To Do in Tulum (Besides Eat Tacos)
Based on my Instagram it might look like all we did while in Tulum was eat tacos and drink beer.Yeaaa, we did a lot of that. BUT, there’s a lot more to Tulum than eating and relaxing, which is one of the reasons I enjoyed this trip so much. Here are some of the activities we got into during our week away.
Ruins
The Mayan ruins in Tulum, or what’s left of them, date back to the 13th century, so are an important piece of the region’s history.
Mayan Ruins of Tulum & Beach
The Tulum ruins are apparently the third most-visited archaeological site in Mexico. They’re what’s left from when Tulum was a walled city, so they’re situated on a cliff overlooking the beautiful turquoise ocean, which is a big part of the appeal. Tour groups arrive in hordes throughout the day and there’s also little shade so it’s best to arrive as early as you can. We parked in the lot for $100 MXN (about $5.50 USD) and walked the 10 minutes to the main entrance, where we bought our tickets for $70 MXN each. We wandered through the ruins on our own time, stopping to read informational signs along the way.
From inside the ruins there are stairs leading down to the beach but the access was closed the day we visited. Instead, when we exited the ruins we turned left and walked 10 minutes down the road to a public beach entrance, where we relaxed and enjoyed the clear water until we got hungry for lunch. We then walked the 20 minutes back to the car. If you want to avoid that 20 minute walk, upon exiting the ruins you can turn right and walk the 10 minutes back to your car, drive over to the beach, and cross your fingers you find available street parking.
Cobá
The Cobá Ruins are an easy 45 minute drive from Tulum town and are most popular for Nohuch Mul, a pyramid that visitors can still climb to this day. I wouldn’t want to climb the pyramid if it was very crowded, so for that reason alone I recommend arriving early to beat the crowds. We parked for $50 MXN and paid $70 MXN each to enter. We passed the bike rentals and pedicabs and chose to walk the 20 minutes or so to the pyramid, where we passed several small ruins that we visited on our walk back from the main pyramid. The climb up the pyramid doesn’t take that long and really wasn’t that hard, but it isn’t for the faint of heart; it’s steep, the steps are uneven, and once you climb up you must come down the same way! The views from the top and the feeling of accomplishment are worth it, though.
The grounds of the Cobá Ruins are shaded by tall trees lining the paths. We had fun watching spider monkeys climb across the branches above us.
On the way back from the Cobá Ruins we pulled over at one of the many shops to buy gifts, including dreamcatchers, and to eat lunch. Most of the lunch options are in Cobá but we weren’t hungry then so found a cute spot closer to Tulum.
Cenotes
We only ended up going to one cenote, but I found this blogger’s post about other options very helpful. We chose not to take her recommendation to bike over because construction on the main road narrowed the available riding space and it looked precarious. We drove over to Gran Cenote right after breakfast and were one of the first cars in the parking lot, where parking is free. We paid $180 MXN each (just under $10 US) to enter and walked into a large, lush space blocked from the busy street by a wall. Following the instructions we were given, we rinsed off in our bathing suits in the open air shower and then walked down a set of stairs to the cenote, which, thankfully only had a handful of other visitors at this hour.
Our Airbnb lent us snorkel gear, so we saved on that rental, but paid $30 MXN for a locker. We debated leaving our stuff out on the deck but are glad we didn’t in the end, because it would have gotten wet and by the time we left it was too crowded to be able to keep an eye on it.
We hopped in the water and, admittedly, it took me awhile to get used to the snorkel, which kept filling with water. But once I got the hang of it, focusing on my breath and observing life under water was very peaceful.
We brought along a waterproof phone case so spent a lot of time trying to capture cool shots underwater! We saw turtles and fish swimming around, the cool shapes the limestone rocks had taken, swam under open air and in caves, and overall just had a fun and relaxing time. By the time we were ready to get out a couple hours later we were practically bumping into other snorkelers, so arriving early was clearly a good choice.
When we walked back up the stairs we joined the others who were sunbathing on the grass. After we dried off we headed out for lunch. We didn’t expect to spend so much time at just one cenote and next time will visit a couple of others.
Cooking Class
You can learn so much about a culture through its food, and a cooking class is a great way to dive into that. We signed up for a class with Lina’s Mexican Kitchen, run by Lina with the help of her sister, Miriam, out of Lina’s beautiful home. She tries to keep the class to 6 people max, but we were the only ones who signed up that night so ended up having a private lesson.
Lina asks you to choose your appetizer, soup, entree, and dessert in advance from a menu of classic dishes. We selected crab empanadas, poblano pepper cream soup with corn, poc-chuc (typical Mayan style pork chops), and pineapple and mint sorbet topped with Mezcal. Lina provided beer, which we sipped throughout the evening while prepping, cooking, and eating. The class is very hands on and informative; we made everything from scratch. We also liked how relaxed the night was; we sat down and enjoyed each course together, then got up to prepare the next one, giving our stomachs a break.
Lina’s kitchen is seriously #goals, as is her beautiful patio that we ate each course out on. The sisters were very easy to talk to and we enjoyed getting to know them. They were also full of recommendations and approved of all the restaurants we had eaten at so far! At the end of the class we were gifted a book of the recipes we made so we can try them at home.
The class is a little expensive, at $1,900 MXN each (about $100 USD), but worth the splurge.
Salsa Lesson
We read that La Zebra, a hotel and restaurant on the beach, teaches free salsa lessons on Sunday nights, so around sunset we cabbed to the beach from town. After we got over the sticker shock of $90 MXN for a beer (compared to $35 MXN in town), we joined the other interested students on the outdoor patio. The teacher started with the most basic moves without music and worked us up to dancing with a partner along with music. It’s a fun way to spend part of your night if you don’t have plans! Afterwards we walked down to Taqueria La Eufemia for cheap tacos, margaritas, and hip-hop music.
Street Art
The streets of Tulum town are full of beautiful murals. Take some time during the day to wander through the side streets to enjoy the art, before or after hitting up a local eatery for a good meal!
Beach
You can’t visit the coast of Mexico and not visit the beach; the white sand and the clear turquoise water are really special. These are a couple spots we found to be the most beautiful and peaceful.
Chamico’s
The food wasn’t anything to write home about, but it’s the setting you go for. Chamico’s isn’t visible from the main road so is considered “secret,” which adds to its appeal. Turn off the main access road across from Restaurant Oscar and Lalo, follow the narrow road until you reach a security guard, tell him you’re going to Chamico’s, and continue driving down a narrow road lined with villas. Keep driving even after you question if you’re headed in the right direction. Eventually end up in a big parking lot, park and walk towards the water and the plastic yellow tables and chairs spread out between palm trees, with a glimpse of the turquoise water just beyond. Plan to spend a few hours here alternating between a towel in the sun, a hammock with your book, and a table for ceviche or shrimp quesadillas and a cold beer or two.
Get there early to feel like you have paradise to yourself. We arrived before the restaurant even opened and it was pretty magical.
Mezzanine Hotel
Many people will recommend the beach next to Mezzanine Hotel, and for good reason. It’s on the strip of beach away from all the bars and restaurants so you may be able to find street parking, there’s plenty of space to spread out, and the water is so blue and clear. There are no amenities, so pack water and snacks or plan to order from Mezzanine.
Punta Piedra Rentals
On the busy strip of beach with restaurants and bars you can walk down a path to the left of Punta Piedra bike and scooter rentals (across from Tunich), turn left when you hit the beach and set up shop in front of the lounge chairs at the very first hotel. As long as you stay in front of their furniture you’re allowed to sit there. This was walking distance to our hotel so was really convenient. It’s also more accessible to restaurants and other businesses, unlike Mezzanine. There’s not as much space as next to Mezzanine so you will be sitting quite close to other beachgoers.
If you go to any beach that is not part of a restaurant, I recommend buying water, beer, snacks, and a cooler in town, where you’ll pay far less. With those necessities and a good book, sunscreen, and a towel, you’ll be set for awhile.