Mexico\u2019s world-famous resorts offer nightlife, fine dining, and many other modern amenities, but if you are looking to take a step back in time to an earlier civilization, plan a trip to the Tulum ruins. The ancient remnants offer visitors a maze of discoveries as they wander through what was once a thriving seaport.<\/p>\n
Tulum was a Mayan city located about 40 miles south of Playa del Carmen<\/a> and 80 miles south of what is now Cancun<\/a>. The modern luxuries of Cancun stand in contrast to the nearly 1,000-year-old city, which houses the relics of the Pyramid el Castillo, or castle, and a series of temples each decorated with dedications to Mayan gods. It is believed that it may have been an important worship site for the Mayan \u201cdiving god\u201d which had its own temple near the Castillo.<\/p>\n The remnants of Tulum lie at the top of 39-foot cliffs overlooking the Yucatan Peninsula at the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. The town\u2019s position as a seaport \u2013 and possibly a trading area for jade and obsidian – opened it up to invasion, so it is surrounded by a limestone wall, nearly two feet thick, on three sides. It housed 600 people inside 39 square miles of rolling hills and buildings.<\/p>\n This ancient seaport is exceptionally preserved, sparking visitors to imagine what life in the pre-Columbian town was like – even archaeologists are not entirely certain what civilization was like in ancient Tulum, or even who lived inside the city walls.<\/p>\n Visitors need not choose between tapping into their inner Indiana Jones and relaxing on the beach. Tulum features its own beach on the Caribbean, perfect for sunbathing along turquoise waters beneath the rising cliffs. Add this spot into your travel agenda and step into a well-preserved piece of history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Mexico\u2019s world-famous resorts offer nightlife, fine dining, and many other modern amenities, but if you are looking to take a step back in time to an earlier civilization, plan a trip to the Tulum ruins. The ancient remnants offer visitors a maze of discoveries as they wander through what was once a thriving seaport. Mayan ruins at Tulum Tulum was a Mayan city located about 40 miles south of Playa del Carmen and 80 miles south of what is now Cancun. The modern luxuries of Cancun stand in contrast to the nearly 1,000-year-old city, which houses the relics of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[49,48],"class_list":["post-7477","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-blog","tag-cancun","tag-playa-del-carmen"],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\nTulum offers both adventure and relaxation<\/h2>\n