7 Amazing Things To Do In Tulum, Mexico | Cenotes, Excursions, & Mayan Ruins
Tulum is actually an incredible place for versatility if you like that on your vacations. There are shopping and pedestrian walking/biking areas, beautiful beaches, and exhilarating jungle excursions. You might enjoy time ziplining into crystalline water or swinging upside down through trees– whatever floats your boat (literally), you can probably find it here.
The Beach
Tulum is having an increasing problem with seaweed which makes the beach sort of off limits in certain months of year. July is one of those months. There are mounds of seaweed everywhere and it’s smelly so it makes the beach a somewhat unpleasant experience. In fact, many of the beach clubs don’t even allow patrons to access the beach from the club.
A local explained to us that it used to only affect the city around 2 or 3 months of the year, but it is now affecting them 6 or 7 months out of the year and it’s actually having a negative impact on the economy due to the effect it has on tourism. We didn’t mind not being able to be on the beach because there were so many other things to do. It was still nice to be able to walk along the strip, even if not directly on the beach. With that said, if you’re someone who must spend a lot of time on the beach, then be really selective about the month you choose to visit Tulum.
2.Jungle Excursion (Ziplining, ATVs, Cenotes)
This specific excursion is actually three activities in one. I booked this experience through Viator here and we had a ball. They picked us up from the Super Aki, which is a grocery store and general hub for Tulum; they also dropped us off there at the end of the excursion so we didn’t have to coordinate a ride.
For Zip-lining there were three circuits, the last being the one where you see me hanging upside down. As far as the ATVs, my brother and I paid to ride together but you can pay extra to have one to yourself. They gave us about twenty to thirty minutes at the cenote where we could zip line into the water or dive in from a cliff. None of the activities are super long, but it was enough to get a taste of each experience and I actually liked that about the excursion.
We were also provided two complimentary tacos for lunch at the end of the excursion, which was also really nice because we were definitely hungry after all of the activities.
Cenotes
Cenotes are a really big deal and they’re actually a nice alternative during the months where the beach is not accessible. They are caves of water in which you can float and/or dive and snorkel. The price to enter them varies and you also have to pay for certain amenities at most of them like life jackets, lockers, etc. We visited the most popular which is Gran Cenote. It was suggested that we go pretty early to avoid the crowd so we got there at about 9:30 and it wasn’t crowded at all.
We attempted to go to a neighboring one, Carwash, however, the attendant was nice enough to inform us that the visibility was low. This is something you’ll have to be conscious of when visiting the cenotes because you most likely won’t want to pay to enter when the water is murky with low visibility. There are plenty of others between Tulum and Cancun so i’ll leave some information I was able to organize below of the ones that are closest to each other.
1.Gran Cenote $300 pesos
Hours 8:00-4:20pm
most touristy; recommend arriving early
2.Carwash (Aktun-Ha) $50 pesos
Hours 9:00am-5:00pm
Past Gran Cenote
Bathrooms, restaurant, toilet, and lockers are available
Open air
Camera fee is $100 pesos
3.Casa Cenote (Cenote Manatí) $120-$150 pesos
Hours 9:00am-5:00pm
Explore at your own pace
Family friendly
A 20-minute walk along a dirt road surrounded by the jungle
Lockers are about 50 pesos
Camera fee is $100 pesos
4.Zacil-Ha $50-$200 pesos
Hours 10:00am-5:30pm
Open air
Family friendly
5.Calavera (Skull) $100 pesos
Hours 9:00am-5:00pm
No bathrooms
Deeper cave
Use a ladder to access
6.Dos Ojos $350 pesos (for both caves)
Hours 8:00-5:00pm
One cave requires the presence of a tour guide
3.Bar-Hopping/Drinks
There are plenty of restaurants and bars along the strip and it’s really hot so it can be cool and refreshing to stop and have drinks whether it’s a fresh juice, a cocktail or a smoothie. I reserve my cocktail drinking for dinner but these fresh made coconut waters are so enjoyable and they’re really good for hydration. We got ours at El Tabano, but you’ll see them on the street in several places throughout the city.
4.Ancient Mayan Ruins
I booked this tour through Viator as well; you can find it here. I loved that this experience was also like three activities in one. We got to experience the bio reserve Sian Ka'an and Muyil Archaeological Site. I will warn that it is a lot of walking and the paths are through the jungle and a lagoon so if that isn’t your vibe then I would not recommend.
The tour begins with the ancient Mayan ruins. Our guide Miguel gave us such detailed information about the Mayan people and their beliefs; he was very kind, friendly and knowledgable so it was an enjoyable tour.
After the ruins, we made our way through the jungle on a narrow wooden board path until we came out to the lagoon. Before boarding the boat, we stopped and had a delicious vegetarian lunch of hibiscus flower tostadas. We then took a boat ride through the beautiful lagoon until we got to what I thought was the most exciting part of the tour— floating down an actual lazy river. You don’t have to know how to swim at all because the current carries you through the river.until you arrive back at the dock. It was such a beautiful experience that’s hard to even describe in words. If you love to be in nature, then I definitely suggest this tour.
5.Sian Ka’an Bio Reserve
6.Sfer Ik
This is a museum attached to premier hotel Azulik in Tulum, and it’s very different than any museum I’ve experienced. I would describe it almost like an installation that you can be a part of. You may see some people sleeping, some meditating, and some taking pictures from several different angles like me. It’s about ten dollars per person to get in, you must take your shoes off, and you are not allowed to use cameras that are not on your phone. It doesn’t take very long to experience the fullness of the space and if nothing, you get some great photos out of it. You can purchase tickets here.
7.Photo Walk
There has been an influx of tourism and visitation in Tulum strictly based on the photos people take on Instagram. Influencer culture has definitely convinced many people that it’s the place to be and if you’re into that sort of thing then it’s not hard to know why; everything and everywhere is a picture in Tulum. The aesthetic of the city is so beautiful that you absolutely want to spend time just taking photos. My brother and I are photographers so we look for opportunities to do that anyway, but I would recommend it as an actual activity because it’s nice to create some beautiful memories but it’s also an alternative to the beach during the months when it’s not accessible.
