Trip to Tulum

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Enticed by turquoise water, coral reefs and white sand beaches, we opted to spend our first trip to Mexico along the Caribbean coast known as the Mayan Riviera.  We wanted a more authentic experience so we stayed in the little village of Tulum, just two hours south of Cancun. There's plenty to do here: Snorkeling, exploring cenotes, visiting ruins or just relaxing on the beach.

Tip: April is a good time to travel here. Spring breezes help cool down hot evenings and prices start dropping before hurricane season sets in.

Still, we did find a scorpion in our room.

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Tulum is primarily known for its scenic mayan ruins situated above one of the area's best beaches. Compared to the area's other ruins, the Tulum site is small and can be viewed in under an hour. Tourists aren't the only visitors here. These ruins are also frequented by sun-basking iguanas lounging around waiting to have their picture taken.

Tip: It gets very hot and crowded so come early in the morning before the tour buses arrive.

People also come to Tulum to stay in its world renowned beach cabanas. Some are upscale and offer on-site massage and other activities. Others are downright rustic: Just a thatched roof and wall over the sand. If you choose the latter, you may be sharing your hut with a sand crab or two. If you're bothered by mosquitoes and bugs, the cabanas may not be for you. We ended up staying in town at an affordable bed & breakfast. Still, we did find a scorpion in our room. It was about two inches long and was as scared of us as we were of it. They like to hang out inside where they're least wanted so don't forget to check your shoes...

Since travelers mainly come here for the beaches, the town is pleasantly uncrowded. The shops are open late and there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. The seafood dishes are especially worth trying.

Architecturally speaking, Tulum's town center is not the most scenic: The buildings are mainly cinder blocks with flat roofs. Make Merida your next destination if you want to see history and interesting architecture.

All in all, we really enjoyed our stay here and recommend Tulum for adventurous travelers. We spent a lot of time exploring nearby towns and snorkeled whenever we could. The highlight of our trip was a boat ride through the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve (see review).

Next time we visit, we plan to go all the way to Belize.