When I went to Mexico in April last year, I only stayed in Tulum for two days after doing a day trip to Isla Mujeres from Cancun, and having a day in Playa del Carmen.
From Playa del Carmen I headed to Tulum, another city on the Riviera Maya, 65km away. There are vans that make the journey and are cheaper than buses, but I chose to go by bus for comfort and luggage. Although it wasn’t a direct bus, there were few stops and within an hour I was in the center of Tulum.
>> See my complete itinerary through Mexico.
The city of Tulum is divided into the center and hotel zone. The center is crossed by a highway, it’s not pretty, it’s where the shops are with bars and restaurants, it’s busy, there are cheaper accommodations and it’s practical for those who don’t have a car.
The hotel zone is on the beach, 5km from the center. This is where the most expensive rustic-chic style accommodations are located. They share the beach and the view with the clubs. If you stay there you may need to go downtown at night in search of a restaurant.
I stayed in the center and it was practical for my itinerary. But if I return to Tulum I would like to stay in the hotel zone, without sargassum. Tulum was infested with this bad-smelling seaweed that remains in the water and along the beach. Before traveling, check the situation.
What to do in Tulum
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| Access to Akumal. |
I stayed in the city for two days where I saw the ruins of the Mayan city of Tulum, beaches and cenotes. This post is more about the beaches as there are already exclusive posts about the ruins and cenotes.
I started the first day at Beach by Akumal. Another recommended beach, especially for those who want to dive alongside turtles. I wasn’t going to dive, but I wanted to meet Akumal.
Akumal is 26km from the center of Tulum, towards Playa del Carmen. I went by van that dropped me off at the junction leading to Akumal. From there it is about 700m to get to the beach and there is no transport option.
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| “Official ticket office” at Akumal Beach. |
Along the way there is a box selling tours and diving. Closer to the beach there is a store, restaurant, grocery store and car parking (paid).
Access to Akumal beach is paid and the “official” entrance is about 100m after the reception at the Hotel Akumal Caribe. The cost is 100 pesos with the right to use the bathroom.
I ended up passing through the entrance and walked another 200m when I reached a gate with a security guard who indicated the entrance next door, when I entered a resident appeared charging 50 pesos. It is not an official entry but an alternative one.
The path I took passes through some summer houses and only then reaches the center of the beach. This allowed me to have a wide view of Akumal, and even with the cloudy sky threatening rain and lots of sargassum, I could see how beautiful it is.
>> See my complete itinerary through Mexico.
Calm, crystal clear water with a beautiful color. But there were small boats and many buoys demarcating diving areas that are sold in kiosks and by vendors on the beach.
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| Akumal Beach. |
The sand is also marked with sun loungers from hotels and clubs, and some coconut trees whose shades are disputed by those without hotels and without clubs.
Despite the bad weather there were a reasonable number of people. I dare say that in good weather it becomes crowded (and unbearable). I looked for a quieter place and took my last swims in the Caribbean Sea, because afterwards the weather only got worse.
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| “Main” entrance to Akumal beach. |
I liked Akumal beach, but the bad weather, drizzle and sargassum made me give up on the beach and go in search of the cenotes, a Mexican attraction that I really wanted to visit.
I walked back to the highway and took a van to Cenote Azul and it was great! Read what it was like in the post about the 10 cenotes I visited in Mexico.
I liked the cenote and wanted to take advantage of the rest of the afternoon to visit another one, but I didn’t pay attention at the time and when I got there, it was already close to closing and it wouldn’t be worth going in. What’s worse is that you couldn’t even go to another beach because they also have closing times (5 pm).
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| One of the beaches in the Tulum Hotel Zone |
The only thing left to do is go to the hotel zone to see the beaches of Tulum, but they are surrounded by accommodation and restaurants. Only a small section had nothing, but the sea was rough and ugly with so much sargassum.
In the second day I rented a bike for the day. In Tulum it is common to use a bike and you can go to many attractions. There are many places to rent and it is not expensive. And many hosting providers lend.
The weather was closing in and I started the day at Tulum ruins. See what my visit was like to the unique ruins of a Mayan city by the sea.
I headed to the public beaches of Tulum. they are close to the ruins. I passed by Playa Santa Fe, but there was a lot of sargassum, wind and it threatened to rain. I insisted and arrived at Playa Pescadores and a little more would arrive Playa Paraiso which was another one I wanted to meet, but the weather was getting worse and I gave up.
So I went to look for the Gran Cenote that was on my list. Then I went to visit Cenotes Escondido and Crystal recommended by a resident. It was worth the ride, I enjoyed my afternoon very well.
Back in the center, I thought about staying another night and seeing if I would have better luck with the beaches the next day. The ones in Tulum were the ones I wanted to enjoy the most. But the forecast wasn’t good, it didn’t look like the weather was going to improve and there was a lot of sargassum. I bought a ticket to Valladolid and traveled according to my itinerary.
Where to stay
I stayed for two nights at Hotel Mundo Maya and I liked it. Well located on the main avenue close to shops and the bus terminal. The room was in the back, away from the street noise, it was spacious and had a good, big bed. The service was nice and the breakfast was very tasty and served in the café attached to the hotel. I made my reservation here in Brazil.
>> See my complete itinerary through Mexico.
>> All my posts about Mexico.
>> See how much an economical trip to Mexico costs.
>> See what it’s like to travel by bus through Mexico.
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