My wife and I just returned from a few days post-Cozumel in Tulum, which she had not visited before. I had passed through Tulum in 2004 as part of a months-long backpacking adventure around Central America and Mexico. Things sure have changed in Tulum since 2004! Things that were not there in 2004: major infrastructure improvements at some of the popular cenotes; well-constructed bike paths between town and the beach area and the ruins; an oddly high number of Italian restaurants, and even a vegetarian one and a Thai one, and places offering the likes of "wood fire-grilled local vegetable" tacos; a lot more expats/retirees; some nicer hotels; and a lot more of an international feeling. One could easily get by without speaking a lick of Spanish if they had to. Once upon a time, tourists bussed in and out of the ruins from Cancun and Playa del Carmen and completely bypassed the dusty little town, but now it seems the town is a draw in itself.
As for the cenote cavern tours, we visited (in this order) The Pit, Dos Ojos, Gran Cenote and Calavera, with Eric "Budgie" Burgess guiding. We had only booked two days of cenotes because my wife wasn't sure she would like it, and so we split our precious week of vacation between Tulum and good ol' Cozumel. But of course she ended up loving the cenotes, too. What's not to like about floating serenely through 76 F fresh water, passing through hazy haloclines and Tolkien-esque panoramas of sunken tree limbs shrouded in hydrogen sulfide mist?
Some have good restroom facilities, ample parking, numerous tables to set up gear, good platforms and stairs--none of which I recall from 2004. Dos Ojos has stone-paved walkways and facilities that rival anything at the Florida springs. It's quite an operation, and someone invested a good bit of money in it.
In 2004, I don't recall seeing another diver while my guide and I were at each site. We had the whole place to ourselves. On this trip, we saw a steady flow of divers, and from all over the world: Europe, Russia, Japan .... Dos Ojos had a sign in several languages. The guided cavern tours are very popular, and there are signs up all over town advertising them. However, we also saw plenty of full cave divers. This cave diving thing has become a bit of a worldwide phenomenon (as if I hadn't surmised that from reading SB and spending time in N. Florida).
In 2004, I stayed in a swelteringly hot, thatched-roof hut on the beach for a few dollars a night and only visited town once, to dive Gran Cenote and Calavera. (Ah, to be young--no wait, I was already old--and single.) This time we stayed in a stylish little hotel in town called the Mango, which we were told is owned by a British couple. We spent our last full day in Tulum not diving but rather visiting the ruins and doing some serious eating and drinking. We took a bus back to Cancun from Tulum to catch our flight.
All in all, a wonderful time. Next trip we'll likely hit Angelita and Carwash, among others.
As for the cenote cavern tours, we visited (in this order) The Pit, Dos Ojos, Gran Cenote and Calavera, with Eric "Budgie" Burgess guiding. We had only booked two days of cenotes because my wife wasn't sure she would like it, and so we split our precious week of vacation between Tulum and good ol' Cozumel. But of course she ended up loving the cenotes, too. What's not to like about floating serenely through 76 F fresh water, passing through hazy haloclines and Tolkien-esque panoramas of sunken tree limbs shrouded in hydrogen sulfide mist?
Some have good restroom facilities, ample parking, numerous tables to set up gear, good platforms and stairs--none of which I recall from 2004. Dos Ojos has stone-paved walkways and facilities that rival anything at the Florida springs. It's quite an operation, and someone invested a good bit of money in it.
In 2004, I don't recall seeing another diver while my guide and I were at each site. We had the whole place to ourselves. On this trip, we saw a steady flow of divers, and from all over the world: Europe, Russia, Japan .... Dos Ojos had a sign in several languages. The guided cavern tours are very popular, and there are signs up all over town advertising them. However, we also saw plenty of full cave divers. This cave diving thing has become a bit of a worldwide phenomenon (as if I hadn't surmised that from reading SB and spending time in N. Florida).
In 2004, I stayed in a swelteringly hot, thatched-roof hut on the beach for a few dollars a night and only visited town once, to dive Gran Cenote and Calavera. (Ah, to be young--no wait, I was already old--and single.) This time we stayed in a stylish little hotel in town called the Mango, which we were told is owned by a British couple. We spent our last full day in Tulum not diving but rather visiting the ruins and doing some serious eating and drinking. We took a bus back to Cancun from Tulum to catch our flight.
All in all, a wonderful time. Next trip we'll likely hit Angelita and Carwash, among others.
