Located on the Riviera Maya, Tulum is one of the most famous pueblos magicos in Mexico.
This cute ancient Mayan time has always been home to some of the best beaches in the country and is now a prime destination for people who want to relax, do some yoga but also enjoy some adventures.
It’s a great base for any Mexican holidays as well as a great stop on a road trip in the Yucatan peninsula.
In this article, I tell you everything you need to know about the best things to do in Tulum, Mexico and how to enjoy it.
1. Visiting Tulum Ruins
While there are many Mayan ruins you can visit in Mexico, Tulum is definitely one of the best. It’s perched on the cliffs, by the beaches, making it a prime location.
Not only is it beautiful to see but it’s also a very interesting site in terms of history. Unlike Chichen Itza or Coba, Tulum was already a bit of a holiday spot for the Mayans.
And of course, due to its location, it was a great observatory spot.
Tulum Ruins are also much cheaper to visit than Chichen Itza, Coba or Ek Balam which makes it a more affordable option.
You can easily get there with a bike or by car. You will need to pay the two entrance fees (one for the national park and one for the ruins themselves) and can explore.
PRO TIP: Try to get there early (as in, when they open) so you can avoid the crowds and the heat.
I highly recommend booking this walking tour online since being with a guide will enhance the experience. That’s the only way you can truly understand what you see.
Also, while it’s entirely possible to get a guide there directly, it’s a lot more expensive and they always try to add other things like entrances to the cenotes.
Click here to see the availability and prices.
2. Renting a bike in Tulum
One of the best ways to explore Tulum is with a bicycle. Not only is Tulum quite flat but there are a lot of small streets and biking lanes which makes it quite easy.
Also, it can be very expensive to park, especially near the beaches so having a bike will not only be convenient, it will also save you a lot of money.
Beyond that, riding a bike in Tulum is a lot of fun. You can explore many places and stop as many times as you want.
It’s quite cheap as well since you can get it for about $10 for 24 hours (with the padlock and the basket).
Finally, it’s a great prop to take beautiful Instagram photos!
3. Going to Kaan Luum Lagoon
Located about 15-minute drive from downtown Tulum, the laguna Kaan Luum is a spot locals love!
It’s not as famous amongst tourists (which is still something that surprises me because it’s absolutely beautiful).
You can easily get there by car. There is a large car park. You then need to pay the entrance fee and can enter the lagoon.
GOOD TO KNOW: Sunscreen is not allowed at the lagoon and there isn’t much shade so if you have a UV shirt, it would be a good place to take it.
The lagoon is beautiful and you can go for a nice swim. You will also find hammocks in the water as well as several structures (like a heart and swing) where you can take photos.
Finally, if you like scuba diving, you can book a scuba diving or snorkelling tour with a guide to explore the cenote in the middle.
Please note that this part is only accessible with a guide and you can’t go with your own gear.
4. Seeing the Escultura Ven a la Luz
This is Tulum’s most famous Instagram spot! The escultura Ven a la Luz is a work of art by South African artist Daniel Popper. It represents the connection between people and nature.
In recent years though, it has become a hotspot for Instagrammers. It’s extremely popular which is why you now have to pay an entrance fee of 100 MXN to go there.
The sculpture is located in a small sculpture park by the Ahau Hotel in Tulum Beach.
You can easily get there by car but please note that all car parks, including the one right in front of the entrance of the hotel, costs 200MXN for the day.
Of course, you can stay the entire day after but it’s still quite expensive so if you have a bike or scooter, you will save some money.
When you enter, you will pay the entrance fee and can then start the queue for the photo. You will get 1 minute per person to take photos.
Since it can get very busy, I highly recommend going early in the morning (they open at 9AM) so you can get your photos without having to wait.
You can then discover the other sculptures and take more photos.
5. Going to Sian Ka’an Biosphere
The Sian Ka’an Biosphere is located south of Tulum and it’s an excellent place to visit if you love nature and wildlife.
It’s a UNESCO reserve home to dolphins, turtles and more.
If you like the idea of seeing the wildlife in the wild and staying away from tourists, this is the place for you!
While it’s not completely impossible to visit it by yourself though, it’s extremely complicated.
For this reason, you need to book a tour like this one. It includes a hotel pick up and a boat tour of the reserve.
You’ll get to go to the coral reef (one of the largest in the world), snorkel and of course go to the beach!
Click here to see the availability and prices.
6. Exploring Tulum Town
Most of the time when you see photos of Tulum, it’s of the beaches or the ruins but downtown Tulum is also a nice place to visit.
On the main avenue (avenue Tulum), you will find a lot of shops. It’s quite a nice place to go souvenir shopping but bear in mind that they are a bit more expensive than in other area of Mexico.
PRO: If you are planning to go to Bacalar or Valladolid, then avoid souvenir shopping in Tulum since these places will be cheaper.
You can also walk or bike around the downtown area. It’s full of nice cocktail bars (perfect place for a cheeky mezcalitas) but also some more local spots with tacos.
7. Food tour
One of the best ways to explore a city is by joining a walking tour but this one adds a twist, it’s a food tour!
It’s provided by a company called Eating with Carmen which also does food tours in Playa del Carmen (that was one of my favourite things there!).
It lasts around 3 hours and you will go all around Tulum to try the best local dishes including tacos and quesadillas.
This is a great activity for foodies since you’ll try a lot of things you wouldn’t otherwise (like the corn mushroom for example).
You’ll also discover local spots and try some street food (again, something you might not do otherwise).
Finally, the guide will give you a lot of information about Tulum, the history and some recommendations.
Click here to see the availability and prices.
8. Snorkelling in Tulum National Park
Tulum is one of the best places in Mexico to see turtles but also other sea creatures such as stingrays.
For this reason, snorkelling is one of the best things you can do in Tulum.
The best place for this is Tulum National Park and Paradise beach (playa paraiso).
While you can go on your own and try to find the turtles and stingrays, I highly recommend booking a guided tour.
It can be hard to find the turtles when you don’t know where to look for whereas a guide will know where to bring you.
Of course nobody can guarantee anything but every time I went with a guide I got to see a lot more things than on my own.
If that’s something you are interested in, you book this snorkelling tour.
Click here to see the availability and prices.
9. Visiting the cenotes
This is a classic in the Yucatan peninsula and Tulum is no exception. As a matter of fact, the Tulum area is one of the best for cenotes.
There are so many you can visit so it all depends on the type of cenote you like so here are some recommendations.
If you don’t have a car, you should opt for the Cenote bike tour which includes a guide, the bike and the entrance to 2 or 3 cenotes.
If you have your own vehicle and can drive there, then these are great options:
- For scuba diving and snorkelling: Cenote Dos Ojos
- For kayaking: Casa Cenote
- For an open-air cenote: Jardin del Eden Cenote or Cenote Zacil Ha
10. Go sailing
If you fancy a bit of fun adventure then you can opt for a sailing trip from Tulum. This is ideal for people who want to enjoy water activities, see the wildlife and have some fun with their friends.
You will go snorkelling and (hopefully) see turtles and stingrays.
You can also go on a stand up paddle and after all your water activities, the bar will open on the sailing boat (it’s open bar!).
Click here to see the availability and prices.
11. Trying aerial silks
If you’d like to try a new activity in a beautiful setting, then aerial silks are for you!
I am very passionate about aerial sports like hoop and silks so when I randomly found this aerial studio next to the Vez en la Luz sculpture, I couldn’t not try it!
It’s called Lucid studio and is located in the veranda on top of the bar of Ahau hotel. The instructor is amazing and the sea views from the studio are exceptional!
She offers aerial silks classes everyday and for all levels so don’t worry if you’ve never tried it.
12. Doing some yoga
Tulum is one of the best destinations in the world for yoga retreats and as soon as you get to the beach area, you’ll understand why!
It’s so chilled and relaxing, plus the beaches are amazing so of course it makes for the perfect place to do yoga.
The great thing in Tulum is that you can find all types of yoga including beach yoga and aerial yoga.
There are a lot of studios and you should check with your hotels since chances are that it offers free yoga but otherwise you can check out Holistika or Ahau hotel for some cool classes.
If you’d like something more unique, you can also opt for a SUP class on a private lagoon.
Click here to see the availability and prices.
I hope this article has given you a good idea of what the best things to do in Tulum are. If you want more information about the Riviera Maya, don’t hesitate to check out my other articles.
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