Tulum, Mexico - opinions

21 years ago

Hi all!

I read about Tulum. Mexico in my Budget Living magazine, the place seems really rustic and beautiful. There are no big resorts there, and from what I read on other websites getting to the hotels from the airport is not straight forward. However, there is a lot to do (or so the brochure says!) and looks breath taking.

Has anyone bin there, or knows about it? Also, any hotel or destination recommendations in Mexico are welcome!

Thanks!

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Comments (4)

dees_1
21 years ago
If you're looking for a nice place to stay (all-inclusive), you have several nearby Tulum. Bahia Principe has two "sides"; Akumal and Tulum. I haven't stayed there but I hear it's very nice. There are two other all-inclusives (Akumal Beach Resort and Oasis Akumal) but they are not rated as high. I've found most US travelers are looking for more luxurious settings; you won't find that at these other two. Personally, I like Oasis Akumal because it's not such a big place.

There are tons of condos in that general area. I recommend checking out www.bill-in-tulsa.com for more information on the condos and some pictures of the area.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bill-In-Tulsa.com
ladylawyer
21 years ago
I was just going to post a message asking the same question, because I just booked a cruise for January 2004 that includes a stop at Playa del Carmen. I have been to Chichen Itza and Cancun, but not to Playa del Carmen or Cozumel, the other Mexican port of call scheduled.

My specific question is this: has anyone out there been to both Chichen Itza and Tulum? I'd like an honest comparison of the two, so I can decide if its worth visiting, seeing how I've already seen Chichen Itza (which is amazing!!)

Also, can anyone make any "must see" recommendations for both Cozumel and Playa del Carmen?
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Here are the photos I found of your resort. It looks like a wonderful place. When I went to Tulum, I caught a bus there and back, which stopped on the side of the road. I can't believe it's been 40 years since I was there! The ruins were open to the public, but I do not believe there was an entrance gate or anyone keeping track of who was there. I think they were still reconstructing some of the ruins back then. Anyway, my favorite Mayan ruins were Uxmal and Tikal, and I spent a lot more time in those places. Nice that you had a cenote to yourself. I went to what looked like a freshwater cenote in Chiapas (Misol-ha) that had a waterfall, but I was not the only person there. I'm still considering another trip to Cozumel, and I can fly there via Houston, although it would be just as cheap to go to Curaçao, and so I'm considering that also, but that would be off in the future, as we plan to go to Greece around the same time you will. It would be somewhat nostalgic to go back to Tulum, however. One place I did camp (several times) was Agua Azul, Chiapas, which is a Mexican national Park. We put up a tent on an island in the middle of the waterfall, and when the sun went down, all we had was starlight. The last time I went there was in 1981, and it was already beginning to change a bit, as there was a building that had electricity, which was not there when I had visited before. It's very close to Palenque, and I got off the bus to walk down to the park, as there were no buses going there when I visited. I hitchhiked down one time and got a ride with a guy that I had gone to high school and graduated with! Normally I never run into anyone I know when traveling, and so that was the only time.
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I went to Mexico on a school trip in the 80's. My parents only allowed me to go to a country where I studied the language and Spain was out because TWA kept having their airplanes hijacked so I ended up in Mexico. We stopped at Tulum, but I didn't make it inside the pyramids there. I remember it being beautiful. We stayed in Valladolid and Merida for a few nights and visited the pyramids at Chichen Itza and Uxmal. We also climbed to the top of the pyramid at Chichen Itza. That's quite a drop down if you fall. I wasn't afraid of heights then. That ball court is something else and so was the virgin pit. We did quite a bit of shopping in those towns too. We were in Cancun for a couple of nights. The draw there was the white sandy beach. I was 18 and blond. People were friendly everywhere we went. We sometimes got too much attention. We were able to drink there, but I was only interested in drinking for taste. I wanted the fruity drinks with the fun names. I didn't do anything stupid and didn't get drunk. We went to some of the nightclubs and there was one in Cancun where the guys kept trying to buy me drinks. It made me uncomfortable. They were too pushy. I had a great time and would love to go back and take my kids and husband. I don't feel like it is all that safe there even in the resorts. Unless something changes, I won't go back.
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dees_1
21 years ago
I haven't been to Chichen Itza but have been to Tulum. Tulum is much smaller than Chichen Itza; it will only take you a couple of hours tops to see all the ruins in Tulum. There are several other places to view ruins but I'm not familiar with all of them.

Playa del Carmen is a cute little area - very Americanized. Cozumel is becoming more Americanized.

Again, lots of information on Bill in Tulsa's website but his board focuses on the lesser known, not as developed/traveled places.

I'm including a link to another board that will have much more information regarding Playa and Cozumel (there's a link on the board to a Cozumel board). If the link doesn't work, here's the URL: http://mytravelboard3.com/playa/

Here is a link that might be useful: Playa del Carmen discussion board
ladylawyer
21 years ago
Thanks! I will check that link out- I have heard that Tulum is more "romantic" because of its ocean side setting than Chichen Itza, so I think I am going to include it on our itinerary.

Tulum, Mexico - opinions

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dees_1

ladylawyer

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