Caleta Tankah is a beautiful bay on the Mexican Caribbean, 4 km from Tulum archaeological zone, ideal for snorkeling. Its beautiful white sand beach makes it one of the most beautiful beaches of the Riviera Maya, where you can see the Mayan ruins of Tulum. There is also a restaurant offering a delicious and well-stocked buffet every day, and the option of ordering à la carte seafood specialties. Caleta Tankah is a very special place where you come in contact with nature and forget the hustle and bustle of the city. At dusk, you can go to Margarita Bar and restaurant opening night with a huge frozen margarita flavor of your favorite drink served in Mexican-style blown glass. Margarita Bar, has an excellent menu of margaritas of various flavors, recognized as the best in the Riviera Maya. In addition, every night there are different events in the Mexican Caribbean atmosphere outdoors with a variety of music in the parking lot of the Mayan pyramids of Tulum. Also the restaurant La Palapa Hemingway appears in the list of favorite restaurants in Tulum. A fun place for teenagers and adults who like to enjoy fine cuisine while enjoying the rhythms of bolero, merengue and bachata making it a fun place to eat and dance after you have explored  the majestic Mayan pyramids of Tulum and have enjoyed all the water activities that the beautiful beach of Tulum has.

At about 109 km from Cancun and 43 km from Playa del Carmen and 22 km from the Mayan ruins of Tulum, there is a very attractive beach set amidst the lush green of the Riviera Maya. A completely calm bay surrounded by jungle, with shallow waters making it an ideal place for a holiday with children. The water here is so exceedingly clear and the beach features so fine sand that it seems talcum powder. In addition to its tranquility, it is one of the favorite trips to the Tulum beach areas, since it is a cherished haven for those running away from excessive tourism. This site is a wonderful place for snorkeling and diving, because of the clarity of its waters and abundant marine life. Lately, Chemuyil and all areas around the Mayan pyramids of Tulum, have had construction activity. The entrance to the public beach at Chemuyil has not very good signaling, and is very hidden, usually people get lost and take some time to find it but once arriving at the place, the beautiful view is a great reward. There’s no place in the world with the clarity of Chemuyil’s seawater. In addition, there are sun loungers and huts available for the general public with no charge. Chemuyil is one of the secrets of the Riviera Maya. It is well worth making a stop here on your way to or from the Mayan ruins of Tulum. There is a rocky area in the bay, which is easily accessible, where you may notice a stream of cold water into the sea from a nearby cenote (sinkhole) that you can also visit. The area surrounding the Mayan ruins of Tulum, has abundant underground rivers and cenotes. In Chemuyil, there are very few, but rich and cozy beachfront restaurants offering local cuisine and excellent seafood and fresh fish. From the area of the Mayan pyramids of Tulum to Chemuyil there are some camping sites with basic services like, health, for the adventurous tourists.

There are beautiful hidden places we do not know when we take an express tour to Tulum. Normally the tours to the Mayan archeological site of Tulum, limit your time, because they have defined routes and schedules, which barely give you time to explore the Mayan ruins of Tulum and then you immediately go back to your hotel. A good alternative to see more, are the excursions to Tulum on your own. It is a way to know a lot more beyond Tulum Mayan pyramids. When it comes to lunchtime, head to Bahia de Punta Soliman, and stop at a delightful one-hundred-percent  family restaurant with a thatched roof and sand floor, called Oscar and Lalo, which serves incredibly versatile cuisine; succulent ceviche, soups and fresh salads, fine seafood, traditional Mexican dishes, regional dishes, grilled, and excellent dishes of the house in an exotic natural environment. You will simply love it!. Here, you can peel your shrimp Jumbo yourself and lick your fingers while eating. All shrimp are the catch of the day and all meals are prepared at the time. Do not miss the mango shrimp cocktail, it is a true delight. The purpose of the Oscar and Lalos menu is to make all customers want to comeback. Here, you can snorkel and enjoy the cayaks in the beautiful beacj of the restaurant.

The white sandy beach of Tulum delineates the deep blue of the Caribbean Sea, inviting its visitors to discover the wonders of the Riviera Maya.

Immersed into the dense jungle of the Riviera Maya, there are several archaeological sites that bear witness to an amazing ancient civilization, “the Maya.”

Tulum Mayan ruins, solemnly stand on a cliff. Visitors can see the sunset from the top, enjoying a splendid view of the Caribbean and take a plunge in the beach.

In Tulum, Mexico you can also go to pre-Hispanic city’s oldest and largest state east of the Yucatan, “Coba”. From the top of the pyramid Nohoch Mul, one of the highest in the Maya World, you can see the lush jungle and the placid lakes that in the past served to supply water to its inhabitants.

They are also still some Maya Trails called “Sacbes” (the longest, 100 km) which connected to Tulum Ruins to other major cities. In Cobá were found serveral stelae with calendar dates that tell the story of this city founded in 600 AD and occupied until the fifteenth century.

On Tulum area and surroundings in the Riviera Maya, Mexico you can dive or snorkel in more than 30 explored cenotes (sinkholes) and caves, these are activities that attract most tourists who come to spend their vacation in Tulum, since underwater, prevails peace and calming silence together with the solemnity of the stalactites and stalagmites that decorate the caves, leaving its visitors bewildered and giving them moments of reflection.

 At a short distance from Tulum, in the Riviera Maya, Mexico  outstand the theme parks Xcaret and Xel Ha, with a range of fun attractions and environmental activities. Both are a good example of sustainable development that is taking place in the region.

Tulum, south of the Riviera Maya, Mexico  is an exciting adventure for every traveler who wants to enjoy the tranquility of nature and tradiction and the rich history and culture of the country.

At Tulum Beach, there are many surprises that amaze visitors. During the month of October, large colonies of blue crabs from the mangroves cross the sea to breed, creating an unbeatable entertainment for lovers of nature.

During the summer, huge sea turtles come to Tulum beach to spawn. It is advisable not to attend this event to not interrupt the cycle of turtles. During this time, environmentalists monitor Tulum beach to protect nests and hatchlings. The release of thousands of baby turtles is a unique experience that attracts children and adults around the world, year after year.

A few meters from Tulum Beach, there is a mysterious world of coral reefs, home to thousands of underwater species, which can be discovered by scuba diving or snorkeling.

A  Tulum vacation is  ideal  for souls who like bohemian music, dance, or enjoy delicious regional or international food under the stars.

If you want to combine Mayan culture and water activities take one of  Tulum Xel Ha Tours. This tour combines nature, archeology and culture and also is familiar.

The Tulum Xel Ha Tours are available at most hotels in Cancun. However, the best thing you can do, is to book Tulum tours before arriving to Cancun or the Riviera Maya, to save money and time of your precious vacation in Tulum.

With these tours to Tulum you will first stop is at Tulum Mayan ruins, and you will know this major city of the Mayan culture, which faces spectacularly the Mexican Caribbean.

The visit to the ruins at Tulum archeological zone  takes about 2 hours. Then you will visit the largest natural aquarium and most beautiful in the world to enjoy water activities that characterize Xel Ha Natural Park.

Some of the Tulum Mayan ruins that you will see at Tulum Archaeological Zone, in the Riviera Maya are:

• El Castillo Pyramid
• Temple of the Frescos
• Temple of the Initial Series
• Temple of the Descendent god
• Temple of the Wind god
• House of Columns, Halach House and House of the Cenote
• Kukulcan Group

The stay at  Xel Ha is 5 hours. Tulum-Xel Ha tours include round trip transportation from Cancun, bilingual guide, entrance to the ruins of Tulum Archaeological Zone and Xel Ha, food and drinks.

The buses of Tulum Xel Ha tours are luxurious, with special service on board and toilet. It is important to be in the hotel lobby at least 30 minutes before the hour of scheduled transportation.

Bring your own towels, comfortable clothing, and swimsuit, walking shoes and extra money for expenses like, souvenirs, photo, video, tips and other services with additional cost within the locations. Remember to always use biodegradable sun lotion to your skin care and the environment.

During his fourth voyage to the New World in 1502, Christopher Columbus came across a heavily laden Mayan trading canoe near the Bay Islands in Honduras. Packed with cotton from the Yucatán, cacao from Belize and a variety of other goods from faraway places, the canoe is testimony to the size and importance of the Mayan trade empire.

The Maya were shrewd merchants who forged trade links with other Mesoamerican cultures in the Mexican highlands such as the Aztecs, and with their Central American neighbors, as far south as Panama.

One of their principal trade routes was the maritime route that skirted the Yucatán Peninsula and extended south into the Caribbean. Merchants used a network of overland routes and rivers to transport their cargo from the coast to cities far inland. During the Post-Classic period (A.D. 1200-1521), ports on the Mexican Caribbean coast including Tulum, Xaman-Há, Polé, Xel-Há, Muyil and Cozumel controlled the traffic of goods to and from the area.

Archaeologists have identified at least 75 trade goods, including honey, beeswax, salt, cotton, cacao, henequen, stingray spines, cinnabar, natural dyes, shells, jade, quetzal feathers, animal hides and ceramics. Mayan traders obtained obsidian and basalt, used to make knives and grinding stones, from central Mexico; turquoise came from the far north and gold was introduced to the area from Costa Rica and western Panama.

The Mayan deity associated with trade, cacao cultivation and war is Ek Chuah.

Archaeological Sites in Quintana Roo

Admission Fees

Source: INAH, subject to change without prior notice.

A 20-minute drive to the south of Tulum ruins lies Muyil, also known as Chunyaxche, an archaeological site in the forest on the shores of a lagoon that shares the same name. The largest archaeological site found to date in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Muyil was an ancient trade enclave with links to cities in the Yucatán and Central America. Over 1,000 years ago, Mayan traders were shipping goods to and from the coast by means of a natural canal in the mangroves that they dredged and widened.
Many of the buildings at Muyil are still covered by jungle creepers but the principal temple known as El Castillo has been restored. Wildlife is abundant in the surrounding forest and gleaming blue morph butterflies, the agouti or tepescuintle, a rodent the size of a small dog and flocks of parrots are often spotted. Visitors can follow a nature trail through the trees to the mangroves at the water’s edge and climb a wooden observation tower for spectacular views of the forest canopy and the wetlands.
Getting there: Take Highway 307 to the south, the entrance to Muyil is clearly marked. Local fishermen from the Muyil cooperative also offer boat trips through the lagoons and mangroves of Sian Ka’an to the coast. If you are spending your vacaction in Tulum, this is an incredible day to see more than Tulum beatiful beach and nature.

During your Tulum vacation, embark on your own jungle adventure! Forty-two kilometers inland from Tulum beach, an hour from Playa del Carmen and a 90-minute drive from Cancún, Cobá is one of the Maya World’s largest archaeological sites and has an extension of around 70 square kilometers. The city is clustered around five shallow lakes, which would have provided fresh water in ancient times, and its name in Maya means “waters ruffled by the wind.”
The city reached its peak during the Mayan Classic period, A.D. 250-900, when it was a regional capital inhabited by up to 70,000 people. An important trade center, it also distributed goods to and from the eastern seaboard, Central America and cities in the Yucatán.
Archaeologists believe that Cobá had links with the Guatemalan city of Tikal, pointing to certain architectural similarities in the earliest buildings at the site, for example, pyramids, false arches, lintels, huge, roughly cut blocks and a coating of red stucco plaster. Some later structures at the site also resemble Tulum Mayan ruins.
The most famous building at Cobá is the Nohoch Mul pyramid. Standing 42 meters high, it is the tallest pyramid in the northern Yucatán. Other clusters of buildings at the site are the Cobá group, the oldest in the city, La Iglesia, another 24-meter-high pyramid crowned by a temple, the Ball Court, Las Pinturas, Xaibé or the Crossroads Pyramid and the Macanxoc group which has nine circular altars and eight stelae.
Cobá is also famous for the sacbes or Mayan causeways that radiate from the heart of the city. To date, 45 of these roads have been detected at the site including the longest sacbe in the Maya World, which links it to Yaxuná, a lesser city in the Chichén Itzá hinterland, 101 kilometers away.
Getting there: Take the turnoff marked “Coba” in the Zone of  Hotels in Tulum.

During your Tulum vacation take a day to catch a glimpse of the strange underground world of the Riviera Maya without getting wet by visiting Aktun Chen (very close to Tulum). Located in the jungle two miles south of Akumal, this park is famous for its caves, thought to be five million years old. One of the caves has been floodlit so that visitors can see the stalactite and stalagmite formations and an underground lake. Aktun Chen is one of the most amazing tours around Tulum area.
Getting there: Take Highway 307 north from Tulum Mayan Ruins. Ask your travel Agent for lodging options. Tulum has Hotels for all budgets.

During your vacation in Tulum, visit Xel-Há by car. Xel-Ha Park lies a few minutes only to the north of Tulum Mayan Ruins. No matter if you are staying in Cancun or in la Riviera Maya, Tulum-Xel Ha is one of the most popular Tours. Xel Ha is a chain of cenotes, lagoons and inlets nourished by fresh water from underground streams which mixes with the waters of the Caribbean. Fish from nearby reefs congregate in the lagoons to feed and breed and local people proudly call Xel-Ha the world’s largest natural aquarium. Whether the claim is true or not, the crystalline waters are ideal for a close encounter with rainbow-colored reef dwellers such as solitary butterfly, trigger and angel fish and shoals of porkfish and French grunts.
Snorkeling and swimming are permitted in designated areas of the park and you can float through the water on an over-sized inner tube. There are hammocks and palapas, restaurants, shops, restrooms and lockers.
Paths wind through the jungle around the inlet leading to secluded pools, the lazy river, the cliff, the Mayan cave, the dolphin area and other attractions. For a breathtaking view of the turquoise waters, walk back across the floating bridge at the mouth of the inlet. You’ll see larger fish such as snappers and jacks.
Xel-Ha was also a Post-Classic port and trade enclave. The archaeological site is across the highway from the park and you pay a separate admission charge to visit it. During excavations in the park, archaeologists found traces of Mayan occupation on the shores of the inlet, including temples and offerings at a shrine in an underwater cave, thought to be in honor of the Diving God, a mysterious deity that was the focus of a regional cult. There are Many hotels in Tulum to stay.
Getting there: Highway 307 to the north of Tulum Ruins.