I had severe anxiety trying to decide which Mayan Ruin I wanted to tour on my Western Caribbean vacation. Thought the Tulum Mayan Ruins in Mexico were a standout, both Belize and Mexico boast some of the most awe-striking. Do I make my choice based purely on beauty or vastness of the site or the rare opportunity to climb such delicate remains?
Mexico’s Tulum Mayan Ruins (& Beach):
What You Need to Know
Or do I decide based on the family-run tacqueria nearby that boasts the strongest margaritas in all of Mexico? Bingo. The Tulum Mayan Ruins it was.
When we arrived at Tulum, I spotted Frosty’s, the aforementioned heavy-handed-on-the-tequila joint, and I made a mental note of where I would be planting myself in a couple of hours. There was a short, scorching hot walk from there to the start of the Tulum Mayan Ruins. Once we were herded through a five-foot wide tunnel it was as if the gates of heaven had opened.
It was a vision of sporadic ruins amongst the spacious lush green grounds.
My view was just a tad distorted by the sea of tourists trying to catch a glimpse. Like hundreds. No exaggeration. With that said, it was worth every minute.
We walked to each ruin of the Tulum Mayan Ruins, standing in front of it admiring its remnants. Sort of ironic when beauty comes in the form of something that is deteriorating. But, it was impressive enough to stand back, speechless in utter amazement. Most of the structures were barriered off, so we stood belly-up to the ropes like we were at the Louvre waiting for the Mona Lisa to speak to us.
After ogling the Tulum Mayan Ruins, dozens of visitors ventured to the renowned Tulum beach. This is where the most stunning views are seen, with a crystal-clear blue ocean as a backdrop. There were about twenty, steep steps to the sandy beach below and I couldn’t miss the opportunity to descend down.
Though the beach battles for one of the most beautiful I had ever dipped my toes in, it was quite small. We were all, more-than-willingly, crammed into our small “ocean” bubble.
Nobody wanted to miss this once in a lifetime experience, including myself. We spent about fifteen minutes at the shores edge, wiggling our way through the other adventurists. Then, back up the…very…steep…stairs, which confirmed that I am really out of shape.
Before leaving the Tulum Mayan Ruins, we made a pit stop at Frosty’s for dinner and a potent cocktail. There were no menus, the waiter simply recited a brief menu of Mexican staples. I opted for a steak Fajita taco, chips and one Margarita blended, which actually arrived on ice. After the first sip of my drink I looked over to my neighbor who was on his second. No words were necessary, it was more of a look of “How the heck could you possibly drink more than one of these”?
I may just as well have had a straight shot of Tequila.
Another diner informed us that in Mexico Tequila is cheaper than any of the mixers that are used and that is why they are excessive on the liquor. Either way, I was feeling tipsy after three sips (lightweight) and had to “sleep it off” on the bus ride back.
Have you ever explored the Tulum Mayan Ruins? What are your favorite Mayan Ruins?
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Tour the Tulum Mayan Ruins in Mexico
I sided with the ruins in Belize simply bc I wanted the opportunity to climb the ruins. It's incredible how different the two ruins are. The ones in Belize are much more in tact. Oh, and I found beer on that tour 🙂
It was such a tough choice because I wanted to climb a ruin too! Next time…
Nice pictures; glad you got to accomplish one more goal 🙂
I've had a bunch of friends speak so lovingly about Tulum. I can't wait to go and visit for myself. (Only 50% of my desire relates to your fantastic margarita spot)!
Now I wish I'd gone to Tulum instead of Chichinitzen (ck spelling) if only for the margaritas. 🙂
Ha, Ha! There’s always next time…
Beautiful Tulum photos! Makes me miss it there- so historical and beautiful! I would love to go visit again one day. Got to love those potent tequila drinks in Mexico! LOL!
Kelly- The Bucketlist Junkie
Tulum was a neat place to visit. I visited a few years back and the hand prints on the one ruin are still with me. The view is amazing off the cliffs as well. Miss that beautiful sea!
I know! Wasn’t it the most beautiful sea?
I just loved Tulum. Such a beautiful place!
We visited Tulum as well!! I loved it. It was such a crazy experience to see how small the people were.
I enjoyed Tulum especially the beach, it was spectacular!
[…] Look to the left and see the Mayan Ruins of Tulum in Mexico, look to the right and witness some of the bluest waters in the World. I suffered […]
[…] Look to the left and see the Mayan Ruins of Tulum in Mexico, look to the right and witness some of the bluest waters in the World. I suffered […]
[…] Tour a Mayan Ruin […]
[…] of the only companies that had my desired route of Belize, Honduras, Grand Cayman & Cozumel. The 7-day cruise was $650.00 per person and included all the cruise ship food I could […]
[…] to the monkeys. Another check off the bucket list. We also squeezed in a short trip to see the Mayan Ruins of Tulum in Mexico. Beautiful. Though, we ate some wonderful things throughout the month, the only new […]
[…] ✓ Tour a Mayan Ruin […]
Glad you had a chance to check it out. It sounds like you arrived with the crowd. Tulum is one of my favorite spots. Last time, I arrived just when it opened and took advantage of swimming when no one else was around. It was not until roughly 11 when everyone started coming down to the beach to cool off. That’s when I got out and headed back.
It sounds like you found a few more reasons to return to Mexico. There’s a lot of ruins out there, many off the beaten path which is part of my next trip.
Hey! I was just wondering how you got to Tulum. Did you go with a tour or just take a taxi?
I took a tour through the a cruise line.