Summer is one of the best times to visit the Riviera Maya. With warm Caribbean waters, abundant wildlife, and countless outdoor activities, this guide will help you make the most of your time in and around Tulum!
Casa Colibri is perfectly located for water activities, nature excursions, and unforgettable day trips throughout the Riviera Maya. On our property you can snorkel in the ocean and Cenote Manatí, which means you can skip on booking these kinds of tours and do it on our property. What makes our location even better is that Tulum’s downtown area is about a 10 minute drive away, and many cenotes, ruin sites and lagoons are about 15 to 30 minutes away from our little spot in heaven.
We’ll start out this guide with our favourite day trips:
- Sian Ka’an, Boca Paila and Muyil Canals:
The famous Sian Ka’an biosphere is a beautiful reserve located about 2 hours away from us. In Mayan, Sian Ka’an means heaven’s door, and it does justice to its name. The biosphere is known for being home to dolphins, manatees, crocodiles, migratory birds and many species of mammals and fish. There are several canals through the mangrove where you can kayak out to sea. Our favorite company for this tour is Mexico Kan Tours which have real eco tours. Another great option is the afternoon kayak tour with Yucatan Outdoors, a local group of bird watchers that get together at sunset and kayak out to sea.
The Muyil Canals are also part of Sian Ka’an but they have a different access. They’re known for the Ancient Mayan route, where the Mayans would canoe out to sea and head to Cozumel for the celebration of Ixchel the goddess of fertility. It is an amazing place to explore and you can do it with Visit Sian Kaan.
- Jaguar Park:
The Jaguar Park is a huge reserve at the beginning of town; it’s about a 10 minute drive from our property. You can rent bicycles and cycle through the jungle and there is a specific route that has a panoramic view of the jungle. Golf carts are available throughout the park, making it easy and enjoyable to explore the different attractions. The Tulum ruins are inside the park and there are 2 panoramic views of the ocean in walking distance as well.
This park connects to the ocean. If you want to skip the Tulum ruins and just get to the beach you can. We recommend parking inside the Jaguar Park parking lot, that is the second entrance to the ruins (the turn off from the highway is next to the Tulum colorful letters on the left side of the highway). It has a cost of 150 pesos for the whole day and at the entrance gate mention you’re just going to the beach. There’s also tours to the reef to snorkel with turtles. We highly recommend this tour; seeing the Tulum ruins from the ocean is impressive.
NOTE: the park closes at 5 pm, so take that into account when making plans.
- Akumal and Yalkú Lagoon:
Akumal is a wonderful beach town that has been growing for over 30 years. For the amount of time that has passed, it’s still a bubble in paradise. This beach town is famous for being a turtle beach; you can spot them very close to shore and snorkel with them. Yalkú lagoon is located at the heart of Akumal and it’s a cove where salt and sweet water mix together; it’s great for snorkeling because it’s a special kind of ecosystem that you won’t see anywhere else. You don’t need to book a tour for these activities; you can show up at the beach and hire a local company directly. - Cobá ruins:
Visiting the Cobá ruins for a day trip is a great way of seeing Mayan culture. The town is about a 45 minute drive from our property, on the way you’ll drive through 3 small Mayan towns. These are fabulous for finding souvenirs; all of the souvenirs you see in downtown Tulum come from these three towns. The Cobá ruins have been reopened to go all the way to the top of the pyramid; it’s really worth going up and seeing the panoramic views of the jungle. There are several beautiful cave cenotes 5 minutes from the town’s center and Coqui Coqui is a fantastic place to have lunch with a lagoon view. You can do this day trip without a tour, but if you wish to avoid driving, you can hire Mexico Kan Tours. - Whale Shark tours:
Seeing this immense and majestic animal in person is life changing. Every summer in July, these beautiful fish arrive in our Caribbean waters to feed. During this time, mackerel tuna conglomerate in hundreds and the whale sharks feed on them. Seeing these gentle giants in their natural habitat is an unforgettable experience and one of the Riviera Maya’s most extraordinary summer adventures. You can take this tour from Cancun, which is about a 2 hour drive from our property! - Punta Laguna:
Punta Laguna is one of the Riviera Maya’s hidden gems, offering a unique combination of wildlife, adventure, and nature. This protected reserve is home to spider monkeys and howler monkeys that can often be spotted in the treetops during guided walks through the jungle. Located about an hour and fifteen minutes from our property, it’s a perfect day trip for travelers looking to experience a different side of the Tulum area. - Chichen Itzá and Valladolid:
While on holiday in the Riviera Maya you can’t miss out on Chichen Itzá. This amazing world wonder just reopened its doors to the public. It’s really worth seeing this ruin site, it was one of the most important places for the Mayans for trade, politics and spirituality. Cenote I’kil is also on the premises and it’s a very important cenote, due to the closeness to Chichen Itzá.
The Yucatán Peninsula is home to more than 20,000 cenotes, making it one of the most unique freshwater systems in the world. Cenotes are natural freshwater sinkholes formed thousands of years ago when limestone caves collapsed and revealed the underground rivers flowing beneath the Yucatán Peninsula. The region’s porous limestone allows rainwater to filter through the earth, creating one of the largest underground river systems in the world.
This is our list of favourite cenotes:
- Cenote Manatí, only 5 minutes away in walking distance, is a snorkeler’s heaven. From herons to turtles, this cenote is full of life. It’s a big and long cenote, so even when there are people, it doesn’t feel crowded. Being so close to the property, it makes it super convenient to take a dip and come back and relax on the beach.
- Cenotes Cristal and Escondido are only 20 minutes in driving distance from our property, but it makes it great for snorkeling and frolicking in the sun. There are hammocks and lunch areas where you can have meals and enjoy the view in the shade. These two cenotes are widely known for their turtle activity. It’s wonderful to watch them swim.
- Cenote Encantado is another favorite spot to visit. Located in the Tulum hotel zone, this cenote connects with many cenotes located in the Sian Kaan biosphere.This cenote has many lounging areas with panoramic views, which makes it great to spend the whole day there.
- Bejil Ha cenote route, located about 20 minutes north of Casa Colibri, in a small town called Chemuyil. This 3 cenote journey has the complete package; cave, cavern and open air cenotes. These cenotes in particular aren’t as famous as others, so you won’t have crowds even in high season. It’s very dreamy to have the cenotes to yourself!
- Taak Bi Ha is an amazing cave cenote located in the Dos Ojos route, about 15 minutes north of our property. What makes this cenote such a must-visit is the breathtaking underground cave filled with crystal-clear turquoise water, dramatic rock formations, and hanging stalactites that have formed over thousands of years.
- Caleta Tankah, which is only a 5 minute drive away from Casa Colibri. The cenote on the property flows out in the ocean, creating a sweet water cove, which is wonderful to swim in. Just a couple steps away is the cenote, which has lovely vegetation around due to the closeness to the ocean.
We are also home to many lagoons; the Riviera Maya is truly an aquatic paradise. Our property is very close to Nopalitos and Kaan Luum lagoons; they’re about 20 to 35 minutes away from Casa Colibri. Kaan Luum is closer to town so probably there will be more crowds than Nopalitos. Our favorite spot at Nopalitos is Sipalitos lagoon club; full of hammocks in the shade, eating and barbecue area, kayaks included and a wonderful dock where you can jump into the crystal clear lagoon water.
Tulum is a fantastic place to find excellent food at reasonable prices. As a multicultural town, it offers an impressive variety of flavors from around the world. Whatever you’re craving, chances are you’ll find it in Tulum.
Our favorite Mexican restaurants:
- La Negra Tomasa is great for seafood, Negro Huitlacoxe is elevated mexican cuisine, La Norteña is a good for breakfast quesadillas and northern style cuisine, Taquería Honorio is superb for local style tacos (known as cochinita), La Mexicanita is known for Mexico City traditional dishes, Burrito Amor is famous for its burritos, Panza and Delicias de mi Tierra are known for the traditional style mexican cuisine, Estrada is a great place to have locally sourced seafood and last, Cetli is a gourmet fine dining mexican cuisine and Pargo is lovely to have a romantic dinner with a cenote view.
Our favorite global flavor restaurants:
- Tomizen has fantastic ramen and japanese food, La Gloria de Don Pepe and El Bodegón are wonderful for Mediterranean dishes, Canova Beach and Acqua e Farina for pizza and pasta, Bonita is a fantastic burger bar and Palma Central is a family friendly food truck collective that has amazing and varied options.
Our favorite vegetarian and vegan restaurants:
- La Hoja Verde, Raw Love, Lief’s, El Bajón Vegano and Co Con Amor are all great vegetarian restaurants with vegan options.
Our favorite coffee shops and ice cream parlors:
- Nimeño is a tasty coffee shop with a lovely local touch, Italdo is known for its great pastries, Story Horse is great for its gourmet coffee, Cara Feliz is the local favorite coffee shop and they have a used bookstore, and last Panna e Ciocolatto is the best place for ice cream in Tulum.
Our favorite bars:
- La Guarida is our personal favorite due to its unique design and local crowd, El Bodegón has great wine and cocktails, Batey is famous for its live music and mojitos, Palma Central is great for live music and dancing, Walicho is a good brewery and Anonymo is a new bar loved by locals.
Tulum is home to several artists and creatives. We are very lucky to have so many incredible locals creating projects for our community. Thanks to these incredible people, we have free and low budget activities. Palma Central is a great place to listen to live music and dancing; every Tuesday and Friday locals get together to dance until the early morning. Holistika and Tuk Tulum have free art walks where artists from all over the world showcase murals and sculptures. We also recommend visiting the Mayan towns for souvenirs; everything that is sold on Tulum’s main avenue comes from these towns, please support our locals! Marquesitas are a mexican style crêpe that can be filled with cheese or chocolate; you can enjoy having a marquesita at Tulum’s main square.
Whether you’re seeking adventure, relaxation, cultural experiences, or simply a place to reconnect with nature, the Tulum area offers something for every traveler. From crystal-clear cenotes and wildlife encounters to world-class cuisine and vibrant local culture, each day brings a new opportunity to discover the magic of the Mexican Caribbean. We hope this guide helps you make the most of your stay and inspires you to explore beyond the usual tourist path. Enjoy your summer in paradise, and take time to appreciate the natural beauty, rich traditions, and welcoming community that make this region so special.
