Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico

[eoghanoneill]

I am going to be spending a few days in Tulum on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and was looking for some recommendations of places to visit.

I understand there are some ruins nearby which I hope to visit and hopefully I will manage to get up to Chichen Itza

[Kenneth Sky]

The Tulum ruins are best very early in the day. Leave mid-day for the caves ( but you need to protect your equipment from the water). The mangroves are great towards sunset. The beach in town is the best. However the beach below the ruins offers great rockscapes.

[Woodcorner]

The Tulum ruins are best very early in the day. Leave mid-day for the caves ( but you need to protect your equipment from the water). The mangroves are great towards sunset. The beach in town is the best. However the beach below the ruins offers great rockscapes.
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Not directly photography related, but the beach just below the Tulum ruins is probably the most spectacular place to go for a swim in that area. So don't forget your trunks when going there. Seems a bit odd to enter the historic site with a towel and a snorkel, but you're allowed to do so!  

As for interesting (photography-wise) places related to Mayan culture nearby Tulum, check out Coba (closest), Chichen Itza (spectacular, but usually quite crowded) and my favourite are for architectural highlights, the Puuc region with the sites Kabah, Sayil, Labna and Uxmal (splendid architecture, but just as big and crowded as Chichen Itza).

For the more adventurous and if you're willing to travel a bit I would also recommend Calakmul, one of the largest and most important of all lowland Maya sites in the most southern part of Yucatan, some 35 km from the Guatemalan border. Very remote, almost 50 miles from the nearest village with a core area covering nearly 2 square kilometres. The site is rarely visited by tourists and located right in the middle of a biosphere reservate. Wonderful opportunities to encounter rare animals like jaguars (Balam), if you're patient.
Structure II in Calakmul, an immensely large pyramid, rests on a huge platform (ca. 125 by 140 metres) and with it's height of almost 40 metres you'll have an excellent view across the dense green jungle below, stretching to the horizon on all four sides. Spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
I couldn't resist mentioning this pyramid as I proposed to my wife on top this place a few years ago - and we're still happily married...  


Cheers,

Andrew

[Tim_in_BC]

I am going to be spending a few days in Tulum on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico and was looking for some recommendations of places to visit.

I understand there are some ruins nearby which I hope to visit and hopefully I will manage to get up to Chichen Itza
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Tulumn was nice. Chichén Itza was great. For both I arrived at opening to avoid large crowds. For Chichén Itza there are no Tripods aloud without paying hundreds of dollars. I spent the night in the local town and arrived at the gates at 09:00am when they open. By noon dozens of tour buses arrived and I left.
When I drove back to Playa Del Carmen I took the old road and not the highway. The scenery was enlightening! Very poor areas with scenery that may interest. Beware of the bumps on the road. They are meant to slow cars down but can really do some damage.

I also understand speed traps are more frequent this year due to less tourism.


Coba is recently discover and supposed to be nice but not 'cleared'.



I have been to Cozumel lots diving. Underwater the scenery is great. On the island there is a small ruins of a town.

[P3wiz]

I was there last April and would suggest that to spend a day at   Xcaret

They have a mock up of an old Mayan village with some very interesting opportunities. Also they have the most amazing burial ground where all the plots are marked with miniature buildings or other sculpture. One could spend the full day in this one area. They have a number of shows during the day and some ‘fire’ shows at dusk that I wish I could have fit into my vist.

 I was there on a family vacation with a pocket P&S, but here are a few shots from Xcaret, Tulum runis, Playa del Carmen, and the hotel.  A few shots