Tulum, the only ancient city of Mayan ruins that overlooks the sea. It is said to be one of the few inhabited when the Spaniards arrived in 1518. I can only imagine the thoughts of the conquistadores as they sailed into view of this city on the coast, with its white sand beach, and incredible structures.
We took a trolley from a staging area near shops and little cafes by the parking lot, and lined up to head into this once thriving city.
It seems there was only one way in. My thoughts were all over the place thinking about being on the grounds once trod upon by the Mayan people from so long ago. The structures have been roped off for protection, so it was hard to see any interior design and frescoes, especially said to be in the Templo de los Frescos; this was a major disappointment. Many of the outer walls still show stucco ornamentation and carvings that are incredible. The other major structures are the Castillo (the Castle) and Templo de Dios Decendente (the Temple of the Descending God). The lead/first photo above is of the Templo Dios del Viento (Temple of God of the Winds) guarding the entrance to Tulum’s bay. I have put a small portion of my photos into a gallery for your viewing. Click on any photo to open the gallery.
Tulum is not as spectacular as some of the other ruins and pyramids in this area, but its location trumps it all; to see these ruins on this cliff overlooking the blue waters of the Caribbean is worth the price of admission.
It was a hot day, not a lot of shade, and there were a lot of tourists. We had unfortunately gone with a tour group, and had a time limit for wandering around.
Next up: the show before going in to the ruins.
AngelineM's Blog 
It is always the “How did they do it?” question that haunts me at these sites! Your photos are fueling my desire to see these in person Angeline 🙂
LikeLike
That is indeed the question! How did they do it? Hope you do get to the Yucatan one day
LikeLike
You kidding, right? It looks so spectacular to me. I especially love that those are stone walls. It’s always fascinating and hard to imagine hiw painstalking to build such structures. Love the stairs particularly.
LikeLike
It is incredible to think where they got all that stone, and bringing it to this site, and then constructing it all! The stairs are art in and of themselves!
LikeLike
Thank you for sharing this amazing historic site! Love the photos you took. Happy 2014 to you and your, Angeline!
LikeLike
So glad you’ve enjoyed the photos, Amy. It is a wonderful place.
Happy New Year to you too Amy!
LikeLike
Thank you for the tour! Lovely photographs.
LikeLike
Thank you for stopping in for the tour, and stopping to comment too. Glad you like the photos.
LikeLike
My pleasure! And thank you!!
Happy New Year!
LikeLike
This is my kind of sight to see, Angeline. I find ancient ruins to be fascinating and I’m looking forward to your next post. Thanks for taking us along.
LikeLike
Glad you like it; I’m more than happy to relive this trip with all of you along with me this time.
LikeLike
Love your posts! Have been to Tulum myself and really enjoyed walking around the area and taking in the gorgeous view 🙂
LikeLike
Thanks MD; seems like this post has brought back memories from many who have been there. Glad you like the posts.
LikeLike
Been to Tulum – loved it and actually felt a strange and wonderful kinship – I know this sounds weird – for the ancient people who preferred to live by the sea, even if it was because it offered protection.
LikeLike
I had such a feeling also while I was there, I even knelt and touched the ground (since I couldn’t touch the buildings); I could feel their spirit there.
LikeLike