Walking from the Tulum Ruins to the beach Hotels

[Butterfly76]

Hi, First time to the Tulum Forum, wish I had found this site sooner because we are leaving in a week and in just a few short days I have gotten a wealth of information from all of you, so I would like to thank everyone.
My question is: We are staying at ElPez Villas on the beach and was wondering if the distance to the ruins is walkable or should we plan on taking a taxi? We usually walk a couple of miles every day.

[Westybchbum]

Hey Butterfly, Lucky you to have found us! I didn't until my 2nd trip to Tulum.... So, on my mapchick map, El Pez looks to be over 3 miles from the ruins. I think a taxi ride will allow you to enjoy the ruins more. :)

[Butterfly76]

Thanks Westybchbum, I didn't think it was that far. We will take a taxi, any idea about what a taxi would cost?

[Westybchbum]

We are car renters but I'm going to guess something like $5 usd.... it's about $10 usd to the pueblo and back based on comments made here....I'm not sure if you saw any of the trip reports but advice I've seen and wished I had taken is to get the tour talk along... I'm not sure what they call it but you have the option to have (via headsets maybe?) an informative description of the buildings you will be seeing. We ended up just kind of stumbling along but didn't quite know what we were looking at and I wish we had done it differently.

What other questions? We will be down there next week for a long weekend... what days are you there?

[minniemex]

Hola butterfly76! Welcome to the forum!

Just a suggestion, before you get in a cab in Mexico, be sure and ask the fare price first. If it seems high, just say "no thanks". If the cabby is highballing it, he will come down in price. Any fare is better than no fare. They all are supposed to charge the same $$ amount, but that doesn't always turn out to be true.

I don't have time to look right now, but there is a picture in one of my posts showing taxi fares from the Pueblo. I would assume that a fare to the ruins would be about the same from where you are staying as it would be from the Pueblo.

[Butterfly76]

We will be attending the wedding of my brother on Feb 18th at El Pez Villas. We will be down in Tulum from Feb 13th until Feb 26th. I really appreciate your help.

[Butterfly76]

Thanks so much Beach Bum, I did see a post that someone took a picture of the sign in Tulum Pueblo of the taxi fares, but it was from back in 2009 so I'm sure the rates have gone up since then.

[beachreader]

Pez is on the beach road, so I bet it will be 50 pesos. Have him take you to the north end of the beach road, not the main parking lot for the ruins. A) it'll be a cheaper taxi ride, and B), you won't have to deal with all the touristy junk around the parking lot. So if he starts veering to the left on the main road, remind him you want to go straight to the end of the beach road. Then you walk down the path there and it will take you around the ruins to the ticket booth--you can hire a guide there. I'm with Westy, next time I do the ruins I'll hire a guide--the signs aren't that great so we were just kind of faking it.

[Butterfly76]

Thanks again beachreader. This will be very helpful. Do you know if we can catch the collectivo to go from the ruins to Playa del carmen, or do we need to take a taxi to the Pueblo and then a collectivo from there?

[courtleigh]

great info! thanks westy and br! :D

have a great time on your trip, Butterfly!

[beachreader]

I'm pretty sure there's a collectivo stop near the ruins entrance, so if you want to do that, you would follow the crowds out of the ruins instead of back the way you came in. Keep walking past the parking lots to the highway. Personally, I would take a taxi back to the pueblo bus station and catch an express bus there, much more pleasant way to travel IMHO, but I get carsick easily, so the stop-and-go motion of the vans doesn't sit well with me.

[minniemex]

Just a note here ~ I do not think Beachreader mean't what she wrote :o. When she said "entrance to the ruins" she means the entrance at the highway (307). It is a long distance from the entrance to the actual ruins to the highway. I think there is a shuttle from the entrance to parking (for a fee) but the parking is still a distance from the 307. (Please advise if this is wrong, as it has been awhile since I was there so my memory might be off.) So, I guess what I am trying to say is you may just want to take a taxi to the 307 to catch the collectivo. Or as BR said, take the taxi to town and take a bus to Playa.

[mayaflya]

Checking the distance from the ruins (entry gate) to the 307 on google earth, it is a half mile walk.


Just a note here ~ I do not think Beachreader mean't what she wrote :o. When she said "entrance to the ruins" she means the entrance at the highway (307). It is a long distance from the entrance to the actual ruins to the highway. I think there is a shuttle from the entrance to parking (for a fee) but the parking is still a distance from the 307. (Please advise if this is wrong, as it has been awhile since I was there so my memory might be off.) So, I guess what I am trying to say is you may just want to take a taxi to the 307 to catch the collectivo. Or as BR said, take the taxi to town and take a bus to Playa.

[jlooneyb]

Hi Butterfly76,
It can get mighty hot too at the ruins, so I think a taxi ride would be playing it safe. You probably know this, but wear your swimsuit, the beach is awesome!!!

[Butterfly76]

Thanks to all, you have been such a big help. I think a taxi to Tulum Pueblo will be the way to go and then decide at that time whether to take the bus or collectivo. We do like to walk, but that sounds like a bit more than we are willing to do in the heat. We'll be leaving in a few short days, I'll post to let you all know how it went when we get back!

[pmcolorado]

Hi all,
What about riding bikes from the beach to the ruins? Is that possible, or too far or dangerous? We will be there April 23-26 and were wondering about getting to the ruins too. Staying at Cabanas Tulum.
Thanks!

[Butterfly76]

Hi pmcolorado,
We did end up walking to the ruins from Pez villas and it was a very nice enjoyable walk. Cabanas Tulum is not far from Pez villas, so I think a bike ride would be no problem at all. We saw many people biking the beach road while we were there. It's not dangerous at all. Have a wonderful trip, your going to love the beach.

[minniemex]

I just thought I would inject here that there is also now a nice walking/bike path into town from the Y. Before it was just stones but is now paved. A much easier bike ride than it ever was before.

When biking to the ruins, just be careful as the cabs pay no attention to anyone and speed all the time. Just make sure you are always in view around the curves.