Apr 03, 2014

Four days in Tulum means you need to find at least a few things to do. Ruins, beachs, cenotes, whatever fits your fancy. But to do all the fun stuff you must get to it. 

Now a 4km walk from the center of Tulum to the beach or ruins does not sounds like much at all. People can finish a 5k in 30 minutes if they are trying, normal walking pace is about 20 minutes per mile which would mean about a 45 minute walk.  Something I could definitely use more of in my life. However walking down a sidewalk-less sun baked thoroughfare at high noon is only going to lead to heat stroke and your buddies (Teague) carrying your sweaty lifeless body to the nearest beachside bar for a much needed cervesa.

That leaves you with three options. You can rent a bike and peddle your sweaty ass to the nearest water-filled cave. You can jump in a taxi and pay a local to drivie your slightly less sweaty ass to see the remnants of Mayan civilization or your can flag down the collectivo and cram in with a bunch of other sweaty beach goers.

So admittedly we did not use any collectivos. From asking around they cost each person 30-40 pesos to get to the major attractions. 

Walking within the town itself is no problem. Even at the height of the midday heat walking a few blocks for a bite to eat for a place to sit and enjoy a coffee is not an issue. Will you sweat profusely within the first two steps and be dripping by the time you reach the cafe? You bet you will. But you better get used to it cause unlike Game of Thrones, winter is decidedly not coming.

Taxis, I found to be honest and repubtible. All taxi drivers are uniformed and the prices do not vary between them. To go from the city center to the Ruins is 80 pesos and takes less than 10 minutes. To go to Gran Cenote or the public beach is 70 pesos. This is for a car of holding 4 people. That makes it out to be $2 per person to avoid frying to a charred husk on the side of the road. For me, that is money well spent.

Almost all the taxis are a tiny rundown Nissan, but they run and get you where you need to go.

Bicycle rentals vary in cost from place to place and depeding on how long you rent them for. Some hostels in town have arrangements for cheaper rates (50 pesos for a half day and 70 pesos for 24 hours). With a bike you are able to easily get to the ruins, beach and a cenote or two in a single day. A single traveler, this is definitely the way to move within the city and see the sights as a full day is the same as a single cab ride. For us four, it was simply not as cost effective.

However you choose to move in Tulum, you can feel confident it will be cheap-ish and reliable enough.

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