Tulum

A walled Maya city built on the edge of the Caribbean Sea, Tulum contains about 60 well-preserved structures and offers visitors a gorgeous view of the eastern coast of the peninsula. Located about 35 mi/60 km south of Playa (about an hour’s drive), Tulum’s structures aren’t as grand as Chichen Itza’s, but it does have its own El Castillo, a name the Spaniards gave to the central structure of Maya settlements. The site also includes the Temple of the Descending God, named for the figure in a diving position above the main doorway. Tulum was built around AD 900. South of Tulum is Sian Ka’an, a biosphere reserve with more than a million acres.