Our first stop in the Mayan paradise of the Yucatan is Tulum. Often described as “flip-flop friendly”, we found an area that can be as adventurous or quiet as you desire, but always is relaxed and inviting.
After picking up our rental Tsuru and heading south for about an hour and a half, eating lunch at an “El Pollo Carbon” stand (more about these later) and having a full-service gas pumping (being from Wisconsin, we weren’t exactly used to this), we finally made it to Tulum Pueblo.
This might be a little confusing as there are three different things all referred to as “Tulum” – the city (pueblo), the ruins, and the beach. We checked our map and made a beeline for the beach, hoping to get to our hotel and ourselves on the sand as quickly as possible. This was supposed to be a relaxing beach vacation after all, and driving in a foreign country isn’t all that relaxing. At least they drive on the right side of the road, but their penchant for passing on the left – even around someone slowing for a left turn – really upped the stress quotient. Near accident on the first day of driving in a foreign country with a rental car? Check! Now to relax!
Tulum is Flip-Flop Friendly and Full of Adventure
We didn’t relax for long, since we thought Tulum and the surrounding area would be our exciting part of the trip. How could it not be?!? It’s surrounded by the history and ruins of a mysterious and captivating people, the ancient Mayans. Couple that with the 2nd largest coral reef in the world and lush jungle surroundings, and exciting travels were just around the corner.
We decided to drive up to Coba since it’s a large temple that you can still walk up. Chichen-Itza is the largest temple in the area, but it’s roped off from people ascending it. Well as it turns out, even with two maps and a dedicated navigator it’s possible to miss the turn-off for a large Mayan temple.
Since we went past Coba, we decided to really go past it and see Chichen-Itza. It was only about 150km from Tulum and 115km past Coba, and we were often going about 100km/h…how long could it take to get there?? Well three hours later, we were stunned and I was remembering how driving outside of the US is always slower. Stops for speed bumps in the middle of small towns you pass through and stops for the Federal Police (read: the non-corrupt Police) add up to really slow you down. And yes, the Federal Police do ooze badass, but don’t worry too much. Just look like a helpless tourist and they won’t think twice about you.
Mayan Temples and Coral Reefs
Finally we arrived at the temple. We tried to get a guide but unfortunately it was not to be. We didn’t want to pay the price of a private tour, and it was dead at the time we arrived so the guide couldn’t drum up others to come on the tour with us. Too bad for us, because we probably missed out on lots of good info.
The temple is huge, and really Chichen-Itza is more than just one temple: it’s a whole set of structures spread out in the area. More like a Holy Complex than just one temple.
You can even see the long court where they used to play games where they’d bump a solid rubber ball with their hips, trying to put it through a ring. The game was very important in Mayan culture, and was so respected they sometimes even used it as a quick way to end wars and lessen bloodshed.
After strolling around the temple grounds for an hour or so we had our fill and headed back to our cabana. Nothing to do then but sit on the beach and watch the waves roll in. But first, on the sweltering drive back we treated ourselves to a fresh, cold coconut. They have road-side stands advertising “cocos frio” and if you’ve never tried this, I urge you to stop and give it a shot. It’s the perfect cold treat on a hot day.
The next day we went on a snorkeling trip to the coral reef. Along the way we stopped and got a view of the Tulum ruins from the beach. It’s true that they’re not very large, but they were very important in their time. It was used as a sort of lighthouse, guiding the Mayans safely through the coral reef.
The snorkeling went well, though the combination of swallowing too much sea-water and floating on top of the water, being subjected to the motion of the ocean caused me to just about feed the fish. All sea-sickness aside, the snorkeling was a little disappointing.
I had never seen a real coral reef before, and was picturing something from Little Nemo, or maybe a Discovery or IMAX special. Really it didn’t seem to be teeming with life. I wish I had more experience to compare it to, but I wonder if this is what people are talking about when they say the ocean and reefs are dying. If so I’m glad I got to see it when I did before it becomes completely barren.
There wasn’t endless streams of life, but it was still exciting to spot a school of fish flocking and swarming the same way birds in the sky do, or catch a sting ray skimming along. After snorkeling we decided any more adventure can wait for a different vacation.
We headed deep into the pueblo and dined on enchiladas con mole,washed it down with margaritas and went back to our cabana on the beach. It was time to let the stomach settle, drink a few cervezas and watch the sun sink into the water.
Want to stay at the same places I stayed while on my inexpensive but awesome vacation in Tulum? Then check out my vacation guide on Tulum for all the details.
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