Tulum: The Ruins

Me and my honey at the ruins

Welcome to the Yucatan Peninsula in Quintana Roo, Mexico! As you walk through to the exits of the airport you hear of all the tourist attractions from the tour companies trying to strike your interest. This combined with the instant humidity as you walk outside can be a little bit overwhelming....

Cley captured this while I was staring at a nearby iguana!

When we first arrived in the airport in Cancun in 2014 a few things stuck out in my mind, one of them was Tulum. 

At one of the 5 entry points

One of the many happy iguana residents 

This beach is off limits for turtle egg nesting

Tulum is a town about 40 mins south of Playa Del Carmen. It has become a popular place recently particularly for boutique hotels. The main attractions in this area are an amazing stretch of beach, a ridiculous nunber of natural cenotes and of course the archeological ruins. 

Tourists on the path...the umbrella is for the sun!

Some of the ruins still in tact..

I'm not sure this thatch roof is from the 13th century haha

The Mayan ruins in Tulum was a seaport in the 13th Century for trading in mainly turquoise and jade. It is the only Mayan city to be built on the coast and was also one of the few surrounded by a wall.

The view of the beach...this one you can access and snorkel

The ruins themselves are ok, but not my favourite. It is very popular because of it's location (it's pretty close) and because of the views of the sea. I still do recommend going, but if you do, good idea to bring bathers (the beach is awesome!), a hat, sunscreen and some water. There isn't too much shade there and it can get pretty steamy!

White sandy beach in Tulum

If you still have energy afterward I recommend walking along the beach, but remember, you also have to walk back! 

*The picture quality isn't great, this was from 2014, from memory the camera we used was on it's last legs....