Tulum

Tulum conjures up images of white sand beaches and thatch-roofed bungalows, a place where art and nature meet the young and boho beautiful.

Tulum is one of Mexico’s crown jewels, a place of picture-perfect beaches and ancient seaside ruins, where nature and art intertwine, and a boho-chic vibe permeates.

Tulum is a city of two halves: pueblo (town) and playa (beach), connected by a dusty paved road called Avenida Cobá. It’s not hard to get around either area – biking is popular and public transportation is robust – but the two areas are different.

Tulumis known worldwide for its idyllic white-sand beaches fringed with turquoise water and boho-chic party vibes. But there's more toTulum than its shores. Cenotes – natural limestone sinkholes and underwater cave systems considered sacred by the Mayans– were formed over millions of years by the collapse of cave ceilings.

Years in the making, the Parque del Jaguar is a newly created reserve in Tulum that encompasses protected beaches, lookout towers, forest trails and a museum full of Maya artifacts. The big draw is the archaeological zone, with its collection of temples and pre-Hispanic monuments. Though lacking the grandeur of Chichén Itzá, no other archaeological site in Mexico offers such stunning vistas over the Caribbean.