John & Cheri
John & Cheri
Ruins of Tulum
Built in the late 13th century, these impressive ruins are what remain of the ancient Mayan city of Tulum. The limestone ruins are situated on 12 meter tall cliffs overlooking the ocean. Located 9 km from Hip Hotel (a short taxi ride or half an hour by bike).
Cenotes
Cenotes are freshwater holes in the jungle where the limestone has dissolved, giving way to exposed underground caves and rivers. They are great for swimming, snorkling, and diving! There are many cenotes around Tulum, each very different. Gran cenote is one of the closer cenotes... about a 20 minute drive from Hip Hotel. Check out this website for more information!
Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
The Yucatán contains an abundance of eco-parks and natural reserves, but few compare to Sian Ka'an. Just south of Tulum, this UNESCO World Heritage Site contains more than 1.2 million acres of wetlands, lagoons, and estuaries. Within the park you can take tours of the local wildlife, take part in boating or snorkeling tour, float down Mayan built canals, or simply just tour around the beautiful and expansive park.
Snorkeling and Diving
Tulum offers some amazing snorkeling or diving options! Whether you want to go to a cenote, lagoon, or the reef, there are a few great options for companies to go with. Here are a few with good reviews on tripadvisor:
Akumal Monkey Sanctuary
Monkey. Sanctuary. Enough said. It's a little pricey ($65 for adult tours, $40 for children), but based on Tripadvisor reviews, it's totally worth it. Plus all proceeds go toward protecting the rescued monkeys, deer, snakes, parrots, and other residents of the sanctuary. About 45 minutes from Hip Hotel, it's a bit of a hike, but definitely worth a visit if you are renting a car!
Xel-Ha
Xel-Ha is a natural waterpark about 30 minutes north of Hip Hotel. There are caves and cenotes, snorkeling, rivers to float down, ziplines, and cliffs to jump from.
Chichen Itza
Named one of the new seven wonders of the world, El Castillo at Chichen Itza is one of the most visited archaelogical sites in Mexico. This UNESCO world heritage site is about 2 hours from Tulum.