Cheap, Simple Day Trip For Mainland Ruins? Tulum Ruins...??

[DandyDon]

My home dive bud and I are planning an August return for a few days of diving, and we're thinking about a day off to see some Mayan Ruins - with an eye on the Tulum Ruins - just ruins, not cenotes, no theme parks, none of the extras. Xcaret looks to be the closest to Playa del Carmen, but seems to be a theme park - $69 entry. Xel-Ha is further down the road, seems to be another theme park - $75 entry.

The Tulum Ruins seem to be an hour from PDC, just ruins thank you, and it looks like it has more to offer in ruins: $14 bus & entry package. Playa del Carmen - Mayan Ruins Of Tulum

Anyone toured these...?

thanks!

 

[driftwood]

Hi Don,

Been there and have the t shirt. Who ever decided to locate the city there had a very good eye for the dramatic. Without a doubt the finest vistas for any Mayan ruin. Hard to beat a cliff, white sand beach with a Mayan temple dominating.

Xcaret is the Mexican equivalent of Disney World. Xel-Ha is Six Flags.

Outside of a real full day to either CI or Ek Balam, your only other option is Coba. Coba was the largest Mayan city in the region and is largely unexcavated. It does show you how good the Mayan were at building tall temples. Coba is about 15 minutes from Tulum and you can catch a bus from PDC. Since you haven't been to either site, go to Tulum.

The only Mayan ruin that I would spend the time to see again is Ek Balam. Simply amazing, but you have to know what you are looking at.

 

[CaptEsteban]

The Tulum package is good & affordable. I would advise getting a tour guide & split the costs once there. You learn so much more about the Mayans & the site with a guide. One guide I knew there was Xavier, but he may no longer be there. He is a good guide & a good person. The ruins are not as great as Chichen Itza, etc,, but are well worth the visit, if you are into this. I have also taken a bus tour to Itza & a plane tour. The bus is a fun trip but is a FULL day's journey. The plane trip was nice, quicker, but more $$$.
I remember when Xel Ha was not commercialized , cost a couple of $$ to enter, & was never crowded. I like nature,,, not theme parks.

 

[WOODMAN]

I agree that Tulum is more dramatic and much more open, but they have almost all of it roped off and only allow viewing from a distance, so to speak. You cannot get close to the Citadel (Tulum's signature landmark) for example. There are some areas that they let you wander around in, but most of it is restricted, at least that's the way it was last year when I visited. I dunno, it kind of put me off, somehow. Pretty place, though, and much more open than other ruin areas.
However, down the road from there aways stands the ruins of Coba, which is far more interesting, for my money. They let you get right up close to most of that, and unless things have changed since last I visited, they let you actually climb up the main temple- God, what A view! Not for the fitness-impaired, though. That thing is steep and tall:shocked2: It was definitely the highlight of the tour, and I hope they still allow it. It IS a lot of walking, however, but they do have bikes for rent and also those bike-powered people carts you see all around there. A lot less people, also. I also agree that you would benefit from the guided tour, as it adds so much to the experience. I don't know how many of you are going, but perhaps if it is just you alone you could attach yourself to another party which was renting a guide, and help bring the cost down that way. I saw this done several times when I was down there.
But wherever you go, I am sure you will have a grand time of it. And don't forget to lather on the sunscreen! They have a type of tree down there around Coba which they call the Tourist Tree. And of course I had to ask the guide why, and he replied (with a big grin..) "look at the bark, senor- it's all red and peeling!" :mooner: Oh well, I should have seen that coming- but take the warning anyway. I wish you luck. Woody

 

[driftwood]

Woody is right about Tulum being much more restricted than Coba. The general rule is the more tourists, the less access you have to the ruins.

There are four major sites that are visited from people based in Coz, Cancun and the coast, Chichen Itza, Tulum, Coba and Ek Balam. CI is the most impressive, Tulum is youngest and least important but has the best views, Coba was the largest and is largely unexcavated giving it an "Indiana Jones" feel, Ek Balam is the most recently excavated site and has the best Mayan art found thus far.

If you go to Coba, there is a stella at the base of the main pyramid. Look at the stella, turn left and look up to the top of the temple. A Mayan king is seated on a throne being attended by nobles. The throne is supported by figures our guide described as peasants. His interpretation was the king was supported on the backs of the people. Actually, the stella is a commemoration of a coronation and the figures supporting the throne represent the human sacrifices. The classic Mayans tied people in the fetal position and rolled them down the pyramid.

 

[DandyDon]

You guys are about to talk me into Coba - jessze, what a long day that'd be. Need to rent a car or take a tour bus I suppose, not the public buses?

 

[driftwood]

I THINK there is still a bus from PDC to Coba. Check with the folks on playainfo to make sure. Coba is not that much further than Tulum, only 20 to 30 minutes on the road from Tulum to Valladolid. Better yet, buy me a ticket to Cancun and I will meet you at the dock with a car and take you there.

Coba is impressive. The current thinking is that the lake was man made from quarrying limestone to make plaster. The Mayans used a LOT of plaster on the buildings. When you are on top of the pyramid, look at the horizon. You will see 'hills' that break the jungle canopy. Each one of them is an unrestored temple.

BTW, there is a great place to eat 'local' to the left of the road as you enter Coba. Like I offered, buy me the ticket and I will show you the world.

 

[DandyDon]

Tickets are really cheap now, but I can't find any airlines going to Driftwood..?!
Yeah i know it's all a pretty level jungle area, and anything that looks like a hill is man made. Lots of them huh?

 

[driftwood]

Well I thank the gods that we don't have an airport! I will accept a rt from AUS if that is a help, make it two of them. Becky would pitch a fit if she wasn't included.

Only four or five that I remember, but it has been eight years. Coba is not like Tikal where it is so crowded. Much more spread out and that is part of the 'explorer' feeling to the site.

 

[robint]

here's one more vote for Coba..... we were there in 2000 and very impressed. August is going to be incredibly HOT though, wear very light weight clothing and take bug spray and water!
Take a bus tour if you want to learn the most and have the least hassles. You can rent a car in PDC and drive yourself then get the tour guide at Coba if you really want.

Playa del Carmen - Anna James Coba
this one only uses vans (smaller groups) but only goes on Thurs

another tour:
Coba Mayan Encounter Tour from Cozumel

if you drive yourself, get the map: Can-Do Travel Guides for the Mayan Adventures. It has the driving info to get there plus a map of Coba and restaurants and such in area. It also shows the gas stations!


robin