Tulum Holidays

There are few places in the world where you can sunbathe below an ancient pre-Columbian city. Tulum’s one of them. Trace the coast south from Cancun and you’ll hit this seaside spot in just under two hours. Despite its time-stamped ruins, it’s got a 21st-century vibe, with a town full of veggie restaurants, yoga studios and shops.

You can’t talk about Tulum without mentioning its Mayan ruins – considered some of the most important in Mexico. And settings don’t get much better than this. The ancient walled city crowns 12-metre-high cliffs, above a wave-washed beach. It’s not the only attraction to Tulum’s heavily loaded bow, either. This is eco-tourism territory, so you can fill your days with jungle treks, horse riding or cenote swimming.

There’s a coconut-white beach tucked under Tulum’s ruin-topped cliffs. This talc-soft stretch rolls on for miles, only interrupted by sprawling jungle. And they definitely weren’t exaggerating when they christened it Playa Paraiso – or Paradise Beach. Plus, Tulum’s one of the nearest towns to Sian Ka’an – a UNESCO-protected biosphere reserve made up of mangroves, lagoons and a barrier reef.