Ultimate Tulum Ruin Guide For First Time Visitors
One of the newest tourist destinations in Mexico’s Mayan Riviera is Tulum. The massive, all-inclusive resorts Cancun has to offer are a terrific choice for anyone looking for a more laid-back, environmentally friendly, and meditative vacation.
Tulum is known for its magnificent white sand beach, but it also has many adjacent cenotes with crystal-clear water, jungle excursions, and of course, the most breathtaking Mayan ruins anywhere.
Even if you’ve already been to Chichen Itza or Coba, I still strongly urge you to go because they are very different.
Even if Mayan ruins aren’t your thing, you must see the Tulum ruins because of the breathtaking jungle setting and one of the nicest beaches in the area.
In this tour to the Tulum ruins, I’ll tell you when to go, what to see, and all the other helpful advice I learned while there.
Are you prepared for a memorable, enlightening, and tranquil trip to the Tulum ruins?
What You Should Know Before Visiting the Ruins of Tulum
The best ruins near tulum are open daily from 8 am to 5 pm, with the last admittance being at 5 pm.
Where are the Tulum Mayan Ruins situated? They are three kilometers or three to five kilometers from the hotel district of Tulum. You can travel there by vehicle, scooter, or bicycle. You must pay for parking if you arrive by vehicle or scooter. Parking costs 80 pesos for vehicles and 50 pesos for scooters.
Entrance to the Tulum Ruins is 85 pesos for adults. If you would rather reserve your tickets online in advance to skip the lines, click here.
It takes roughly a kilometer to walk from the parking lot to the ruins and their entrance. Although you can rent bikes to cycle there, I honestly didn’t understand the reason because it was a pleasant walk.
Just outside the entryway, you can hire a guide to the Mayan ruins. They will be able to give you a tour and a lot more details about the Tulum Maya ruins.
How to Reach the Ruins of Tulum
About 5 kilometers outside of Tulum’s town center lie the Tulum ruins. Although it is walkable, it is not advised during the height of the day. It is recommended to take a taxi or rent a bike or scooter if you are traveling from Tulum town.
To go to the Tulum ruins from Cancun or Playa del Carmen, you can either use public transit or rent a car. It takes about 2 hours or 1 hour to travel 130 kilometres from Cancun or 63 km from Playa del Carmen, respectively.
Public transportation: There are two choices when it comes to traveling by public transportation: the ADO bus or a local minivan or colectivo.
For a variety of reasons, I strongly advise choosing the local colectivos over the ADO to travel to the Tulum ruins.
First off, the colectivo driver will drop you off directly on the highway outside the ruins, but the ADO bus would only do so at Tulum’s bus station (just let him know you want to get off there). It is no longer necessary to rent a bicycle or take a taxi back to the ruins.
Second, colectivos are far more accommodating and only leave when they are full. You just need to show up, jump in, and the vehicle will soon be moving. They are hence significantly more common than ADO buses. But, if you have luggage, you must use the ADO bus since colectivos cannot accommodate heavy bags.
Take the colectivo to Tulum in Cancun from outside the ADO bus terminal in the city center. From Playa del Carmen, colectivos to Tulum leave from Calle 2, Calle 5 Sur, under the flyover, and the Chedraui supermarket.
Hiring a car is a terrific option to explore more of Tulum, such as the Stunning Tulum cenotes, and to have more freedom while traveling to the Tulum ruins from anyplace in Quintana Roo or Yucatan.
Take a tour: Taking a local tour is another option for seeing the ruins and is likely the easiest. Most tours leave from Cancun or Playa del Carmen and frequently combine a trip to the Coba Ruins or a local cenote with a visit to the Tulum Ruins.
To get the most out of the trip, be sure to make your reservations with a reliable firm. My top options are this tour that visits Coba and the Tulum ruins while also visiting a cenote, and this tour that travels from Cancun.
What to Visit in the Ruins of Tulum
Tulum’s Maya ruins are evidence of a huge, walled Pre-Columbian city.
Today, a large number of the walls are still standing, and visitors enter and exit through the little paved openings in the solid wall.
Because of its proximity to the Caribbean Sea and the nearby Coba fortress, archaeologists believe Tulum once served as a port. One of the final Maya towns to be developed and inhabited before the arrival of the Spaniards in the 15th century.
The Pyramid El Castillo (The Castle), the Temple of the Frescoes, and the Temple of the Descending God are the most notable structures in this area.
The largest and most noticeable structure on the property is called El Castillo. This structure, which was built over a former temple, used as a watchtower to keep an eye on canoes entering and leaving the harbor.
Two observation windows are located in the top gallery, and it is thought that sailors used beacons in the shrine to find their way home at night.
An observatory was set up in the Temple of the Frescos to monitor the sun’s motion.
Some of the best relief carvings in the region may be found on the upper gallery of the building, which is made up of two galleries: a lower gallery and an upper gallery.
If you look closely, you can still make out remnants of the vibrant paint that formerly covered these structures.
Tulum temple carvings and ruins
Another single-room structure built on top of another temple that has been maintained well is the Temple of the Descending God.
Come on time or after dark. People visit the Tulum Mayan Ruins from all over the Yucatan Peninsula, making it a major tourist destination. Go to the Tulum ruins early in the morning or late in the day for a more tranquil experience.
You’ll be able to avoid the warmest part of the day in addition to taking better shots without people in them. You get softer light for images when you arrive early or late, which is another advantage.
Avoid going on Sunday. The ruins are considerably more crowded on Sundays since Mexican nationals are permitted free entry. If at all possible, on a different day or, as was already said, go early.
Pack a lot of water. Bring a reusable, eco-friendly bottle that is already filled with water because it is hot and there isn’t much shade. No reusable bottle on hand? Not to worry! Grab my favorite right here.
Don’t use your tripod outside. I left my tripod at home because I had read before going that they weren’t allowed. This isn’t ideal, as it’s one of the only ways to capture pictures of yourself in them, as any lone traveler would know.
Yet, despite the fact that there are guides and guards there, I’m confident one of them would have informed me of something if I had pulled my bag out.
If you’re traveling alone, you’ll just have to go the traditional route and ask someone to take your picture.
Put on some relaxed shoes. This should go without saying as you’ll be doing a lot of walking.
Bring swimwear and a towel. The Tulum Aztec ruins are perched on a clifftop with views of the cutest small beaches, and you can go descend to them to unwind and even go swimming. Nevertheless, there is nowhere to change, so be sure your swimsuit is on before you enter.
Ahead of time, check the tide times. It’s advisable to visit during low tide if at all possible because at high tide the water closes in and leaves guests with absolutely no beach space.
You’ll find a large number of guides waiting to be hired as you approach the Tulum beach ruins admission counter.
In the event that you decide to hire a guide, they will show you around and explain everything. I chose not to because I want to take my time and go around at my own leisure. You can read the many plaques surrounding you that provide basic details on a specific location, structure, or practice while you stroll.
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