Tulum, México
Since we were so content at our all-inclusive resort, Sandos Cancún, we only ventured out of the resort for a one day excursion. When I booked our airfare/all-inclusive resort package with Vacation Express, I also bundled the Tulum excursion in the package to have a carefree weekend! We booked the Tulum Xtreme excursion with Aventuras Mayas. This full day trip included roundtrip transportation to Tulum from our hotel, exploring the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum, zip-lining and rappelling, lunch and snorkeling in a cenote! It was an awesome day of adventure and historical exploration of the ancient Mayan city!
Looking for more on Mexico? Read about our romantic stay in Cancun.
Mayan Ruins:
Tulum, México is located approximately 80 miles southeast of Cancún. Tulum is known for the archeological wonders of the ancient Mayan ruins. Built in the late thirteenth century, the Mayan city of Tulum is the only Mayan city built on the coast, and one of the few protected by a wall. This beautiful city of ruins invites visitors to explore the ancient city and to contemplate how the powerful Mayan civilization once lived. We had an archeological guide, Raphael, who explained the various Mayan landmarks and guided us through the city of ruins. After Raphael’s historical tour, we had an hour to explore the city on our own. After marveling the ruins, and photographing the hundreds of iguanas (who are now the main residents of this ancient city), we climbed down the stairs to the small, rocky beach of the Caribbean Sea. It is very humid (and hazy the day we explored the city) at Tulum, make sure to take plenty of water, and a towel for swimming along the coast of this ancient city! With beautiful limestone buildings, lush tropical foliage, white sandy beaches, and the brilliant blue Caribbean Sea as the background, Tulum is a gem of ancient North American civilization.
Zip-lining:
After exploring the Mayan ruins of Tulum, we drove about 30 minutes to the jungle for zip-lining! This was my first time zip-lining, and I was so nervous! Thankfully our guide, Yam, and the other Aventuras Mayas staff were awesome and made me feel safe! The climb up to the zip-lining platforms was exhausting, but once I made it to the top platform, they clipped me in and pushed me off the platform, an awesome exhilarating feeling captivated me! With the beautiful and lush jungle surrounding me, I truly did feel like a bird flying through the sky!
Rappelling:
Next, our guide Yam, took us rappelling down 60 feet into a sinkhole. This was my first time rappelling, nervously I volunteered to go first! Initially, it was a bit nerve-racking, but Yam talked me through the process. The three steps off the platform were the hardest, especially for someone who is only 5 feet tall (the others in the group got a chuckle out of me trying to reach the last step with my short legs)! But once I got past the platform, it was a quick and easy rappel into the sinkhole! I can definitely see myself rappelling again in the future!
Snorkeling:
The last adventure of the day was snorkeling in a cenote (sinkhole)! The Yucatan Peninsula has numerous cenotes making a unique ecosystem in México (many specific types of cenotes are only found in México!). This beautiful cenote, with fantastic rock formations (stalagmites and stalactites) and crystal clear water provided a refreshing swim after the day of adventure in the humid Méxican heat. Although the water was a bit colder than I expected, it was an amazing experience to snorkel in a cave with the small fish swimming around, the bats and birds flying above, and to marvel at the amazing rock formations! It was the perfect way to end the awesome day of adventure in Tulum!!
Tulum is a wonderful day trip from Cancún. Whether you are seeking adventure in the jungle, swimming in a beautiful cenote, or learning about the ancient Mayan civilization, visiting Tulum will enhance your Méxican getaway!
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