With the upcoming holidays almost around the corner, and with so many marvelous places to visit from all around the world, we thought of giving you some advice on some of our favorite things to do in Tulum, just in case you haven’t decided to book your flight already.
Tulum, The City of Dawn located approximately 1 hour and 45 mins away from Cancun Intl Airport and 45 min away from Playa del Carmen, is a foodie and spiritual destination waiting for you to make your next visit an unforgettable one.
Welcome to Eating With Carmen Food Tours’ ultimate guide for what to do in Tulum. Whether traveling in packs or solo, Tulum has a lot to offer to everyone who is willing to adventure within Mayan Rivieras Jungle.
source: latin.us
1. EXPLORE TULUM PUEBLO
Tulum is packed with traditional Mexican gastronomic experiences everywhere you look, with bites of flavors from around the world creating innovative gastronomic fusions only found in South Mexico.
Wandering around Tulum might be a little bit tricky if you are new in town. The Eating With Carmen Food Tours Team is highly prepared to take you on a Tulum Local Authentic Mexican Experience Food Tour, guiding you towards unimaginable spots for you to delight with Mexicans’ all-time favorite dishes. A tasteful experience your belly will appreciate for sure.
After grabbing one too many bites, many transportation choices are available for you to continue exploring Tulum, though walking might be the cheapest one, the all-year high temperatures and humidity certainty doesn’t make it very pleasant. Besides you must know that Tulum Pueblo is about 1/2 to 1 hour away (depending on the traffic) from all those pretty beaches you can’t wait to dip in, that’s why many locals and lately most tourists too, are choosing the bike life. Easier to find parking, not as stressful as renting a car or as expensive as taking taxis every day (which are absurdly overpriced). Bike rental stores are available everywhere around town or sometimes for free at some hotels. And honestly, it’s the best way to tour the town either by day or night.
source: Eating With Carmen Food Tours
2. GO SWIMMING IN MAYAN WATERS
The main attraction of this magical town is no other than the paradisiac beaches, and astonishing turquoise waters, perfect to lay all day on the white sand shore, eating delicious snacks and sipping exotic cocktails…or maybe just a really cold michelada.
Tulum South beaches are packed with luxury beach-front hotels and beach clubs where the purchase of a day pass usually includes daybeds, food, drinks, and use of other amenities like restrooms and showers.
Among the local and tourist favorites, Playa Paraiso or Paradise Beach is recognized by the decorative palm trees and beautiful swimmable transparent waters, there is actually not much left to say with a name like that, just make sure to visit it.
Within the public beaches in the hotel zone area, the beachfront is wider, perfect to lay out a towel to watch, listen to the sound of the waves, and even perform some water activities like snorkeling, kitesurfing, or jet skiing.
source: tulumlunallena.com
Hands down, the most popular sight of Tulum is the one where you can see how the temple ruins meet with the ocean. To visit that beach, head to Playa Ruinas to take as many pictures as you wish and dive into ancient Mayan waters.
3. VISIT ANCIENT TEMPLES
Map out a road trip to visit all of the vestiges of Mayan cities abandoned and left to be overtaken by the jungle. The worldwide recognized archaeological site of Tulum has more than 60 restored temples, representing a mix of different architectural designs, created by different inhabitants who took over these lands for centuries, transforming Tulum into what it is today.
Check out “El Castillo”, the main building, situated close to the cliff. This Mayan city is surrounded by walls, each symbolizing one of the elements: earth, water, air, and fire, also reflecting their vision of the universe and spirituality.
source: vivecancun.com
Keeping the Mayan mystery alive, 40 minutes away from Tulum, discover the archeological city of Cobá. Once a powerful commercial, religious and political city, highly influenced in its later period by Teotihuacan archeological style. Cobá is not a single site but a large group of sites connected to the central pyramid, by over 16 Mayan ceremonial “white roads” called sacbéob which at the same time connect with other further Mayan cities. Archeologists have estimated that 6,000 structures exist all around Cobá, but only three settlements are for public viewing.
Further inland, surrounded by 38 hectares of jungle and as part of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, the Muyil Archeological zone is covered with ancient temples. It is believed that important Mayan rulers and settlers attended various civil events and religious ceremonies leaving behind peculiar objects made from jade and seashell used for religious offerings.
4. DISCOVER MAYAN NATURAL WONDERS
The beach is only a small part of the natural attractions to discover on the Mayan Riviera. Mother nature blessed the southern lands with tons of exotic species and beautiful landscapes, each one of them worthy of entering anyone’s bucket list.
The Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve occupies approximately 650 thousand hectares along 120 km from North to South, between Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto. Sian Ka’an is a natural park housing beach, dunes, cenotes, coral reefs, and the tropical jungle, where more than 300 species of birds, more than 1000 species of plants, and 100 different species of animals.
Sian Ka’an means “where the sky is born” in the Mayan language and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. A day trip to Sian Ka’an is filled with fun and even a few unexpected experiences along the way. Though you can visit it on your own with a 4×4 SUV and a well-planned route, keeping in mind the messy and tricky roads along the jungle, a guided tour might be a better option to fully enjoy the visit stress-free.
Head over the northeast of Sian Ka’an Reserve and about a 15 min drive away from Tulum, to come across Kaan Luum Lagoon, a less-known attraction, which definitely stands out as one of Mayan Riviera’s best-kept secrets. Kaan Luum Lagoon means “yellow earth” due to the peculiar soft sand layered in certain areas near the edge of the lagoon, visitors often use it as a natural clay mask for the skin. Kaan Luum Lagoon houses in its interior a cenote of 25 meters in diameter and 85 meters deep. It is quite an experience to observe the change of blue and green tonalities in its waters due to the different depths between the lagoon and the cenote. Visitors are free to swim, snorkel or paddle around the lagoon.
source: mexicodesconocido.com.mx
A visit to the Mayan Riviera is not complete without swimming or at least dipping your toes in a mystical Cenote, freshwater natural swimming pools, or Mayan underworld tunnels and caves. Though some cenotes are widely open, other cenotes are deep underwater caverns decorated with mineral formations created over centuries known as stalactites and stalagmites. Book a Cenote day tour or make your own cenote route by checking our Top 10 Cenotes to visit in The Mayan Riviera.
5. ART TOURING
Since 2021 there is a new and fresh artistic proposal in town to take you on an artistic immersive experience through Mayan culture and Mexico’s most wonderful natural wonders, Mystika Immersive. The experience at the museum allows visitors to be part of a magical world, surrounded by different stimuli to evoke surrealism through still photography, film, video, and music.
For the past few years, Tulum has become a cultural destination with the perfect fusion between a preserved Mexican beach town with innovative architecture with a touch of art. Discover the ultimate revolutionary project in Tulum, a space created by world-class artists as a place where fellow artists, tourists, and locals can get inspired by its organic beauty. A majestic structure, made from Zapote wood, a tree only found in the Yucatan Peninsula, fiberglass, bejuco, and cement. No heavy machinery was used thanks to the guidance and knowledge of Mayan workers.
source: elojodelarte.com
Sfer Ik is a creative space part of the must-visit Azulik Hotel. Azulik has taken the eco-friendly meaning on so many levels, putting together the beauty of the jungle with amazing architecture in a breathtaking way. Azulik provides luxury, comfort, and harmony between the environment and spirituality. You don’t need to be a hotel guest to delight in this experience, Azulik restaurants are open for everyone with reservations, each one of them using ancient techniques and local ingredients.
6. RECONNECT WITH NATURE AND YOURSELF
Locals can’t agree more that Mayan lands have a certain mysticism, there is a certain vibe that attracts people from all around the globe and many decide to stay because of what they experienced here. The ocean, the jungle, and the culture come together to connect people spiritually. Tulum and the Mayan Riviera are perfect to experience ancestral knowledge in Temazcal ceremonies, yoga, and meditación retreats. Local communities and certain hotels like Azulik and Ahau offer Mayan weddings and temazcal ritual ceremonies, yoga lessons, and meditation guidance to connect with the Mayan Riviera jungle.
source: rivieramaya.mx
7. ENJOY THE NIGHT JUNGLE AMBIANCE.
Mexicans like to take the party to the next level, and here in Tulum, they went a little bit higher, up to 118 feet, yes, in the air. Tulum Tower is a unique experience where you can sip a couple of cocktails, have some snacks and enjoy the Mayan jungle from above, the only aero bar in Mexico.
source: myguide-mexico.com
When the sun goes down, Tulum turns into a more vibrant party scene, with chic bars, restaurants, and BIG parties. Either at Tulum Pueblo or the hotel zone, the culinary scene is exceptional, all the way from fine dining venues with exclusive cocktails, all the way to the best taco spot in town and fresh fruit water.
If a couple of drinks came after dinner and you are looking for more, Tulum has a weekly party schedule, for example, Thursday nights are owned by Casa Jaguar, with their traditional jungle party with local and international DJ’s. and for Saturdays, Papaya Playa Project it’s the place to be, especially during full moon parties.
There is always something new going on at the Mayan Riviera, and Tulum doesn’t like being left behind, keep posted on what’s coming to Tulum, Playa del Carmen, and Merida for the next Holiday season.
Read you soon.
-Abbey
