Top places to go · Mexico
Clifftop Maya ruins, flooded caves and a biosphere reserve on the Caribbean.
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Open the offersTulum sits on the Caribbean coast of Quintana Roo where a walled 13th-century Maya port stands on the cliffs above the beach. South of town, the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve has been a UNESCO site since 1987, and inland the limestone is riddled with cenotes feeding the Sac Actun system, the longest flooded cave system in the world.
Walled 13th-century Maya port on the cliff edge; El Castillo is thought to have served as a lighthouse guiding canoes through the reef, and the Temple of the Frescoes keeps its murals. Walls reach 5 m.
Stay nearby: Casa MalcaUNESCO World Heritage since 1987: mangroves, forest, marshes and lagoons behind a barrier reef, about 30 minutes south, with more than 20 archaeological sites inside.
Maya site about 25 km from Tulum inside Sian Ka’an, the most important of the reserve’s settlements, with ancient canals linking the lagoons.
Two sinkholes joined by a roughly 400 m passage, part of Sac Actun (about 347 km surveyed, the world’s largest flooded cave system); water about 24 to 25C; best for diving and guided snorkelling.
About 3 miles from town on Highway 109, with open and cavern sections and resident turtles.
Shallow turquoise lagoon 9 to 11 km south of Tulum with a central cenote estimated 80 to 85 m deep; swimming is allowed only in the shallows.
Jungle city whose Nohoch Mul pyramid is 42 m (138 ft), the tallest Maya structure in the northern Yucatan; 2 km of paths or bike taxis to reach it. Climbing is now closed.
Marine protected area since March 2016 where green turtles graze the seagrass; conservation rules limit groups, time and distance (3 m) from turtles.
Stay nearby: Conrad Tulum Riviera MayaBeach road south of the ruins lined with low-rise hotels; Casa Malca occupies Pablo Escobar’s former mansion, opened as a hotel in 2014 by collector Lio Malca with Haring and KAWS works.
Stay nearby: Casa MalcaQuieter stretches north toward Playa del Carmen; Hotel Esencia sits on a 50-acre former duchess’s estate at Xpu-Ha, and Chable Maroma’s 70 pool villas front Maroma beach.
Stay nearby: Hotel EsenciaPlanning the days? Top things to do in Tulum →
Booked through us as a Virtuoso advisor: the same rate as booking direct, with the Virtuoso amenities confirmed in writing.
Best months are November to April; January to March driest; June to September brings sargassum and storms. Tell us your dates and we will say honestly whether they work.
TQO Tulum Felipe Carrillo Puerto International (opened 1 December 2023); CUN Cancun is the larger alternative. We arrange transfers to the hotel as part of the booking.
It depends on the trip. The hotels listed above are the top tier; we match the property to your dates, group and style and confirm the Virtuoso amenities in writing.
