2015-10 Oct -- Tulum (Mexico)

Arriving to Cancun from Guadalajara, the first impression is of unbearable heat and humidity. One forgets how nice the weather is in Guadalajara! I hadn't stopped sweating from the moment that I stepped out of the plane. This probably hadn't helped my mood in Cancun while driving circles trying to eat lunch. It was time to get out of the tourist mecca and head to a tourist town about an hour and half down the coast.

Tulum ruins and the ocean

Tulum is known for its ruins overlooking the ocean. It used to be a Mayan port town. The town today sits near a stoplight marking the intersection of the highway from Cancun and the road to Coba. My hotel was situated just on this corner. Pancha Tulum had a few parking spots in front, a tiny restaurant and then a reception area. After passing the reception, one walks into a large patio with rooms around it. My room was quiet. There was no sound of the tour buses or semi-trucks passing by on both roads. An added benefit was the super friendly hotel cat, Pacholina, who waited outside my door to greet me.

First beach sighting in Tulum

It was time to see the raved about beaches of the Riviera Maya. I threw on my running clothes and headed down the road to the beach. At only 3 kilometers, I would just make it before 7 pm sunset. There was a wide, paved sidewalk along the entire route that comfortably afforded transportation to both pedestrians and cyclists. Finally, I arrived at the round-a-bout at the end of the road. To the left was a police shack, in front was the entrance to a private spa. There was no beach in site. After fruitlessly questioning the attendant at the spa, I turned left to head to Playa Paraiso, which is supposedly public. However, the narrow road with cars whizzing by in both directions and cyclists (without bike lights) hugging the edges of the road seemed more and more dangerous as the sun set. I could hear the waves crashing against the beach; but, I still couldn't see them. Finally, there was a break in the brush. Through a cracked open wooden slat gate, a small beach stretched below, framed by large boulders. My first view of the ocean!

Dinner at El Vegetariano

I called it a night and headed back the way that I came, walking with my phone as a flashlight. The sidewalk seemed never-ending. But, eventually, I made it back to the hotel intersection. The hotel's receptionist, an Italian named Simon, had given me several recommendations. When he heard that I was craving fruit and vegetables, he recommended a restaurant on the same corner called El Vegetariano. The name is a bit misleading. The special for the evening was lobster. I ordered a juice of beet, carrot and ginger. For the main dish, I tried the "El Vegetal", which was a plate of roasted veggies with a side of hummus. In addition, the owner brought out a bowl of tortilla chips with four different sauces along with another side of hummus. It was all excellent! During our meal, we were serenaded by a girl with her ukulele. One of the songs that she played was Natalia LaFourcade's "Hasta La Raiz".

Tulum's Palace

Temple of the Paintings

The next morning, following Simon's recommendation, I drove to the back entrance of the Tulum Archaeological Site and parked for free. Then, I walked into the entrance, proudly sported my Mexican resident card and walked in for free! A great many museums and national monuments are free on Sundays for Mexican nationals and residents. The Mayans had built their port town with views of the ocean. It is quite an extensive area that is not yet fully excavated. Yet from what is currently on view, you can see a bit of the town layout from the Mayan times. At the highest point with the best view of the ocean is the Palace. We couldn't summit it; but, we had access to walk almost all the way around it.

Beach in Tulum

One of the great side benefits of visiting the Tulum ruins is the private beach. After walking around the ruins without anything for shade, you can descend the stairs to a beautiful little private beach. The sand here truly wasn't hot (at least not at 10 am)! The water sparkled clearly with blues, greens and turquoises. The warm water felt refreshing after the intense heat and humidity.

Travel Tips
Hotel:
- Pancha Tulum was a clean, quiet place to stay. On Booking.com, the pre-tax cost was $28.50 for a room for two. The price included breakfast, which was a bit interesting as the "Mexican Breakfast" listed chilaquiles but came with fresh bread instead of tortilla chips. The room's bathroom door is saloon style. The air conditioning was refreshingly cold.
Restaurants:
- El Vegetariano -- total cost for my meal (with tip) was 200 MXN.
Ruins:
- Tulum is 64 MXN regularly or free on Sundays for Mexican nationals and residents. Inside, you can go swimming on the private beach staffed with a lifeguard. The only bathroom is at the ticket counter at the entrance.