They exist. Places that you couldn’t get out of your head for a long time and now you can finally visit them. Places that seemed so perfect that you could hardly wait to finally experience them on site. Full of anticipation and admittedly also a little afraid of disappointment, we set off after landing in Cancún in the direction of Tulum.

For this, several bus connections are on the schedule every day. From the ADO terminal in Cancún it goes for about $7 per person on an approximately two-hour trip to Tulum. The buses are very modern and air-conditioned. Therefore, the ride is very enjoyable with many beautiful views.

Arriving in Tulum, it quickly becomes clear what makes this very special place on the Riviera Maya so unique. The city center itself is typically Mexican. In the heart of it are numerous small bars and restaurants, so you already have a plan how to spend your evenings here.

It Tulum, like in the rest of Mexico, it is recommended not to walk alone through the streets at night and rather take a cab. However, as long as you stay in the busy center with good street lighting, it is quite safe.

There is so incredibly much to discover in Tulum. On the one hand, it is exciting to see and experience as much as possible. But even more important is to perceive the beauty on site and enjoy every moment. The perfect thing about Tulum is that many places worth seeing are located along the main road, which runs directly along the sea.

Casa Malca is a dream come true! The former villa of Pablo Escobar was converted into a beautiful and very modern hotel. To experience the hotel from the inside, it is necessary to put 1000 pesos on the table. That is the equivalent of $40. Sounds like an incredible amount of money. But the price is justified.

For this you get the whole day huge sun beds in double bed size with probably the most beautiful beach section of Tulum. In addition, the paid entrance fee is attributed to you and you can enjoy delicious drinks and cocktails, as well as fine dishes. Thus, with the entrance fee your whole day is paid for and Casa Malca just ensures that you really consume on site.

Our personal highlight!

The natural Ahau Hotel is best known for the enormous wooden sculpture at the entrance. To see it, you don’t necessarily have to go into the hotel and can view it from the street. A short stopover is worth it!

In the immediate neighborhood of the Ahau Hotel is the small but very famous Matcha Mama Bar. This bar specializes in delicious smoothies and bowls. For about $10 there is a large selection of delicious delicacies, which you should definitely try.

Tulum is best known for its Mayan ruins, which are located right on the beach. These are also the main reason for most visitors to stay here. Since the ruins open already at 8 am, it is highly recommended to be one of the first guests on site. Thus, you have all the beauty almost to yourself. It is worth it.

To visit the Mayan ruins in Tulum it is worth organizing a cab, which will be at your disposal all day. We booked a cab through our Airbnb with the company called Taxi Drivers Union Sharks Caribbean. Our driver Maximo was available to us all day and chauffeured the three of us for $105 the whole day everywhere our hearts desired.

Of course, this can also be done cheaper. But our driver drove us besides the Mayan ruins and cenotes to every sight in Tulum, which we really wanted to see. Therefore, it is very convenient to have a private driver all to yourself.

Arrived at the Mayan ruins you can already marvel at the beauty with your own eyes for $4. In addition to the beautiful Mayan ruins, you also have the opportunity to jump directly into the water at the adjacent beach and cool off a bit.

Everything is just perfect here, so we had a smile on our faces the whole time out of pure joy. The trip is more than recommendable and must be on every todo list.

Tulum also includes a visit to one of the numerous cenotes. This very special natural wonder fascinates with their uniqueness. Cenotes are a kind of collapsed caves, filled with fresh water.

We visited the Cenotes Casa Tortuga and had a perfect stay which costed us about $20 each. You get divided into a group and are guided by a guide through the cenotes. Thereby exciting stories are told, which provide some insights and many laughs.

We stayed at the beautiful Airbnb of Los Amigos and can highly recommend it.

Due to its popularity, Tulum is certainly not the cheapest place in Mexico if you have to watch your budget. Nevertheless, affordable, ideally, if you can divide the fixed costs among several people.

The prices are per person, except for the taxi and the accommodation, which we rent for 3 people.

Accommodation: $185 / night

Restaurant: $8 – $15 / meal

Snack: $6 – $8 / meal

Taxi: $3 – $15 / ride

Pleasure: $10 / event

Ticket: $4 – $20 / event