What to do in Tulum

Sights to see & things to do

It's been over a week since my high school girlfriends and I got back from Tulum, Mexico. I've slowly been sifting through photos and jotting down everything I can think of that might help other travelers make the most of their stay in Tulum — from a broad overview, to logistics and itinerary, to exactly where we ate and drank. All that's left is to share some details on sights to see and things to do.

Holistika 
Holistika is a mind-body retreat center located on a stretch of jungled land, about 5 minutes outside of downtown Tulum and about 15 minutes from the beach. We stumbled upon this oasis because our airbnb happened to be within walking distance, but it would be worth a drive if you're especially into any of the following: yoga, temazcal (traditional Mexican steam bath), contemporary dance, meditation, sound healing, or laughing practice (yep). Truly, just take a spin around the Holistika website and see what speaks to you. 

Beach Time & Playa Paraiso 
There are two main areas to hang out in Tulum: downtown and the beach strip. The beach strip is a long, narrow road lined with bars and restaurants — jungle on one side, beach on the other. While you know there are beaches everywhere, it can be overwhelming — with so much coast to pick from, where do you start?

I started with a google search, which led me to Playa Paraiso. It was perfect. Surprisingly not at all over-crowded, even on a Saturday at midday. Bring your beach towels, as the fancy beach chairs and beds are reserved for hotel guests. Bring your appetite, because you can pause at any number of beachside cafés for drinks and apps whenever you're craving some shade.

Mayan Ruins
Ahh the Mayan Ruins. This was an experience. One we actually found to be a little anti-climactic. You can choose to do either the Tulum Ruins or the Mayan ruins at Sian Ka'an. We did the Tulum Ruins and found them to be super touristy. You enter the ruins complex through a maze of souvenir shops and costumed performers vying for photo ops. The resident tour company tries to sell you on taking their train from the main gate to the ruins (it's a short half-mile walk and their "train" is actually a tram car). 

Once you reach the ruins, it's crowded, there's hardly any shade, and swarming with people taking selfies. The ruins are roped off, save for some walkways, looming at a fair distance. It's cool to see, don't get me wrong, but I never felt overwhelmed by the majesty of history — which is kind what you want to happen, right?

On the plus side, the Tulum Ruins end with a walk down to a beautiful beach, so we cooled off in the water and lounged around for a while after the our vague disappointment in the ruins themselves. As for the Mayan ruins at Sian Ka'an, I can't speak from experience, but there is apparently jungle hiking, river floating, snorkeling, etc., in addition to the ruins. My friends and I left the Tulum Ruins wondering if we should have gone to Sian Ka'an instead.

Dos Ojos Cenote 
A cenote is a natural, cave-dwelling swimming hole — and there are a handful to pick from in and around Tulum. The ones we considered were Gran Cenote, Ik-Kil, and Dos Ojos. We learned that Gran Cenote is very popular with families, as it has shallow areas for kids and is located under 10 minutes from downtown Tulum. Though it looks beautiful, we avoided it due to its popularity. Ik-Kil would probably have been our top choice, had it not been located almost two hours from Tulum. This blogger does a great job detailing these two cenotes.

We ended up going with Dos Ojos, located a half-hour from downtown. We hoped it would be a little less crowded, and we liked that there were two pools to swim in. You can also snorkel and dive here, but we chose only to swim and had a blast doing just that. When you're ready to get out of the chilly water, there are hammocks for lounging beneath the jungle canopy. A truly delightful way to spend an afternoon!