Tulum Adventures: Ruins, Pyramids, and Cenotes

11/20

We packed up and headed to Tulum for a few nights. Since we couldn’t check into our hotel until the afternoon, we decided to start the day exploring the Tulum ruins.

It was a very cloudy day, so I was hoping that might mean fewer people at the ruins. Unfortunately that was not the case. The place was still packed, but we managed to avoid the big tour groups and enjoy wandering around on our own.

The ruins overlooking the ocean were absolutely beautiful. 

Even with the clouds, the views were amazing.

Of course, Shane has a serious touching problem when it comes to ruins.
If there is something old and historical nearby, he feels the need to touch it.

And the iguanas… there were so many iguanas everywhere. We started joking that they might actually be reincarnated Mayans just hanging out around the ruins.

After exploring for a while, we headed to the beach to check out the scenery. One thing we learned is that all beaches in Mexico are public. Even if hotels line the beach, you can walk through them and ask for beach access.

We tried it out and walked through a really nice cabana-style resort to reach the beach.

One thing that makes the Tulum beaches feel different from Cancun is a rule that hotels can only be three stories tall. It keeps the coastline from being covered in giant resort buildings, which makes it feel much more natural and relaxed.

The beach itself was gorgeous. The sand had a slight reddish tint, which I hadn’t seen before. Even though the water was warm, the cloudy weather made us decide to skip swimming and just enjoy a long walk instead.

Well.. I sunk.. 

Shane Swung

and then we walked.... 

After our beach walk we checked into the hotel, cleaned up, and went out to explore town. We found a cute little bar and ended up hanging out there for a while. They told us they were having a live reggae show the next night, so we decided we would definitely come back.

Also worth mentioning: the bathroom sign had a skeleton dog peeing on it, which might be one of my favorite random decorations I have seen so far.

11/21

We started the morning with breakfast at a small restaurant near our hotel. Since everything in town is within walking distance, we just wandered to the closest spot and grabbed a bite before heading out for the day.

After breakfast we jumped in the car and drove to the Coba ruins. The site is much more spread out than the other ruins we have visited, so we decided to rent bikes to get around. It ended up being a great decision. Riding through the jungle paths between ruins saved us a lot of time and made the whole experience more fun.

Of course, the main attraction at Coba is the large pyramid, Nohoch Mul. And yes, you can actually climb it.

The climb to the top was no joke. The pyramid is tall and the steps are steep, but the view from the top made it completely worth it. Standing up there looking out over the jungle felt pretty surreal. While we were exploring the top area, I even noticed a tiny bat sleeping in one of the doorways.

Getting back down, however, was a different story.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not exactly graceful when it comes to stairs, and there were a lot of them. I made my way down slowly, using a mix of walking sideways, climbing backward, and occasionally scooting down a step when necessary. Eventually I made it back to the bottom without rolling down the pyramid, which felt like a victory in itself. Shane and I celebrated with a very proud high five.

Another thing I really enjoyed about Coba was the number of carved stones with hieroglyphs throughout the site. It was really interesting to see those details up close while exploring the ruins.

After finishing our bike tour around Coba, we headed over to Grand Cenote. At first glance it didn’t seem quite as impressive as some of the other cenotes we had already visited, but once we got in the water it became a completely different experience.

Grand Cenote is actually a popular spot for scuba divers because it connects to a huge system of underwater caves. While snorkeling we could only see the cave openings before they disappeared into darkness. If I stayed still long enough my eyes would slowly adjust and I could see a little farther inside, which was both amazing and slightly terrifying at the same time.

Watching the scuba divers disappear into the caves definitely made me a little jealous. It would be incredible to explore those caves someday.

Most of my underwater pictures didn’t turn out very well because I was moving around too much, but we still had a great time swimming and exploring the cenote.

After a full day of biking, climbing pyramids, and swimming, we headed back to town to relax for the evening.

Photos from the day are below.

Nohoch Mul pyramid! 

120 steps to the top

Taking in the view.

Cute little bat friend.

Coba

 Grand Cenote

Exploring Coba - Mayan Ruins and Adventure

Coba is home to the largest pyramid in the Yucatán, surrounded by five beautiful lakes. It was a thriving Mayan city around 600 AD, though it was mysteriously abandoned a few hundred years later. Today, visitors can take tours to explore the ruins and enjoy a variety of activities, including zip lining, rappelling, swimming in cenotes, canoeing, and jungle walks.

The price for tours is a bit higher than I am personally interested in, but I plan to talk with locals about discounts or deals when we are in Cancun.

On a side note, I am dropping off my boyfriend’s passport information at the post office today. He currently has a Passport Card, but these cannot be used for air travel. Even within Mexico. They are only valid for ground travel between Mexico, the United States, and Canada and for sea port entry in Bermuda and the Caribbean. Luckily, we have enough time to get him a passport book with standard shipping, since expedited shipping is much more expensive than we want to pay.

Chichén Itzá - A Must-See Day Trip from Cancun

One destination that’s definitely on our list is Chichén Itzá. It’s about a 2–3 hour drive from Cancún, which makes it perfect for a full day trip while visiting the area.

This famous archaeological site is home to the iconic pyramid El Castillo and is recognized as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World campaign winners. With so much history and incredible architecture, it’s easy to see why it’s one of the most visited landmarks in Mexico. 

More info on Chichen Itza

I’m especially excited to bring my camera along for this trip. The site is full of fascinating carvings and ancient Mayan symbols, and I’m really looking forward to seeing them up close. I’m sure guides at the site will provide information and translations, but I’m planning to print out a reference sheet beforehand so I can better understand the meanings behind some of the symbols while exploring.

If I find a good guide with more Mayan symbols and translations, I’ll definitely share it here.

As for the cost, this is actually a pretty affordable excursion if you’re driving yourself. At the time we were planning, it looked like it would mainly be gas for the drive, about $1 for parking, and roughly $10 per person for entrance.