Tulum: the Yucatán coast and what's left of the old quiet

I was last in Tulum in October 2024, on a return trip that I had been putting off for nearly a decade. The first time was in 2008, when the beach road south of the ruins had perhaps fifteen palapa-roof guesthouses, no paved sections, and a single small disco at one end. The second time was 2014. The third time, this last visit, was a different planet — a 12-km strip of luxury hotels, design boutiques, wellness studios, and restaurant-clubs, the road still mostly unpaved but the prices indistinguishable from Manhattan.

The Tulum that drew a generation of travel writers in the early 2010s is, structurally, gone. What remains, and is worth coming for, is the Yucatán Peninsula as a wider region.

Why I keep coming back

The Yucatán Peninsula has three permanent attractions that do not change: the Mayan ruins (Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Cobá, Ek Balam, Tulum itself); the cenotes (underground freshwater sinkholes — the peninsula has thousands, formed by the limestone bedrock); and the reef and beaches of the Riviera Maya.

Tulum-the-town is a small inland village; Tulum-the-archaeological-site is a small but spectacularly sited Mayan port-city perched on a cliff above the Caribbean; the zona hotelera, the beach strip, is the wellness-tourism corridor that has dominated the conversation for the past decade.

Where to base yourself

Tulum Pueblo (the inland town) if you want a more affordable base and access to local food.

The northern end of the zona hotelera for proximity to the ruins.

Akumal, 30 km north of Tulum, for a calmer, family-friendly beach base with a coral bay famous for sea turtles.

Bacalar, 3 hours south of Tulum, for a less-touristed alternative — a freshwater multi-coloured lake (the ‘Lake of Seven Colours’) with much smaller crowds.

What to actually do

Visit the Tulum ruins at first opening. 8 a.m. or you’ll queue. Smaller than Chichén Itzá but spectacularly located on a cliff above the Caribbean. Allow 90 minutes.

Visit Chichén Itzá at dawn. Two hours west, the largest and best-known Mayan city. Open from 8 a.m.; the buses arrive at 10. Get there early.

Visit Cobá or Ek Balam. Cobá is the jungle-shrouded Mayan city (40 minutes inland from Tulum) where you can still climb the main pyramid (one of the few you still can). Ek Balam is smaller, north, with extraordinary preserved stucco sculptures.

Swim in cenotes. Dos Ojos, Gran Cenote, Casa Cenote, and many more. The water is 24°C year-round, glass-clear. Snorkelling in cenotes is one of the singular experiences of the peninsula.

Snorkel the Mesoamerican Reef. From Akumal or Puerto Morelos. The second-largest reef on earth.

Day-trip or stay at Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. South of Tulum; mangroves, lagoons, birdlife, very few visitors. Boat tours through the channels.

Visit Valladolid. A small colonial town inland, a 90-minute drive from the coast; much quieter than Tulum, with a yellow-painted main square and excellent Yucatecan food at fair prices.

Where to eat

Yucatecan food is distinct from broader Mexican — chiles habaneros, achiote (annatto), sour orange, slow-cooked pork in banana leaves (cochinita pibil).

Hartwood (Tulum beach) — The famous wood-fired open-kitchen restaurant; cash-only and reservations elusive. Arca — Modern Mexican on the beach strip. Restaurant Antojitos La Chiapaneca (Tulum Pueblo) — Cheap, authentic, taco-heavy. El Camello Jr (Tulum Pueblo) — Seafood ceviches and aguachiles; locals. Hacienda Tres Ríos or Loncheria El Amigo Casiano for cochinita pibil. Sushi Lucki (Tulum Pueblo) — Surprisingly good fusion sushi. Café at La Malquerida for breakfast.

When to come

Late November through April is the dry season; perfect beach weather.

May and June can be hot but workable.

July through October is the rainy and hurricane season; sargassum seaweed accumulation on the beach has been a persistent late-summer issue for the past several years.

Practical notes

• Visa: 180 days visa-free.
• Money: Pesos; US dollars accepted at most beach hotels. Card universally; cash for small purchases.
• Transport: Cancun airport is the main arrival; Tulum is a new airport (2023) with growing direct service. From Cancun, a 90-minute drive or shared shuttle.
• The beach road: Famously unpaved and dusty; rent a bike from your hotel for transit along the strip; or use Uber if available in your stretch.
• Sargassum: Brown seaweed accumulation on Caribbean beaches has been a persistent issue from May through August in recent years. Check seasonal forecasts.
• The ‘Tulum tax’ on bills: Many beach restaurants now add a 15–20% service charge automatically; check the bill.

A final thought

Tulum is the cautionary tale of the past decade in Latin American beach tourism. A small, sleepy palapa-cabin village transformed itself, in roughly fifteen years, into a brand-saturated international destination, with prices to match and an infrastructure that has not caught up to the development. The water and electricity systems strain. The roads are unpaved still. The reef is bleaching.

The broader Yucatán Peninsula is, however, still one of the most rewarding regions in Mexico. The Mayan ruins are genuinely extraordinary. The cenotes are unique on earth. The wider coast — including the parts that haven’t been Tulumed — has small fishing villages, eco-lodges in the biosphere reserves, and quiet beach towns.

If Tulum is on your itinerary, treat it as one chapter among many. Stay two or three nights. See the ruins early. Swim in a cenote. Eat in Tulum Pueblo, not on the beach strip. Then go elsewhere — Valladolid, Bacalar, Holbox, Mérida. The peninsula has more to offer than the strip.