Visiting Tulum Ruins was in our activity list while staying in Playa del Carmen. Dave and I had a chance to explore Chichen Itza and Coba ruins during our previous Mexico visit. A mere 30 minute drive from Playa del Carmen, put us right in the heart of the quaint little city of Tulum. This stunning, ancient-walled city used to be home to around 6,000 Mayans between the 13th and 15th century. Spectacularly located on a cliff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, the Mayan ruins of Tulum are quite different from other archaeological sites in Mexico, which are located in a jungle.
Tulum used to be the Mayan door to the world. A seaport from where they traded their goods (it’s said to be mostly obsidian, turquoise and jade). This city is believed to have been one of the last built and inhabited by the Mayans. After the Spanish began settling in Mexico, Tulum was abandoned by the Mayans – probably after Spanish diseases began spreading among the population. The site structures remain surprisingly well preserved.
