Tulum
What you need to know about Tulum
- It’s the only pre-Hispanic city built by the Caribbean sea. It has more than 60 restored temples.
- El Castillo, the main building, is the most photographed place in the Riviera Maya due to its location atop a cliff.
- Tulum was a strategic maritime port to trade with other cities, from the Mexican state of Tabasco in the Gulf of Mexico to Central America.
- The archaeological site Tulum is surrounded by walls, each as a symbol of the elements (earth, water, air, and fire). The reef in front of the coastline is the fourth wall, and it was nearly inaccessible.
- Some of the buildings also were points of reference to show the safe access route to the merchants entering by boat through the reef.
- Only the aristocracy, priests, and astronomers could access the city. The rest of the inhabitants lived outside the walls.
- Some of the frescoes have their original colors, and the oldest inscription in Tulum is dated 564 AD.
Where is Tulum located?
This famous archaeological site is in the south side of Riviera Maya. It’s 39 mi (63 km) from Playa del Carmen, and you can take the Tulum - Xel-Há Tour to visit both places on the same day! You can also take a tour to visit Tulum and Cobá on the same day.
Things to do in Tulum
South of the Riviera Maya, you will find the magic town of Tulum. In here, there are many things to do in Tulum with a lot of places for you to enjoy, one of these places is the Tulum archaeological site, which is the only ancient city beachfront the Caribbean Sea. You can also swim in a Tulum cenote like, cenote Dos Ojos, the Grand Cenote, Cenote Zacil-Ha among others, or take a the Xenotes tour, where you can discover the four kind of cenotes that exist in the Peninsula of Yucatán in just one day.Tulum has the most beautiful beaches to relax by the sea. Amon the Tulum beaches, the most popular is Paraíso beach, which is near to the Tulum archaeological site. You can also enjoy the Kaan Luum Lagoon, a natural treasure of the Riviera Maya, or take a tour in Tulum to appreciate aquatic flora and fauna with unlimited snorkeling at Xel-Há park.