As I said in my previous post (here) there is so much to do around Tulum. I want to tell you a little bit about the two ruins I stopped by. The Tulum Ruins and Coba!
Part One – Tulum Ruins
I’m going to start with the Tulum (‘wall’ in Maya) ruins because they were the closest and easiest to get to. From the Tulum city center we took a taxi to just outside the ruins, it is about $30 each way. If you are coming from Cancun it is about 130km (80 mi.) so you would need to make a day trip out of it. There are a couple of hotels there and we booked Andreas Tulum Hotel for the night.
I think we were some of the only people staying there because when we ate at the hotel restaurant that evening there was no one else around. There was a torrential downpour right as we went to dinner. That may have contributed to the lack of people. It was also the slow season so overall the hotel and the ruins were not that crowded. It was nice and less stressful!
We set off early the next morning because we wanted to try and beat some of the crowds. The ruins are opened everyday from 8am to 5pm. With no guide the entrance fee is just $3-$4. It was a short walk to the entrance. We actually got stopped along the way to be part of www.visitmexico.com website promotion about the Tulum area! They interviewed Hannah and I and asked us questions about visiting Tulum and what was our favorite parts so far…not sure if we made the cut!
Just before you enter the park.
Tulum ruins are not that big (unlike many of the other Mayan sites ) so an hour or two is all you need. Supposedly, no more than 1600 people ever inhabited Tulum at one time. This has lead archeologists to believe it was more of a religious center. The Tulum ruins actually date back to before the Mayans, around 564 A.D. However, it was one of the most powerful Mayan cities in the thirteenth and fourteenth century.
The two things that make the Tulum ruins different are that:
- it was the only Mayan city built on the coast and
- one of a few protected by a wall.
It is a stunning view; looking out and seeing the ruins with the sea (or ocean if you are American) as a backdrop! Plus, if you like to swim there is a little beach you can walk down to and swim in the ocean. Tulum was having a seaweed problem when I was there, couple that with a downpour in the middle of my visit to the ruins and swimming was sadly not an option.
We had walked around the entire site when it began to pour with rain. We took that as our queue to leave. None of us had an umbrella so we grabbed a big palm leaf to cover our heads and headed to the exit. The Tulum ruins are definitely worth a visit if you are in the area. If you have good weather head to the ruins in the morning and then the beach or a refreshing cenote in the afternoon!
Check back for Part Two on Coba!
Buffy xx
