Tulum is in the Riviera Maya of Mexico. It's located about two hours south of Cancun (depending on how fast your airport shuttle driver drives - seriously, those guys are crazy!) and around 45 minutes south of Playa Del Carmen.
We didn't manage to get to Playa on our trip but many of our friends did and they raved about the shopping there. It certainly seemed to make an easy excursion, if you love shopping and feel the pull to a bigger city. The nightlife is supposed to be fantastic too - Jim Carrey even owns an club there. A night in Coco Bongo is certainly legendary and apparently worth a visit.
Tulum itself is quieter and is most famous for its incredible Mayan
ruins just outside of town. It was once an important Mayan trading port and is home to some remarkably intact ruins sitting on a cliff edge. It's a magical place and definitely worth a visit.
Top tip: Lots of resorts will offer excursions to the Tulum ruins for a fair amount of money. Be brave and organise it yourself - it's so easy and will save you a fortune.
First, we caught a colectivo (Mexican mini buses that run along the main routes providing cheap travel) from the main road outside the resort, gave the man a few dollars (6 i think) and within half an hour we were at the entrance to the ruins.
Entrance to the ruins themselves cost us about £2 each (40 pesos) and you're free to roam the ruins as you like! There are information boards dotted around the site but not as many as I would like - I love a bit of history. If you are like me, it's probably worth hiring a guide to give you a proper tour. They are pricey though so you could just try to hover close enough to a guided group to overhear. We may or may not have tried this tactic ourselves...
Be warned, its all exposed to the sun and takes about two hours to walk around so it gets incredibly hot! Take as much water as you can carry - you don't want to end up like my husband...
Behind the ruins is an incredible beach which you are free to enjoy. The water was lovely and warm and gave some welcome relief from the heat of the site.
Seriously, how beautiful is that?!
The ruins are covered in these little critters, basking in the glorious Mexican sun.
Tulum is such a beautiful place, in my humble opinion it's worth skipping over more popular Cancun in favour of this stunning, historical part of Mexico. You won't regret it!
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