Tulum - Quintana Roo, Mexico

After spending more than enough time in Playa del Carmen I finally packed my things, went to the bus station, and bought a ticket out. It only took an hour-long, very interesting bus ride (the driver must have made the morning's Bloody Mary a double) before I found myself in a small, one-street town called Tulum. Most famous for the Mayan ruins of the same name, the real reason to visit Tulum is the absolutely gorgeous beach. A few kilometers of white sand, turquoise water, palm trees, and no one trying to sell you a spot to sit make this an ideal place to walk, swim, or sunbathe (which a good number of visitors do half or fully nude).

Fortunately, that ugly machine called development hasn't yet laid its dirty hand on Tulum, and for the most part the only buildings at the beach are tiny, bare-bones cabañas and a few bar-restaurants which are set a number of meters from the waterfront. This makes it possible to really lose yourself in the natural beauty of what places like Playa del Carmen used to look like.

About seven kilometers from the beach el pueblo, as the locals call it, is doing a decent job of taking advantage of the ever-increasing tourism to the area while still continuing to bask in its natural Mexican flair. On the main street there are relatively fancy, but moderately priced restaurants next door to traditional taquerías, internet cafes next door to open-air, fresh fruit and vegetable markets, a wide range of lodging possibilities, and a nice soccer field which the kids are constantly enjoying. The locals haven't yet started seeing foreigners as just people off of whom money can be made and they are very helpful and more than willing to chat in the street or over a beer. The town makes a very pleasant place to take an evening stroll and enjoy some good food while watching the great mix of people wander by.

So whether it's the unique, beach-side ruins, the eclectic little village, or the beach itself, there's something in Tulum for everybody to enjoy. I imagine most people wind up enjoying at least a little of all three. Because of this it's one of those places where people often find themselves staying twice as long as they had planned. And that's exactly what happened to me.