Tulum is a tropical paradise with a great history.  Originally the name of Tulum was Zamá, which in Mayan means “morning” or “dawn”. The name of Tulum translates as “enclosure or wall”, since it was a walled Mayan city on the Caribbean coast of Mexico.

This Mayan city was built facing the sea, on a cliff from where the turquoise tones of the Mayan Caribbean of Tulum can be fully appreciated. The Mayans of Tulum were so fascinated with the sky that the city was dedicated to the planet Venus. In fact, its first building was the astronomical tower; Tulum was an astronomy school.

For the ancient Mayans of Tulum, this city played a predominant role in the maritime and land trade of the Mayan Caribbean, in addition to functioning as an astronomical observatory and as a defense system. The city was also a place to exchange, meet, rest and share the religion of the Mayan culture.

Currently, the archaeological site of Tulum captivates everyone who visits it. It is the second archaeological site with the highest number of visits in Mexico, only behind Chichen Itzá in Yucatan. The area comprising the current municipality and the city of Tulum (municipal head) is named after that architectural wonder.

Tulum is a young municipality; it was created in 2008 and ranks ninth in the State of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The municipality has an extension of 2,040.94 kilometers and around 80 kilometers of coastline.

The municipal territory of Tulum is made up of fifteen (15) communities: Akumal, Ciudad Chemuyil, Macario Gómez, Francisco Uh May, Manuel Antonio Hay, Cobá, Chanchen Primero, San Juan, Sahcab Mucuy, Hondzonot, Yaxche, Chanchen Palmar, San Pedro, Javier Rojo Gómez (Punta Allen) and Tulum City as the municipal head. Together they reflect the identity of the living Mayan culture.

In Tulum, the tourism sector has established itself as the driving force behind economic growth and social welfare. In 2015, Tulum joined the Magical Towns of Mexico program, and in 2018 it was named as the first Sustainable Tourism Development Area of Mexico.

In 2021, the federal government of Mexico announced the construction of “El Jaguar”, an  ecological park that will have 300 hectares to contain the expansion of Tulum. Nowadays, it is promoting two strategic projects for the Southeast of Mexico; the Mayan Train and Tulum International Airport, which will expand the tourist activity in the Mayan Caribbean of Tulum.

The cultural diversity of Tulum is expressed in the Mayan language, music, art, dance, cinema, cuisine, festivals and ancestral ceremonies, among others. The Mayan spiritual world is at the core; in the once-sacred waters of a cenote, on the beaches of a Sea Turtle Sanctuary  or in the dance-music expression called mayapax (Mayan music). Spiritual and healing experiences with Mayan shamans are part of the true essence of Tulum.

On your next visit to Tulum, live the mystical Mayan experience of purification; enter a temazcal that will raise your body temperature to detox and finally cool off in a beautiful cenote with crystal clear waters to have your skin and hair hydrated.

At the end of this great experience, discover the typical dishes of Tulum prepared by the people of the community and join a new experience in the Magical Mayan Caribbean of Tulum.

Tulum’s traditions are as diverse as its inhabitants. They are rooted in the indigenous Mayan culture, which transcended generations and blended with traditions from around the world that made Tulum their new home.

The Hanal Pixan or Day of the Dead is one of the most deeply rooted traditions in Tulum; altars and offerings represent an opportunity for the departed to coexist with the living. Visiting the Mayan communities of Tulum is essential for understanding the ways of living of the Mayans.

The basic foods of Mayan gastronomy are corn, cocoa, hunted animals, herbs and beans. The sacred drinks of the Mayan culture are balché and saká. Tulum cuisine holds a great Mayan and Yucatecan influence and these dishes are prepared both in the most traditional places and in the most upscale venues.

There is a rich tradition of dishes prepared with seafood with pre-Hispanic roots, also close to typical Mexican cuisine. New food practices emerged, merging foods from European and American origins.

In Tulum, new culinary spaces emerged; markets, restaurants and cafes, which offer 100% organic and top quality products for a healthier lifestyle. Keeping a healthy diet and  lifestyle, an active mind and a calm spirit is possible in the Magical Mayan Caribbean of Tulum.