In stark contract to Mexico City, we were about to land in an oasis of shades of green. Flying in to Tulum what struck me was the lushness of the landscape below. The sight of the ocean also filled me with anticipation.
We hired a car and made our way down to our Airbnb in Tulum. Tulum apparently was ‘the’ bohemian hangout back in the 1970’s. I wasn’t sure what it would be like – my thoughts and imagination spammed with Instagram images and words from friends about it being the ‘Williamsburg’ of Mexico. I wasn’t deterred, I wanted to see it for myself and make up my own mind.
Take my word that if you’re staying in Tulum, you’re going to enjoy it most if you stay on the beachfront. We unfortunately stayed closer to the main drag for the cheap accommodation which ended up not being cheap – having to fork out $50 USD per person per day to lounge on a beach bed! It’s hard to access the beachfront without going through a hotel and feeling the guilty obligation to either buy food there or pay for a beach bed. Although as a positive the food was cheaper on the main road and we found some local spots with $1 tacos.
We splurged at Nest on the beachfront . We didn’t have to be encouraged to purchase margarita after margarita to make up our quota!Of course you can take your towel and hang in the sand – but you’re going to be envious of the people on double lounge beds around you working on their tans. This scenario was disappointing for me. Luckily the ocean itself wasn’t. It was as warm as a bathtub and clear.
Architecturally there are some amazing hotels and restaurants on the beach front. If you’re staying along there be sure to appreciate them, the beautiful landscaping and the flora.
For me though, the Yucatan was really made by our trips to the cenotes and ruins. We went to the grand cenote and dos ojos, but they were pretty crowded. We ventured to the cristal cenote – which was heaven – not too crowded and very beautiful. We also ventured to some cenotes nearby to the Coba Ruins. Basically if you drive out of Tulum towards Merida there are throngs of cenotes along the way. They are all different and unique. Try your luck and stop at one, you will probably need to pay around 200 pesos per cenote for a visit, but you might get one all to yourself. Think of it like you’re supporting the local economy by going to as many as you can.
We visited the Tulum ruins, Coba ruins and Chichén Itzá. Again, each was completely different. Although they are all remnants of the ancient Mayan culture that inhabited the harsh area of the Yucatan, they were built at different times and for different groups. The Tulum ruins are scenic, built along the coast and very well maintained (and also squirming with local Iguanas!). There are ancient places of worship and politics as well as the homes of some of the more regarded members of the tribe.
The Coba ruins are far more organic, they are older and less well preserved (you can walk up and inside some of them). You ride your bike into the jungle and almost feel like Indiana Jones when you come across them. It’s a time warp to 800AD and gives you a real insight into how harsh life would have been there, but also how evolved the culture was (there are numerous fields where they played pitz- an impossible looking game where you have to get a ball through a small raised hoop and not use your hands or feet)!
We were deliberating on going to Chichén Itzá and I’ll be forever grateful that we did. Words can’t describe the power and fear emanating from the structures there. You could almost feel the spirits of those that were sacrificed to the gods. It had an eerie feeling for sure, but also it was one of those experiences that made you feel proud to be human! How they had resources to build the buildings there really gives credit to how evolved and clever the Mayans were.
The Yucatan is a place of contrasts – from Tulum which is westernised to the ruins of the Maya. It’s a region that really caters to your Williamsburg hipster but also your National Geographic history buff- choose your adventure.
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