Surrounded by the jungle, archaeological mayan sites and cenotes, Tulum is one of the last spots in the caribbean where is still possible to enjoy an exuberant nature as well as unexplored beaches with white sand.

This small caribbean town is ideal to escape from the gigantic malls and the huge “All Inclusive” touristic developments. Tulum still keeps, fortunately, a bohemian and rustic atmosphere that makes it ideal for adventures, exploration as well as for contacting nature but protecting it at the same time.

The archaeological site.
Tulum means wall, due to the wall that surrounds the site. But its original Prehispanic name is Zamá, that means dawn. Possibly because Tulum is the first place to receive the first rays of the sun in the morning. This archaeological site was made known to the world by the travel book of John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood published in 1843.

Zamá is one of the few mayan cities located on the coast and was, no doubt, a very important commerce center that connected the Center and the Gulf of Mexico with the Gulf of Honduras and Panama. The most representative buildings of this site are: The Castle that with its 12 meter height is the tallest construction in the place.
The descending god temple at the north of the interior precinct, that was given that name because of an interesting sculpture that crowns the access to it.
The fresco temple, named like that because of its paintings and decorations, that surely had a great social and religious repercussion.
The wind temple, that is the only building with circular grounds in the archaeological site. This building remits to the god of the wind Ehécatl-Quetzalcóatl because it has no corners in its structure, allowing the wind to blow freely in it.This archaeological site, no doubt, is one of the most important reasons to visit Tulum and take it as an starting point to explore the surroundings.

Sian Ka’an Reserve.
Other place that most not be ignored while visiting Tulum, is the Biosphere Reserve of “Sian Ka’an” that in maya means “Where the Sky is Born” and was declared by UNESCO in 1987 human kind patrimony.

This reserve with its endemic exuberant vegetation may be enjoyed visiting its 47 kilometer coastline with virgin and little explored beaches with a turquoise sea as well as the Kaapechen lagoon, that has an emerald green color that changes its tonality every moment and in which center there’s a big cenote of fresh water that feeds it. In the lagoon, that seems to reach the horizon, is possible to visit and know the maya commerce routes through intricate mangrove canals or just enjoy its tranquility taking a local bird-watching tour in boat or kayak.

The beaches in the reserve offer the opportunity to experiment a feeling of freedom by walking kilometers and kilometers surrounded only by the jungle, the sun and white, soft as flour sand. These beaches are save and ideal for camping.

The Reserve’s cenotes offer also a unique experience because they are in its beautiful natural state as is the case of Beh-ha (water-way) cenote that is found in the entrance of Sian Ka’an near a mayan arch (where the reserve’s reception is located).

The surroundings.
There are other cenotes equally beautiful and to explore its interior is an unique experience. Such is the case of Cenote Cristal and the cenote Escondido (hidden) located 5 km south of Tulum, towards Chetumal. El Gran Cenote o el Cenote Calavera (skull) is 3.5 km from the town’s crossroad towards Cobá.

In the town and in the hotels bikes are rent per hour or day. They are very recommendable to explore Tulum’s surroundings and visit the beaches because the taxis in the area are not very economic.Is possible to cover all the coastline in bike, from the hotel zone up to Punta Allen, a small fishermen town. This route is through Sian Ka’an reserve, so there’s the chance to enjoy incredible landscapes and make scales in some of the beaches to refresh or, if night comes, to camp in an little unexplored beach with a sky full of stars.

Fortunately, acknowledging this transport option, a cyclist way has been built from the hotel area to the town. Bikes are an excellent option to help conserving the place. If you prefer, also, to walk and the heat or the sun is too strong, there’ll always be someone that’ll offer a lift.

All Tulum’s surroundings offer the opportunity of discovering nice surprises, as Xcacel, that is the larger nesting area of the Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) and the Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas mydas) in the region.

Besides, there’s the chance to practice snorkel in the coral reef that is found 50 metes from the Xcacel beach (5 minute swim) or in the small cenote located 30 meter from the beach. Xcacel is 14 km from Tulum (a 15 minute ride from Playa del Carmen).

Other of the neighboring attractions is the Tan Kah Cove that is found 2 km from the north of the archaeological site of Tulum. In this rocky cove an underground river flows. In Cobá the bigger underground river of the world is found: The “Sac Actun” system.

Only 13 km from Tulum, in the kilometer 17 of the highway to Cancún the Aktun Chen Natural Park is found. This is a recent reserve with a 400 hectare extension that is ideal to conserve fauna of the region such as the white-tailed deer, badgers, boars, birds, etc.

In this reserve there are three caves in which you may take a tour of an hour (aprox) in which a guide explains the cave formation and the meaning it had for the maya culture. The tour ends in a cenote 12 meter deep inside the cave. This reserve counts also with an endangered species recovery program.

Amongst the neighboring maya archaeological sites, there’s Cobá (42 km from Tulum) where there’s the tallest pyramid in the Yucatan peninsula. The archaeological site of Muyil, 15 km south of Tulum, counts with three restored buildings and a representative 500 meter track that goes from the jungle to the Muyil Lagoon, which was -is presumed- where the maya commerce route began.

It’s important to emphasize that Tulum is one of the last places in the mexican caribbean that is still rustic and wild, conserving and respecting the environment and until now has managed to escape from the superficial and consumer tourism.Its landscapes and weather, its beaches and the nights full of stars and its nature, make of Tulum definitely special that needs to be kept like that.

The richness of a country is found in its diversity of places, customs, respect for its environment and the options it may give to the traveler. The need of a conservationist conscience is urgent to stop the deterioration of the environment in a great part of the country. After all, there’s no need of another Cancun.

How to get there:
Tulum is located 128 kilometers from Cancun and 64 from Playa del Carmen.
- From Cancun there’s the public transportation “Mayab” to Tulum. Approximately, it’s a two hour ride.
- By car from Cancun’s airport, taking the highway 307 to Chetumal it’s a drive approximately of 40 minutes.
- By car from the interior of the country take the route to Villahermosa, Champotón - Campeche that is very recommendable if you have the chance because you may make a scale in Campeche or Mérida. You may also take the route to Villahermosa - Escárcega, also recommendable because you may stop in Palenque.
- In bus from Mexico City take an ADO from TAPO terminal that goes directly to Tulum. It’s, approximately, a 22 hour drive.

Where to eat and sleep:
There’re a great variety of places to eat in the hotel zone or in the town, including mexican, italian or argentinean restaurants such as Don Cafeto. And for an economic and delicious breakfast there’s the “Café Expresso Tulum” that is near the bus terminal.

To lodge in the hotel zone, there are options for all tastes, from the rustic cabins with all services as Papaya Playa Tulum to the ecological bungalows as Posada Dos Ceibas.

For those preferring a closer contact with nature, there’s the Ecological Center Sian Ka’an (CESiak) that is located 4.5 km inside the Sian Ka’an Reserve and has comfortable tents at 20 meters of the beach and lagoon.

In the town there’re many Hostels and Bed and Breakfasts significantly cheaper and some include bikes or transport to the beach. In september -low season- you may size many opportunities and low prices in transport and lodging.

How to visit the zone:
In Mexico is found a part of the world’s second largest coral reef. That’s why is very important to use biodegradable insect repellents and sun tanning or blocking lotions if you swim in the cenotes or practice snorkel near the coral. It’s also of the utmost importance not to step or touch the coral because it dies immediately with this simple act.

When visiting the reserve and camping in the beach is important not to leave trace of our visit as happens when you take shells or conchs from the beach. Is important to remember that you are visiting a protected natural area and that part of its beauty has been conserved by the care and respect that had taken visitors and residents and it must be kept the same.

References:
-Cabañas Ecológicas Posada Dos Ceibas
Km. 10 Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila
Tulum, Quintana Roo.
Tel / Fax: (+52 984) 877-6024
info@dosceibas.com

-Palapas Tulum Bed and Breakfast
Calle Retorno Polar, a 200 metros de la Terminal de Autobuses ADO. Tel: (+52 984) 145-2684
patulum@hotmail.com

Asociación Conservemos Tulum A.C.
Secretaría de Turismo de Quintana Roo.
Comisión Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas - CONAP
Patrimonio de la Humanidad UNESCO
Centro Ecológico Sian Ka´an
Amigos de Sian Ka´an
Association for Mexican Cave Studie
Montañismo y Exploración
Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia

Text Ernesto Durand
Photography Ernesto Durand

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Last information actualization: January 2005