New Airport in Tulum

[cirelle]

When we were in QRoo this past January, we were told there was plans for a new airport in the Tulum area that was supposed to be done by the end of this year (the date may have been a guess), but I did see a photo in one of my searches of this site showing 3 lines which looked like runways in the coba area (google photo).

This would be better to fly into, rather than Cancun and the hour plus ride down.

Anybody heard anything?

Greg

[John in DC]

It's nowhere near being done. Actually it appears that it's just been started with the clearing of the basic outline of the runways and taxiway. If I had to guess, this airport will be ready to receive passengers in three years if it's on a real fast track. I'm no expert, but building an international airport from scratch out of the jungle strikes me as a pretty complex construction job.

[Kenster]

I think a commercial airport in the Tulum area would be disastrous on many levels. Tulum is already growing too fast for my liking. I want it to stay a little, sleepy, semi-resort area. We don't need another Cancun or even PDC. Plus, having larger crowds in Tulum will be harmful to the local environment and even more taxing on the already limited natural resources - like water!!
It's easy to get to Cancun with frequent flights from all over the world. I'll happily make that right turn coming out of the Cancun airport and never look back. I get away from Cancun as soon as possible and that hour or so drive to Tulum just increases the anticipation. And I don't want to drive the beach road some day only to find all the beautiful cabanas places scraped off and replaced with more giant All Inclusive resorts.

[John in DC]

Kenster, for better or worse, the airport appears to be a done deal. See the photos in the thread here:

http://www.tulum.info/showthread.php?t=235

If that ain't an airport in the upper left hand corner of the second image, I don't know what is. The location conforms with all the rumors that have been swirling around for the last several months. It's out the Coba Road a few kilometers northwest of Tulum.

[Gale in KY]

Ken, disasterous for sure..think most of us share your feelings about the airport, but as Carousel said, it's a done deal. Saddens me to think of the changes that are coming to Tulum, sad for those of us who enjoy it's seclusion. I am sure the residents there will benefit with added jobs and income, so I try to be optimistic and say a little prayer for those who decide upon development issues that they will do so with wisdom and the enviornment in mind.

It bothered me to see the beachroad paved, I can't imagine what is gonna be lost to the airport a few years from now.

[jx2]

The Coba road has had some extensive work done recently also:( They have been saying it was coming for 10+ years now, but I think the wheels are actually starting to turn now:(

[cirelle]

Thanks John, appreciate the reply

[Kenster]

Well, it's several years away from now and I can't see this being a major operation for many more years to come. I was in the airline business for over twenty years. I don't believe you'll see airlines suddenly bringing several large planes a day into this area, being so close to Cancun. What I can see is someone like Continental Express flying a couple of RJs in each day, like they do Merida and several other smaller markets in Mexico.

[tulumdreams]

Hello - I hope that this post will help a bit with respect to the current reality of the Tulum airport. This discussion has been ongoing for years, and has been used by some to speculate in real estate - especially the lands in the ejidos on the road to Coba, and in Tulum itself. The airport does not appear to be a done deal by any means, and it is also unknown if it will be a massive international airport a la Cancun, when or if built. The Google Earth link provided by Carousel may well show the new development of the colonia Kukulkan leading to the ocean from Tulum town. I am not an expert on decoding satellite images, but the geographic location of these "lines" is quite simply inconsistent with a Coba location. While there is hope that Tulum will never become a Cancun or Playa del Carmen, and an airport may eventually be built (an access road from the outskirts of Tulum town to Coba is being built), hope is still alive and well