- built in the thirteenth century
- a seaport trading mostly in jade and turquoise
- protected by a limestone wall, one theory is that priests and nobility lived within and the peasants lived outside of the walled area
- one of the last inhabited Mayan cities.
- stayed in existence up to 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico
formerly known as Zama, City of Dawn, because it faces the sunrise
Getting There from Playa Del Carmen:
- take a colectivo (local bus) for 40 pesos (about $3 usd)
- ride is anywhere between 40 mins and an hour depending on how many stops the bus makes
- comfy, a/c, smooth ride
Ticket price: 52 pesos
24DEC12. Tulum, Mexico. Canon 550D, Lens EF18-135mm
Years ago a friend and I snuck into the ruins to watch the sunrise because they did not open until 9. An easy sneak from the beach, we found a nice spot to sit in the grass and greet the morning sun. Before too long a short, stout man shouting “banditos! banditos! walked fast at us. We looked around for the banditos but did not see anyone. I turned to my friend. “We are the banditos!” We walked a bit more quickly than he to a new location. Soon we heard him quizzically calling into the morning breeze, “banditos?”. It goes on but I revealed enough about my level of maturity. Que le vaya bien!
Great story, haha! Tu eres un bandito!!! 🙂