Coba Ruinas
Read a Border Tramp narrative on Coba by Laura Lazorski here.
Coba Ruina are a perfect day activity from Tulum. Not only are teh affordable, they are lacking in the tourist-circus feel of Chichen Itza and you can actually climb the pyramids here, win-win! The bus leaves the Tulum ADO station daily at 10 am and there is a 1:45 pm bus to bring you back — don’t miss it, there aren’t others! Once in the ruins it’s best to rent a bicycle since the pyramids and Mayan structures are spread throughout the jungle here. There is also a cenote for swimming if you have time to check it out.
The bus to Coba is $8usd/$104pesos round trip. Entry to the ruins costs $4usd/$52pesos. For $2.50usd/$35pesos you can rent a bicycle.
Akumal Beach: snorkeling, sea turtles, and coral
Akumal is a small beach community about 15 minutes north of Tulum. The beach is wide and there are plenty or coconut palms for shade. There is lots of sea grass and coral reefs which makes this a snorkeler’s paradise. Sea turtles are Akumal’s claim to fame. On most days you can find loads of the sea turtles munching away on the grass before you reach the colorful coral reefs.
Unfortunately, the day we went had high winds and the red flags were flying on the beach, warning of strong currents and dangerous conditions in the water. Alas, we saw no turtles and very little of anything as the waves and rough waters stirred up the sand and inhibited our visibility. But every other day we heard the turtles were playful, visible and plentiful — just our luck.
A colectivo from Tulum to Akumal will cost $2usd ($25 pesos) one way and drops you at the highway where you can walk a kilometer and arrive at the beach.
Extreme Kiteboarding
If you are looking for something more extreme than snorkeling, talk to Marco Cristofanelli. Marco is in charge of Extreme Control, a business offering lessons in kiteboarding, diving excursions, and paddleboard tours.
You will know when you are getting close when you see giant kites in the sky flinging people in and out of the water, over the waves and up onto the beach. Kiteboarding is a very popular sport here in Tulum, and Extreme Control appears to be the best. Depending on how serious you are about learning to kiteboard, you can get a one hour group lesson for $60US or a nine hour private intro package for $627US. If you are looking for something less intense, check out their paddleboard tours to Sian Ka’an.
Carlos and the other employees at Extreme Control are more than willing to sit and chat with you if you have any questions and are all welcoming of every guest. The atmosphere here is perfect, and the prices can’t be beat anywhere on the beach.
Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sian Ka’an Biosphere is a must see when visiting Tulum. It’s a dream come true for avid bird watchers and a place of beauty and diversity to everyone. There are many guided trips to Sian Ka’an from Tulum, but the best tour guide we found was in the lounge of The Weary Traveler.
Rene is his name, and Sian Ka’an is his passion. With tourism spreading like wild fire throughout the Yucatan, it is no surprise that Tulum and surrounding areas, such as Sian Ka’an, are being dangerously effected by the heavy carbon footprint brought on by travelers. Rene’s mission is to keep Sian Ka’an a place of pure, natural beauty. He offers guided tours out to the biosphere for a fairly standard price, however he offers a special deal not listed with the prices.
Rene will provide you with free transportation and a free place to camp for the night in Sian Ka’an if you are willing to grab a trash bag before you go and fill it to the top with the pollution that piles up on the shores of Sian Ka’an.
“I have a collection of bottles from all around the world that I have collected from cleaning up at Sian Ka’an, they wash up from everywhere”
Rene tries to organize small groups to go on these cleaning trips to Sian Ka’an knowing every little bit helps. A night of peaceful, natural relaxation for a morning of cleaning up one of the beautiful places in Mexico sounds like a win-win situation to us! Take me back to TULUM
For more information on Rene and Sian Ka’an Biosphere, visit his facebook page here.
Cenote Diving (and reef diving too)
If you’ve come to Tulum with the intentions of diving, most likely your diving designs involve the deep, dark and spooky cenotes — a geographical feature found mainly in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. The options are plenty for the certified diver — beautiful, crystalline waters punctured from top and bottom with the sparkling spires of stalactites and stalagmites, respectively. Slowly twisting your way through the labyrinthine maze of rock formations you’ll be amazed by your fascination with an underwater world that seriously lacks what likely got you hooked on diving in the first place — marine life! The ground-filtered waters of the cenotes are nearly void of any flora and fauna; there are some tropical fishies, snails and crabs to see — but that’s not why you’re there.
The Pit and Angelita are two cenotes in the area that boast a hydrogen sulfuric cloud, a dense and drastic change in opacity at about 30m caused by organic decomposition. In Angelita this manifests as an underwater river of sorts — with gnarled trees breaking through it’s wispy currents. And beneath the cloud there is another world of clear and high visibility salt water.
RATES:
Scuba Tulum
Ran by Paolo, a Swiss transplant, this shop is very professional and will take you diving even if you’re the only one in the group — as I was. Great divemasters and great lunches provided for the two-tank dives.
$95usd:
Two-tank guided cenote dive, transportation, lunch, equipment included (park entrance fees not included — range from $8-20usd/$100-250 pesos)
$65usd:
One-tank guided cenote dive, transportation, lunch, equipment included (park entrance fees not included — range from $8-20usd/$100-250 pesos)
$90usd:
Two-tank reef dive, transportation, guide and equipment included
Courses:
Discover Scuba: $85usd
Open water certification: $375usd
Advanced open water diver: $335usd
Contact:
tel: Paolo 984 131 27 67
e-mail: info@scubatulum.mx
www.scubatulum.mx
Av. Tulum Mz 4 Lt 1 Esquina Centauro Sur
(in front of policia federal)
Mot Mot Diving
Located alongside a bakery under the same owner, Mot Mot is a professional outfit with savvy divers eager to help and guide you through your underworld underwater adventures in Tulum.
$120usd:
Two-tank guided cenote dive, park fees, transportation, lunch, equipment included.
$140usd:
Two-tank guided dive of The Pit and Dos Ojos — park fees, transportation, lunch, equipment included.
$165usd:
Three-tank dive of The Pit and Dos Ojos — park fees, transportation, lunch, equipment included.
(Note: Dos Ojos has two separate lines to dive: the Barbie line and the bat cave, each requiring a tank and therefore being two separate dives.)
Contact:
tel: 984 802 5442
email: sales@motmotdiving.com
www.motmotdiving.com
Av Tulum 570 entre Orion y Beta Sur
Kay Op Dive Club
Good gear, knowledgeable guides and friendly service — Kay Op is a great option for your cenote diving needs here in Tulum.
$110usd:
Two-tank dive in Dos Ojos — park fees, transportation, lunch, equipment included.
$135usd:
Two-tank dive, one deep dive (Angelita or The Pit) — park fees, transportation, lunch, equipment included.
$90usd:
Two-tank guided cenote dive (not The Pit or Angelita) — park fees, transportation, lunch, equipment included.
Contact:
tel: 984 164 40 40
email: info@kayopdivers.com.mx
www.kayopdivers.com.mx
Located next to the bus station on Av Tulum
Take me to MAP: TULUM
Take me back to TULUM // Take me back to MEXICO // Take me HOME