It is by a colectivo (means of local transport) that we arrived in Tulum from Playa del Carmen! No need to take the famous bus ADO. Remember to ask if colectivos make the trip you want, you will save money, believe me! Tulum is the Caribbean Sea !! But it's also ruins, cenotes, good food and meetings. It's gone for the visit!
Studio in Tulum - Daniel and Brigett
To accommodate us in Tulum, we went again through the site Airbnb which offers homestays, hotel rooms and entire homes. It's quite an exercise to juggle between different hosting sites to find the best possible price for two people. For example, for a couple, sleeping in a dorm is more expensive than taking a private room.
For Tulum, we opted for a studio and we were pleasantly surprised when we discovered the place. Before discovering the room, we crossed a very small garden in which there was a dining area with table and chairs, the kitchen area with the gas hobs and the sink to wash his kitchen. Everything is very well laid out and beautifully presented.
Then we enter the room where the bed is huge! Perfect! It is actually two small beds put side by side. This did not stop Ezekiel from sleeping diagonally ... There was plenty of attention in this accommodation such as fins, snorkels and masks for 2 people made available, 2 bikes. The hosts left flyers with places to visit nearby. Nothing to say, everything is perfect.
Local cuisine
When we arrived in Tulum, the room was not ready yet. We then went in search of a small restaurant to fill the stomachs. As usual, we are looking for restaurants where there are locals! It means that it is good and the price are correct;)
The Loncheria "El tio"
We stop at the Loncheria "El tio" where we see many local. Here, no tacos, quesadillas or empanadas but full dishes with chicken or pork. This is an opportunity to try something new.
So we had chicken with mashed potatoes and beans.
Before enjoying these dishes, the restaurant offers its guests a paw soup. We did not expect this at all, but why not.
Regarding drinks, how to say ... Macdonald can get dressed with his big drink because here they are huge. The glasses are bigger than a tablespoon. You imagine? And this for 20 pesos is less than 1 euro. Here is the photo to help you:
After having eaten all this, as much to tell you that our stomachs were very happy.
Nieve
I love ice cream and with this temperature, it's the perfect excuse to enjoy it often;)
Right next to the studio, I found a nieve stand (ice cream) where everything is homemade. Here we go for a tasting of mango ice cream.
In Mexico, ice cream is worth at least 35 pesos or less than 1.50 euro and you really have something to eat. In France, that would represent 3 ice cream balls, if that can better help you to have an idea of the quantity.
Buibuis on the streets
Just like in Asia, there are many buibuis in the streets and it is often at home that one finds good cooking. We were lucky because right next to our accommodation, we had several merchants who chose our street every night to settle for a few hours.
The ruins of Tulum
Tulum is known for its ruins, it's gone for discovery! It is by bike that we go on the scene, about 10 minutes of travel. A little exercise! However, I advise you to visit at the opening (8 am), as in Chichen Itza, on the one hand to avoid the crowd but also to have less heat. I was going to write "to enjoy the freshness of the morning" but no, it is not possible ... In Mexico, there is no freshness, it must be hot all the time but sometimes a little less, like in the morning, for example.
The particularity of the ruins of Tulum? This Mayan city is located at the edge of the Caribbean Sea. Just that! The Mayans were pleased at the time ... More seriously, this city served mainly as a fishing port (and no, they were not here for the nice view) but also for trade between the different cities .
Another particularity of these ruins, it is the walls which surround them with nearly four meters of height and six of thickness. Of course their primary function was the protection of the city, but they were also used to make the separation between the people and the political and religious activities (already at the time ...).
Enough chat, here are some pictures of the site:
It is the monument that has preserved the most decorative elements of Tulum. It is said that the Mayans obtained red and black pigments from the earth and minerals. While the blue and green colors were obtained by some plants.
El Castillo is the most imposing but also the most important monument of the Mayan city. The facade was painted with bright colors and decorated with sculptures.
On the ground floor, on both sides of the staircase, are two small temples on which were placed lower altars which filled the room with smells and colors. In the upper temple, the main religious ceremonies were celebrated.
We expected to admire a beautiful blue water, turquoise see transparent, as is the case on many pictures on the net or tourist information centers, but no. The sea and therefore the beach were invaded by algae.
In this photo you can observe the beach on which the turtles come each year to lay their eggs. We are exactly in this period! The beach was naturally closed to the public so as not to spoil anything with our feet and clumsiness. Regarding turtles, they were not present because they take advantage of the night and its discretion to come lay the eggs.
During the whole tour of the ruins of Tulum, we met animals, including birds, including one who was doing his toilet, too cute! There were also coatis and especially iguanas!
I propose you a game again. In the picture that follows, you just have to find the lizard! Have your eyes open! The answer will be at the end of this article.
The visit of the ruins ends on the beach called Playa Paraiso which is, according to the lady of the tourist information center, the most beautiful of Mexico, to see the most beautiful of the world. I let you discover it in image:We are far from the most beautiful beach in the world that the lady presented to us. I do not question in any case his word, because it is true that normally it is a beautiful beach. Unfortunately for us, but for the Mexicans too, the algae have invaded the beach. It is something that no one can control. Many of them tried to clean up the place so that Playa Paraiso can regain its beauty!
We are far from the most beautiful beach in the world that the lady presented to us. I do not question in any case his word, because it is true that normally it is a beautiful beach. Unfortunately for us, but for the Mexicans too, the algae have invaded the beach. It is something that no one can control. Many of them tried to clean up the place so that Playa Paraiso can regain its beauty!
The ruins of Tulum are really pretty to discover, I think even prefer them to Chichen Itza. Certainly because it was easier to imagine the city with the many ruins present today. Even if the seaweed invaded the beaches, I find that the views from El Castillo are still very beautiful!
The Cenotes
Sam, our couchsurfing who received us in Playa del Carmen, told us that there were about 5000 cenotes in Yucatan! It would take 5 years to be able to do it all. Unbelievable!
I asked the locals which cenote deserved to be visited in Tulum, and all of them answered without hesitation El Gran Cenote. It's gone for El Gran Cenote but also Cenote Escondido.
Gran Cenote
As soon as we enter this very touristy place, we are asked to read the rules to follow and take a shower before entering the cenote. The Mexicans want at all costs to keep this place intact. Discovering the cenote is a bit of a disappointment. We have the impression that the infrastructures set up to welcome customers take up more space than the cenote itself.
Going for a swim requires a little effort because the water is very cold! But this effort is worth it because once in the water, I discover that there are underwater galleries! That's wonderful! Do not just stop at what you see outside, you have to go get the treasure inside the cenote.
There is even a pool dedicated to water turtles. Of course, it is forbidden to go swimming in this basin but turtles, they can come to bathe in ours.
Of course there were bigger turtles but they were playing hide-and-seek.
Finally El Gran Cenote disappoints me much less than at the beginning. Its water is simply very beautiful by its color that varies from transparency to dark blue.
However, I find that the price of entry remains very high. Imagine it's more expensive than the ruins of Tulum!
El cenote escondido
During our stay, we met Mathilde and Gaëlle, two French who rented the room right next to us.
Mathilde travels alone for five months across South America and ends her journey in Mexico. She told us her love for Colombia but also for the beaches in northern Peru. Gaëlle, just graduated from the nursing school came on vacation to celebrate the end of her studies and especially to find her childhood friend (over 10 years) for the return to France. Those are Mathilde and Gaëlle who brought me to the Escondido cenote because they were conveyed as well as to the beach elsewhere.
Gaëlle and Mathilde
The cenote Escondido is different from the cenotes we saw because it is totally open. It is located a little behind in a small jungle. The water is beautiful!
We had a second cenote to visit with the entrance fee, this is the Crystal Cenote. All three, we were disappointed by this cenote, especially by the presence of many people, but also by the muddy appearance of the cenote. It was much more laid out than the first with benches, a diving board. We were not seduced at all. Yes yes seduced, Ezekiel did not come this day. We stayed for five minutes and left.
So, I advise you to just take an entrance to visit the Cenote Escondido which is more authentic!
To summarize
We were a bit disappointed with Tulum because we were expecting more nature but that was not the case. The beaches were not passable, again it is the fault of no one, the Mexicans also suffer this unpleasant situation.
However, Tulum is the base for visiting several sites such as ruins, cenotes but also the Ruins of Coba or Muyil.
We look forward to discovering our next stop which is Bacalar where the lagoon offers seven shades of blue!
Et maintenant...
Cost of the stay in Tulum: 7 days - 7 nights
- Colectivo Playa del Carmen - Tulum: 4,20 euros for 2 (instead of 26 euros with ADO buses)
- Casita Lupita accommodation: 120.36 euros
- Meals, courses, treats: 66 euros
- Ruins of Tulum: 7 euros for 2
- El Gran Cenote: 17 euros for 2
- Cenote Escondido and Cenote Crystal: 5.60 euros for 2 or 3 euros for a single cenote.
A total of 220, 16 euros all inclusive
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