When we woke up the morning after our day at the beach in Xpu-Ha, we were unsure about attempting another full day outing to see Tulum in the hot sun. We decided we’d just do a quick trip there and back, skipping the beach due to our sunburns. So, we once again hopped on a colectivo, which dropped us off at the side of the highway, across from the entrance to Tulum. But, after hearing about a great combo ticket that included admission to the ruins and a covered boat ride (snorkeling optional), we couldn’t resist, even just taking the boat to see Tulum from the water seemed worth the cost.
The sun was already hot by late morning, so we loaded up on water, and my husband bargained to get us 2 umbrellas, which would help protect us from the sun. It was a little walk to the entrance, or we could have taken a train (pulled by a tractor), but the kids were content to walk.
We entered Tulum through one of 4 long doorways along the city’s walls. When we got to the other side, we couldn’t help but to feel slightly in awe by the sight.
Tulum is known for being one of the best preserved Coastal sites of the Mayans, a great walled city protected on one side by tall bluffs against the Caribbean Sea, and served as a major port. There were still a few intact structures, and the outlined remains of others.
The kids enjoyed finding the iguanas, camaflouge against the rocks. We even saw some sitting on the ledges of the windows, probably one of the few spots of shade they could find. I do not blame them!
The setting of the city, high on a bluff, overlooking the ocean, was just mesmerizing. I think the Mayans were brilliant for picking such an extraordinary location.
Although we found the site very beautiful, I will admit that the heat made it very difficult to concentrate very long on what we were seeing. We read a few of the signs, we gulped down all of our water very quickly, tried to cool down in the shade, and just could not bear to linger too long.
At the exit, our whole group cooled off in the shade with many more bottles of water, as well as lime and melon popsicles, before heading to the beach to begin our boat tour. Stay tuned to hear about that next time…
