Tulum Archaeological Site Guide

Use our realist Tulum Guide to plan your next trip to this archaeological site. Tulum is a small seaside town in central Quintana Roo. It houses a compact Mayan site on the shore of the Caribbean Sea. Tulum was the first stop on our daily route from Filipe Carrillo Puerto to Cancun.

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Getting to Tulum

Tulum Archaeological Site site is difficult to miss. It is located next to the main highway connecting Playa Del Carmen and Felipe Carrillo Puerto. The site also has a large parking lot. Depending on the number of other tourists at the lot you will likely run into solicitors trying to upsell you for a boat ride, a tour guide, or both. Remember that you are not required to buy anything from them, just proceed to pay first the parking fee and then the entrance fee at a separate office.

Where to Stay

Tulum has grown to become a tourist magnet, which improved availability of the nearby accommodation options. While the number of properties still lags behind Playa del Carmen, Valladolid, and Cancun, this seaside town is now worthy of consideration. If you do not mind a longer drive and would like to increase your chances of securing a better deal, consider larger tourist destinations in addition to Tulum. You should also head out to Cancun if you would like to enjoy an all inclusive resort after a long road trip to Mayan sites.

Entrance Requirements & Passes

Tulum’s popularity with tourists skyrocketed in the last few years. Not surprisingly, the entrance fees have gone up considerably. Based on our advanced research we expected to pay about MXN200 ($12) for two tickets and parking. We ended up paying nearly three times the amount planned.

Sights & Places of Interest

Once we had tickets in hand we saw high fortified walls surrounding the whole archaeological site. The walls are believed to have given the name to the town since Tulum is literally translated as a “wall” or a “fence”. The site is believed to be developed around AD 1200 and rediscovered in 1518.

God of Winds Temple

Once we passed through one of the gates, we were presented with a view of the Structure 45. This structure is also known as the God of Winds Temple.

The path around the seaside structures continued to the Entrance bay. The bay offered first views of the Castle. Thanks to the seaside location, you could expect to encounter wildlife while visiting Tulum.

Oratory

The path went slightly inland to the Shell Platform. It then proceeded to the Castle via the Oratory.

The Castle structure has multiple overlooks and a staircase. The staircase leads to a pristine beach that was closed during our visit.

We continued on the cliff walk enjoying multiple seaside viewpoints and ancient structures.

If you keep walking back towards the bay and the God of Winds Temple you will be rewarded with nice views of the structure and breaking waves.

Castle Pyramid

The Castle pyramid is not as tall (25 ft or 7.5 m) as structures at other Mayan sites we explored.

Temple of the Frescos

Most other structures at the site are less known with the Temple of the Frescos being one of the few exceptions.

Caribbean Seashore

We decided to walk towards the Temple 54 and admire a picturesque beach for a little longer. White sand, blue waters, palm trees, cacti, large stones, and cliffs. It could easily be a shooting location for a Pirates of the Caribbean movie or a Bounty Chocolate commercial.

Another look at the Castle and the Structure 45 overlooking the Caribbean Sea and the beach before we hit the road.

Takeaways: Tulum

Tulum has picture perfect views of the Mayan ruins on the seaside cliffs. Blue waters of the Caribbean Sea are quite different from the rainforest where most Mayan sites are located. Plan to arrive early to admire the structures and scenery without the endless tourist crowds. This advice is more relevant for Tulum than for any Mayan site we visited, including Chichen Itza.

Take a look at our Tulum Video Guide and visit our YouTube channel for the latest videos.

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Safe realist travels!