Tulum

Understand

There are really three different areas referred to as Tulum. There are only minutes away from each other, not close enough though to walk to and from. Tulum Pueblo sits split by highway 307 running south-north. "El Pueblo", as referred to by locals, is home to most workers of the tourist industry and where many of the stores, supermarkets, two bus stations, budget inns, hostels and small hotels are found. Although the digs are cheap, you are around 3 km from the beach (which is why you came here isn't it?) This section of town has a definite feel of existing mostly to cater to the Tulum ruins. Tulum pueblo is indeed a destination for shopping, great restaurants, a modest night life, studying the language at Instituto Chac-Mool Spanish School, booking tours, banking, shopping for food, local vegetables, fruits, cafes, and local flavor. Do not miss it. Tulum Playa nests along the coastline that leads into the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, the Caribbean white sandy beaches to the east, an impressive mangrove & wetland reserve to the south. Tulum Playa embraces many of the fancier, ecological, boutique and spa hotels, and it has a decent to excellent selection of restaurants and world-famous nightlife spots. The northern part of Tulum Playa is quieter and more low-key. The southern part of Tulum Playa has a lot more of the restaurants and nightlife action Tulum has become known for. Most restaurants, bars, and stores in this area are closed well into the afternoon, but the area becomes extremely busy and crowded at night with party-going tourists from all over the world. There are also a number of affordable beach front cabana-type lodging locations. Walk the beach and step in and inquire about accommodations and rates. You will be surprised and delighted. Most of these establishments are eco-friendly and do not provide electricity past midnight. Toilet paper can not be flushed and it is asked that water and other resources be used sparingly. The hotels in Tulum aim to keep Tulum as it is and stop the ecological problems that have already taken hold in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, but the constant growth in regional tourism makes this a difficult goal to achieve. If you are staying on the beach and trying to save money, it is wise to stock up on food and drinks in the pueblo. There are not too many restaurant options on the beach, and the ones that are operational are comparatively expensive. Taxis have a near monopoly on transport to and from the playa. Buses come from time to time, but hitchhiking can also get you where you need to go. Tulum Ruinas is the archaeological site where the Maya ruins of Tulum stand. It is reached by a-mile-long road leading into the ruins from highway 307. The road is flanked by several restaurants, a commercial area geared to one-day visitors, a huge parking lot, a small bus station that operates part-time and a handful of middle range hotels.

Archaeology

Tulum is mostly known for its ruins, which strike an impressive image next to the sea. They were mainly constructed during the waning period of Maya culture, with the site occupied until the Spanish arrived. The site is notable for a small cenote, beautiful beaches below the ruin laden cliffs and some well preserved stellae in one of structure. After visiting other ruins in the area such as Coba, Chichen Itza and Ek Balam, Tulum's main claim is the sea-side setting. Some of the ruins used to be in poor condition and littered, but they are now well maintained (Dec 2018). Unlike many Mayan sites it is not possible to enter or walk on the structures. It is the third most popular archeological site in Mexico, so expect it to be extremely busy. Most of the tour groups from Cancun and Playa del Carmen arrive around 10:00 so the site is best visited just after it opens at 08:00. The ruins close at 3:00 PM. Note that the ruins are located in the Tulum National Park (Parque del Jaguar), a fee is required to purchase a CONAP bracelet granting access. The ticket booth can be found to the right of the park entrance. In the park you can take a paid shuttle to the entrance or go on foot. Near the entrance is another ticket booth where tickets granting access to the ruins can be purchased.

Getting there

By plane

Tulum International Airport TQO IATA is a major new airport (new in December 2023) in the Puerto Felipe Carillo area just outside Tulum. The airport is served by domestic carriers Aeromexico, Mexicana, Volaris and Viva Aerobus. Aeromexico has twice daily service to/from Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport (AICM) (MEX IATA). Mexicana offers flights from Mexico City's Felipe Angeles Airport (AIFA) (NLU IATA), and Viva Aerobus has flights to Monterrey (MTY IATA), Guadalajara (GDL IATA), Tijuana (TIJ IATA), and Mexico City AIFA. TAG offers flights between Tulum and Guatemala and Aeromexico offers international service between Tulum and Toronto, San Francisco, and Chicago. Air Canada offers direct flights from Montreal and Toronto. Air Transat offers flights from Montreal and Quebec. WestJet offers flights to Tulum from Calgary and Toronto. Discover offers flights to and from Frankfurt. Avianca offers flights to and from Bogota. From the United States, Delta offers direct flights to Tulum from its hub in Atlanta. United Airlines offers 22 weekly non-stop flights between Tulum and Newark/New York, Houston, and Chicago with seasonal service to Los Angeles. American Airlines offers four daily flights to Tulum including two from Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), one daily flight from Miami (MIA), and one from Charlotte (CLT). Tulum International Airport has a station on the new Tren Maya high-speed intercity rail line with departures every 2 hours to Cancun, Chichen Itza, Merida, Campeche, Palenque and Chetumal (among other destinations). The train can also be used as local transportation to the town of Tulum, to Bacalar or Chetumal to the south, or north to Cancun. Other international airports in the region are Cozumel (CZM IATA) or Cancún International Airport (CUN IATA). A taxi from Cancun to Tulum costs about M$2500- M$3000 and takes 1h30 - 1h45 minutes straight down Federal Highway 307 depending on traffic. ADO operates buses from Cancun (both downtown and the airport) to Tulum. Ticket prices are M$330 (Jan 2022). The ride will take about 2 hours.

By bus

The 1 ADO Terminal Autobuses is in the city center. Both first and second class buses serve the terminal. Inside the Terminal is a Santander ATM. Buses from Cancun and Playa del Carmen run quite regularly. Buses from Playa del Carmen to Tulum depart from the Terminal Alterna and the Terminal Touristica. The ADO Bus stops at Xcaret and Xel-ha en route to Tulum. Mayab and Oriente buses stop more frequently en route to Tulum from Playa Del Carmen. An alternative to the buses from Playa del Carmen is to catch a "collectivo" van which runs frequently (every fifteen minutes or so). In Playa Del Carmen you can find these on Calle 2 towards Avenida 20. One-way trip (as of Feb 2022) costs M$50 (pesos). To visit the ruins, get off the bus or collectivo at the first Tulum stop, designated something like 2 Tulum Ruinas Arqueologicas, at the intersection with the access road to the ruins. It's an easy one mile or so flat walk to the ruins from the intersection. If riding ADO, be sure to book a bus for "Tulum zona arqueológica" rather than "Tulum", as the latter may only go to the town center, not the ruins.

By train

Two stations for the Tren Maya are useful for visitors to Tulum. The Tulum Airport station is on the airport access road near the end of the runway. The airport is about 45 minutes by car from the town of Tulum. The train is useful for getting to Cancún, as well as cities throughout the Yucatan Peninsula. Tickets to Tulum from the Cancún International Airport cost M$325 for international travelers. The trip takes about 1-1/2 hours.

Getting around

By bus

ADO and its local second-class bus line, Mayab, operate buses throughout the region. From the Tulum bus station, you can catch buses to nearby cities or to the Tulum Airport (much cheaper and more comfortable than a taxi). Buses to the airport cost M$276 (2024). Check for the last returning bus when exploring nearby towns. From Playa del Carmen to Tulum, the last buses from both terminals in Playa del Carmen depart about midnight. From the Terminal Turistica (Av 5a) departs a Mayab bus at 23:55 to Tulum.

4 ADO Terminal Tulum (Bus station), MEX-307 y Calle Jupiter. Small, overcrowded bus terminal with a crowded waiting area, filthy bathrooms, and inadequate staffing for the number of travelers and buses they service. On the plus side, there's a deli counter selling food to go and foreign credit cards usually work here even when they don't on the ADO web site. Fortunately, the buses are clean, modern and air conditioned. (updated Feb 2025)

By combi

Shared shuttle vans (called combis or colectivos) are one of the most commonly used local transportation options in the Yucatan. From Tulum, there are two major combi routes: one running north along highway MEX-307 to Playa del Carmen (where you can transfer to another combi going onward to Cancun and the other running south along highway MEX-307 to Felipe Carrillo Puerto (where you can transfer to another combi going further south to Chetumal. The combis are useful because they can get you where the first-class ADO buses won't. Combis stop frequently at major resort areas, such as Puerto Aventuras or Puerto Morelos, neither of which have ADO bus stops. 5 Colectivos to Tulum beach depart from C. Orión Sur / Venus Ote. The price is M$30 (Jan 2022). There seems to be a public bus which leaves Tulum Pueblo around 09:00 and 12:00 and goes to the beach and ruins, and returns from there at 12:15 and 17:00. 6 Colectivos in the directions of Playa del Carmen are half a block away from the ADO Terminal. You can leave them anywhere you like en route on the Highway 307. Depending on the distance it costs M$25-50 (Feb 2022). They depart daily from 4:30am-10:30pm.

See

1 Tulum Archaeological Site (Zona Arqueologíca de Tulum). The main attraction. Mayan ruins by the sea. Access to the beach directly below the main temple via the stairway is restricted. However, for a certain price through vendors at the ruins entrance, you can still take boat tours for views of the ruins from the water. To get to the ruins, take a collectivo at the bus stop across the street from the ADO bus terminal in Tulum. Simply ask the driver for "ruinas". The cost is M$30, payable in cash and small bills only. To get back to Tulum, wait on the other side of the street from where the collectivo dropped you off and flag down one of the passing collectivos. There is a bag check at the entrance to the ruins. You are not allowed to enter with any kind of disposable plastic or smoking supplies. As the line at the bag check can get quite long and it only takes about one hour to see the ruins, it is better to not bring a bag at all, because this allows you to skip the line. There is a 7-Eleven on the corner of the street where the collectivo drops you off, so that you can buy water after seeing the ruins. The entrance procedure is a bit complicated. First, you have to buy the bracelet to enter the national park. The ticket office is in the street to the right from the bag check. Then, you pass through the bag check. After that, you can either walk 500 m or take a shuttle to the entrance to the ruins. There is the INAH ticket office, where you need to buy the entrance ticket to the ruins. It gets very crowded after 10 am, when the tours and cruise ship passengers arrive, so better come early or late in the afternoon. M$100 in cash only to see the ruins and M$415 by card or cash to enter the surrounding national park. You need both tickets to enter.. (updated Mar 2025) 2 Laguna Kaan Luum. Big lagoon with swimming area and hammocks, includes a deep area in the center with different colored water. (updated Feb 2022) Street art. the streets behind the main road in Tulum are filled with street art, with interesting pieces on almost every block. 3 Mystika Immersive, ☏ +52 984 231 8737. Some sort of immersive psychedelic Mayan art museum on the Tulum Ruins grounds. $25.81 USD (Sep 2023). 4 Tulum Tower, ☏ +52 998 197 5771. W-M Noon-7PM. A rotating observatory tower ride affording 360 degree views of the Tulum ruins and area. $56.48 USD (Sep 2023). 5 Sfer Ik, Carretera Tulum-Punta Allen KM 5, Zona Hotelera. Daily 10:00 - 19:00. Uniquely designed art museum and restaurant that is best experienced as an architectural jewel. It takes influences from the nearby seascapes and jungle landscapes to create meandering paths through the building with arches, doorways, and architectural details that resemble jungle growth. Casual visitors can just walk around outside and get a feel for it without spending the money on admission. A visit may only take a few minutes for the casual visitor though the curious architect might want to come when the doors first open to avoid crowds and spend more time in each space. M$400 per person. (updated Jun 2025) 6 Museo Frida Kahlo, Zona Arqueológica. Daily 10:00 - 18:00. Immersive interactive museum that showcases the life of Frida Kahlo and her enduring inspiration to women artists. (updated Jun 2025)

Cenotes

See also: Cenotes of the Yucatán In much of the Yucatan, rainwater collects in a system of underground caves and tunnels. Where these tunnels reach the surface is known as a cenote (pronounced seh-NOH-teh). Cenotes usually allow swimming and diving, and rent related equipment. They are fresh water and are often quite cold (24°C).

7 Casa Cenote, in TanKah III Bay. Here the Cenote goes underground 90 m (100 yards) before the beach, and emerges as an 'underwater' water spring about 18 m (20 yards) of the beach in the ocean. Tanka III Bay is 7 km (5 miles) north of the intersection to the ruins. Take a cab. Great places to eat and stay or scuba too. One of the ways to make sure you also visit and dive is to arrange taking a diving course there and it will take just 3 hours in total. 8 Cenote Cristal & Cenote Escondido (The two cenotes are about 4 km west of the city center. It is an easy ride by bicycle to get there. Once you reach Cenote Cristal on the right side of the street go there to buy the entrance for both cenotes). In Cenote Cristal you have a nice platform to jump into the water. On the opposite side of the road is Cenote Escondido. Also nice for swimming and it has a rope to jump into the water. Maybe not so great for diving and snorkeling but a great spot to cool off and have some fun close to Tulum. M$120. (updated Dec 2020) 9 El Gran Cenote, QR 109 (about 7 km north of town on state highway 109). Daily 09:00 - 17:00. Limestone cave cenote offering snorkling and swimming. Provides life vests, fins and mask for extra charge. Many fish, iguanas, and tropical birds. M$300 (cash only). (updated Jun 2025) 10 Cenotes Dos Ojos. One of the most popular cenotes in the region offering many activities. Set aside around 2 or 3 hours total. It's M$350 as of July 2017 for entrance with your own snorkeling. There is a 1 small local restaurant with local dishes for M$70 (Feb 2022). It's at the intersection of the Highway 307 and the road to the cenote, between the minimarket and the ticket booth. They serve lunch until 15:00. (updated Feb 2022) 11 Cenotes Sac Actun. Very cool mostly cave/underground cenote that is quite popular. (updated Feb 2022) 12 Cenote Calavera, Av. Coba Km 1.7 (on state highway 109 (Carr. Tulum)), ☏ +52 984 216 4641. Daily 09:00 - 17:00. Small, clean cenote a short walk from town. Has a platform for jumping into the cold waters. Hammocks available. Provides life jackets, fins, mask all for extra charge. Clean restrooms and showers. (updated Jun 2025) 13 Cenote Aldea Zamá, Calle Sayil at Calle Balam Dzakab. Daily 09:00 - 17:00. Small public cenote in town with free access. Can get crowded with locals in the afternoon. (updated Jun 2025)

Do

Beaches

1 Playa Ruinas. Beach connected right to the ruins at Tulum. (updated Feb 2022) 2 Playa Santa Fe. Less crowded beach with a smaller beach club. (updated Feb 2022) 3 Playa Pescadores. More lively beach with seafood options and options for ocean activities. (updated Feb 2022) 4 Playa Paraiso. Maybe the most popular public beach in Tulum with many beach clubs and a relaxing atmosphere. (updated Feb 2022)

Natural areas

5 Jaguar Park, Calle Yalkuentre Tahmul y Tulum s/n. Daily 07:00 - 17:00. Jaguar Park is a conservation area for the protection of jaguars. The area opened in 2024. It comprises two federally protected areas, Jaguar National Park (Parque Nacional Jaguar) and the Jaguar Prtected Area for Flora and Fauna (Area Protegida de Flora y Fauna). Dubious environmental value and locals complain that government is simply regulating what has always been free and open beach access. M$60. (updated Jul 2024)

Wellness

Tulum is a popular destination for travelers seeking relaxation and wellness with a number of yoga instructors, and spas providing massages, temazcal, and a range of traditional and modern therapies. Spas are found throughout the town of Tulum and at palapas on the beaches.

Shopping

ATMs with low withdrawal fees in the center are: • Banco Azteca in the west • banamex in the east inside the Súper Aki • Santander in the east and inside the bus terminal • CI Banco in the middle of the center For buying groceries, there are Oxxo and minimarkets (tiendas) around. A bigger variety of products you find in Dunosusa, Super Willy's and Waldo's. A large supermarket called 1 Súper Akí is in the east of the center. Markets catering mainly to the bus loads of tourists are situated on the road leading to the entrance of the archaeological site. There are also markets in town on 307 in the main stretch of town. Many cater to tourists however be sure to give them a look anyway. There are a lot of beautiful hand crafted Mexican pottery and fabrics. If you turn off of 307 and vere into town away from the main strip you can discover tons of tiny establishments and get a feel for the truly sleepy town of Tulum.

2 Mexicarte Tulum, ☏ +52 9848759115. Gift shop focusing on a variety of souvenirs and artisan crafts from the region. (updated Feb 2022) 3 Tulum Craft Center (Zona Arqueologica Centro Artesanal Tulum) (at entrance to Tulum Ruinas), ☏ +52 984 871 2044. More artisan crafts and souvenirs.

Eat

If you are staying on the beach, it is wise to stock up on food and drinks in the pueblo. There are not too many restaurant options on the beach, and the ones that are operational are quite expensive. Most of the restaurants in town are infinitely cheaper than those at the resorts. Most places, with the exception of the Italian and Japanese restaurants feature entrees for well under M$100. There are countless little cafes and establishments to get a great bite to eat for cheap. If you want non-perishable items, grab some snacks to supplement your meals at the Super San Francisco Food Mart. You can buy a cooler here which is great for having cold drinks on the beach each day. Just pick up ice in the morning and the cooler will stay cold until night time. This supermarket however is run by locals and hardly anyone speaks English, so if you don't know Spanish, be prepared to shop around to find what you need.

Street food

All these are in the city center:

2 Street Food Market. In the evening on the Calle Sol Ote around the Parque dos Aguas. There is a good variety. (updated Feb 2022) 3 Rather fancy Street Food. On the street Géminis Nte in the east of the center. Here you find vegan food among others. (updated Apr 2022) 4 Food stalls. On the Av. Satélite. They are open in the evening starting at 18:00. (updated Apr 2022)

Drink

Try some of the cool spots in Tulum that offer fun drink specials with a hip tropical flair:

1 Santino Nightclub, Av. Tulum entre orion sur y beta norte, Tulum Centro. Daily 18:00 - 03:00. Lively nightclub with 3 floors of dancing and music with different DJs on each floor. Drinks are overpriced and scams have been reported, so keep your eyes open. (updated Jun 2026) 2 Teetotum. It's actually a hotel but offers weekend rooftop movies, a cool lounge, and drink specials, try the Razzleberry Daiquiri! (updated Jun 2026) 3 Batey's. Lively open-air bar with the best live music and mojitos and guarapo in town. (updated Jun 2026)

Sleep

Camping

1 Chakpool Hostal & Camping, ☏ +52 9932779540 (WhatsApp), admonchakpool@gmail.com. It's directly at the Cenotes Dos Ojos Park. Staying in a provided tent costs M$150 per night (Feb 2022, including mattress, pillows, sheets and bed cover). The tents are protected from the rain. Also available are shared and private rooms. The place has WiFi, a kitchen for cooking and free drinking water. 5 min walking away are a minimarket and the very frequent shared vans to Tulum and Playa del Carmen.

Budget

Tip: If you aren't spending the big bucks to stay right at the beach, stay in town to the east of the ADO bus station within 2 blocks north or south of that main street. Another suitable area is anywhere along the main road heading to the beach. In the zona hotelera (at the beach) are simple cabanas with a shared bath for a relatively low price.

in the middle of the center:

The Weary Traveler Hostel (4 blocks east of the ADO bus station), ☏ +52 984 211 2608. Relaxed hostel with outdoor communal area and kitchen. Breakfast (DIY), water, cooking facilities, beach shuttle bus and internet provided. A nice place for young people that wants to party. All rooms are facing out to the common area, so there is lots of noise at night until 23:00. Also not the cleanest place and bed bugs are a common thing. Private rooms in a better state, now situated in a separate building about 200 m from the main one, also quieter since avoiding the loud music from the bar at night. Dorm rooms with fan or A/C. Deposit for blankets, or give your ID as a deposit. Discounts available for stays longer than one night, up to 20% off a 5-night stay (updated Dec 2020) Casa del Sol. temporarily closed as of April 2022. Hostel. 3 blocks west of the ADO bus station, off the main avenue. Rustic hostel with huge rooftop terrace and common areas with shared kitchen. Breakfast is provided. Most of the double rooms are in Mayan style palapas. Garden atmosphere. Great for rainy season.

Go next

When leaving from the ADO bus station: It has only 3 parking lots for the intercity buses. When all are occupied, the buses stop in the backyard. When a bus arrives in the backyard, usually an employee shouts out the destination and the name of the bus company. Don't miss your bus. There is an ADO "bus stop" near the ruins, but it is not a station, just an abandoned parking lot with a guy in a security uniform, who calls out to passers-by to come over and wait for the next ADO bus, regardless of whether they have a ticket and can actually board it. Your next destination for staying can be:

To the west:

Valladolid – 100 km Chichen Itza – 150 km Merida – 260 km

To the south:

Chetumal – 250 km Costa Maya – 230 km Mahahual (Costa Maya) – 230 km Bacalar - 230 km

More pictures of Tulum

From this destination's category on Wikimedia Commons. Each photograph is credited to its own author under its own licence.