Tulum

Tulum Travel Wiki

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Travel to Tulum

Tulum is one of the few Mexican resort communities which gives you access to the Caribbean Sea instead of the Gulf of Mexico. It offers warm beaches, plenty of sunshine, and the ruins of a Mayan walled city to explore. During the Mayan Empire, the name of the city may have been Zama, which means “City of Dawn.”

Like many cities with access to Maya sites, you’ll find several structures of historic importance to view. The Pyramid El Castillo may be one of the most iconic in the region, along with the Temple of the Descending God and Temple of the Frescoes. The original settlers used the structures to track the movement of the sun and their frescoes have managed to be preserved from that time.

What makes Tulum such an interesting destination is the fact that most of the ancient sites are in a compact area. You’re near the coast at the same time, giving you plenty of access to modern accommodations as you enjoy the historic sites. Most of the resorts in the community offered guided tours of the ancient sites here, with 2.2 million people visiting Tulum annually.

Take a moment to enjoy the view from the God of Winds Temple before ending your adventure. The turquoise waters match the color of the sky, which makes the green cliffs and the temple stand out beautifully.

Tulum is the place to go if you wish to walk in the footsteps of those who have come before. With its extensive preservation efforts, this destination may be the best way to experience Maya culture.

Travel and vacation in Tulum, Mexico

Here you can find information about travel and holiday trips to Mexico. You will find travel deals as well as general travel information, guides, “good to know” and facts about Mexico. We try to find the best travel video about the city and its surroundings and we write about the best sights, shopping and things to do. You will also find updated current weather and forecasts. The current exchange rates are also updated many times a day.

The ruins of Tulum

About 2 hours south of the city rests one of the most beautiful ancient sites in Mexico, the ruins of Tulum. Though smaller than the well-known Chichen Itza, Tulum’s majestic setting sets it apart. Perched above the Caribbean Sea on a rocky cliff, the ruins are simultaneously captivating and foreboding.

Founded in the early 1200s, the city of Tulum reached its zenith in the 1400s as a port city in a decentralized Mayan kingdom. After the Spanish came upon the settlement in 1518, the conquistadores spoke of Tulum in the same breath as Seville. Though Tulum certainly wasn’t as large as Seville, the Spaniards perceptions speak volumes about the splendor of the site. The Spanish would later occupy the city for 70 years until the settlement was abandoned. As the city is protected by walls on three sides, the sea on the fourth, the approach to the site is an experience in itself. You’ll enter the site through a breach in one of these 16-foot walls.

Directly in front of you, Tulum’s Castillo (Castle) towers above the other structures. Besides the remarkable view it offers, the Castillo probably served as both the community’s primary place of worship and a type of lookout or primitive lighthouse. At the entrance of the Castillo, a plaza dividing the structure breaks off into a pair of distinctive temples. Veering to the left of this plaza, you will enter the Templo del Dios Descendente (Temple of the Descending God). The diving or descending god depicted as an upside-down figure above the entrance to the temple appears throughout the ruins of Tulum. Though the figure’s precise significance is unknown, it may be representative of the setting sun, rain or lightning. It is also believed that the character served as a god of bees, a theory stemming from the fact that honey was one of the Mayan kingdom’s most important exports.

On the opposite side of the Castillo plaza is the Templo de Las Series Iniciales (Temple of the Initial Series). The name of the temple derives from the discovery of a stela, or stone marker, bearing a date well before the foundation of the city, presumably brought to the city from another part of the Mayan kingdom. When you’ve finished exploring the Castillo, two other temples await your visit. The Temple of the Frescoes features restored murals depicting Mayan Gods and symbols of nature’s fertility such as rain, corn and fish. North of the Castillo, The Temple of the Winds served as a storm warning system. To this day, approaching storms send whistling sounds through the center of the structure.