Tulum

This is one of my favorite places to visit in the Riviera Maya. The ancient city of Tulum with its ritual cliffside ruins has enough structures that have survived the test of time, that if you close your eyes you can almost imagine it at its glory. The line can be long and getting a ticket complicated. We had to stand in multiple lines just to get all the different tickets required to enter the ruins, and they go through your bag multiple times. Once in, you can freely explore unless you're with a guide. The informative plaques were actually pretty good at giving us the information we needed. If the ruins aren't enough for you, enjoy the large population of iguanas that sun themselves or just look out at the extraordinary view. This is definitely worth the hassle if you're going to be close to Tulum. It doesn't cost much to get in, but the lines can be confusing even for native speakers. A tour will be easier but much much more expensive. I did also love the lack of vendors inside the grounds, that really ruined my experience of Chichen Itza.

My only take away from this experience is to sell all tickets at one location. This was a great day and hanging out at santa fe beach was perfect

Amazing history, hubby and I enjoyed our tour here with the rich history of the mayans. How intellectually advanced to place the pyramids/Templo so that when the summer solstice came can shine through the templos that lights up the carved image. Also can guide them away from the reef when the sun comes from the other way. The average age of the Mayans was 35 due to the high mineral content in the water they were drinking caused them to get gallstones. The grounds is very large so be prepared to walk wear a sun hat it gets very hot. Also, bring plenty of water in your own container any other plastic containers or bags will be taken away by security. We booked this tour through our resort. Well worth the personal tour to educate us of their culture. Before I forget bring money!! There are people are walking around with animals to pet or in costumes. As soon as you pet the monkey or stand with the people in costume you pay them money. We arrived in the morning there was no line. I think with everything it's more of a hit and miss on the days you go to visit the ruins.

Zona Arqueologica de Tulum, or the Tulum Archaeological Zone, is definitely worth checking out. There's nothing else quite like it. Combined with the absolute natural beauty of the Yucatan Peninsula, this place has to be one of the most beautiful historical sites in the world. It's a sight to behold. The coastal setting makes it extra unique. It's literally ruins in paradise. For the purposes of this review, "Tulum" refers to the archaeological site which contains Mayan ruins of a city believed to have been largely built after 900 AD. Tulum is part of the larger Parque Nacional de Tulum (Tulum National Park), which includes hundreds of acres of jungles, beaches, wetlands, cenotes, and six archaeological zones (this is one of them). You can read more about the park here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/parque-nacional-tulum-tulum To avoid confusion, there's also the modern town of Tulum, which is near the ruins. The town opened a new airport on December 1, 2023 with direct and nonstop flights from the US. It relieves congestion in Cancun and on the highway to and from. It's at least a two-hour hour drive between Tulum and Cancun. Tulum is touristy. We entered in a long line and exited in a long line. Luckily, there was no waiting and the lines moved briskly. There was a very quick and loose security bag check, conducted by Guardia Nacional (the National Guard), before entering. Once inside, the site is so big that you can spread out. The crowding wasn't bad for us during our visit on a Monday morning around 9am. I highly recommend booking a private tour through My Quest Concierge Private Tours: https://www.yelp.com/biz/my-quest-concierge-private-tours-playa-del-carmen My wife and I were picked up by our dedicated guide at our resort, driven and escorted to the ruins, and given an intimate, personal tour. It was just the two of us and our guide. He knew the most efficient route through the ruins, took a bunch of great pictures of us, and timed each stop so we were mostly "alone." It was perfect. The ruins are that of a Mayan city believed to be inhabited between the 12 to 1400s. It was a walled city built upon cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea. The white sand beaches, lush green vegetation, and the deep blue ocean make for some truly breathtaking views. A lot remains of the city walls and structures, which are made of limestone and stucco. The structures included homes for nobility and priests, various temples, shrines, and altars, and El Castillo, the central pyramid. According to our guide, religious rituals and human sacrifices (!) took place at El Castillo. My favorite is Templo del Dios del Viento (the Temple of the Wind God), which is located on a high point along the sea cliffs. It's picturesque and looks fantastical, but is very much real.

Soooooo this is just my opinion, but I hoped for more at Tulum. I think a large issue was our tour guide who didn't give a lot of useful knowledge in addition to our frustration with the heat and the rain. The sea view is amazing and hearing about the culture is as well, but for a 2+ hour drive, I kinda expected more. Again this is just my opinion and not something to be held against Tulum.

This area is stunning with breath-taking views. Be warned, there is quite a bit of walking to get to the site, which is painful when it's especially hot and mosquito-heavy. I did this as the second part of a tour with Rio Secreto. So the Rio Serety was incredible. By the time I got to the ruins, it was hot and we were wiped from the heat so I'd suggest starting your day there when you're more fresh, take water (altho no plastic is allowed so take cans or cash to buy drinks there). Maybe also take a portable fan with you and water to splash all over your head :P You can't walk to the beach any longer, only take photos with views behind you. That said, the views really are worth seeing once! Not a place I'd go back to but certainly worth seeing once.

I am not sure why other reviews say go first thing in the morning--- I went Monday 16 July 2024 at 9am ((they open at 8am)) and the lines were insane Come 2pm, the entire place was empty!!! There were SO many people first thing in the morning Again, around 2pm, the entire place was empty.... Definitely go later in the day!!!!!!!! The heat doesn't really change from 10am to 1pm ... it'll be hot all day and you will be dripping wet regardless of what time you arrive The heat should not be the deciding factor--- if you want no crowds, go later in the day!! There is SO much trash at the beach!!!!!!! Shame on the workers for not cleaning it up!!!!!!!!!! They are so strict about the environment (as you will see per the numerous government signs and bag checkpoints), but in reality, they don't even clean up the trash ((I would have cleaned up the beach FULL of plastic trash to prevent it from going back to the ocean/ the nearby coral reef, but the beach// trash is behind a white rope where ordinary people can't cross- only workers can access the beach area) You can see the turtle prints go through the mounds of trash..... it is really REALLY devastating When you park (150 Pesos), you walk through an insane about of tourist shops.... then you pay 61 pesos per person to enter the park, then another 95 pesos per person to enter the ruins...... the ruins are probably 3/4 mile X 3/4 mile--- they do not cover a large area at all. Walking from the parking lot to the ruins is bigger than the ruin area itself After you park, you walk through the initial tourists shops as mentioned above, and there are workers holding monkeys on chain leashes. It is appalling!! And animal cruelty at its definition Again, for a government to be so strict to tourists about environmental rules (no plastic bottles...), they need to crack down on this unethical treatment of (baby) animals!!! You will see workers holding (baby) Monkeys, iguanas, parrots/ macaws... and try to get tourists to give money for pictures The ruins are not even worth it........ I am a history buff, and was so unimpressed with the entire area Spent about 5 hours there The best part is the breeze from the ocean There is good signage- not sure what other reviews are saying when they mention lack of signage There are signs that tell you what you are looking at // the historical importance of each specific ruin Overall: -insane amount of tourists / tour groups -insane amount of trash -you can barely see the carvings of the ruins (only able to see 2 descending gods clearly throughout the entire park) -you cannot see the murals on the ruins at all Considering the amount of money that flows through here, they could do SO MUCH better

We arrived on a Thursday in November at around 11 am (after having left our resort at 7 a.m.) There was a long line to get into the archaeological complex and once inside it was packed with people. There were several excursions from cruise ships as well as masses of people from the Cancun area resorts. All the people made it difficult to walk around, there were too many people taking selfies making it hard to keep moving to see the ruins in our limited time. There is some signage but most is in poor condition. I had visited Tulum almost 30 years ago. It was not over-loved then. My pictures from that visit show barely any people and we had plenty of time to see everything. A lot of construction work is going on inside and outside the complex so the noise from equipment added to the general stress of our visit. We regret taking the tour through our resort. I don't know if there is a good time to arrive for a visit. It's just too popular.

Tulum was beautiful but hot, so definitely would recommend you bring plenty of water and perhaps back an umbrella for walking out and exploring the grounds. If you have enough time bring your swimming clothes or wear them underneath so you can check out the beach area too. Went as part of a tour group experience, so we were on a timetable of a couple hours, so be mindful of that there's at least a 10-15 minutes walk (each way) from the "admission checkpoint) to get to either the beach or ruins areas. Also note that depending on how your visit is arranged you may still have to pay an additional cost to actually get into the archaeological zone for the ruins. The details for our particular tour (we booked through TripAdvisor) mentioned admission being included, but what was not clear is that they were actually TWO admissions you need to have to enter the Tulum Mayan Ruins. One is to get to the actual city/town, and the other covers the entirety of the grounds, which includes the beach access. We still needed a wristband to actually get entered into the overall site. Our tickets only covered the archaeological ruins. This lead to confusion and frustration for me and the others on the tour, as we still had to make another purchase that we were not expecting. So be prepared to have some additional pesos to cover this expense (if this is your situation) The total entrance cost is 90 pesos (About $5.25 USD) so a pretty low cost of entry to a truly beautiful site with such rich history. If you don't booked a personal tour guide or it's not included with your package, I would at least recommend buying a cheap self-guided audio tour, which my partner and I did, which was more than sufficient. The two that we had were: Voicemap and Action Tour Guides. Both were less than $10 each.

My wife and I were vacationing in Cancun and decided to visit the Mayan ruins. Our hotel has a tour package via Lomas Transportation and booked an express trip to Tatum. We were picked up at 9:20 am in a van and after picking up more passengers from another hotel, we were guided to the Mayan Ruins. We have a guide and all entrance fees were paid for in advance. The guide took us straight to the gate and gave us a wristband. She was very nice and toured us around the ruins. She explained that Mayan is a walled city way back where people lived. We have a lot of pictures taken for souvenirs. It's a hot day and I suggest you wear comfortable shoes, shorts, a shirt, and a nice hat. There's a lot of history behind these ruins and our guide explained to us how it was. This is a nice place to visit to learn about the history of the Mayans. There's a marketplace outside where you can grab a cold drink or food. They also have a souvenir shop. If you have time, try to visit this place. It will amaze you

We came here on a bus tour and I believe buses have to park a bit farther away than cars do. Anyway you walk through a whole bunch of touristy shops on your way to the ruins. Lots of food available and restrooms that you should probably use before you get to the ruins. It's about a 400m walk and I believe they are putting in a sidewalk to make it easier otherwise you're sharing the walk with cars. Looks like they were doing a lot of construction at the entrance to the ruins so maybe they're trying to make it easier to organize all the people that are coming. Even on a weekday there were a ton of people! The ruins were great to visit. Lots of good excavation and most of the signs were in Spanish and English. Great place to explore! Lots of iguanas around as well. Just really fun. I really wish we could have spent longer there. Really the only reason I gave it four stars is because it was a bit of a petulous walk from the bus to the ruins. Looks like they are trying to improve it though in the future.

Incredible history and amazing sights by the ocean! Just be ready for super hot weather, long walks with no shade and get a guide. Totally worth it if you are into archeology or history.

This was by far worth the weight of the multiple long lines to get tickets to each entry point. It was definitely one of the more expensive archaeological sites that we had paid for but definitely worth the hour. Wait to get inside to Tulum. Pictures definitely do not give justice, but it was an overcast day, but it was still so beautiful beyond beautiful. If you're in the area and are able to make this trip, I highly recommend it.

Tulum was the last great city constructed and inhabited by the Mayan people between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. It was a site of worship to the Great Descending God whose image adorns the temples within the site. Tulum was also of great importance for sea trade, most specifically for the trading of obsidian. Tribes from all over Mexico and other Central American countries would travel here for commerce. It's said that the great wall around the city was erected to protect it from envious traders and pirates who wanted to steal the prime location for themselves. These walls are located on only three sides of the settlement as the ocean protects the eastern borders. We hired a private tour guide who took us around and learned so much which made us appreciate the Mayans even more! It's a actually massive and worth a day's trip! The ruins are situated on 12-meter (39 ft) cliffs along the Caribbean Tulum had an estimated population of 1,000 to 1,600 inhabitants. The wall around Tulum is three to 5 meters (16 ft) in height, 8 m (26 ft) thick and 400 m (1,300 ft) long on western wall parallel to the sea. The Castillo (main pyramid/castle) is 7.5 m (25 ft) tall and appears to have built-in stages. Tulum was a major crossroads of trade from both land and sea managing trade from Central and South America into the Yucatan. Tulum honored the "diving god" or "descending god" and "the god of the bee", an important insect for the Maya even today. Our tour guide purchased tickets, taking us around and explains the various structure. Go and check it out!

This place is not as big as Chichén Itzá so it won't take hours and hours to walk, a good 2 hrs to see it all. Talum is on a sea side cliff and is so beautiful. Talum is a must see when you visit. 1st things 1st When you get to the street to go to Talum don't don't don't stop! There are ppl trying to stop you and offer you a bunch of lies. They even look legit with their uniforms and all. They have no connection to Talum. Keep driving and not far up is parking on right and left side. We did get a tour guide so we could have a history lesson and not just look at the temples. The information was mind blowing. Such powerful intelligent people. The way these building were made was pure genius for the time period.

Best to arrive when it opens to beat the heat and the crowds. Search for Ruina Tulum Parking on Google; it's the closest parking lot and costs 100 pesos per vehicle. Ignore scammers at the intersection charging 200 pesos for parking. Prior to entering, purchase a ticket for almost 61 pesos in the white building on the right side of the entrance; make sure you have the exact amount bc the sign says exact exchanges. This provides access to the area, including public beaches. After entering the first gate, buy another ticket (~90 pesos) for ruins access at the white trailer next to the tent for hiring guides. Before leaving the ruins, explore the eco trail near the exit for a different view of the cliffside ruins. Plan at least an hour here as it's a bit of a walk from the parking lot to the ruins.

Most certainly an experience to cherish with the family. We hired a guide to take us around. He escorted us through the ticketing area gave us a speel and left. It was really really hot day we were so tired that we ended up@ the Ceynote after to cool off.

Really not worth a 3 hour drive and walking around in the hot sun .....but you should do it at least once if you are staying at cancun or closer like riviera maya(google it) Its a small town on a hill of mayan ruins When you enter the grounds the locals are rrally aggressive on the parking hussle, start lying to you about officcial park and cost and whatever ...there is a parking lot up ahead where the shops are that cost 100 pesos ...then up there they try and upsell tours and tickets, do not fall for their ish ...you buy tickets from a kiosk at trail entrance about 10 min walk ahead Hike up to the ruins and hike up to see the ocean view at the backside ...then hike back down(in the heat) take as much photos to make this worth it. Lol

Lovely sight in Tulum, Mexico. My wonderful wife and I have visited twice now. Last year, we spent several days in the area. Of course, we took the time to tour the Tulum Ruins. We went with a bunch of family and friends. There must of been over 30 of us. At first, Wifey and I stayed at the entrance with my Aunt and Uncle. They were not wanting to go inside because she was in a wheelchair. One of the two tour guides for our large group stayed with us, and he was able to convince auntie and uncle to enter the Ruins. Got to admit, it was not easy wheeling my Aunt around in her wheelchair. The Ruins are not easy to navigate with a wheelchair in tow. I got some really good exercise that day. The guide was AWESOME!! He became the personal tour guide for auntie, uncle, wifey, and myself. He shared the history of the Ruins, and took some terrific family photos of us. If you are a history buff, then I highly recommend checking the Tulum Ruins. It is not very handicap accessible, but as I proved to my Aunt it is doable. She was very grateful to the guide and myself. Otherwise, she would not have been able to see this wonderful site because she was in a wheelchair.

Amazing history, I recommend getting a tour guide they are knowledgeable as they take this very serious! Such an amazing place! Would recommend to anyone on this side of the world!

This is a very nice place to visit especially on vacation. It's beautiful and just overall exciting to see history. I do recommend to be prepared for the sun. Sunglasses, a hat and sunscreen for sure is necessary because there are no shade spots. Go to the restroom before you start your sightseeing. Also good walking shoes are needed and a bottle of water. You will totally enjoy it. Make sure your camera is ready it's beautiful

Beautiful place. I have been to other Mayan ruins ...but never near the ocean. That made it even more unique. The site is smaller than larger ruins like Tikal and Monte Alban. But, there are a number of well preserved buildings and structures. Very interesting history too. If you visit this part of Mexico, Tulum is worth a stop. Keep in mind that, with it being smaller, this is probably 1-2 hours at most. Great place for pictures.

This was a nice little half-day excursion. Unfortunately the beach was closed on our visit but it was still beautiful to see. Our tour guide was Freddy and he had great energy and lots of knowledge. The first 40-45 minutes or so was introducing us to the plaza and then entering into the ruins where he did a brief overview of areas of interest and a quick rundown on the history of several of the ruins. The last hour is free-time for you to explore and move about at your pace. We enjoyed wandering and viewing the different ruins and reading the informational signs. Then we headed back to the plaza and ate at a great little restaurant and did a little tequila tasting before getting back on bus/van to head back to Cancun. It was a very nice tour, I just wish the beach was open (but we could clearly see the waves all the way up to the edges of the rocks, so it wouldn't have been safe).

What. A. Zoo. If you've already been to like Uxmal, Chichén Itza, or Teotihuacan... This is a disappointment. Come here only for the great cliffside sea views. Here are some tips to help you avoid getting scammed: - ignore all the "official looking helpers" when you turn in from the main road. They will just try to get you to go for expensive private parking and tours - keep driving in till you get to the roundabout and yellow gates. Turn into the parking on the right. - not sure if it is official. But it's well paved car park, and closest to the entrance. 100 peso to park, cash only. - walk in. Ignore all the ticket kiosks, information counters. Once you get to the place they check tickets, as the ticket checker where to buy the first ticket. It will be to your left. It is in a concrete building. Not a tiki style ticket booth, etc. Ignore all of those. - your first ticket will cost 58 pesos (price right now, probably will increase in a few months...). They accept credit cards, or only EXACT cash. Credit card fee is like 1-2 pesos extra? Very weird. You get a wristband ticket. - after you enter the first ticket checkpoint, keep walking. You need to buy a second ticket. It is the booth after the official guided tour booth. Second ticket is 90 pesos a person. Cash only here. And while the sign says you need exact change, they do provide change for large 200, 500 notes. - when we went at 8:30am during Christmas week, there was no queue to enter. When we left at 11am, the queue was 1 hour+ to enter..! - Go early if you can. The site is small. So you want to avoid the crowds. Especially to enjoy the beautiful sea views. Overall, such a stressful experience. Having to avoid being scammed. Surrounded by massive tour groups. The ruins itself are unspectacular.

You can't visit Tulum and not go see the ruins. It's a big piece of history that still runs its course in the town, and a big reason why Tulum has become such a popular tourist destination. Make sure to get here early, because it gets busy and lines get long. We had to wait about 30-40 minutes in the ticket line, but once we got through everything else was a breeze. It's also a lot of walking, especially to the ticket gates, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes! Getting to see the ruins up in person was truly amazing. There were so many different temples, each which had their own architecture and stories. What made it even better was that the ocean was right behind it all at the bottom of the cliff. You can also take as much time as you want on the grounds, there is no limit. The area it is in has a lot surrounding it, too. Playa Sante Fe was within walking distance, and is a free beach to hang out at. There's also a little central spot towards the entrance with restaurants and shops. Make sure this place is high on your list when you visit Tulum - you won't regret it!

Tulum is amazing place to visit. It is a 2 hour drive by rental car from Cancun. I prefer to drive my self and not pay for the all day tour. Before the trip: This is the best advice I can give you if you are taking a trip to Tulum, Make sure you have Mexican pesos. Make sure you have small bills like 20, 50, 100 because many places don't have change for a 500 pesos Mexican bill. There aren't places to exchange Dollars in to Pesos. Get there early. The Sun and Heat at noon is not too pleasant to deal with. When in Tulum: My advice to you is to get the ticket at the gate and don't buy from the local vendor this would save you over $600 pesos. Exploring Tulum took me approximately 1hr and 30 minutes. I took some beautiful pictures and videos. After I finish the tour I enjoyed some local food and cocktails. Try the coco loco cocktail, but just drink one if you want to make back to your Hotel..Lol. Coco loco is a mix of Coconut water, Tequila, Blue curaçao, Rum, Vodka, Of course it may change depending on your bartender. Parking is $180 pesos. If you only have a $500 you will not get change back. Tulum has a nice beach area few minutes from the Landmark. The beach offers boat rides to see Tulum from the water and snorkeling. Keep in mind that you will encounter some ladies topples or smoking the good stuff. If this will bother you or if you have small children you, My advice to you is to drive back to Cancun and avoid Tulum beach altogether.

Nice quick archeological tour. We didn't get a guide which we should have. We tried listening in on some other peoples tour though, lol. It took us one hour to get through it. There's a hella lot of people that try and get you to pull over while your are trying to find parking that will want to sell you a tour. Tours are approx 20 pp and they take you on a boat to see the ruins from the water and then offer you a snorkel excursion (in addition to your parking). It's a bit of a walk to the site from the areas you can park. You can park totally for free if you find it on the side of the road. Also don't let them tell you you will pay a crap ton for entrance tickets. It's only 85 pesos, so anything other than that is a crock

Everyone is trying to make a buck in Tulum. That includes the people at the entrance of the national park that holds a few Tulum ruins and a public beach. There is free parking, but people will usher you into their parking lots to pay if you do use a free parking lot, expect a 30 minute walk to the ruins or the beach. Most of the route is shaded, but it is does not stop one from feeling the heat and humidity of the jungle. My suggestion to you is to use the free parking lot walk to the beach or the ruins (each are in opposite directions so you have to make a choice at one point). Like many beaches in the Caribbean right now, the public beach was covered in smelly seaweed. It is not a swimming beach if you pay for a tour that will ride you pass the ruins and take you to a snorkeling spots a few hundred feet out into the ocean. You will enjoy the crystal blue waters and possibly see a sea turtle or stingray.

Allow me to start with a warning...Tulum has not proven to be the safest place as of late, so avoid any dodgy fly by night operations. I would recommend to go through a tour company (we used Ocean Tours and they were fabulous!) to avoid any sticky situations. However, try to make it through the warring cartels to see this because it must be seen. When else do you get the opportunity to glimpse into a life so far away in both time and culture. The preservation of the ruins is so good that stories can still be ascertained as to what building was used for what, etc. And close to Tulum was the most breathtakingly beautiful beach I've ever laid eyes on. Cancun may be more well known for its party exploits as opposed to cultural ones, but please take a day of your trip and check this out for a little perspective if nothing else!

A note for first-time visitors: You will inevitably get hassled into trying to pay for something like a tour or transportation to the front gate. On our last trip, our resort driver drove us straight into a lot where his buddy said it cost both 40 bucks to get in and the wait was 2 hours. Neither of these things were true. Unless you can't walk the half mile to the entrance, avoid paying for anything but the entry fee at the gate which is about $6. ------------ I've visited Tulum twice now on two different trips to the region and twice I've been blown away by this ancient man-made wonder. It's hard not to be floored when you walk through the well-maintained ruins of an ancient civilization and one of the most priceless beachfront properties one could imagine. While some restoration has been needed over time, most of the ruins look exactly as they have for hundreds of years. The Mexican park service does a good job of creating pathways and restricting access to the most sensitive areas. Most people respect this, although there were some annoying tourists who stepped off the beaten path just to snag their Instagram photos. the tour guides are also informative if you choose to take a tour. I especially liked all the wildlife we saw as well - beautiful birds, lizards and numerous iguanas. It all was transportative.

Before embarking on a tour of Zona Arqueológica de Tulum one must do some planning, because like many tourist attractions in Mexico the locals are more than happy to make a quick buck via predatory practices. About 10 minutes in by foot from paid parking, 200 pesos and cash only, visitors are offered the opportunity to pay for a quick train ride - easily skipped and separate from admission despite what the salesperson will tell you. Once past this, plus plenty of tourist stands, the 13th-century Mayan archaeological site inside Tulum National Park opens up with beautiful clifftop views, preserved ruins such as Templo de las Pinturas, plus plenty of jungle complete with wildlife. Typically crowded, with tour guides available to those who wish to dig deeper, do bring sunscreen and comfortable walking shoes plus good tolerance for heat and humidity.

Takes your breath away, sexy, spectacular... but quite high in temperature and there is definite humidity! Locals had advised us to get there upon opening in order to avoid the large amount of crowds. We arrived at 0800 hours and were quite frankly the first ones there. We had chosen to do without a tour guide and ascended upon a quite adventurous journey on our own. How did we do? Let me tell you, we did quite well. There is a sufficient amount of signage in Spanish and English so you can get around to areas you are interested in going to. We had visited in the month of September and it was largely HIGH TEMPERATURE and there was DEFINITE HUMIDITY! I had chosen to bring several wintercoats with us in case it snowed, but luckily this was not the case! Walking through this place was not that difficult, and you can capture some spectacular photographs. This place is a definitive stop when you are in Tulum! The scenes will take rob you of your breath!

Bring your own water bottle's on this trip! The famous 'Tulum Ruins' was about an hour away from our hotel in Playa De Carmen. My girlfriend and I decided to take our rental car to save us on having to spend money on an excursion. For excursions, I suggest going on viator.com for the best deals. It was an very interesting drive to get to where we needed to get to, military had the places guarded up. After passing law enforcement, there were even more hotels and restaurants. We parked our car near the trees alongside other cars. We were lucky to go there on a day that wasn't busy because the place doesn't really have a parking lot, it's what ever spot you can find. My friend and I got lost while trying to get to the ruins, we ended up hiking through the forest, it was scary but fun because adrenaline hit, who knows what could happen? Raped? Killed? Kidnapped? Get bit by a snake? Who knows? but once we finally saw civilization and other tourist taking the actual path to the ruins that we had no idea existed, the being scared $hitless feeling in our gut was worth it. It was humid and we sweated our butts off. The ruins were beautiful! One of the most beautiful, sacred things I have seen in my life. We walked the place for about 45 minutes. We never did the guided tours because we will look up videos on YouTube later..I mean we gotta tip everyone, ya know? In Mexico, tipping isn't mandatory but they are good at getting tips from you, on top of an already 30% tipped that was charged to us on booking the boat excursion, we tipped. Our boating and snorkeling guides were great, but be wary of other people out there who are too nice, they'll play nice, then they'll have something in common with you, make you laugh, that's how they keep your attention. After our trip to the ruins, we grabbed a quick drink and snack at the place called 'Snack Bar' they took forever to get our nachos out, we tried to cancel because it was time for our boat trip and snorkeling excursion but the server said that they "couldn't cancel because it would come out of his pay check" funny, how that word came up a lot on our trip. Mexico isn't like America and my work place, where our guest will try to get something waived from their bill, no lady, you aren't leaving until you pay. So be prepared to pay and tip, only cash is accepted in most places, but preferably cash. Any who, the speed boat ride was a blast even though the I was the only one who kept getting salt water in my eyes, the tour guy showed us 2 more ruin structure's that were just found 20 years ago that we couldn't have seen by walking on foot, we got our scenic pictures taken in front the ruins on the boat then we went onto snorkeling. I was surprised to swim with turtles and sting rays; as advertised. The men really did work hard to throw bait and call us to tell us "lady, turtle!" (Look at the f@kin turtle! Cute right?) it was a kool once in a lifetime experience. So when you get the chance, go to the ruins!.

Tulum was everything we wanted it to be. We did not do the paid tour but we were able to listen in on enough talks that we were able to walk away more educated. Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes! There are a lot of uneven terrain and some people were struggling because of their inappropriate footwear choice! Be sure to pack plenty of water! There are shady spots to take a break, get a drink and maybe a snack, and then continue. The walk to Tulum is a nice stroll; unless you have some issues, walk! We parked by the Starbucks so we grabbed our favorite cold drink before we jumped in our rental car to head back to Cancun and our condo. This is a MUST SEE destination - if you enjoy Mayan Ruins! Most Sincerely!

This was an absolutely beautiful place to go. Hubby and I drove our rental car from Cancun to Tulum. It took about 2 hrs to get there; but it was well worth it. Tomorrow we plan on going to Chichén Itzá. After we went to Tulum, we realized that going in the hotter part of the day wasn't exactly the best idea. Many had umbrellas (which I wish we had one but we had big straw hats), and that truly helped them stay much cooler than we did. Imagining the people who once lived there and lived off the land?!? To me, that is absolutely breath-taking. I am an American who loves historical things that I have a chance to read about (as long as there is no test). The only real downside that we saw, was that the beach water was a bit more muddy than in the other places that we saw. Not enough for me to downgrade it to a 4 star, because the historical area and the architecture was just so beautiful and breathtaking. The drive wasn't too bad and we were glad we didn't go with a tour. We got to stay a significant amount of time and we were able to walk and leave when we were done. We brought our own bottles of water which did save us from having to purchase theirs. If you do decide to buy anything from the vendors, buy it after the tour; because then otherwise you will have to carry it around. It's just too hot to carry anything around besides what you need to carry around. And wear comfortable tennis shoes, you will be glad you did. There are many vendors that want you to buy things; but that is just about anywhere in Mexico. The families here are much poorer than those that come to visit Mexico. My husband and I just thought to ourselves, what a good way to buy Christmas presents for friends and family, while supporting the local culture. If we ever come back to this area, this is one of those sites that I would definitely come back to.

The most spectacular set of Mayan ruins in Mexico is on a cliff high above the ocean. The entire place is surreally beautiful, like a staged perfume advertisement. You can almost picture the functioning ancient city, filled with people high on the cliff (it was a major port for the Mayans). The city was at its height from the 13th to the 16th centuries. It managed to survive 70 years after the Spanish began arriving in Mexico, but Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers wiped out much of the population and the site was abandoned. While it's not the largest or most important Mayan ruin, Tulum is in my opinion the most stunning. It's also easily accessible as a day trip from Cozumel (where we were staying my birthday) or Cancun (yikes). You can even take your rental (our 1970s-style convertible VW Beetle with a paperboard dash!) from Cozumel or other islands via an auto ferry, and drive down the coast to Tulum. It's relatively small as Yucatan Mayan sites go, so is easily toured in a couple of hours. Each structure has a good explanation en Ingles y Espanol. There are also human guides and audioguides available in a variety of languages. There is a terrific beach below the cliffs too, so bring a swimsuit and some food. The only real drawback of the site is the presence of crass commercialization, and the close proximity of hyper-aggressive vendors. I don't mind vendors generally, and am sometimes an easy mark for trinkets, but this was an army of tacky sex-reference t-shirt vendor types. Even our local tour guide had trouble not being hassled. Just a simple tactic of "the parking lot is private property so stay outside the entrance" or some similar approach, would make this a 5-star experience. However, even with the wild-eyed vendors and distance to transit, I highly recommend making this day trip. There's nothing else like it in the world.

First time here checking out the Mayan ruins in the city of Tulum. Took a collectivo mini van bus ride here for 40 pesos from Playa del Carmen. There's plenty of parking if you decide to rent a car, take a taxi, or go from a tour bus. As you enter the first things you'll see are souvenir shops and lots of them. I recommend saving them when you're on your way out. So you won't carry so much stuff while walking around. They accept pesos(cash) and major credit cards at the souvenir shops except for the ticket booth which is pesos only. The ticket booth is like 1000 meters away from the shops so you'll have to do some walking. There will be people flagging you down to get you to buy a tour package with a guided tour. Ehhh there's really no need as you can walk around this whole place in less than an hour. Plus there's informational signs in both Spanish and English. Once you arrive at the ticket booth it's 75 pesos for admission. About 4 bucks in USD. Not bad! From here on out you'll walk on foot. No scooters or cars allowed. At the gate you'll scan your QR code ticket and push the turn stiles to get in. Then off you go on your adventure! There's a good amount of ruins and structures to see. The main attractions are the Temple of the Wind God and the Castle/palace. Other than that everything else were plots of land that used to be homes or remnants of it. Also there are plenty of iguanas roaming and chilling around. They're like the protectors that watch over the ruins. Took about an hour an a half to see everything since stopping by the ocean front was nice for the sea breeze. Remember to bring lots of water and possibly a hat that doesn't fly away. I came here at 8am when they opened to avoid crowds. On my way out lots of people started coming in. If you've never seen Mayan ruins, this is a really cool place to check out.

Was able to come out and experience this chance to see the Ruins. A lot of people talk about the walk and that's not hard at all maybe 7 to 10 minutes at a regular pace. Lots of shade but it is humid so that's what makes it the worst. Gotta wait in line if any and have temperature check and pay a small fee to get in. Once inside you just walk around look at ruins, take pictures and try to avoid the heat. Seen people bring umbrellas and that was smart. If you really want to rush it, I believe a good 1 to 2 hrs will cover you with pictures. Overall it was an experience and will probably not be back unless I had to, but definitely has to be experienced once.

Do yourself a favor and get here right when it opens. Save your hang over for another day. Get in bed at a decent time the night before, set that alarm, and be glad when you see that you've beat the heat, the crowds, the traffic, and yes, again the crowds. We went to Chichén Itzá the day before and I was worried this would pale in comparison but it holds its own. It's just different. Different civilization, different terrain, different building style. You can appreciate it for the unique place that it is. No access to the beach on 6/16/22. Maybe because of all the seaweed that was smothering the beach. Takes about 2 hours to explore and take it all in. That's about the time the busses of tourists and the heat will swarm the place. Aren't you glad you got there early to get people free pictures and enjoy the quiet? On the issue of parking and tickets. Do not stop anywhere en route. People will wave flags and try to hustle you but ignore them all. Follow the signs only. I believe there are large letters that say Mystika on top of the parking entrance. There you will pull a ticket and park in the lot. The parking attendants in the lot can give you a map and can direct you in the direction to walk if you are unsure. It's about a 3/4 mile to the entrance through the shopping center and down a paved street. At the end you'll find the ticket office on the left side. Buy your tickets only at the ticket booth. Anything else might be a scam. $85 pesos for foreigners.

The was our second best historic site we saw while in Cancun. This had some great views of the ocean and beach. Another bucket item off of our list.

probably one of the most breathtaking sites i've seen this far. paid 85 mxn pesos at the entrance and walked through to where everything starts. bring a hat. and sunglasses. & water bottles. the sun is HOT. each temple has a little bilingual information post. there was a lot of algae out but apparently the best time to go with less algae in the water is November/December. water is beautiful nonetheless. there is plenty of great history behind the ruins and captivating views that ur engulfed in when u visit this place. you can choose to pay a tour guide or explore around urself, which is what a lot of people do. highly recommend u visit.

The Tulum ruins are a site to behold. Very unique Mayan ruins located on the gorgeous water. This was one of 3 stops on our tour from Playa del Carmen and we enjoyed walking through the beautiful park. The ruins are amazing in structure - wonderful to see them still standing after more than 500 to 800 years! The path guides you through the park and you'll see a number of signs in front of various structures so you may learn a brief history. There is a water overlook with beach access which looked nice but we did not go down. The sun is extremely hot in this open space and there is limited shade. Plan ahead with a large brimmed hat, sunscreen, good walking shoes and water! Definitely an enjoyable visit and Mayan culture which should not be missed.

El castillo is a great ruin to visit. Get here before the afternoon crowd to get better pictures! Set right next to the ocean and you can feel the ocean mist with the breeze in the air. The stairs have ADA accesible ramps but please dress appropriately in comfortable shoes. There is also a train you can take for 60 pesos should you not want to walk the whole way. Bring your beach stuff to make a beach day out of this. If you're a fan of Cheap thrills come on down because it's only 80 pesos for admission. Vendors selling street food such as empanadas, popsicles, bolis and tacos on the side. Also beverages. Definitely worth a stop if you're in Tulum. We spent a few hours here.

A "must see" when in Tulum. We went on a cloudy, overcast day and unfortunately, there was too much seaweed for us to go down to the beach as it was closed off, but it was still totally worth the small amount of pesos it costs to get in (be sure to bring pesos - PESOS ONLY). We decided to not go with a tour guide and opted to explore on our own. It was a good decision as we were able to bypass most of the tour groups that congested many of the areas. A place that's full of history and great scenery should definitely be on your bucket list. PS - we biked from the downtown Tulum area via rented bikes and it really helped with getting in and out easily as there was no traffic / worries about parking. Granted, it was a trek, but totally worth it.

Last May, Peg and I took a Caribbean cruise. Despite my history of extensive travel and living in exotic places, I'd never visited the Caribbean nor had I been on a cruise. Peg was determined to remedy that! One of our excursions was to the Mayan ruins at Tulum. I remember seeing photos of the site at age three and for the next seventy years those photos stuck in my memory along with a desire to be there in person. The ship docked at Isla Cozumel and our group met at the famous Las Golondrinas (The Swallows) statue. We then boarded water taxis and headed to the mainland. Once there, it was climb aboard the bus for the approximately one and a half hour drive to Tulum. Arriving at the site, we were met by our guide. He was an archeologist who had worked the site for over ten years. We had the opportunity to take a shuttle to the site for $10 or walk. We chose to walk--big mistake!!! If you're young, the walk to the entrance of the ruins will take 10 - 15 minutes. For our group, it took twice as long, shoving our way through the hoard of fellow tourists in 100% humidity and 100 degree temperature--and walking uphill all the way! Our hiking boots and umbrellas made us more comfortable than some of our companions but not by much. Finally, we came to an opening in a stone wall, and there it lay before us. The kid in me popped to the surface and I was off. Come on, Peg--keep up! Well, the kid lasted about five minutes and the old guy reemerged along with the aches and pains of the trek up there. But that didn't dampen my spirits. Peg was catching her second wind, so off we went exploring and taking hundreds of photos, some of which I'm sharing with you. To describe the feeling of being there really isn't possible and I won't try, other than to say that experiences such as seeing areas where the original paint on bas reliefs was still visible touched me at a profoundly deep level. Peg felt it, too. After a couple of hours of roaming around the site, it was time to head back to the bus. The exit trek was even longer than the entrance. A little less than half-way there, we spied salvation--the shuttle! Two bucks to take us to the main entrance--oy, such a deal!!! On we hopped and although there was no air conditioning, we didn't care. We had done it! On to the next adventure!

Great little place to learn and explore about the ruins. Be careful for the guys in the booth up near the entrance. They will try to sell you passes that you don't need and will over charge you too, especially if he knows that you can speak and understand English. The ticket line can get long. If you don't have kids, you can purchase tickets from the dispenser located on the left side of the line. You will do a lot of walking in the hot heat so try to wear comfortable clothes. There's a beach area located underneath the ruins and it's worth it. A dip into a cool ocean after sweating from walking around.

10/10 highly recommended. We had a great time visiting these local ruins in Tulum. It was a nice substitute for Chichen Itza which we were too far away to visit. We stayed in Aldea Zama and the ruins were about a 10-15 minute drive away. Note *** PLEASE WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES, BRING DRINKING WATER AND LOTSSSS OF SUNSCREEN. A guide at the front gate sold us tickets for a boat ride down by the beach, Playa Pescadores, (included snorkeling) which included admission to the ruins. It was $35 each. I believe just admission to the ruins are about 80 pesos. There are private tour guides available along the way to the entrance for an extra fee. My friends and I decided to explore the ruins on our own. It was a great experience and we'd definitely visit again. I couldn't swim, but wanted to snorkel. Miguel let me hold on to him for dear life the entire time lol. He was patient and made me feel comfortable putting my face in the water after not doing it for several years. The coral reef is HUGE and beautiful! We saw turtles and stingrays as well. After snorkeling, we enjoyed a dance show on the beach and ate at a bar near by. It was so good! Really great, inexpensive adventure!

Nice site to see. I recommend getting a tour guide. Not only will they explain everything to you, you can ask questions and they will take nice photos of you. You can ride a bike here and park real close. Bike parking is free. You can bring a swimsuit and a towel and hang out on the beach on their premises. It's very nice. So far only a few acres of their many acres have been developed. So there is a lot more to uncover. You can climb up any of it. It's all hands off. There are some great photo ops though. There are some booths down the street before you enter that package deal the entrance fee and a cruise etc if you want to make a day out of it. Otherwise, it is easy to walk through and see the whole thing in an hour. It is not suitable for wheelchairs. The coati and iguanas were fun to watch. Kids would like this place. Not a lot of shade or many places to sit. Handicap or elderly would find it difficult to get down to the beach.

We were so lucky in these Covid times there were very few people here. Defiantly worth the trip