Tulum, Mexico

[endymion411]

dh and i just booked a last-minute trip to tulum in a couple of weeks---anyone been? any tips? we'll be flying into cancun and renting a car.

thanks!

[moderngal]

we stayed there a few years ago- loved it. it's gorgeous and we would love to go back. :) have a great time!!

[pocket]

I was there at the end of January and had an amazing time! I am way slacking on the recap. :o

But we were there for 10 day, flew into Cancun and rented a car. Made reservations for only the first two nights and then played it by ear. We drove out to Vallodolid and spent the night, saw Copa, Chichen Itza and Tulum ruins. Spent a few days out at the Boca Paila Biopreserve and would have stayed longer there in retrospect. Spent a few days at one of the little ecoresorts in the zona hotelera. Ate at a bunch of places. Did some diving.

What do you like to do? What do you like to eat? Where are you staying?

[Bbbethie]

Where are you staying? We were down there a couple years ago and loved it. We stayed slightly north of town but loved how you could walk on the beaches FOREVER and they weren't crowded. The beach at the ruins was the absolute best though...absolutely gorgeous.

[rachrich]

I agree w/ others about the Tulum ruins-it's such a beautiful place. They overlook the Carribbean and the beach is really nice.

DH and I were there in '03 for our h/m where we stayed a little ways north in Riviera Maya. We went to Playa del Carmen and did some shopping there on their streets. That was a lot of fun, if you're looking for some local shopping.

[endymion411]

thanks everyone!

we haven't booked a place to stay yet, but are thinking of trying an AI for at least part of the trip (only because we've never done that before). we'll likely stay closer to tulum (a little quieter) than pdc.

we love being outdoors--nature, wildlife, hiking, etc. more than anything, we're just looking to spend time together and relax, which we haven't done in a LONG, long time! (i'm in grad school & working, and dh is in his 2nd year of residency).

any specific tips on must-do/things to avoid would be great!

[pocket]

I'm sure others will have recs for the resort stuff.

do you dive?

[villanelle75]

We are going this summer with family. We will be staying in Xcaret, which is just south of PDC. My parents have been here a couple times and loved it. Staying at Occidental Grand Xcaret (http://www.occidentalhotels.com/grand/Xcaret.asp), which is an AI, though we plan on spending as much time as possible exploring off resort.

The restort is next door to the xcaret eco-archaeological park and I believe 1 day park admission is included with your stay. The website describes the park as ". At the park, travelers with a taste for eco-touring and adventure can explore the remains of a Mayan village, snorkel through ancient caves and underwater gardens, swim with dolphins, or observe jaguars, butterflies, tropical birds and other indigenous species in their natural habitat. The park is open to the public so you can spend a day there no matter where you stay, though I believe it is a bit pricey.

We are divers but the boat rides to the really good diving are very long so we will probably only dive 1 or 2 days in the Cenotes. These are super cool dives and they offer snorkel trips as well. Essentially, they are sinkholes with caverns and caves that are now filled with water. Did them when we stayed in PDC some years ago and really looking forward to diving them again with DH.

I believe that there are also zip lining tours, ATV or Jeep tours of the jungle, etc. In addition to the ruins at Tulum, you can go to the other major ruins at Chichen Itza.

[KrissyCat7]

Definitely do the ruins and the beach.

[endymion411]

I'm sure others will have recs for the resort stuff.

do you dive?

neither dh nor i are certified divers, but hoping to do some snorkeling, at least.

[endymion411]

We are going this summer with family. We will be staying in Xcaret, which is just south of PDC. My parents have been here a couple times and loved it. Staying at Occidental Grand Xcaret (http://www.occidentalhotels.com/grand/Xcaret.asp), which is an AI, though we plan on spending as much time as possible exploring off resort.

The restort is next door to the xcaret eco-archaeological park and I believe 1 day park admission is included with your stay. The website describes the park as ". At the park, travelers with a taste for eco-touring and adventure can explore the remains of a Mayan village, snorkel through ancient caves and underwater gardens, swim with dolphins, or observe jaguars, butterflies, tropical birds and other indigenous species in their natural habitat. The park is open to the public so you can spend a day there no matter where you stay, though I believe it is a bit pricey.

We are divers but the boat rides to the really good diving are very long so we will probably only dive 1 or 2 days in the Cenotes. These are super cool dives and they offer snorkel trips as well. Essentially, they are sinkholes with caverns and caves that are now filled with water. Did them when we stayed in PDC some years ago and really looking forward to diving them again with DH.

I believe that there are also zip lining tours, ATV or Jeep tours of the jungle, etc. In addition to the ruins at Tulum, you can go to the other major ruins at Chichen Itza.

thanks for the info!!

[Bbbethie]

We stayed at Dreams Tulum back in 2005. If you're looking for peace and quiet, then this might be a good place for you because there are so few other resorts in the area. It's also one of the closests AIs to Tulum, if not THE closest.

The food was good for an AI. Top shelf liquor. Service was outstanding. No towel cards or bracelets required. Beds were on the hard side, but that is norm for the area and our sleep never suffered because of it. Let me know if you want any other details.

[pocket]

there are two wonderful snorkling experiences in tulum. One is the reef which is incredible and well worth it. The other is to see a cenote which is a freshwater cave. they run all through the yucatan and were formed when a meteor hit the peninsula 65 million years ago. Very very cool.

If you are outdoorsy and really want something unique and relaxing, you might like CESiak. This is in the Sian Kaan Biopreserve and it was really amazing. You stay in these tent-cabins on top of this dune and on one side is the perfect pristine Caribbean beach with no one in sight and on the other side is the lagoon where they run bird watching and kayak tours of the biopreserve. http://www.cesiak.org/deluxe.htm It's kind of like summer camp - nice bathrooms, but you walk to them. Salt water showers, but gorgeous and clean. The food was great - the best we had on our trip. And waking up in the morning and being there - right in this gorgeous place and on the beach bare of anything but sand and birds, it was amazing.

[endymion411]

We stayed at Dreams Tulum back in 2005. If you're looking for peace and quiet, then this might be a good place for you because there are so few other resorts in the area. It's also one of the closests AIs to Tulum, if not THE closest.

The food was good for an AI. Top shelf liquor. Service was outstanding. No towel cards or bracelets required. Beds were on the hard side, but that is norm for the area and our sleep never suffered because of it. Let me know if you want any other details.


too funny! dh booked us a dreams yesterday :) glad to hear you had a good experience there. anything that sticks out in your mind that you wish you had known about before going, or that you really liked/disliked?

[endymion411]

there are two wonderful snorkling experiences in tulum. One is the reef which is incredible and well worth it. The other is to see a cenote which is a freshwater cave. they run all through the yucatan and were formed when a meteor hit the peninsula 65 million years ago. Very very cool.

If you are outdoorsy and really want something unique and relaxing, you might like CESiak. This is in the Sian Kaan Biopreserve and it was really amazing. You stay in these tent-cabins on top of this dune and on one side is the perfect pristine Caribbean beach with no one in sight and on the other side is the lagoon where they run bird watching and kayak tours of the biopreserve. http://www.cesiak.org/deluxe.htm It's kind of like summer camp - nice bathrooms, but you walk to them. Salt water showers, but gorgeous and clean. The food was great - the best we had on our trip. And waking up in the morning and being there - right in this gorgeous place and on the beach bare of anything but sand and birds, it was amazing.


this place looks fantastic! we've booked our accommodations, but might want to visit here--did you do any of the tours? if you don't sign up for a tour, can you walk around at all?

snorkeling--do you have to sign up with a group/boat, or can you just go on your own?

thanks!

[Bbbethie]

I'm sure you'll have a great time at Dreams.

Here are some tips that come to mind:
- Plans your a la carte restaurants ahead of time. Not every restaurant is open every night, so be sure to plan ahead if there was a specific place you wanted to try. We heard the Asian was good, but never got to eat there because they were closed on the nights we wanted to eat there.
- Spend some time at the ruins in Tulum. You can take a bike ride there but it goes along a major highway. We didn't do this because it was insanely hot and I was pregnant. But my mom and sister weren't so crazy about it so you might be better of taking a taxi or collectivo. And, I think they only take pesos for park admitance so be sure to exchange your money beforehand. Be sure to wear your bathing suit because the beach is amazing.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/bagough1/Mexico%202005/Mexico0505.jpg?t=1204216631
- Take a walk south on the beach and you'll find several small cenotes in the ocean. You can feel the temperature of the water drop significantly. Watch for a small current and then you'll see big caves in the sand under the water. Very refreshing.
- Like many AIs, they have photographers taking pictures with iguanas, birds, sexy poses, etc. The prices are outrageous and they won't negotiate. However, at the time they did burn them on a CD for $8 per photo. Not only is this cheaper than a print, but then you can use it however you'd like. We took advantage of that for some belly shots.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/bagough1/Mexico%202005/DSC_0003.jpg?t=1204216726

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/bagough1/Mexico%202005/DSC_0150.jpg?t=1204216757

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/bagough1/Mexico%202005/DSC_0163.jpg?t=1204216792

Unfortunatley, I don't have any pictures of the actual resort uploaded right now. But I know there are plenty on TripAdvisor.

Have a great time!

[endymion411]

I'm sure you'll have a great time at Dreams.
Have a great time!

thanks for the tips! great pics!!! the photos are definitely out of our budget, but i'll be sure to take a lot of pictures myself

[boilermaker]

Giving this a bump. We're looking for a vacation this winter and will have a 20month old with us.

Pocket, that place looks like a place DH and I would have loved pre-baby. Did you see any children there?

[dizylizy]

We just booked to stay at the Gran Bahia Principe - Tulum. It looks gorgeous. WE will be there Spetember 19th - 26th. I can't wait to hang out in the surf and sun! we are leaving the kids with my IL's. Should be fun!! It is a family resort. It was a tough call for us, as friends stayed at the Akumal Beach Resort. and loved it and couldn't speak anything bad. Check out Trip Advisor and Locogringo.com Both have great info about both resorts. Check out the forums for great people to meet and get great advice.