Tulum Archaeological Site
Zona Arqueológica de Tulum
A Maya walled port city built on a 12-metre sea cliff, with a temple overlooking the turquoise Caribbean. It is the most photogenic ruin on the Yucatán Peninsula.
Tulum was a Late Postclassic Maya port city (about 1200–1450 CE), and one of the few Maya cities surrounded by walls. In Maya, “Tulum” means “wall.” Its original name was “Zamá,” meaning “dawn,” because the city faces east and is the first place in the region to catch the sunrise. Spanish explorers arrived in the early 16th century, when the city was still inhabited. The site is modest in size. Three sides are enclosed by stone walls about 5 metres thick, and the east side is a 12-metre sea cliff. Highlights include: ① El Castillo, the main temple on the sea cliff, which may also have served as a lighthouse. From the viewpoint on the north side, the temple, white cliffs and turquoise sea make the classic image of Tulum. ② The Temple of the Frescoes, which preserves fragments of colored murals and corner masks. ③ The Temple of the Wind God, standing alone on a rock at the edge of the bay. ④ The Temple of the Descending God, whose lintel carves a deity upside down. Green iguanas often sun themselves around the ruins. A small beach below the site allows swimming, subject to conditions on the day. Tickets: the INAH site ticket costs about 100 pesos. You also pay the entrance fee for Tulum National Park (Jaguar Park), which is in the same area, and prices may change, so check on site. The site is open about 08:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:00. Arrive as it opens, since tour groups and the heat arrive after 10 a.m. Getting there: Tulum is about 130 km from Cancún. Take an ADO bus or stop at the Tulum station on the Tren Maya. From the town of Tulum, it is about 15 minutes by bicycle. The beach area south of the town has many boutique hotels, beach clubs and restaurants.
Opening hours
08:00–17:00 (last entry 16:00)
Nearby sights
- Playa Paraíso, Tulum
- Cenote Calavera (Temple of Doom)
- Gran Cenote
- Casa Cenote
- Tulum Beach & Hotel Zone
- Cenote Car Wash (Aktun Ha)
- Cenote Dos Ojos
- Xel-Há Park