Roughly 1500 years ago, the early Maya realized they were on to a good thing when they settled along the coast of what’s now Tulum. Overlooking the azure waters of the Caribbean Sea, by the time the Spanish conquistadors arrived in the 16th century, Tulum (or Zama, as the Maya called it) was home to a vast, walled city that controlled much of the Yucatan Peninsula’s maritime trade.

But the arrival of the conquistadors didn’t bode well for the Maya, and within decades of the European arrival, Tulum lay abandoned. For the next few centuries, Tulum was little but a sleepy backwater town on the coast. Even as resorts sprang up in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Tulum remained firmly off the beaten track until the influencers and celebrities arrived in force.

Within a few years, Tulum exploded, and the sleepy backwater evolved at breakneck speed into an international resort town. It’s never lost its rustic appeal, though, and you’ll love the beaches, the towering sea cliffs, and the vine-clad ruins that line the coast. 

You can splurge at fancy beach clubs, immerse yourself in a Temazcal Ceremony, and jump into freshwater cenotes, all the while exploring beautiful natural wonders like the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve.

With so many things to see and do, you might not know where to begin. That’s why we’ve compiled our list of the absolute best things to do in Tulum for you. Tick off these fun and unique Tulum bucket list recommendations one by one, and there’s no doubt you’ll have an incredible time exploring this gorgeous Mexican beach town!

15 Fun and Unique Things to do in Tulum, Mexico

1. Rent a Bicycle and Explore on Two Wheels

You’ve probably seen the Instagram photos already: tourists, travelers, influencers, and digital nomads posing by the sea or next to Maya ruins with their bicycles close to hand. That’s right, Tulum has somewhat of an affection for bicycles because, quite frankly, the easiest way to get around is on two wheels.

Tulum is largely flat, and although it can get a little dusty, cycling around downtown, to the ruins, and to the beaches is much preferred to haggling with the Tulum taxi mafia, who charge extortionate rates for even the shortest of trips (and there are no ride-hailing apps here). 

You can find bicycle rental shops all over Tulum, and you can rent one for the day or for the duration of your stay in Tulum. Make sure to rent a bicycle lock and keep it chained up or inside, where you can keep an eye on it, wherever you can. If you’re staying in Tulum long-term, then you may even find it more cost-effective to buy a bicycle from another traveler who’s moving on!

2. Delve into the Past at the Tulum Ruins

Travelers may only have “found” Tulum in the last decade or so, but this beautiful stretch of coastline has long been known to the Maya. For centuries prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century, Tulum was home to a thriving port city that was an important center of trade and commerce along the Mesoamerican coast.

In Tulum, the Maya built watchtowers and high stone walls to protect their trade, temples, and palaces. They couldn’t protect themselves against the Spanish conquest, though, and within decades of the arrival of the conquistadors, Tulum had been left abandoned.

Now, the ruins still stand where they fell. A large, stepped pyramid looks out over the Caribbean Sea from a rocky headland (the Maya called this place “Zama,” or the “City of the Dawn,” thanks to the beautiful view of the rising sun!), while the Temple of the Frescoes is a fantastic example of Maya religious architecture and design. Ride your bicycle here early to escape the heat and to explore before the day-trip crowds arrive from Playa del Carmen and Cancun. 

3. Explore the Cosmos at Mystika Immersive

Next to Tulum Ruins, you’ll find one of the most unique things to do in Tulum. Mystika Immersive is an unusual, visual, and sensory experience that helps visitors to better appreciate the Maya worldview. 

Designed by professional landscape photographer Pepe Soho, Mystika Immersive takes you on a journey through Mexico’s most beautiful landscapes and night skies, starting with an immersive gallery that explores the Maya cosmos. You’ll be surrounded by ever-changing scenes of the Tulum Ruins and the Maya heavens as you move through a 360-degree cosmic dome. 

Mystika Immersive also has fascinating galleries that depict great Mexican locations like the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Michoacán and the Pacific Coast, where whales are seen migrating in their huge pods. The focus is as much on nature as it is on the Maya, and you’ll love the incredible visuals on display at Mystika Immersive.

4. Hang Out on the Sand at Tulum Beach 

Beach lovers have picked the best place for a getaway because one of the best things to do in Tulum is to spend time on the many beaches!

Make your way to the coast from Downtown Tulum, and you’ll encounter one long stretch of sand that extends from the Tulum Ruins in the north to the south for some 6 or 7 miles along the Caribbean Sea. 

This is Tulum Beach. It’s a joy to behold and offers some of the best Tulum activities. The beach itself is divided into different sections, some of which are quieter or louder than others. In the north, you have Playa Ruinas, for example, which is overlooked by the Tulum Ruins, as well as Playa Paraiso and Las Palmas, which have some great bars. 

The southern sections of Tulum Beach tend to be quieter than the north, purely because you’re further away from Downtown Tulum. They’re home to several beach clubs, rather than bars, which means it can be more expensive to spend the day down south. Many travelers, however, would say it’s worth the cost to pay for a spot at a secluded beach bar! 

If you’re going to spend some serious pesos when you’re in town, then some of the best beach clubs in Tulum include Coco Beach Club, Taboo, Papaya Playa Beach Club, and Ziggy’s Beach Club.

5. Experience a Temazcal Ceremony

If you’re looking to relax, then nothing beats a Temazcal Ceremony. This unique ceremony is one of the best Tulum activities you can try during your stay, and you’ll leave super refreshed in both body and mind! 

A Temazcal Ceremony involves entering a specially designed steam room, where you’ll spend around two hours sweating out all that negative energy (it’ll help you forget how much you had to pay for that taxi from the airport!). A Temazcal Ceremony is generally led by a spiritual shaman, or Temezcalero, who conducts traditional rituals throughout your stay in the steam room.

This unique ceremony can be traced back to the pre-Hispanic era, and it’s thought that the Temazcal has been an important part of the local culture for almost a thousand years. In Tulum, you can join dedicated Temazcal Ceremonies, held in purpose-built steam rooms, while many of the resorts and upmarket hotels increasingly offer the experience in their spas. 

6. Climb to the Top of the Coba Ruins

If you love Maya history, then you’re in luck because visiting the Coba Ruins is one of the top things to do in Tulum. This fascinating archaeological site is less than an hour’s drive away from Downtown Tulum, and you’ll be awed by the sight of once-mighty temples rising up through the thick forests. 

Coba was built around several large lagoons, and if you dig into the history, you’ll discover that this was the meeting point of a network of Maya waterways and causeways which spread across the region. That made Coba an incredibly important city, and during the height of its power, between 500 and 900 AD, it’s thought to have been home to around 50,000 people. 

Like many Maya cities before and after it, a mixture of drought, war, and famine led Coba into decline, and when the Spanish conquistadors arrived here, the city was a shadow of its former self. It used to be that you could climb the steep steps leading to the top of the main pyramid, something which has been banned in many other Maya sites. The view from the top is incredible, but it’s unclear for how long this will remain an option for travelers, particularly as Coba gets busier and busier. 

7. Cool Off in the Gran Cenote 

A swim in a freshwater cenote is one of the coolest things to do in Tulum. The Yucatan Peninsula is famed for these natural attractions, and there are many to choose from in the Tulum area. Number one on your list should be the Gran Cenote, which is one of the grandest cenotes in Mexico.

Cenotes are natural sinkholes that have, over time, been filled with fresh water. The Maya believed them to be sacred and would build cities and temples above them while often offering sacrifices to the gods they believed lived below. 

Gran Cenote consists of a large, underground cavern that is partially open to the outside. You’ll walk down a steep wooden staircase, where you’re met by verdant, blue water that’s almost see-through. 

It’s the perfect place for a swim, but if you’re feeling more adventurous, you could join a cave diving tour to explore the many caverns and tunnels that reach outwards, deep underground, from the main chamber. 

Gran Cenote is located just a few miles away from Downtown Tulum. There are lockers, restaurants, and changing rooms on-site. 

8. Visit Laguna de Kaan Luum

Laguna de Kaan Luum is one of the best sights in Tulum. This large, almost perfectly spherical lake is the picture-perfect postcard of natural beauty, and it’s also an amazing setting for swimming.

The lagoon is just a 20-minute drive from Downtown Tulum, but it’s surrounded by a lush rainforest in an incredibly undeveloped area. A few rustic hammocks have been set up along the waterfront, and as it’s Mexico, there’s always somewhere to buy an ice-cold refresco. Other than this, just sit back, relax, and take in the panorama.

Some would argue that Laguna de Kaan Luum is not, in fact, a lagoon but that it’s actually a cenote. For much of its width, the lagoon is incredibly shallow and only goes down to a few meters. In the middle of the lagoon, things change dramatically as a huge sinkhole drops down to over 80 meters. That makes this big blue hole an amazing spot for cave diving!

9. Go to the Muyil Archaeological Zone 

A 20-minute drive south of Downtown Tulum will bring you to one of the region’s most underrated archaeological sites. The ruins of Muyil (sometimes also called Chunyaxche) are literally hidden from sight, as the jungle has yet to release much of this ancient Maya city from its grasp.

Compared to other Maya ruins, like Coba, Tulum, and Chichen Itza, few tourists ever make it to Muyil. That’s largely because many of the temples have yet to be fully excavated, let alone restored, giving the site the feeling of a city truly lost to time. That’s what we love most about Muyil, and as you pull aside the vines and tramp through the thick vegetation, you’ll feel like a modern-day explorer. 

But we also love the setting of the Muyil ruins. Technically, they’re part of the wider Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, and so the land here is well protected from development. The temples overlook a large, central lagoon, which is beautifully vibrant in color, while the age of the ruins (dating back to around 300 BC, possibly earlier) make Muyil one of the oldest Maya cities in Mesoamerica. 

10. Explore the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve

The Maya have always known that Sian Ka’an is a special place. Located just south of Tulum, the name of this vast area of wetlands, rainforest, and coral reefs mean the “gateway to heaven” in the local Maya dialect. 

Spend the day exploring, and you’ll soon see why they thought Sian Ka’an could connect them to the gods in the sky above. Mangroves line a marshy coastline that’s awash with lush, green vegetation. Rare species – including pumas, jaguars, and tapirs – are found on land, where over 400,000 hectares of pristine forest are protected as part of an enormous biosphere reserve.

Some 145 kilometers of coastline are included within the boundaries of Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, too, and the reefs and waterways are home to vibrant collections of fish and larger aquatic animals, including crocodiles. It’s a truly inspiring natural preserve, and this natural beauty was recognized when it was declared to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

The local people are still very much invested in conservation work here, and we recommend joining a Community Tour to learn more. You’ll be guided around the Biosphere Reserve by local guides working for a nonprofit organization, and you’ll see a mixture of natural sites, wildlife, and the ongoing conservation efforts. 

11. Unleash the Fun at Xel-Ha Park

Tulum is beautiful, but sometimes you just need a break from the influencer lifestyle. If that sounds like you, then enjoying a fun-filled, back-to-basics vacation day at Xel-Ha Park is one of the most fun things to do in Tulum.

This is one of several unique adventure parks on the Riviera Maya, and it’s the closest one to Tulum (being just a 20-minute drive away). This is part water park and part archaeological site, as Xel-Ha is located around the Maya ruins of the same name (Xel-Ha archeological site is within the park’s boundaries).

That makes this one of the most unique water parks in the world. While there are several rides, including the tallest slide in Mexico, the focus is on the natural attractions rather than the thrills. 

You can join snorkeling tours of the natural aquarium, where vibrant coral reefs and marine life await you off the beach. You can swim through underground caverns, cliff jump into cenotes, and learn more about the marine world around you. 

Oh, and Xel-Ha is an all-inclusive water park. That means you can make the most of the restaurants, cafes, and unlimited margaritas! 

12. Snorkel with the Turtles at Akumal Beach

If you love marine life, then make your way north to Akumal Beach, where you’ll find one of the best snorkeling spots in Mexico and one of the coolest Tulum activities. 

Not far from Tulum, Akumal Beach is one of the most important turtle nesting grounds on Mexico’s Caribbean coastline. Soft white sands and a fringing coral reef (part of the larger Mesoamerican Reef) ensure that conditions are just about as optimum as they can be for those little turtles making a dash for the sea once they hatch. 

In turtle nesting season – between May and November – you can take guided tours along the beaches, and if you’re lucky, you might just get to see the turtles nesting or the eggs hatching. The rest of the year, the coral reef off the beach is home to a resident population of sea turtles, who are all too used to people snorkeling alongside them. 

13. Be Awed by the Scale of Chichen Itza

Mighty Chichen Itza is one of the best Maya ruins in Mexico, and when you’re staying in Tulum, it’s just a day trip away. Within two hours, you can be walking through the gates of this iconic Mexican attraction before standing in awe of the steeped central pyramid, named El Castillo (the castle) by the Spanish and the Temple of Kukulcan by the Maya. 

Although it has long since fallen into ruin, walk through the Temple of the Warriors, or stand in the middle of the Great Ball Court, and you can almost imagine the people and the crowds that would have filled this ancient city with life. 

Chichen Itza would have been quite the sight in its heyday. Built around 400 AD, it reached its zenith around 900 AD, when Chichen Itza’s elite ruled over vast swathes of the Yucatan Peninsula. It fell into decline long before the Spanish conquistadors arrived, and by the time the first Europeans set eyes on the temples, the city had already been reclaimed by the jungle. 

14. Rave at a Tulum Jungle Party

Tulum draws in the type of crowd that loves to party, so if you’re looking for fun things to do in Tulum and you’re looking for nightlife, you’re in the best part of the Riviera Maya. 

While there are countless bars and beach clubs where you can enjoy handcrafted cocktails and cold cervezas during the day, the party doesn’t really start until late at night. 

You’ll want to join a classic Tulum Jungle Party when the sun goes down. Starting late and running until the early hours of the morning, you’ll be taken out into the jungle, where DJs play electronic, dance, and techno music to crowds of thousands. 

This being Tulum, you’ll want to be careful which jungle raves you sign up for (you generally buy tickets in advance), as not all are above board. SET Underground Tulum is legitimate and runs events throughout the year (especially in peak season, around Christmas and New Year’s), or check out Tulum Party for an up-to-date events schedule.

15. Take a Day Trip to Cozumel 

If you need to escape Tulum for the day, there’s no better place to go than Cozumel. This small tropical island is a 45-minute ferry ride from Playa del Carmen, which is around an hour’s drive north of Tulum.

There are regular ferries all through the day, and given that Cozumel is just 30 miles long and 10 miles wide, it’s super easy to see all the highlights in one day. Start early, and by mid-morning, you’ll be crossing the Caribbean Sea to paradise. 

Cozumel isn’t as developed as other parts of the Riviera Maya, and the secluded beaches and coral reefs here are simply amazing. We recommend renting a car or a scooter or joining a Jeep Safari to see as much of the island as you can. You can visit Maya ruins, nature sanctuaries, tequila factories, and chocolate workshops. 

Alternatively, you can spend the day at a beach club, but don’t forget, you can also do that in Tulum! 

There you have it! The 15 best things to do in Tulum. What’s your favorite thing to do in Tulum?

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