THINGS TO DO IN TULUM
Once an off-the beaten path destination, Tulum is now an Instagram-worthy mecca for backpackers, digital nomads, and travel influencers. In the heart of the Yucatan peninsula and home to beautiful blue waters, Tulum is an excellent choice for your next Caribbean vacation.
We visited on a whim in 2021 (as is the case with many of our trips) when our plans in Belize fell through, and felt right at home. The crowd skewed younger than up the coast in family-friendly Cancun and we saw a lot of laptops on the beach and in the bars (thank you, work from home).
Getting There
Tulum is located on the southeastern tip of Mexico, in the Yucatan peninsula.
The closest airport is Cancun International Airport (CUN) at 75 miles away. You can take a private transfer, taxi, or the ADO Bus into Tulum. Be aware that the ADO bus stops in Tulum town and not at the beach, where many tourists flock to. The two hour taxi ride will run you about $100 USD, while a bus ticket is $15 USD per person.
Getting Around
Tulum is split pretty distinctly into two districts: Tulum town and the beach. The town holds the bus station, hotels, and many restaurants and bars.
Along the beach, you’ll find more hotels, along with trendy boutiques and beach clubs. If you want to move around between the two or do any excursions, you’ll likely want to rent a car. If you want to stay close, you can rent a bike for the day. Some hotels and AirBnBs even include bikes in the nightly rate.
We opted to spend half our time in Tulum town and the other half at the beach, with little crossover between the two. We got by with taxis and bikes, but it would have been really nice to do some more exploring in the area. The public transit system is lacking so if you feel comfortable driving the tight, winding roads, I would suggest renting a car.
Things to Do
📍 Coco Tulum Resort, Tulum
Relax on the beach
Quite obviously, one of the best things to do in the Caribbean is to go to the beach! The coastline in Tulum is regularly ranked among the best in Mexico, which does come at a premium. Much of the beach along Tulum is owned by private resorts and beach clubs, which you can access as a resort guest or by renting a beach chair or buying a drink at any of the clubs.
For the sake of ease, we spent half of our trip at Coco Tulum and did not regret it. Though a little pricier than we usually go for, the sunrise beach access, IG-worthy black and white aesthetic, and killer fresh breakfast was totally worth it.
North of the resort strip and just south of the ruins is the famous Playa Paraiso, a free beach in the area and one of Mexico’s best. We took an excursion that dropped us off here for a couple hours and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a little bit of a trek from both the town and the resort strip, but for budget travelers, it’s the way to go.
Dive in a cenote
📍 Gran Cenote, Tulum, MX
One of the Yucatan Peninsula’s unique features are their cenotes, underground caves formed by limestone collapsing. Groundwater rushes in, creating fresh water pools as deep as 391 feet.
Cenotes are all along the peninsula, but some of the most famous are in Tulum, as the coastal town sits on and around many of them.
If you’ve got a vehicle and you’re interested in diving, you’ll want to visit Cenote Dos Ojos. It’s one of the deepest in the area and has great visibility. Dos Ojos is 14 miles north of Tulum town and entry to the site costs 200 pesos ($14 USD).
Closer into town is Gran Cenote, part of a large park built out with stairs and decking. The entrance fee is $25, but at 3 miles away, it’s a quick 15 minute bike ride from town.
When we visited Tulum in 2021, we also happened upon a small cenote right on the beach, in the restaurant Clan Destino. The restaurant has since closed, but the cenote is located at Carretera Tulum Boca Paila Km 8 77760 Tulum, Quintana Roo Mexico.
Tour Mayan Ruins
📍 Coba Archeological Site, Mexico
This region of Mexico boasts rich cultural history and Tulum is no exception. Right in town are Mayan ruins dating back to the 13th century. Perched on the cliffside and overlooking the Caribbean Sea, Tulum Archeological Site is a must-see for visitors. Tickets can be purchased for 90 pesos ($5.35) or you can hire a guide to learn more about the history of the site.
If you want more of a pyramid experience but don’t want to trek all the way to Chichen Itza, put the ruins of Coba on your list. About 45 minutes outside of Tulum by car, these isolated Mayan ruins hide inside a lush jungle. Coba is unique in that you can actually climb the ruins. The site is spread out along stone causeways, best explored by bike. You can rent a bike or bici taxi at the entrance for about $2.50 USD. You can also walk, if you prefer. Tickets to the site can be purchased for 90 pesos ($5.35).
📍 Tulum Archeological Site, Mexico
We chose to tour with Tulum Tours, which included a visit to the Tulum ruins, Playa Paraiso, traditional lunch, and the ruins of Coba. For only 999 pesos per person (about $60 USD), this is an incredible value and a great opportunity to directly support the local economy.
Visit Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
📍 Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Mexico
Though we didn’t make it out to visit Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, I so wish we had (just another reason to go back soon!) Located 30 minutes from Tulum by car, this UNESCO World Heritage site is home to 1.3 million acres of protected coastal area. Featuring a variety of plants and animals, along with stunning canals, this reserve is the heart of Tulum’s eco-conscious tourism efforts.
Get active with Adventure Sports
Like many destinations in Central America, Tulum boasts a plethora of adventure sports, both on and off the water. Some favorites include ziplining, offroading in ATVs, kitesurfing, scuba diving, and snorkeling. You can book these activities through Trip Advisor (or with Tulum Tours).
Taste Local Cuisine
Mexico has such rich culinary flavors and Tulum is definitely a foodie paradise. The town is known for trendy spots in town and along the beach. As is the case for many tourist-heavy cities, spots in town further off the main strip are substantially cheaper than those on the drag and along the beach, which cater to tourists. We had to break out our Spanish, but the taste (and impact on our wallet) was totally worth it.
Over our seven days, we ate at some delicious digs:
Previously mentioned, we had the best burgers at Clan Destino. Though the location closed, they currently operate a food truck in Bacalar.
Along the main street of Tulum town, we had the best street tacos and authentic Mexican food for SO cheap. You can find them up and down the main street, where they set up nightly.
We stumbled into Cocina y Taqueria Aracely for lunch one day and despite our broken Spanish, had the tastiest empanadas and fried plantains.
For our morning coffee in town, we stopped at the Mochiart Cafe cart, only a couple blocks from our AirBnB. I was pleasantly surprised when they had almond milk, hard to find elsewhere in the area.
When we stayed at the beach, we had breakfast included in our stay at Coco Tulum in their onsite restaurant Jaunita Diavola. They serve a variety of Mexican and American dishes, and operate an Italian restaurant in the evening. We did stop in for pizza one night however, and found it to be lacking in flavor.
The pizza down the street at Posada Margherita was much better, and the atmosphere was so cute! They do only take cash though, so bring your pesos.
The small plates at La Malinche were a perfect afternoon snack and cemented our love of pickled onions. And for the more adventurous, Ukami offers Japanese sushi with a Mexican fusion. Though a little pricey, we found it a great change of pace.
A fan favorite is Burrito Amor, known for their banana leaf wrapped monstrosities. We didn’t try them ourselves, so we’ll have to take everyone’s word for it.
Our Thoughts
Tulum is a great beachside destination for those looking to look a little further than Cancun or Cozumel. Seven days was the perfect amount of time to mix in some adventures and time lounging by the beach. We visited in March, but you’ll find the best prices during the low season (May, June, September, and November). It’s low season for a reason though, so be careful of the rain.
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