Visiting the Tulum ruins is a great activity for family, friends, or a for solo trip. The old ruins are inside an ancient walled Mayan city with stunning views of the crystal clear Caribbean waters. Whether or not you’re a history buff, anyone can appreciate the historical significance of this ancient walled citadel.
The Ruins
I have been to the Tulum ruins twice now: the first time was when I visited the Riviera Maya with my family for Christmas one year and instead of going into Playa del Carmen and walk down La Quinta every day, we decided to find something new and exciting to do. The second time was a friends trip to Tulum, and my friend had never been to the ruins. I thought it would be fun to revisit the ruins and see if anything had changed in 10 years. The only thing that changed was all the shops before the ruins; the ruins themselves remained pleasantly the same.
While I didn’t have a guide either time I went, it was obvious that we were looking at ruins hundreds of years old. The first time I visited, signs explaining the ruins were rare and only in Spanish. 10 years later, each ruin had a sign explanation in Spanish and English. That was a nice change! It really helped me understand what I was seeing.
The Tulum ruins were originally named Zama, or City of the Dawn, because they face the sunrise in the east. Tulum is the Yucatan Mayan word for fence or cliff. Because the city stands on 12-meter (39-foot) high cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea, it became an easy-to-defend fort.
The city was also an important international trade hub between visiting merchants and civilizations like Coba and Chichen Itza because of its sea and land access. From depictions around the ancient city, Tulum was an important religious center for priests and sacred leaders. It was also the site of worship for the Diving God. It had an estimated population of 1,000 – 1,600 people. The earliest date found on the site was 564 AD. Tulum is one of the most well-preserved coastal Mayan sites.
The Temple of the Descending God is one of the most beautiful buildings in Tulum. There is a sculpture of a winged figure falling from the sky over the door. His legs are up, his arms below, and a headdress on his head. It’s still impressive today, although 500+ years ago it was decorated inside and out with numerous representations of gods in mural paintings. The castle is the most imposing and most important building Tulum. Over 500 years ago it was brightly painted and decorated with sculptures. Traces of large stucco masks on the corners still remain today. The main castle was about 25 feet tall and was believed to be built in stages.
In the Yucatan area, there was a cult of the wind god, although he was known by different names in the language spoken by each tribe. The Mayans called him Kukulkan and built a temple dedicated to him that overlooked the water. Archaeologists estimate Spaniards killed off the native Mayan population by introducing Old World diseases. About 70 years after the Conquest, the Spanish inhabitants abandoned the citadel, although local Mayans continued to visit the temples and burn incense and pray until the 20th century.
The Palace of the Great Lord was the home of one of the most important inhabitants of Tulum. Columns supported flat roofs over several large rooms. The columns also supported crossed wooden beams and a mixture of gravel, limestone powder, and sand called “calcrete.” Benches, probably serving as seats and beds, lined walls in the Palace of the Great Lord. In the back was a sanctuary where the family performed their religious ceremonies.
There was an east coast style of architecture that contained regional elements in Tulum’s architecture. It’s similar to the ruins in Chichen Itza and Mayan. The structures are small and show little complexity, height, or quality. The walls were covered with stucco and there were modeled sculptures on the facades. There were also brightly colored paintings with a colorful finish and strong contrasts.
Historical Viewpoint
There is a historical viewpoint in the Tulum village where you can be an eye-witness to the encounter of two worlds. Imagine living in the year 1518. You are the ruler of Tulum. You gaze at the horizon and see big ships with cloth hanging from poles. They look very odd to you. They draw near and you see the sailors. But they don’t land, they sail away. You ask yourself: Who are they? Where do they come from? What do they want? Are they friends?
Now, imagine you are the captain of a Spanish navy on an exploratory voyage. You land on an island (Cozumel) surrounded by reefs, where people hid when they saw you. Now you’re sailing along the coast, near a city with large buildings and towers that remind you of far away Sevilla. You don’t land, you sail away. You ask yourself: Who are they? What riches do they have? Are they dangerous?
This could have been the scenario of the first contact with the Spaniards at the city of Tulum. Later, the Spanish regime would gradually implant itself in the Mayan social structure until they attained a new cultural order.
The Tulum ruins are popular for the picturesque views of the Caribbean. The beach is protected for nesting sea turtles during the summer, but people can swim in Tulum’s beautiful crystal clear blue waters during other times.
Getting to the Tulum Ruins
The Tulum ruins are about an hour and a half south of the Cancun airport and about an hour south of Playa del Carmen by car, although there are buses and tours that will take you there as well. Tours usually leave in the morning to get visitors there by about 10:30am. If you’re driving, I recommend trying to get there earlier than 10:30 or just before the area closes at 5:00pm to avoid the tour bus crowds (and the heat). If you’re lucky enough to be staying in Tulum, it’s just a quick bike ride or taxi ride from your hotel.
There is a big parking lot and plenty of shops and bars before you get to the ruins, so if you want some refreshment or need sun block, a camera, or insect repellent, you can definitely find it in the shops of the Tulum ruins.
You can buy tickets to the ruins in this little village. You can also hire a guide that speaks your language to tell you what you’re looking at (helpful, but there are signs that explain each ruin site). Finally, you can walk out to the ruins, about a mile, or pay $2 for a trolley that will take you out there and bring you back, which I think is totally worth it just for the fun of riding a trolley through the jungle!
Have you ever been to the Tulum ruins? What did you think? Did you learn anything that I didn’t know? Talk to me about these ancient ruins in the comments below!
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P.S. You might also enjoy Complete Guide to Visiting the Coba Ruins or Complete Guide to Visiting Mexico’s Gran Cenote