After several days of eating and shopping ourselves silly in Playa del Carmen, we decided to hop in the car for a quick hour drive south to the Mayan ruins of Tulum. Accessible directly from the main highway 307, the ruins made an easy half-day trip. Along the way we passed enormous all-inclusive resorts tucked in the midst of sparse Mexican scrub and a few non-eventful military police checkpoints.
The Mayan ruins of Tulum are the third most visited historical site in all of Mexico, behind Teotihuacán and Chichen Itza. The Tulum ruins are often said to be the most well preserved Mayan ruins in the world with most structures actually constructed between 1200 and 1450. The city was occupied by Mayan people up until the Spanish conquest of the Yucatan peninsula, but was fully abandoned by the end of the 16th century.
One of the unique features of these ruins and a welcome relief from the baking sun is their close proximity to the sea. The views and breezes from the crest of the Castillo hill are spectacular. Water in unimaginable shades of blue lap on the small stretch of beach many use to cool off from a day of exploring.
We thought we’d come here to take a break from shopping, but the visitors area held a wealth of souvenirs and other “can’t-live-without” trinkets to bring home as a reminder of the trip. Entrance to the ruins is free on Sunday, and costs $4 during the rest of the week.