Taking the Collectivo to Tulum

I'm so mad at my little brother for deleting my pictures, but I guess stewing in my anger isn't going to bring them back.  Arrrggg!  I just need to be around people with a little more estrogen and and little less testosterone today.  Breathe...

Anyway, yesterday my brother and I headed, via Collectivo bus, to Tulum.  If you are in Playa del Carmen, and interested in taking the Collectivo, you can pick one up on Calle 2 and Avenida 15.  It is super easy AND cheap.  Just walk up to the front of the line, tell the driver where you want to go, and get in.  The ride to Tulum from PdC takes about 1 hour and cost 40 pesos.  The driver drops you off right at the ruins, and when you are ready to leave, just hop back on a Collectivo waiting to drive back towards PdC.  I've also traveled this way to Akumal, and it's definitely the way to go IMO!

Patrick and I arrived around 3 in the afternoon.  There were no crowds, but it was soooo hot!  Gosh, I miss fall!  This was Patrick's first ruin trip since he's arrived, so I let him have my camera and take (and edit/delete) the photos.

I came to Tulum once before with the hubs, my (older) brother, and his fiance, so I just enjoyed the scorching hot sun, and my over-sized cooler on my shoulder.

Posing with the temple

Patrick being goofy

Carrying the extra GI-normous cooler!

After wandering around the ruins for a couple hours, we were hot, sweaty, tired, and hungry.  Not a good combination!  So we decided to walk down to the surrounding beaches.  Tulum has some of the most beautiful beaches in the area.  Plenty of white sand, and the reef prevents the waves from coming in super strong.  We brought all our snorkel gear with us, thinking we would take a snorkel trip, but we were a little tired from our busy day, so we just enjoyed our late lunch and relaxed.  We decided to settle down at Santa Fe beach, and we were not disappointed.  The beach was beautiful, with only a handful of other people.  It probably didn't hurt that we didn't get to the beach until 4:30 on a Thursday afternoon.  There are other beaches walking distance from the ruins, that I'm sure are gorgeous too.

Beaches of Santa Fe

Recommendations for Tulum:

1. Bring sunscreen, bathing suit, towel, and sunglasses!
2. Bring a little snack or lunch and water... LOTS of water.  There are restaurants near the ruins, but the restaurant on Santa Fe beach was not good and had a very small selection of food choices.
3. Don't be afraid to try the less popular beaches.  Tulum is set right on the coast, so many of the sightseers choose to go to the beach with access from the ruins.  Don't be afraid to explore, you might find something wonderful.
4. If you are wanting to do a snorkel tour, don't pay the high prices at the front of the ruins.  If you walk down to the beach, you can find boats and captains that will take you out with all the equipment for less than $20 per person.
5. Take lots of pictures!