The Complete Guide to the Tulum Ruins

Tulum is one of the most popular tourist destinations in all of Mexico. Each year, more than 2 million visitors flock to the Yucatan to visit these ruins overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Even if you aren’t a history nerd, like me, chances are you’ll love the Tulum ruins simply because of the picturesque location.

Table of Contents

The History of Tulum

Archaeologists assume Tulum served as a port due to the fact that it was built right on the sea. This was one of the last settlements built and occupied by the Maya before the Spanish arrived in the 15th Century. It managed to survive for 70 years after the Spanish started occupying the area. It is believed that Old World diseases, brought by the Spanish, forced the Maya to abandon the cities.

What time should I arrive?

The earlier you get to the ruins, the better. The tour buses start rolling in in the late morning and the place starts to get rather crowded. If you’re planning on visiting the ruins as a cruise excursion, book the earliest excursion possible.

However, if you can’t get there early, get there late! When you get there at about 3:30, the crowds typically start to thin out. 1.5 hours is plenty of time to explore the ruins.

On Sundays, Mexican nationals can enter the ruins for free, meaning that it can be a bit pretty crowded.

Learn more at TulumRuins.net

Important Info

The ruins are open from 8 AM to 5 PM every day. The last entry is at 4 PM.
The ruins are located 3km outside of downtown Tulum. If you arrive by car or scooter, you’ll have to pay to park. The cost is 80 pesos for car and 50 pesos for scooter.
The admission for Tulum is 75 pesos per adult
The ruins themselves are located about half a mile from the parking area.

How to get to Tulum from Playa del Carmen

Head to Calle 2 between 15th and 20th Avenue. Here you’ll find a row of colectivos with men calling out, “Tulum!”. Head towards one of these guys and hop inside. The trip will take you about 45 minutes and will cost between $2-3 USD (40 MXN).

What is there to see at Tulum?

The Maya ruins in Tulum represent what was once a vast, walled Pre-Colombian settlement. Remarkably, many of the walls remain standing. The most remarkable buildings here are the Pyramid El Castillo (the castle), the Temple of the Descending God, and the Temple of the Frescoes.

El Castillo

This is the largest and most prominent building on the property. The building was used as a watchtower to monitor the canoes coming and going.

Temple of the Descending God

This single room structure was built at the top of another temple that served as its base. In the niche located at the top of the door stands a culture of a god with wings and a headdress holding objects in his hands.

Temple of the Frescos

This was used as an observatory to track the movements of the sun. Makes sense considering these are Maya ruins…right? The building consists of two parts, the lower gallery and the upper gallery. The upper gallery features some of the best preserved relief-carvings in the region.

Tulum Ruins, Mexico — God of the Winds Temple, Tulum

Pro-Tips

Bring a lot of water. It can get really hot at the ruins and there isn’t much shade.
Wear comfortable shoes.
Bring a towel and bathing suit. The ruins are located at the top of a cliff overlooking a remarkable beach. There isn’t anywhere to change so make sure you’re wearing your bathing suit before you arrive.
Ditch the tripod. Plan on sticking with the traditional selfies since tripods aren’t allowed on the site.

The Beach

Lastly, Tulum is home to the most magnificent little beach. Is there anything cooler than swimming or laying out under the watchful eye of the Maya ruins? We think not!

If you plan on hitting the beach make sure you come dressed in your bathing suit, as there isn’t really anywhere to change. If you plan on spending a long period of time there, it’s best to go during low tide. When the tide is up, the beach almost completely vanishes.