Tulum current conditions

[wedivebc]

As an avid cave diver, I have been travelling to the Tulum area for 20 years now. The deterioration of the cave system had been quite apparent over the years but never so much as in our last visit. We were there just prior to Tren Maya going into operation but the damage to the cave systems around Tulum was already quite obvious. The same applies to the town of Tulum. Last visit we ended up abandoning our luxury condo (newly built) due to a bed bug infestation. The owner offered to change the sheets for us but no refund or discount offered. We ended up staying in Protec's bunkhouse which was clean and comfortable but a far cry from the beautiful garden and pool experience we had originally booked. We are also grateful to Kim (Protec) for getting us in at the last minute.
So I am wondering with so many of my old familiar caves either being overrun with tour operators, polluted with raw sewage, or damaged by land owners wanting a bigger swimming hole for their cenote, I ask, is it worth going back? What is the current conditions of the town. the beach, the caves?

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

Which specific caves did you see deteriorating?

I don’t have such a long time reference but do agree that Tulum is an overpriced dump at the moment.

 

[wedivebc]

Which specific caves did you see deteriorating?

I don’t have such a long time reference but do agree that Tulum is an overpriced dump at the moment.

Well for starters, Chac Mool is a cesspool, Pet Cemetary not accessible to cave divers, Regina was a mess, landowner trashed Calimba cenote, Grande Cenote no longer accessible to divers, and I just read about El Pit becoming messed up by over use. Dos Ojos, forget it we traversed from Dos Palmas and emerged at Dos Ojos only to be chased out by staff running snorkel tours. What these people forget that these caves were first explored by cave divers not snorkelers and it is thanks to original explorers that people even know about them.