Selecting between Cancun and Tulum on your subsequent trip spot is like deciding between two excellent tacos, every made to order and every with its personal distinctive taste. Each locations supply beautiful Caribbean coastlines alongside Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, however cater to totally different tastes, preferences and budgets.
Micki and I’ve spent ample time in each Cancun and Tulum and love every of them for various causes. Whereas each supply one thing distinctive, we’ve discovered that we loved our time in every place extra as soon as we outlined what precisely we have been searching for and matched it to our moods and expectations earlier than arriving in Mexico.
Cancun or Tulum? Which is the Finest Trip Vacation spot for You?
Although it may be a simple reply for many who’ve had the great fortune of visiting every vacation spot beforehand, the choice basically boils all the way down to what options you’re searching for in a getaway in addition to your funds, expectations, ease of arrival and even your timelines.
Key Takeaways
- Cancun is for you if you would like a simple, all-inclusive expertise, nightlife, and the comfort of contemporary facilities.
- Tulum is for you if you would like an Instagram vibe, beautiful white sand seashores, and a extra laid again expertise.
So, whether or not you’re in for vibrant nightlife and luxurious resorts or a extra serene getaway near nature and historic ruins, this information will hopefully aid you determine which vacation spot fits you greatest.
Cancun: Vibrant Nightlife with Fashionable Luxuries
Cancun, usually synonymous with the Spring Break crowd, is a well-known resort city on the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. The well-known Lodge Zone is an extended, beachfront strip of high-end inns, nightclubs, retailers, and eating places, all going through the breathtakingly blue Caribbean Sea. Cancun is finally designed for vacationers in search of an expensive, all-inclusive expertise with the comfort of contemporary facilities.
Why Select Cancun?
- Vibrant Nightlife: Cancun’s nightclubs and bars supply an electrifying ambiance with world-class DJs and events that final till daybreak.
- All-Inclusive Resorts: Town is thought for its huge array of all-inclusive resorts catering to each kind of traveler, from households to occasion goers to {couples} in search of excessive class romance.
- Purchasing and Eating: With an intensive collection of purchasing malls, boutique shops, and eating choices, Cancun is a hub for many who take pleasure in city conveniences by the seaside.
- Actions and Excursions: Past the seaside, Cancun affords quite a few actions akin to {golfing}, snorkeling, scuba diving, and visiting close by Mayan ruins like Chichen Itza.
Tulum: Bohemian Attraction Meets Historic Historical past
A few hours south of Cancun, Tulum presents a contrasting vibe that’s extra laid-back and immersed in nature. Recognized for its eco-friendly boutique inns, Tulum is the epitome of a bohemian paradise, with yoga retreats, natural cafes, and artisan retailers. Its seaside is dotted with palm bushes and rustic cabanas, with the traditional Mayan ruins overlooking the ocean, providing a novel backdrop.
Why Select Tulum?
- Eco-Stylish Way of life: Tulum’s lodging are usually designed extra in concord with nature, usually providing a sustainable and intimate expertise.
- Cultural Richness: The city is near a number of the most vital Mayan archaeological websites, together with the Tulum Ruins and Coba.
- Pure Wonders: From the close by beautiful cenotes (pure sinkholes) to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Tulum is a haven for nature lovers and adventurers.
- Wellness and Rest: With a deal with wellness, Tulum tends to draw these trying to unwind via yoga, meditation, and spa remedies utilizing pure, native elements.
Issues to do in Cancun
There are a myriad of issues to do in Cancun from journey excursions to spas. Right here’s just a few of our favorites:
Playa Delfines stands out for its expansive stretches of sand and vibrant turquoise waters, excellent for sunbathing, swimming, and even browsing. For these excited about marine life, the Interactive Aquarium Cancun permits guests to stand up shut with dolphins, sharks, and a wide range of tropical fish in interactive experiences.
Past the seashores, Cancun serves as a hub for exploring historic and pure wonders. The Mayan ruins at El Rey supply a glimpse into the traditional civilization proper within the coronary heart of the Lodge Zone. For a day journey, the majestic Chichen Itza, one of many New Seven Wonders of the World, is inside attain, providing insights into the Mayan tradition and structure.
Nature lovers can be drawn to the pure great thing about the cenotes, akin to Cenote Ik Kil, with its crystal-clear waters excellent for swimming and snorkeling. Journey parks like Xcaret and Xel-Há mix the great thing about the pure atmosphere with thrilling actions, from zip traces and river tubing to snorkeling and cultural exhibits.
We additionally love heading over to Isla Mujeres for the day and should you had a bunch, taking a catamaran cruise over to it could be a enjoyable solution to get to and from the island.
Issues to do in Tulum
Tulum’s attraction lies in its capability to mix tradition, historical past, and pure magnificence right into a serene and enriching expertise.
The Tulum Ruins are the city’s most iconic attraction, perched atop a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea. These ruins supply breathtaking views and an opportunity to stroll via the remnants of a once-thriving Mayan port metropolis.
Seaside lovers will discover their slice of paradise at Playa Paraíso, identified for its powdery white sand and clear, calm waters, offering a extra relaxed ambiance in comparison with Cancun. For a novel expertise, the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve affords an opportunity to discover untouched landscapes, together with seashores, coral reefs, and jungles teeming with wildlife.
Tulum can be well-known for its cenotes, pure sinkholes stuffed with contemporary water. Cenote Dos Ojos, for instance, is a well-liked spot for snorkeling and diving, with its clear, turquoise waters and complex cave methods. We loved our first time at Cenote Dos Ojos just a few years in the past. These pure swimming pools supply a cool respite from the warmth and a small peek into the geological wonders of the Yucatan Peninsula. Regionally, there’s additionally Cenote Sac Actun and Gran Cenote which are very near Tulum correct.
The city itself is a haven for foodies and people in search of wellness experiences. Tulum’s culinary scene is numerous, specializing in contemporary, native elements and modern dishes. Many eating places supply outside seating, permitting diners to take pleasure in their meals within the open air. Wellness retreats and yoga studios are considerable, selling leisure and mindfulness amidst the pure great thing about Tulum.
Making the Resolution: Cancun or Tulum?
The selection between Cancun and Tulum finally boils all the way down to the kind of trip you need.
Cancun is right for many who:
- Crave the thrill of a bustling metropolis’s nightlife and leisure.
- Favor the comfort and luxurious of huge, all-inclusive resorts.
- Get pleasure from having loads of purchasing and eating choices at their doorstep.
- Are searching for a trip the place every little thing is inside attain, providing a mixture of leisure and journey.
- Are okay with being close to to resort properties alongside the seaside.
- Wish to be at their resort inside 20 minutes of getting off their aircraft.
Tulum fits vacationers who:
- Need a quieter, extra serene setting that’s near nature.
- Respect the attraction of small-scale, eco-friendly lodging.
- Want a cultural expertise, exploring historic ruins and interesting with native traditions.
- Worth sustainability and wellness as integral components of their journey expertise.
- Get pleasure from lengthy stretches of seaside with minimal massive resorts.
- Are okay with longer drives to get the place they need to be.
Extra to consider…
Each Cancun and Tulum are gateways to Mexico’s beautiful Caribbean coast, however cater to distinct tastes and experiences. Cancun’s attract lies in its vibrant nightlife, luxurious facilities, and metropolis comfort, making it an ideal alternative for many who search an brisk and pampered trip.
Tulum, however, appeals to the soul in search of tranquility, pure magnificence, and a contact of historical past, all wrapped in an eco-conscious and wellness-oriented bundle with a smaller metropolis to discover and nearer to ruins and cenotes.
Your choice might also rely upon the type of reminiscences you want to create. Are you trying to dance the evening away and indulge within the epitome of resort residing with dozens of eating places inside just a few blocks of your resort, or do you envision your self waking up in a beachfront cabana to the sound of waves, able to discover the depths of a cenote or stroll round a Mayan wreck?
All this isn’t to say that you may’t discover leisure and tranquility in Cancun or just a few wild events in Tulum. Every location has its share of each, however Cancun’s vacationer roots stretch farther again so basically, the inns, eating places and sights cater to a bigger, extra boisterous crowd. What Tulum would possibly flip into in 20+ years remains to be up for debate nevertheless now the constructing and elegance development is certainly in the direction of the extra ecological facet.
The place to Keep in Tulum
We’ve stayed in small inns, condos and much more conventional all-inclusive resorts in and round Tulum over time. Right here’s just a few private favorites we’ve stayed at or had family and friends rave about.
Kanan Tulum Lodge and Spa – Attractive bohemian stylish beachside resort
La Zebra Boutique Lodge – Smaller upscale boutique lodge on the seaside
Desires Tulum Resort & Spa – One of many bigger extra conventional all-inclusive inns in Tulum
Copal Tulum Lodge – Tons of greenery and good rooms proper on the town
Lodge Posada 06 Tulum – I stayed right here just a few years in the past with Micki and the children and had a good time. Quaint and quiet on the town lodge near retailers and eating places
The place to Keep in Cancun
We’ve executed loads of all-inclusives when staying in Cancun although we’ve stayed in just a few condos and even a standard lodge once we had an early flight the following day. HZ refers back to the Lodge Zone strip which runs north to south exterior of the primary metropolis in Cancun.
Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Seaside Cancun – A private favourite from once we stayed right here final! Nice spa and calm oceanfront on the northern finish of the Lodge Zone.
Paradisus Cancun – Middle of HZ with nice views, tons of eating places/nightlife and good beachfront
The Westin Resort & Spa Cancun – Quieter location on south facet of HZ supplying you with a pleasant tropical really feel
Solar Palace – {Couples} solely boutique retreat on the south of HZ
Ambiance Suites Cancun – Clear on the town lodge nice for an inexpensive in a single day keep when wanted
Getting There
Attending to Cancun or Tulum is comparatively easy.
Cancun
Cancun has been on the vacationer radar for many years now and has a well-liked and busy worldwide airport solely 20 minutes away from the Lodge Zone. Flights to Cancun are usually low cost and plentiful from most North America, South American and European international locations. Native buses are simple to leap on and off and taxis are in every single place plus experience sharing websites like Uber additionally exist.
Tulum
Tulum opened their very personal worldwide airport just lately (Tulum Airport (TQO) | Felipe Carrillo Puerto Airport). Nonetheless there are solely a fraction of flights presently touchdown in comparison with Cancun, so if selecting Tulum, understand that you just may be pressured to land in Cancun and must drive or take a bus or shuttle service (roughly 2 hrs from Cancun airport).
There’s a practice route below building from Cancun to Tulum, known as the Tren Maya, which is usually known as the Mayan Practice or Maya Practice. The present projection is that the Cancun to Tulum route can be open in June 2024, however there’s a stable chance of delays, so be certain that it’s operating should you plan to make use of it to get all the way down to Tulum on your keep.
Taxis are simple sufficient to search out although collectivos (small van-like native buses) are extra the norm there for farther jaunts. In fact, each cities have good lengthy distance ADO buses that may get you wherever within the peninsula and even all the way down to Belize or central Mexico.
Cancun or Tulum, Each Are Superior
Whether or not you select Cancun or Tulum, each locations promise an unforgettable escape to the Riviera Maya. We’ve had wonderful experiences in each locations each with our children and with out and have a tendency to name the Riviera Maya our unofficial second house. We’re excited to see how the brand new worldwide airport in Tulum and the brand new Yucatan practice adjustments each the panorama and the chances within the area. however time will inform if the practice helps or hinders the areas it’s opening up.
In both case, you may’t go flawed with both location because the seashores are lovely, the meals is scrumptious and the individuals are welcoming.