, so although you can walk to many places, you will have to pay for some form of transportation for longer distances:

• On foot: within Tulum town or the hotel zone you will be able to move on foot between most places. However, in the Hotel Zone, between the first point (where Coba Avenue coming from Tulum town arrives to the coast) and the last point (Casa Malca) there is about 1h15-1h30 walking distance (about 6km).
• By bike: many people rent bikes, especially if you are staying in Tulum town and want to go to the hotel zone without depending on anyone. The problem is that the road to the hotel zone is narrow, there is no bike lane or anything like that, and you will have to dodge cars, trucks and people walking. In Tulum town they rent them for 150 to 250 pesos a day (if you rent for several days they usually give you a discount), and in the hotel zone we didn’t ask but we were told that they usually cost twice as much.
• By scooter/motorbike: there is also the possibility of renting a scooter/motorbike, we asked around and they asked for 800 pesos per day, dropping to 600 if we rented for two days or more. We found it very expensive, we rented a car for one day (to go to Cobá and a couple of cenotes on our own) for less than that.
• By colectivo (van): there are colectivos both to go from town to the hotel zone and to go to other points along federal highway 307, they usually charge about 30 pesos per person each way. This is the cheapest way to get around, the one used by local people. We use them to travel between town and the hotel zone, and also to go to Xcacel and the archaeological zone.
• By cab: extremely expensive compared to other places we have been in Mexico and even in the Riviera Maya. The minimum they ask for even in town is 100 pesos each way, and from the hotel zone to go to town they almost always start asking for 500 pesos (about 25$). We used them on one occasion to move between the hotel zone and the village (when we couldn’t get a place on the colectivo, which depending on the time of day can be full), and we never paid more than 150 pesos, which is already expensive for the distance, but most tourists we saw accepted the first inflated price without batting an eyelash.
• By car or rental car: in our case we rented a car for one day to go to the archaeological site of Cobá and some cenotes, and it cost us the whole day for 539 pesos (with insurance with excess). The problem with the car for the hotel zone is that there is hardly anywhere to park for free, so you will have to pay for parking. You can compare car rental prices in Tulum on DiscoverCars.

How to have internet in Tulum

To always have internet on your smartphone, the easiest and most convenient way (if your phone supports eSIM) is to buy an eSIM from Holafly, which has unlimited data (you get a 5% discount with the code RANDOMTRIP), or to buy an eSIM from Airalo, cheaper but with limited data (15% discount with the code RANDOMTRIP15)

The other option, cheaper but more cumbersome, is to buy a local SIM, which we recommend is from Telcel (the main telecom company in Mexico, with more coverage).

Safety: Is it safe to travel to Tulum?

In general, we felt completely safe walking around Tulum, both at night and during the day, both in town and in the hotel zone. At certain times of the day there is military and police presence.

We were told that due to the party scena of the Tulum hotel zone, drug consumption has increased and therefore, there is a increase of violence related to drug trafficking. But in our case we did not observe or feel any kind of insecurity at any time.

In any case, we always have our Iati travel insurance (which also covers our belongings in case of theft) as in all our trips and gives us more peace of mind. If you contract your travel insurance in this Randomtrip link, you will get it with a 5% discount.

Money in Tulum: cards, tips to save on commissions and tips

To pay and withdraw money in Mexico while minimizing fees, we recommend the 2 cards we use in our case:

• Revolut: with the standard version up to 1000$ without commission on card payments (remember to always pay in local currency – Mexican pesos). Up to 400$ of withdrawals at ATMs without commission, from then on commission of 1%.
• N26: with the free version you can pay with your card without commissions in an unlimited way. For ATM withdrawals, you pay 1.7% commission, which you can eliminate by paying for the monthly plans You (the one we use) or Metal. If you use the code N26Summer24 with this link, you get 3 months completely free.

It is important to keep in mind that although your card does not charge a fee for ATM withdrawals, ATMs in Mexico do charge a fee for their use. The ones that charge the least are Banamex (31 pesos, 1.7$), Banco Santander (34 pesos, 1.8$) or Banco Azteca (34 pesos, 1.8$), so when withdrawing money try to withdraw as much as possible to save money.

Another important issue when withdrawing money at an ATM in Mexico: many times the ATM will ask you if you want the transaction to be done in local currency (Mexican pesos) or in your own currency (in our case, it was euros): always choose the local currency option, otherwise, it will apply an unfavorable exchange rate and you will be overpaying (as a hidden commission).

The above also applies to card payments (although the option almost never appears, on several occasions also when paying with a card in establishments we were shown an amount in euros instead of pesos). In our case it almost always happened to us with the orange CLIP terminals. If this happens to you, ask the person to charge you in Mexican pesos.

A bad practice in Mexico is that in any business where you want to pay with a card, they have the habit of asking you for your card and do the whole process themselves, passing you the terminal only to enter the PIN (in Mexico they call it “firma” or NIP). This means that sometimes, depending on the type of terminal, you do not see the amount and/or you are charged in the original currency of your card instead of in Mexican pesos – making you lose money because an unfavorable conversion is applied. Always ask nicely to be allowed to see the process to make sure you are charged the correct amount and in local currency.

Finally, some establishments charge an extra commission for payment by card (the times it happened to us, it was 5%), they always tell you before and if you do not see it when confirming the amount. In those cases, it is better to pay with cash.

Tipping: The tipping culture is very well established in Mexico, and although it is not and cannot be obligatory by law, it is in practice, since it is frowned upon not to leave a tip. It is recommended to leave a minimum of 10% (usually you will be asked at the time of payment, and if you pay by credit card, the terminal usually gives you the option of adding 10, 15 or 20% as a tip).

How much does a trip to Tulum cost?

Making a budget is complex as it depends greatly on your travel style: how many plans you want to include in your trip, if you are going to go to restaurants or cook to save money, the type of accommodation you are going to use… In any case, so you can get an idea, we leave below the average prices and what we consider as average price per day (we reiterate that these are ORIENTATIVE prices and may vary at any time):

• Flights/transportation within Mexico: from 15$ for a bus from Cancun, from 80$ for an internal flight from other parts of Mexico. Use flight comparators like Skyscanner and Kiwi to find the best price.
• Transportation: journeys from 1.5$ by bus, from 5$ by cab, or bike rental from 7.5$ per day
• Accommodation: from 45$/night for a room with private bathroom or small apartment with kitchen. Find accommodation of all types and prices on Booking, with up to 15% discount.
• Restaurants: many options between 5$ and 30$ per person, for all tastes.
• Entrance fees/tours: 8$ entrance fee to the archaeological site of Tulum.

In total, a weekend trip (2 nights) to Tulum can cost you between 45€ and 60€ per person per day, with the cheapest options of lodging in town, eating out in cheap restaurants and visiting some of the paying places (not counting flights from abroad in case you are not in Mexico). If you want to experience a more beachy Tulum (either staying in the hotel zone and/or going to the beach clubs) the budget will increase considerably due to the price of these types of establishments and the restaurants available in the area.

Useful Apps to get around Tulum

• Google Maps (Android / iOS): is the one we use to save/classify all the places we want to go/we have been and as a GPS both to orient ourselves in the area and if we rent a car. You can see other people’s opinions about the places, photos, restaurant menus, telephone numbers to contact them, etc. You can also open our map with all the places included in this guide.
• Maps.me (Android / iOS): application similar to Google Maps but works offline (although Google Maps can also work offline, it works better) and in many cases has information that Google Maps does not have.
• Windy (Android / iOS / Web): essential app for our trips. It allows you to see forecasts of rain, clouds, wind, etc. to help you plan your days based on the weather (as there are places that lose a lot depending on the weather). Obviously the forecasts are not 100% reliable.

Tips for traveling to Tulum as a responsible tourist

• Be responsible when visiting a place: a large influx of people to a certain site can have a negative impact so respect the rules, do not climb the tree/monument you are visiting, do not paint on its walls, avoid touching and, out of respect for the rest of the people visiting the place, do not make noise or “monopolize” the place with your photos.
• Take care of natural and archaeological monuments and respect existing rules.
• If you rent a car, respect the speed limits on highways.
• Avoid the use of single-use plastic and do not litter
• Don’t be an accomplice to animal abuse: Any attraction where animals are held in captivity and/or used for human entertainment.
• Respect other people: don’t play your music loud; pick up your trash; don’t throw cigarette butts, etc. Leave the place better than you found it.
• Always travel with travel insurance: medical expenses, theft or problems with your plane on a trip can cost you a lot of money, so the ideal thing is to take out travel insurance. At Randomtrip we always use IATI and we recommend it. If you purchase your insurance through this link you have a 5% discount.

Checklist: what to bring in your backpack/suitcase to Tulum

Here is a list of must-see items you can’t forget to bring on your trip to Tulum:

• International plug adapter such as these as they use type A plugs (those with two flat parallel pins).
• A  reusable water bottle like one of these to carry water with you all the time and void single-use plastic.
• Water Shoes as these ideal to carry always with you to avoid hurting your feet when entering the water or not touching the ground.
• Snorkel kit (mask and snorkel) like this, a must to bring on this trip and contemplate the seabed. Besides being more hygienic because you do not share your snorkel with anyone, in several places they do not rent the equipment and, even if they do rent, with a couple of times you already amortize the price of your own kit.
• Water proof dry bag like this one, very useful to keep your photographic equipment, cell phone and wallet safe from getting wet on the boat (whales sometimes blow near the boat or even hit the water with their fin or tail near the boat, and water can reach the boat).
• UV protection T-shirt like this because in some parts of the Mexican Caribbean it is forbidden or not recommended to use sunscreen / sunblock because its composition damages the marine ecosystem.
• Quick-drying towel such as one of these, which, in addition, does not take up much space in the backpack/suitcase.
• A hat or a cap (like this one) and sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun
• A good camera to register your adventures. At Randomtrip we carry a Sony ZV-E10 and a Gopro Hero12 Black (for underwater pictures)
• A Power bank: taking so many pictures will drain your batteries, so it’s always a good idea to carry a good powerbank. At Randomtrip we travel with these 2 (Anker 20000 mAh and  Anker 10000 mAh), which allow us to charge both our phones and our cameras.
• Sun screen: the sun is strong in Baja California Sur so it is a must to take care of your skin. Always look for a Coral Friendly Sunscreen, i.e. one that protects your skin without harming marine ecosystems by avoiding ingredients such as oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are harmful to corals. Nor that it has been tested on animals.
• Mosquito repellent: like this one, it should have at least 15% deet
• First aid kit: In our first-aid kit there is always a medicine against seasickness (such as biodramine for seasickness on boats), antibiotics, anti-diarrhea medication (and a probiotic to recover more quickly), antihistamines, painkillers and antipyretics and, of course, travel insurance. If you hire your travel insurance with IATI using this link you will get a 5% discount

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We hope this guide to Tulum will help you get to know this area a little better, with its lights and shadows, and help you choose where to go and where not to go. Bon Voyage, RandomTripper!