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 Tulum is the largest Maya construction built on
the coast. Today it is Mexico's most visited pre-Hispanic
site. Tulum was a very important center of commerce and a
place of pilgrimage in the past. This royal city, perched
on limestone cliffs, is worth a visit because of the
magnificent view and the charm of its buildings.
Only 131 km (78 miles) south of Cancun, the
walled city of Tulum was the first Mayan community
reportedly sighted by the Spanish in the 16th century.
Perched atop a cliff overlooking the Caribbean, it is
Quintana Roo's most famous and well - restored site.
There are many structures at
Tulum, El Castillo is the most important. Located on a 40 -
foot bluff, it commands a breathtaking view of the
coastline. At one time it functioned as a lighthouse
guiding ships through the treacherous reefs that lie
offshore. Another interesting structure at Tulum is the
Temple of the Frescoes with its friezes on which the
original pigment used to stain the carved figures can still
be seen.
Tulum is the only walled
grouping of ruins discovered on the coast to date.
Archaeologist believe that the city was one of the ports
scattered along the coast of the Yucatan used by Mayan
traders.
TULÚM
Tulm
is about a 45 minute ride (by bus, taxi, or rental car)
south of Playa del Carmen. The only Mayan city built
directly on the sea, Tulum is thought to date from 400-
900A.D. After exploring the ruins and enjoying the
spectacular view from atop EL CASTILLO.
you can take a refreshing dip in the
Caribbean from the pristine beach in front of the
site. Tulum, in Quintana Roo near the town of El
Crucero, is the place to go for ruins on the beach.
It is the most visited Maya ruin and is the biggest
attraction on the coast. It was the only Maya city
built on the coast, possibly having housed 2000 people and
once functioned as a trade
center...
This port city
was never conquered by the Spaniards and was one of the
last Maya outposts left standing during their revolt
against Mexican rule in the War of the Castes during the
1840's. There is no question why Tulum holds great
significance to the Mayans. An impressive sight at Tulum is
an imposing castle standing on the edge of a 12 meter cliff
at the top of the ruins. Visitors may wish to bring a swim
suit to cool off in a cove at the bottom of the site but
there are no facilities. The area prime trekking ground for
those who want to experience jungle wildlife living amidst
pristine rain forest and unrestored Mayan ruins.
A little Mayan background
Ancient Mayan
Civilizations
 The Mayans' extraordinary architectural and
cultural accomplishments rival those of the world's other
great civilizations, and Mayan history is inseparable from
that of the New World. They had a precise calendar and
written language, plotted the movements of the planets, and
mastered pottery and weaving. Our cultural and
archaeological odyssey will take us to the finest Mayan
ruins along the Yucatan.
The exact origins of the Mayas
remain unknown. What is known about them is that they
dedicated an immense amount of time to erecting giant
monuments of stone, in the form of temples, pyramids, and
palaces.
 Their civilization existed for hundreds of years,
from around 100 A.D. until the arrival of the Spaniards,
and seems to have been devoted for the most part to the
building of strange architectural forms whose function
appears to have been ceremonial, and developed a
sophisticated hieroglyphic script.
Their art was no less highly
developed, and remains most clearly preserved in the
carvings on their altars and the stelae (historical
monuments) which they fashioned out of limestone every
twenty years.
 The Mayan civilization appears to have had its
first home in Guatemala, where there are more than 1,000
classified Mayan sites.
The classical period of the Mayan
Empire came to an end in about 900 A.D., when many of the
cities in Guatemala were abandoned, and there was a
migration towards Mexico and the Yucatan
peninsula.
The landscapes of this region are
extremely varied and frequently very beautiful. The
highlands are sunny, warm by day but pleasantly cool and
invigorating at night. Most of the Yucatan peninsula is low-
lying, tangled scrub in the north, dense jungle in the
wetter south. This is the area where the famous Mayan sites
are found. The coast of the Yucatan has some fine beaches,
and the heat here is tempered by the winds of the
Caribbean.
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