The Yucatan Peninsula is one of the most beautiful and diverse places I have ever visited. One day you could be swimming with majestic whale sharks off the coast, the next you could be exploring ancient ruins in the jungle, and another you could be cave diving one of the thousands of underground cenotes. And guess what? They are all adventures that are just quick day trips from Tulum!
I fell in love with the boho beachside town of Tulum for its laid-back charm, delicious tacos and beautiful beaches, and while I could happily spend weeks just relaxing on the beach here, there are so many things to explore on the Yucatan.
Read below for the top five day trips from Tulum!
1 – Cenotes
I could go on for days about how much I love exploring cenotes! There are over 6,000 of these deep, natural sinkholes on the Yucatan peninsula (many of which are interconnected by underground caves!) and since they vary greatly (in shape, size, water color, and ground level), there really are no two that are identical. I recommend spending a day or two exploring the cenotes in and around Tulum.
My favorite cenotes to visit are:
- Cenote Encantado – this cenote is great because its walking distance from Tulum’s hotel zone!
- Cenote Jardín de Edén – one of the most beautiful cenotes with crystal blue waters that is located towards Playa del Carmen and can be reached by car, tour group or collectivo.
- Cenote Dos Ojos – this is one of the more popular cenotes from Tulum and showcases the underground cave network. It is a popular tour group stop but can also be reached by car or collectivo.
- Cenote Car Wash – this cenote was less crowded than others and felt very serene. It is located on the road to Coba and can be reached by car.
Note that most cenotes have a small entrance fee and snorkels available for rental.
2 – Sian Ka’an
The Yucatan peninsula’s incredible diversity can be seen again in Sian Ka’an, the protected biosphere located just south of Tulum. It is the largest protected area in the Mexican Caribbean and has also been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Some of the wildlife that live in the area include manatees, marine turtles, monkeys, crocodiles, jaguars, pumas, ocelots, pink flamingos, toucans and tapirs – making it the perfect day trip for any animal lover!
Since Sian Ka’an is very large (twice the size of Rhode Island!) and the roads are uneven, it’s best to go with an organized tour. You’ll find many organized tour groups going from Tulum to Sian Ka’an, ranging anywhere from $60 – 120.
3 – Coba
While Tulum has its own ancient Mayan ruins, there is another, larger ancient city that is an easy day trip from Tulum. Coba is best reached by car or tour group and, once you arrive, you can enter the ancient archeological site for a small fee. The ruins are set in the lush jungle and can be explored on foot or by bicycle rental.
Coba is unique in that it is less popular than the Tulum ruins and Chichen Itza so visitors are still allowed to climb the ruins.
The largest pyramid is 138 feet tall and has spectacular views overlooking the jungle from the top. While the stone steps are quite steep, all of my fears were put aside once I saw the breathtaking views!
Pro tip: we visited Coba towards the end of the day (about an hour before closing) and were able to enjoy the ruins (almost) to ourselves!
Read Next: Guide to the Coba Ruins
4 – Laguna Bacalar
Out of all the day trips from Tulum, Bacalar is one of the most ‘unknown.’ All of the activities in Bacalar revolve around the beautiful lake – you can hire a boat tours, go paddleboarding or kayaking, or just post up on the shore and enjoy the view.
This lagoon has some of the bluest water I’ve ever seen and has even been nicknamed ‘the Lake of Seven Colors’ because of all the stunning shades of blue.
We hired a private and very inexpensive boat tour that led us around the lake showing us pristine swimming spots, shoreside swings and took us to pirates cove where we gave ourselves mud facials.
Bacalar is easily reached by car and takes approximately three hours from Tulum. Or, you can also take the ADO bus from Tulum for under $10 per ticket!
Read Next: Guide to Laguna Bacalar
5 – Akumal
While one of our day trips from Tulum was a little more crowded than some others, I knew I wanted to see the sea turtles that hang out in Akumal to eat the green sea grass. This beach spot is very popular with plenty of tour guides that will swim you out to the area where the turtles like to swim. I recommend getting there first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds!
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