Your tax dollars at work

For all of the complaining that happens in, around and about Mexico- the Mexican gov't - and that nothing ever happens and the gov't does nothing....I have some positive things to share.

In the states I remember these signs that would say, "Your tax dollars at work." usually posted in front of some horrible construction site and detour that you were about to deal with. I also remember thinking what a waste it was to have the sign at all. Clearly we can see that something is going on. This was basically the gov't way of saying..." see- see- we are doing something. "

Well, here is the sign for you guys Tulum. Tulum's gov't is working hard to get things in top shape for the busy holiday season. This season promises to bring many new people to the Tulum area - some again and many for the first time. One new development that these guys will see....

A new bike/walking path that goes all the way from the light in Tulum town to the beach and south for about 1/2 a km. This new bike path is great. Bikes are such a wonderful way to get around Tulum. Our flat terrine, easy going people and eco friendly attitude lend to bikes PEFECTLY! This great new path is wide and smooth and an absolutely perfect addition to our little town.

What I love too are the new little palapa bus stations that are up and down the road as well. This is perfect whether you are waiting for the collectivos that run the beach road or you are walking or biking and need to take a shade break.

This new path is great and is almost finished. I will bring more pics when it is done.

There is also being money spent in areas that no tourist will ever be. So it is not all being spent on those that come and leave our shores. In Villas Tulum what was once a waste land of nothing- old broken play equipment and rocks underneath is 3 blocks of wonderful park. The palapa at the entrance to Villas Tulum is being repaired and the floor expanded to hold more people. The 2nd block is now a fully paved basketball court- complete with beautiful planters filled with palms that will shade the park nicly in a few years and 3rd.... the park structures are getting new flooring as well. Rather then large jagged rocks under the swing there will now be a smooth - kid friendly floor. In addition the paths that lead through the kids park are safe for kids to run around and play.

It is so nice that we have decided that we are going to have our daughter's birthday party there. It is open, nice, easy and right next to the park!!!! I am really happy with the improvements that Tulum continues to make.

I cannot speak for the Mexican gov;t in general- or really the gov't of Quintana Roo but I can say that Tulum is doing something. And the something that they are doing is going to have immediate and lasting impressions of visitors and locals alike!

Taxi driver in Tulum***

Taxis are the most common form of transportation around Tulum Pueblo and Tulum Beach.   There are 2 areas in Tulum Pueblo where the taxis will line up.  The first is right outside the sydicato about 2 blocks into town on the right from the Cancun side entrance.  This is right across from the Don Caffetto restaurant and the Mar Caribe Super.   the other is right infront of the ADO bus station towards the southern end of town.
If you are in this area it is customary to waive over the next taxi in line rather then grabing one on the road.  If not, then just waive one down. 

The base rate is between 15-20  pesos if you stay in the immediate downtown area or very near by (say to Super SF or Villas Tulum neighborhood).  At night the price goes up a little.  To get to the beach will range between 40 pesos for the nearer hotels like to Mezzanine and Luna Maya.  Going up to like 100 pesos to get all the way south towards the Sian Ka'an Bioreserve.  It is always a good idea to check with the driver before you get going. 

Taxi drivers here are very nice.  I have been to places where the taxis run you all over town because you do not know the town and try to charge you a lot.  This was really common in San Francsico where I lived. Here that is not really possible.  The town is very small and not that vast.  So long as you have a general idea you should be fine.

Please remember that people here do live on tips.  If you were really happy with your driver - tip - it is always appreciated.

one nice option around Tulum is to use taxi drivers for tours.  I have many taxi driver friends that offer very popular tours to Tulum ruins, some cenotes, Coba ruins and the monkey reserve for  fraction of the cost of a tour.  You can have up to 4 people in a taxi and you have the driver at your disposal.  rather then waiting around for a lot of people to gather together you can sit back with your friends or family and enjoy the day for A LOT less.  Many taxi drivers work with another person and therefore can accomidate larger groups.  I think that this is the very best option for seeing the ruins.

I know drivers that do tours to :

Tulum Ruins

Coba Ruins

Cenotes

Chichen Itza

Sian Ka'an Bioreserve

Playa del Carmen

and to the Cancun airport

etc.  The taxi drivers are very flexible, most speak English and they provide a more relaxed and personal day.

Colectivos in Tulum***

Colectivos in Tulum are a very easy and cost effect way to get around the Rivera Maya.  These vans run the distance between Playa del Carmen and Tulum.  Different syndicates (like Unions) run even further North from Cancun to Playa del Carmen and many run south of Tulum to Carrillo Puerto. 

I really love taking the collectivos.  They are easy and cheap.  You can simply flag one down on the main road and tell them where you want to get off.  These are especially great for people that are staying in the Rivera Maya and want to visit the ruins on Tulum.  It currently costs about 30 pesos from Playa del Carmen to Tulum.

I have heard that travel agents in the USA and Canada are advising people not to take the collectivos because they are unsafe and I can assure you that is not the case.  This is the most common form of transportation for people here and I have NEVER had a problem with them. 

The collectivos are a great way to do day trips from Tulum and throughout the Rivera Maya.  They only run along the main avenue in Tulum and on the highway.  In Playa del Carmen they end at 10th and Juarez.  These are the ideal way to get to Akumal from Tulum or between Tulum and Playa del Carmen. 

They start pretty early- I think around 6 and run till around 11ish at night.

ADO bus lines around Tulum***

The ADO bus line is the main bus line that runs around Mexico and the Rivera Maya. I get a lot of questions about these buses and their safety. I have been on the the bus many times back and forth to the airport and to smaller towns around the Yucatan. The buses are very safe and very comfortable. You can read more about how to go to the Cancun airport from Tulum on the ADO buses here.

There is also a new shuttle ADO bus from Tulum to the airport 4 times a day. Check the schedule at the bus station in Tulum to see if this cost effective option will work for you. This is definatly the cheapest way to get to the airport.

To some of the smaller towns you may also end up on the Mayab bus line. These buses will stop more frequently and might be in a little less of great shape. But they are still very nice and comfortable. There are many stops at other towns which offers a good chance to get out and use the restroom and buy some of the amazing Mayan food being sold by vendors near the station. Many times people will come right up on the bus and pass through with sopes or sodas for sale.

You can buy your ticket from the bus station or from the bus driver themselves. If you are at the station, buy it from the window. The buses like everything else around here operate on Mexican Time. you really need to be flexible and not get upset. Trust me- there is nothing that yelling at the ticket person that the bus is an hour late or came and left 45 minutes early is going to do. Just be flexible and have a good attitude. You can get a good idea of bus prices at the ADO website. Mayab is usually a little cheaper.

In Tulum it is on the main avenue right next to Charlie's. Charlies is also my favorite place to meet people who are coming on the bus because you can never be quiet sure what time they will get there. So I always tell people to take a right out of the station and go into the first restaurant.

I alsways feel very safe on the bus but I also use common scense.

How to get to Tulum from the Cancun airport

There are many ways to get to Tulum from the Cancun airport. You can take a private transfer, you can take a shared van transfer (minimum 2 person) you can take a taxi (that will run around 900-1000 pesos.) Or you can take the bus. this is the most cost effective way and it is very comfortable and safe.

The bus line is ADO. These buses are large, comfortable, clean and safe. Once out of customs you will see a desk with the red ADO logo. the people here will most likely speak some English. The bus does not currently go directly to Tulum. It does however go from the airport to downtown Cancun or from the airport to Playa del Carmen. The cost for this bus is 30 and 90 pesos per person, kids are half price and kids under 3 can sit on your lap for free.

There is now a bus that goes directly from Tulum to the airport.  It is 3 times a day and a great option if the timing works.  But when it does not work, I usually to Playa del Carmen for 2 reasons, 1 it breaks the long bus ride up a little bit- but if you have a lot of luggage you may want to go to Cancun and then be able to sit back for an hour and half to Tulum. The other reason I like to go to Playa del Carmen is that the bus drops you off right on 5th avenue 1 block from the sea. It is a nice- This is reminder for why you are shleping all this stuff around... Your vacation. It is also easy to grab a bite of food as by now I am usually starving!

The bus to Playa del Carmen will take about 45 minutes. It will let you off on 5th Avenue and Benito Juarez. This is the main hub for tourism in Playa del Carmen. From here you can take a bus from Playa del Carmen to Tulum. The cost for that bus is 48 pesos. It is another 45 minutes to Tulum. The bus station in Tulum is right in the middle of town.   *** Reminder** This is not a great option if there are many people or you have a lot of stuff. Something are worth spending a few bucks more on for sanity purposes. ***

There are many taxis right there that can take you over to the beach area if that is where you are staying.

Akumal

Akumal is a wonderful town just north of Tulum, Mexico. It is a beautiful area with great restaurants, dive shops, bars, and shops. We had heard wonderful things about it and knew that it was famous for sea turtles.


We took the collectivo from Tulum to Akumal for about 20 pesos per person. The new rule now is that any child over 4 pays the full fare, but they are entitled to a seat. Kids under 4 can sit in your lap at no cost. The collectivos are white vans with an orange or blue stripe on the side. There are also some that have a black stripe and those ones are fine too, they just go further south then Tulum to Carrillo Puerto from Playa del Carmen. The ones with the orange or blue stripe just go to Tulum centro and Playa del Carmen (and anywhere on 307 in between). These vans are very nice and run very frequently. All you have to do to catch one is stand on the side of 307(the main road) and they will pick you up.

After getting out of the collectivo we walked a short 5 minutes into the town. It was very cute and I could see that it split into many areas and I cannot wait to go back and explore the town more. But for now, we were focused on beach time. We walked the pathway to the beach and came upon the opening to the bay. It was beautiful.



The beach at Akumal bay was amazing. With the boats anchored around the bay and people able to walk 30 feet with the water at legs, it was perfect for kids. They were able to jump and play and swim around in as much safety as one could provide. The sand in the bay was perfect- once you got past the rocky part in the beginning.
And you could stand their and watch these large sand colored fish swim around and every now and then there would be these silver "flying fish" That is what Ruben called them. But the skim along the top of the water for like 15-20 feet.

There were so many people with their snorkel masks and it did not take long to figure out why. There are also a lot of sea turtles. We did not get to see these as we do not have snorkel equipment. Something we need to change because there is just way to much cool stuff to see in the water and such clean water to see through.



There were some really nice looking beach restaurants and beach clubs. We are on a budget so we did not get anything at any place this time. This time was a picnic trip. Once thing I noticed and I loved was that the recycle containers were far before the garbage can. They were broken down into categories (organic & paper, plastic bottles, glass) And that pretty much covers almost everything consumed by people hanging on a beach in the Mayan Rivera. This made the garbage can able to be small. I really loved that.

I cannot wait to go back to Akumal when we can walk around the whole area more.

The colors as you approach the water are beautiful.

Getting around Tulum

Getting around Tulum can be quiet easy. There are few ways to get around Tulum.

ADO & MAYAB Busses: These busses run all over the Yucatan to many popular tourist locations as well as all over the whole area of Mexico. They are usually the least expensive option to get around.

Collectivos around Tulum: These are wonderful van taxis that run the distance between Playa del Carmen and Tulum (and even south to Carrillo Puerto) They are a very inexpensive and easy form of public transportation.

Taxis: These taxi drivers can get you all over Tulum for a great price. Many drivers also offer tours great tours. Contact us for specifics.

How to get to Tulum & the Rivera Maya by airplane

When people fly to the Rivera Maya they usually fly into Cancun. This is a small airport and is very easy to get around. I have flown on 3 different airlines to get to Cancun, US Airways, American Airlines and Mexicana.

Mexicana allowed me to check 2 bags per person at no charge from the USA. I was a little over weight and had to pay on one of my trunks but it was not much. They did it per kilo which was nice because I was not very far over. I also paid $100 to bring my cat.

**** Side note about bringing animals into Mexico**** I was not sure how easy it would be to bring my cat to Mexico but I knew that she had to come. It was pretty easy too. I had to bring a copy of her shot record. My vet had this ready to go for me when I left Oregon. The other thing that I needed was a "Health Certification"-- This can only be issued no more the 72 hours before departure. The Health Cert. is a simple examination of the animal. I got 2 copies of this just in case. I also bought a hard airline case from the vet as well. I was not sure if Calvin was going to go with me or go in cargo. At the airport, I paid my $100. But they said that I needed to use my soft case because the hard case could not go under my seat. That was fine with me. I wanted Calvin with me. The hard case was checked and did not cost me anything. Calvin was wonderful. I am really lucky I have a really chill cat. All be it HUGE!!! She is almost 20 lbs. Once I got to Mexico I had to go with a woman at the airport to register Calvin. This process took only a few moments and was very easy. And they were very nice to my cat.****

Anyway. Mexicana was also very kind in that they checked some bags at the gate because with 3 carry-on suit cases, 3 "personal items" 2 kids and a cat. It was more then I could handle. The people were also very nice. None of my trunks had been searched when I came in. They had all been taped shut in San Francisco.

Mexicana is my favorite airline to fly to Mexico. And if you keep your eyes open, you can find some great deals to Cancun from the USA on Mexicana

I have also flown American Airlines. I had a wonderful experience on this one as well. I was able to check 2 bags for international flights with no charge. the flights were on time, but I was left with little time for my connections.

I have also flown US Airways. The people were very nice and I got a great deal on my tickets. But when I left Mexico to go home and visit I was not charged anything for my bags. Not sure if the people forgot, didn't care or where in love with the babies but I did not pay anything. But when I was flying back to Mexico from San Diego there was a $15 for the first bag for each person and $25 for the 2nd bag. This wiped away any discount that I got on my ticket. I think that their overweight charges are also pretty high ($65 for 1st bag 51-70 lbs. and $115 if over 70 lbs.)They also charge $1 for coffee and tea, $2 for a can of soda or juice and $7 for wine, beer or cocktails. and $5-7 for some food. That seemed a little steep to me. But in these times I guess it makes sense.

Once landing in Cancun it is a very simple process. Many flights are directed towards the customs area and the lines move pretty fast. They often check your immigration and customs forms when you get off the plane so corrections can be made before people hit the line.Have your passports open to the photo page and your forms out and ready. Once you are through this point you will be in the baggage claim area. Grab your bags and if needed use one of the free carts that are around. you will then go to customs. This process is easy. You just put your bags on the scanner and wait--behind the yellow line!!! (They will yell at you otherwise)Once you give your docs to the customs agent you will push the magic button. Sometimes it is red and sometimes it is green. If it is red you will be searched. They are fast and respectful of your things when they search. You will also not be allowed to bring certain food items. I forgot about an apple in my little cooler and had to throw it out but no big deal.

Getting out of the airport and to the Rivera Maya

Now, I have not gone to Cancun's hotel zone but I am sure there is a a shuttle or bus that gets you there. I will look into this.

To get to Playa del Carmen from the Cancun airport there are a few options. My favorite, because it is the cheapest, is to go to the ADO Bus line desk after you get out of customs. They have a ref logo and are clearly marked. Be prepared that the people here may or may not speak English. The bus from the airport to Playa del Carmen is 90 pesos. Kids are half the cost and under 3 can sit on your lap for free. The buses are nice and clean and run frequently. The bus gets out in downtown Playa in the middle of 5th Avenue, the main tourist hub of Playa del Carmen. It is about 45 minutes from Cancun to Playa del Carmen.

You can take a taxi from the airport and it should run you about 400 pesos.

There are also shuttles that can pick you up at the airport and take you to your hotel in various areas of the Rivera Maya. It is a good idea to have an idea of what cross streets and major landmark are near your hotel. I have had friends frive around for quite a while looking. I will get more info and prices and update this post.

You can also rent a car in the airport. There are many major names that you will be familiar with right in the airport. Be careful because there are some, and while they are great (we used Breeze and got a great deal) but they are not in the airport. When we used Breeze they had someone in the airport and they took us over to the office. My husband was there and is Mexican so that made the communication easier.

To get to Tulum from Playa del Carmen you can take a taxi. That will run you about 400 pesos. Sort of expensive when you consider the other options.

You can take ADO from 5th Avenue & Benito Juarez for about 45 pesos I think. Not bad at all.

But there are also collectivos. These are van shuttles that run the length between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. The collectivos are set up in Playa del Carmen at 30th and Benito Juarez. They are right next to Tres Hermanos shoe store. It costs 30 pesos per person to get to Tulum from Playa. They will let you off anywhere along the main road. If you are only going part of the way the cost will be a little less. Kids over 4 pay full fare but they are also allowed a seat. Kids 3 and under can sit on your lap for free.