Tulum in one week! Any last minute advice?

mom2binKC · February 2013

DH and I are headed to Tulum next week for a much needed getaway and to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We will be flying into Cancun and renting a car. Staying in a beachfront cabana at El Pez at Turtle Cove.

Anyone have any tips or recommendations for the area? TIA!

alithebride · February 2013

as far as what? dont have an accident, dont get pulled over. dont drive in the left lane. dont expect them to drive like MO. bring sunscreen, bug spray, asprin. i'm not sure why you'd rent a car. are you just plannning on staying in tulum?

mom2binKC · February 2013

Wow -- super helpful, thanks. I was thinking about recs for restaurants, sights to see, etc.

We're renting a car because we have to have transportation from the airport in Cancun to Tulum, and car service both ways was not much less in total cost than a car rental. And having a car will allow us to access some sights that may be too far to walk. I have read a lot on other travel boards that said it's not a bad idea to have a car. Personally, I would be nervous to drive in another country, but DH is fine with it. We had a car in Paris and Provence and he drove everywhere. We are planning to stay in Tulum; it's a five-day trip, and we will mostly be relaxing. But we might also like to visit a couple of cenotes, and the ruins, and venture into town or to other properties for restaurants.

TravelingJen · February 2013

You'll definitely be able to get off the beaten path having a rental car! I rented a car during my first visit to the area and really enjoyed having the freedom to go wherever I wanted. I would highly recommend that you visit the ruins of Chichen Itza, Ek Balam, and Coba. Chichen Itza and Ek Balam can be visited on the same day. Coba is relatively close to Tulum so that will be easy for you to get to. Since you'll be staying in Tulum, I highly recommend that you visit the nearby Sian Kian Biosphere by taking a tour through a local operator such as Cesiak. I've visited the area twice (stayed the first time in Tulum and the second time in Playa del Carmen) and have an entry on sightseeing in my travel blog here:

http://wanderlusttraveler.blogspot.com/2013/01/riviera-maya-mexico-sightseeing.html

alithebride · February 2013

mom2binKC:

Wow -- super helpful, thanks. I was thinking about recs for restaurants, sights to see, etc.

We're renting a car because we have to have transportation from the airport in Cancun to Tulum, and car service both ways was not much less in total cost than a car rental. And having a car will allow us to access some sights that may be too far to walk. I have read a lot on other travel boards that said it's not a bad idea to have a car. Personally, I would be nervous to drive in another country, but DH is fine with it. We had a car in Paris and Provence and he drove everywhere. We are planning to stay in Tulum; it's a five-day trip, and we will mostly be relaxing. But we might also like to visit a couple of cenotes, and the ruins, and venture into town or to other properties for restaurants.

The cancun airport isn't in cancun, it's about 20 minutes south. I'm not sure if you knew that or not but you wont have to drive through cancun or anything you just take the exit from the airport and then go south on 307. the last time i was down by playa del carmen was in may and there were many checkpoints along the way. dont be surprised if your car is searched or you are questioned. I didn't know if you planned on going to any other ruin sites. I have to warn you that driving in RM is not like driving in france. Bribes are common and people often have issues. I'm a NYC driver and I wouldn't rent a car and drive there. Well that's not true. I'd drive along the 307 along the coast and all through cancun but probably not inland. My spanish isn't sufficient if there's an issue. DH and I have been going 1 or 2 times a year for the past 10 years. Just be careful. there's not really all that much around tulum except the ruin site and the town. you can go to sian kaan but you probably cannot bring your rental car in. it's a nature preserve and is fabulous but i belive the # of visitors are regulated every day and a guide must be present.

for ruin sites tulum is very small, it's lovely but small. ek balam was my fave. chichen itza is nice, huge, crowded and hot as hell after 10am. coba is lovely and for the most part in the shade of trees. for any of them i suggest you have a guide as they can really really enhance the experience.

so have fun!

mom2binKC · February 2013

Great! I appreciate the tips. I have heard about the traffic stops/checkpoints and bribes, and I have also heard that the stories tend to exaggerate the incidence and that it is actually somewhat rare. I have also let some friends back home know to start calling the US Embassy if we don't return home on time. J/K.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about driving, but I hope once we are there we will only need the car for a few sights. We actually plan to rent bikes from the place we are staying and using those or walk to get to close sights.

The proprieters of our B&B have been praised all over Trip Advisor for their helpfulness with making tour arrangements and offering suggestions, so I am hoping they can assist us with finding a guide for the ruins. I have heard from others that a guide is a good way to fully appreciate the ruins.

We will definitely be checking out Sian Khan. I think you are correct that you can not drive within the grounds, but perhaps can drive there and park outside.

Here are a few things that I have found in my research, and would love if anyone could confirm or comment:

Do not bother taking a hair dryer, as each individual property supplies their own solar/wind power and can not support power-draining personal appliances such as this.
You will not be able to flush any TP while there, as the septic systems can not handle it.
Water for showers is desalinated sea water -- a bit briny, but clean (but obviously not for drinking).
You should bring biodegradable products, such as sunscreen and bug spray, and other bath products, as the area is an eco-park and trying to limit negative impact on the environment. (Is this a requirement? We use eco-friendly bath products, but I'm going to have to go shopping for biodegradable sunscreen and bugspray.)
Bring flashlights, because it is DARK at night. (Flashlights should have a red filter during turtle season, but we won't be there during that time.)

Also, I have heard that most places will not accept traveler's checks, so you should be prepared to pay cash or use credit cards. Our card charges a 3% fee on all charges out of the country, so I am not too excited to use it for the majority of our purchases, but I also don't like traveling with a lot of cash. Will there be ATM's available? I have heard some ATM's are ok to use, others are not reputable and you should NOT use them. But I don't know which are which. Also, will there be a place to change money for pesos? Should we do that before we leave the Cancun area, since Tulum is a relatively small town?

Any thoughts on the above?

MrsD2006 · February 2013

We have rented a car each time we've been to RM and have been fine so far. Never been stopped at all, just don't speed and watch out for topes- speed bumps- you have to slow down for them and there were often police stationed around them. Road signs were easy to follow and in English. Check out the Tulum forums on Tripadvisor as well.

We stayed in Tulum a few days, it was very quiet, relaxing and the beach was awesome. Plus you are right there for the ruins. Since you have a car, you can visit the reserve and other ruins- Coba isn't too far and CI is a few hours away, an all day trip, or cenotes or the eco park- there are two, I forget the names, We rode bikes from the hotel to the downtown area to check out the shops and restaurants. We ate at El Camello- a seafood place, it was delish. Everyone raved about the ceviche there, but I'm not a big fan of it, so I didn't try it.

Do not bother taking a hair dryer, as each individual property supplies their own solar/wind power and can not support power-draining personal appliances such as this. I don't go anywhere without my blow dryer, but I do have a travel size one. It was fine, and our hotel didn't have one so it was needed. Most hotels have generator power.
You will not be able to flush any TP while there, as the septic systems can not handle it. At the hotel was fine, some of the attractions this was the case though, I think Coba specifically. Bring hand sanitizer! I think there was TP at Coba- you just couldn't flush it, had to put in a bucket. I remember a place like that on Cozumel too.
Water for showers is desalinated sea water -- a bit briny, but clean (but obviously not for drinking). Could have been, if so I didn't notice it at our hotel
You should bring biodegradable products, such as sunscreen and bug spray, and other bath products, as the area is an eco-park and trying to limit negative impact on the environment. (Is this a requirement? We use eco-friendly bath products, but I'm going to have to go shopping for biodegradable sunscreen and bugspray.) I have heard to use this type of sunscreen if you are going to be in the water, but nothing about bugspray or bath products. It is a requirement for some places, the eco parks I believe (for sunscreen)
Bring flashlights, because it is DARK at night. (Flashlights should have a red filter during turtle season, but we won't be there during that time.) Never brought a flashlight but then we weren't out wandering around in the dark too much.

Also, I have heard that most places will not accept traveler's checks, so you should be prepared to pay cash or use credit cards. Our card charges a 3% fee on all charges out of the country, so I am not too excited to use it for the majority of our purchases, but I also don't like traveling with a lot of cash. Will there be ATM's available? I have heard some ATM's are ok to use, others are not reputable and you should NOT use them. But I don't know which are which. Also, will there be a place to change money for pesos? Should we do that before we leave the Cancun area, since Tulum is a relatively small town? Travelers checks are a thing of the past and many places wont take credit cards. Just get some pesos from an ATM at the airport before you leave, no need to stop anywhere else in Cancun. They will have big name banks, I think we usually use Scotiabank because it's somehow affiliated with BOA (but I might be wrong about that). Your hotel should have a safe where you can leave your extra cash.

MrsD2006 · February 2013

The proprieters of our B&B have been praised all over Trip Advisor for their helpfulness with making tour arrangements and offering suggestions, so I am hoping they can assist us with finding a guide for the ruins. I have heard from others that a guide is a good way to fully appreciate the ruins

You can get a guide for the ruins AT the ruins. They are all over the place. Definitely recommend.

alithebride · February 2013

mom2binKC:

Great! I appreciate the tips. I have heard about the traffic stops/checkpoints and bribes, and I have also heard that the stories tend to exaggerate the incidence and that it is actually somewhat rare. I have also let some friends back home know to start calling the US Embassy if we don't return home on time. J/K. i'm sure some of the incidents have been exaggeraged and they are rare but it happens. the stops and checkpoints are not exaggeraged or rare. they're frequent and all over the place.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about driving, but I hope once we are there we will only need the car for a few sights. We actually plan to rent bikes from the place we are staying and using those or walk to get to close sights. sounds good.

The proprieters of our B&B have been praised all over Trip Advisor for their helpfulness with making tour arrangements and offering suggestions, so I am hoping they can assist us with finding a guide for the ruins. I have heard from others that a guide is a good way to fully appreciate the ruins. there are guides at the sites however you have NO idea if they're good or bad when you get there. asking at your B&B for a rec and for them to arrange it for you is the smart way to go.

We will definitely be checking out Sian Khan. I think you are correct that you can not drive within the grounds, but perhaps can drive there and park outside. it will be a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOng walk into the park-it's a HUGE park. i dont beleive there is parking outside either. i dont remember seeing any. it's just one very long unpaved bumpy wetr oad through the bushes and stuff to get in.

Here are a few things that I have found in my research, and would love if anyone could confirm or comment:

Do not bother taking a hair dryer, as each individual property supplies their own solar/wind power and can not support power-draining personal appliances such as this. personal choice. i leave mine home.

You will not be able to flush any TP while there, as the septic systems can not handle it. perhaps true for your B&B but not truee for the majority of places.

Water for showers is desalinated sea water -- a bit briny, but clean (but obviously not for drinking). again-perhaps at your property but that's the exception, not the rule. my showers have never been salt water.

You should bring biodegradable products, such as sunscreen and bug spray, and other bath products, as the area is an eco-park and trying to limit negative impact on the environment. (Is this a requirement? We use eco-friendly bath products, but I'm going to have to go shopping for biodegradable sunscreen and bugspray.)yes absolutely!!! biodegradable sunscreen is VITAL!! regular sunscreen kills coral etc.. i've never had to get bug sprat but why not?

Bring flashlights, because it is DARK at night. (Flashlights should have a red filter during turtle season, but we won't be there during that time.) i wouldn't stay someplace that i needed a flashlight to walk around at night. i pay for lights if htey dont have walkways lit i'm sure it is dark.
Also, I have heard that most places will not accept traveler's checks, so you should be prepared to pay cash or use credit cards. Our card charges a 3% fee on all charges out of the country, so I am not too excited to use it for the majority of our purchases, but I also don't like traveling with a lot of cash. Will there be ATM's available? I have heard some ATM's are ok to use, others are not reputable and you should NOT use them. But I don't know which are which. Also, will there be a place to change money for pesos? Should we do that before we leave the Cancun area, since Tulum is a relatively small town?

Any thoughts on the above?

A lot of questions. There are banks Banamex and the like at the 7-11s up and down 307 as well as in the towns you can use those to get pesos. you can also call your bank to day and see if they can order some for you. no=NO ONE takes travelers checks anymore-they're a PITA. does anyone actually sell them anymore? I think the last time i used one was 22 years ago in russia.

again-the aiport is NOT in cancun but south by about 25 minutes so you will not be in the town so you wont have a chance to exchange in cancun. you literally leaave the airport, turn right and get on the 307 south. there's nothing in between. dont use airport exchnage places either. USD are widely accepted and you'll get change back in pesos (obviously). you can also use debit to pay.

did you email your hotel and ask them if there's a bank or good ATM to use? LOL you're not going out into the jungle iwth a tent and a pack of matches-tulum is not in the dark ages. it's a popular tourist destination with tourist ameninties. my bet is that there are a few ATMs for you to use.

ladybuginl0ve · February 2013

I loved Tulum! Make sure you see as many ruins as you can - they are AMAZING! Also, if youre feeling adventurous, visit the cenotes, or go zip lining over the canopy!

Fullcircle06 · April 2013

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Fullcircle06 · April 2013

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Tulum in one week! Any last minute advice?

Re: Tulum in one week! Any last minute advice?

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