We’ve talked about where to eat in Tulum and given you a complete guide to Tulum, but what we haven’t done is give you our list of the best things to do in Tulum! Tulum is truly one of those places with something for everyone.
Things to do in Tulum
Cenotes Tulum
Tulum and the entire Yucatán Peninsula is known for cenotes. A cenote is a deep, water filled sinkhole that has natural pools that make their way to the surface when the underground cavern collapses. Some cenotes are caves or caverns, some are open and some are semi-open. There’s plenty of cenotes to choose from. We visited two of what we thought were the best cenotes in Tulum, Cenote Dos Ojos and Cenote Calavera.
Cenote Dos Ojos
Cenote Dos Ojos in north Tulum is quite possibly the most popular and most visited cenote in Tulum. It’s a cave cenote with some of the clearest water we’ve ever seen. You can swim, snorkel and explore inside the cave!
Cost: $300 pesos/person (snorkeling) – cash only.
Tips: This is a natural cave so there will probably be fish in the water and bats may fly around in the cave.
Location: Northern part of Tulum as you’re driving from Cancún to Tulum.
Cenote Calavera
Cenote Calavera is just West of Downtown Tulum past the supermarkets. Like Dos Ojos, Cenote Calavera is another super popular Cenote in Tulum and, one we might argue, is the best cenote in Tulum. It’s basically a massive sinkhole/ swimming hole cave with 3 holes to jump in from. The big hole is the shortest distance around 7 ft high jump then there are two small holes that look like you’re disappearing into the rock formation. These two holes are 14 feet deep and 8-10 feet deep respectively for your jump.
Cost: $200 pesos/person (for snorkeling)
5 minute drive west of Downtown Tulum
Other cenotes near Tulum:
Gran Cenote Tulum
Cenote Car Wash
Casa Cenote
Cenote Pet Cemetery
Clan Destino Cenote Bar
Visit Laguna Kaan Luum
Technically Laguna Kaan Luum is a cenote, but we feel like it deserves its own space. This once hidden gem in Tulum has quickly become a very popular spot to visit and might have been one of our favorite things to do in Tulum.
Cost: $100 pesos/person (snorkeling) and $150 pesos to fly a drone
Tips: Get there early if you’re after the best Insta shots. It’ll be relatively empty! The clay is said to have healing properties, so rub it all over!
Murals in Tulum Town
We have a serious addiction to mural hunting! Whether we’re looking for murals in Austin, dreaming of awesome Dallas murals and even Tulum… We found ourselves in search of murals while in Tulum Town. We always find a connection with the colors, graphics and stories told within the art, and Tulum’s murals were no exception.
Shopping in Tulum
Whether you’re shopping in the Tulum Beach area or Tulum Town, both have plenty of spots to keep you busy for days. The main street through Tulum Town is riddled with your typical tourist-trap style of shops, but if you stray from there, you’ll find some great, local shops that will wow you.
The Tulum Beach area certainly has more “trendy” shops. Filled with all of the best on-trend clothes, jewelry and everything else you might be able to dream up.
Enjoy the Best Restaurants in Tulum
Our experience eating in Tulum was exactly that, an incredible experience. It’s a foodie’s paradise, paired with an unrivaled sense of culture and sustainability. You can feel it in the ingredients used, the flavors displayed and the people. There is something about Tulum food that draws you in to not only the food, but the entire town.
Some of the best restaurants in Tulum:
But, if you want the full rundown of Tulum food, be sure to check out our list of the best restaurants in Tulum.
Relax on the beach
Afterall, Tulum Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches… You can’t visit without spending at least a little time on the beach. In our guide to Tulum, we laid out how you can gain access to the beach clubs and where you should stay if beach time is something you want to maximize.
Ride Bikes
One of the best ways to get around the Tulum Beach area is riding bikes. Bike rentals in Tulum are fairly easy to come by and range in price from $3/day to $15/day. Ask your hotel concierge who they recommend. If you don’t have a concierge, just take a stroll down the beach road, you’ll see plenty of places to rent bikes.
Visit IK Lab at AZULIK Tulum
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make it here while we were in Tulum. But if you can squeeze in a visit to IK Lab Tulum, you totally should! IK Lab is a visual masterpiece made to showcase some of the most unique artforms you’ll ever see.
Cost: They run off of donations. Don’t be a jerk. Give a donation!
Tip: If you come in with big cameras/ looking like a pro photographer, they may ask you to leave or ask you to pay a fee.
Find All the Best Instagram Spots in Tulum
Spots like Coco Tulum and Azulik Tulum are certainly the epitome of instagram-worthy, but there isn’t an area of Tulum that wouldn’t make for the perfect backdrop for a great insta-shot! From random walkways to the entrances to restaurants, you can’t go more than a minute without being surrounded by beautiful scenery.
Swim With the Turtles at Akumal Beach
This one was a bucket list item for us. While technically not in Tulum, swimming with the turtles at Akumal Beach was an incredible experience. There’s a LOT of controversy around whether you have to pay to snorkel or not… The people at the dive shop (which has been mentioned on countless blogs as “the place” to get the honest answer) even said you have to pay.
Honestly, if we wouldn’t have gone with a guide, we probably never would have found the turtles. These guys are trained to find the turtles and you’re assured before you hand over the money that if you don’t see at least one turtle, you’ll get your money back. Thankfully, we saw a LOT of turtles!
Cost: 250 pesos/person which is under $15.
Tip: Get there early! We were the first people to go out so the sand and seagrass wasn’t cloudy from the big groups who come later in the day.
While we’re only scratching the surface on all of the fabulous things to do in Tulum, we think this is a pretty great list to get you started! If we skipped over one of your favorites, let us know in the comments!
