TULUM, MEXICO

There’s no hiding that Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula has world-class beauty. So much so that millions of tourists flock here annually! One of the region’s main highlights is Tulum. This city is known for its epic ruins, vibrant nightlife, pristine beaches, and crystal clear cenotes. Its accessibility, atmosphere, and allure make it a must-visit destination for backpackers and honeymooners alike!

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Attractions:

  • Tulum National Park: A trip to Tulum isn’t complete without visiting its famous ruins picturesquely sitting on the Caribbean coastline. The Tulum Ruins are open daily from 8:00am-5:00pm and cost 70 MXN ($4 USD) to enter. From town center, the walk is 1 hour and the bike ride is 15 minutes. While you’re here, I also recommend visiting Playa Ruinas, a small white-sand beach directly beneath the ruins!

  • White-Sand Beaches: The white-sand beaches of Tulum are some of the most gorgeous in the world! In addition to the above-mentioned Playa Ruinas, there are many beaches in the area to check out. From the ruins, if you follow the walking path south for 20 minutes, you will come across Playa Pescadores. The most popular beach though is 5 minutes further called Playa Paraíso. Let’s just say it lives up to its name but is no secret! It will likely be quite crowded but worth your visit. If you are looking to get away from the larger groups, I recommend walking an additional 10 minutes south to Las Palmas Public Beach. All four of these beaches are no more than 20 minutes by bike from town center.

  • Rent Bikes: Based on the first two attractions, you have already likely figured out that Tulum is very bike-friendly! Most of its main sites are within a 20 minute ride from town. Ola Bike and Barbel are two bike rental companies in town with good reviews. You can expect a day rental to cost 250 MXN-400 MXN ($13-$20 USD).

  • Gran Cenote: While it is not the biggest cenote you will ever see, it is certainly one of the prettiest! The hours are 8:00am-4:45pm daily and entrance costs 180 MXN ($9 USD). Since it is only a 15-minute bike ride from town, expect it to get very crowded after 10:00am. Go as early as possible and bring your goggles!

  • Chichén Itzá: Are you really going to visit Mexico without seeing what is considered to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World? This site is open from 8:00am-5:00pm daily and the entrance fee is 486 MXN ($25 USD). The best way to get here is to take a first class bus from Terminal ADO. The bus ride is 2.5 hours and costs 198 MXN ($10 USD); buses leave once daily at 9:10am. All of that said, you don’t necessarily need to visit Chichén Itzá from Tulum if you plan to continue your Mexican journey west. It is closer to both Valladolid and Mérida.

  • Antojitos La Chiapaneca: This is the hot spot in town for tacos and for good reason! The prices are hard to beat (even compared to street vendors) and the food is amazing!

  • Cenote Dos Ojos: Looking to snorkel or scuba dive in a cenote? Do it here! This site is open daily from 8:00am-5:00pm and costs 350 MXN to enter (380 MXN for scuba divers). Again, bring your goggles! If you don’t have any, they can be rented here for 90 MXN. Other popular cenotes for snorkeling are: Cenote Tankah and Cenote Car Wash. Other popular cenotes for scuba diving are: Cenote Calavera and Cenote El Pit.

  • Other attractions include: Laguna de Kaan Luum, Cenote Zacil-Ha, Punta Laguna Nature Reserve, and Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve.

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Accommodation:

  • Hotel - Biwa Tulum: Located in the city center, this gorgeous hotel has a jaw-dropping rooftop, lovely pool, and cute coffee shop. It is very close to all of the city’s main attractions and an overall great spot for relaxing!

  • Hostel - Quintana Roots: One of my favorite hostels in Latin America! The staff is super friendly, there’s a great common area/kitchen, and it’s close to everything in town. The main bus station (Terminal ADO) is 15 minutes on foot from here.

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Transportation:

Tulum’s main bus station is Terminal Autobuses Tulum ADO; all buses below leave from here.

  • Valladolid is 1.5 hours by bus from Tulum and costs 125 MXN ($6 USD); buses leave 10+ times daily.

  • Cancún is 2.5 hours by bus from Tulum and costs 190 MXN ($10 USD); buses leave 10+ times daily.

  • Havana, Cuba is 3 hours by bus and flight from Tulum and costs upwards of $100 USD. The bus from Tulum to Cancún’s airport is 2 hours and costs 276 MXN ($14 USD); buses leave 6+ times daily. Flights from Cancún to Havana are 1 hour and cost between $99-$129 USD.

  • Mérida is 4 hours by bus from Tulum and costs 412 MXN ($21 USD); buses leave 10 times daily.

  • Caye Caulker, Belize is 7-8 hours by bus, taxi, and ferry (via Chetumal) from Tulum and costs $80 USD. The bus from Tulum to Chetumal is 4 hours and costs 378 MXN ($19 USD); buses leave 10 times daily. From Chetumal’s bus station, take a taxi to the pier (10 minutes; $1 USD). The ferry from Chetumal to Caye Caulker is 3 hours and costs $60 USD (please note that ferries only run this route every other day at 3:30pm).

    • The route to Caye Caulker via Belize City takes 10-11 hours and costs $48 USD. The bus from Tulum to Chetumal is 4 hours and costs 378 MXN ($19 USD); buses leave 10 times daily. From Chetumal, take the next bus to Belize City (4.5 hours; $8 USD); buses run this route every 30 minutes. Once in Belize City, take a taxi to the pier (5 minutes; $3 USD). The ferry from Belize City to Caye Caulker is 45 minutes and costs $18 USD. Ferries run this route 9 times daily; the last one leaves at 5:30pm.

    • There are no fees associated with leaving Mexico or entering Belize.

  • San Ignacio, Belize is 11-12 hours by bus (indirect; via Chetumal and Belize City) from Tulum and costs $30.50 USD. The bus from Tulum to Chetumal is 4 hours and costs 378 MXN ($19 USD); buses leave 10 times daily. The second bus from Chetumal to Belize City is 4.5 hours and costs $8 USD; buses run this route every 30 minutes. The last bus from Belize City to San Ignacio is 2.5 hours and costs $3.50 USD; buses run this route every 30 minutes, too.

    • As stated above, there is no departure fee for Mexico and there is no entrance fee for Belize.

  • San Cristóbal de las Casas is 21 hours by bus from Tulum and costs 1,200 MXN ($61 USD); bus leave twice nightly at 6:15pm and 11:00pm.

    • Another option is to take the bus to Cancún’s airport (2 hours; 276 MXN) and then fly to Tuxtla (TGZ). On VivaAerobús, flights are 1.5 hours and cost 1,800 MXN ($90 USD). From Tuxtla’s airport, take the bus to San Cristóbal de las Casas (1.5 hours; 48 MXN). Overall, this route would take 5-6 hours and cost around $105 USD.

The closest airport to Tulum is Cancún International Airport (CUN), which is 120km (75 miles) northeast. The bus connecting CUN to Tulum is 2 hours and costs 276 MXN ($14 USD); buses run 6+ times daily.

Thank you to the following photographers for contributing your work to this page - Tanja Cotoaga, Darion Queen, Chopin, Timeflies, Roberto Nickson, Max Harris Brassil, Max Böhme, Moon, and Magaly Vasquez Montaño!