Selecting between Cancun and Tulum in 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 gorgeous 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 Greatest Trip Vacation spot for You?
Although it may be a straightforward reply for individuals who’ve had the nice fortune of visiting every vacation spot beforehand, the choice primarily boils all the way down to what options you’re searching for in a getaway in addition to your finances, expectations, ease of arrival and even your timelines.
Key Takeaways
- Cancun is for you if you’d like a straightforward, all-inclusive expertise, nightlife, and the comfort of contemporary facilities.
- Tulum is for you if you’d like an Instagram vibe, gorgeous 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 historical ruins, this information will hopefully enable you to determine which vacation spot fits you finest.
Cancun: Vibrant Nightlife with Trendy 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 Resort Zone is an extended, beachfront strip of high-end motels, nightclubs, outlets, and eating places, all going through the breathtakingly blue Caribbean Sea. Cancun is finally designed for vacationers looking for an expensive, all-inclusive expertise with the comfort of contemporary facilities.
Why Select Cancun?
- Vibrant Nightlife: Cancun’s nightclubs and bars supply an electrifying environment with world-class DJs and events that final till daybreak.
- All-Inclusive Resorts: The town is understood for its huge array of all-inclusive resorts catering to each kind of traveler, from households to get together goers to {couples} looking for excessive class romance.
- Purchasing and Eating: With an in depth collection of procuring malls, boutique shops, and eating choices, Cancun is a hub for individuals who get pleasure from city conveniences by the seashore.
- Actions and Excursions: Past the seashore, Cancun affords quite a few actions reminiscent of {golfing}, snorkeling, scuba diving, and visiting close by Mayan ruins like Chichen Itza.
Tulum: Bohemian Allure Meets Historical 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 motels, Tulum is the epitome of a bohemian paradise, with yoga retreats, natural cafes, and artisan outlets. Its seashore is dotted with palm bushes and rustic cabanas, with the traditional Mayan ruins overlooking the ocean, providing a singular 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 few of the most important Mayan archaeological websites, together with the Tulum Ruins and Coba.
- Pure Wonders: From the close by gorgeous cenotes (pure sinkholes) to the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, Tulum is a haven for nature lovers and adventurers.
- Wellness and Leisure: With a give attention to wellness, Tulum tends to draw these trying to unwind via yoga, meditation, and spa therapies utilizing pure, native components.
Issues to do in Cancun
There are a myriad of issues to do in Cancun from journey excursions to spas. Right here’s a number of 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 interested by marine life, the Interactive Aquarium Cancun permits guests to rise 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 Resort 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 fantastic thing about the cenotes, reminiscent of Cenote Ik Kil, with its crystal-clear waters supreme for swimming and snorkeling. Journey parks like Xcaret and Xel-Há mix the fantastic thing about the pure atmosphere with thrilling actions, from zip traces and river tubing to snorkeling and cultural reveals.
We additionally love heading over to Isla Mujeres for the day and should you had a gaggle, taking a catamaran cruise over to it will be a enjoyable technique to get to and from the island.
Issues to do in Tulum
Tulum’s allure 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, recognized for its powdery white sand and clear, calm waters, offering a extra relaxed environment in comparison with Cancun. For a singular 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 also 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 complicated cave techniques. We loved our first time at Cenote Dos Ojos a number of 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 can be very near Tulum correct.
The city itself is a haven for foodies and people looking for wellness experiences. Tulum’s culinary scene is numerous, specializing in contemporary, native components and modern dishes. Many eating places supply out of doors seating, permitting diners to get pleasure from their meals within the open air. Wellness retreats and yoga studios are ample, selling rest and mindfulness amidst the pure fantastic thing about Tulum.
Making the Choice: 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 individuals who:
- Crave the joy of a bustling metropolis’s nightlife and leisure.
- Choose the comfort and luxurious of enormous, all-inclusive resorts.
- Get pleasure from having loads of procuring and eating choices at their doorstep.
- Are searching for a trip the place every part is inside attain, providing a mixture of rest and journey.
- Are okay with being close to to resort properties alongside the seashore.
- Need to be at their resort inside 20 minutes of getting off their airplane.
Tulum fits vacationers who:
- Need a quieter, extra serene setting that’s near nature.
- Respect the allure of small-scale, eco-friendly lodging.
- Need a cultural expertise, exploring historical ruins and fascinating with native traditions.
- Worth sustainability and wellness as integral components of their journey expertise.
- Get pleasure from lengthy stretches of seashore with minimal giant 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 gorgeous 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 individuals who search an brisk and pampered trip.
Tulum, then again, appeals to the soul looking for tranquility, pure magnificence, and a contact of historical past, all wrapped in an eco-conscious and wellness-oriented package deal with a smaller metropolis to discover and nearer to ruins and cenotes.
Your determination can also rely on the form of reminiscences you want to create. Are you trying to dance the night time away and indulge within the epitome of resort residing with dozens of eating places inside a number of 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 destroy?
All this isn’t to say that you could’t discover rest and tranquility in Cancun or a number of wild events in Tulum. Every location has its share of each, however Cancun’s vacationer roots stretch farther again so basically, the motels, eating places and points of interest 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 pattern is unquestionably in the direction of the extra ecological aspect.
The place to Keep in Tulum
We’ve stayed in small motels, condos and much more conventional all-inclusive resorts in and round Tulum over time. Right here’s a number of private favorites we’ve stayed at or had family and friends rave about.
Kanan Tulum Hotel and Spa – Attractive bohemian stylish beachside resort
La Zebra Boutique Hotel – Smaller upscale boutique lodge on the seashore
Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa – One of many bigger extra conventional all-inclusive motels in Tulum
Copal Tulum Hotel – Tons of greenery and good rooms proper on the town
Hotel Posada 06 Tulum – I stayed right here a number of years in the past with Micki and the youngsters and had a good time. Quaint and quiet on the town lodge near outlets and eating places
The place to Keep in Cancun
We’ve finished loads of all-inclusives when staying in Cancun although we’ve stayed in a number of condos and even a standard lodge once we had an early flight the subsequent day. HZ refers back to the Resort Zone strip which runs north to south exterior of the primary metropolis in Cancun.
Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun – A private favourite from once we stayed right here final! Nice spa and calm oceanfront on the northern finish of the Resort Zone.
Paradisus Cancun – Heart of HZ with nice views, tons of eating places/nightlife and good beachfront
The Westin Resort & Spa Cancun – Quieter location on south aspect of HZ supplying you with a pleasant tropical really feel
Sun 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 Resort Zone. Flights to Cancun are usually low-cost and plentiful from most North America, South American and European nations. Native buses are simple to leap on and off and taxis are all over the place plus trip sharing websites like Uber additionally exist.
Tulum
Tulum opened their very personal worldwide airport 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, referred to as the Tren Maya, which is typically known as the Mayan Prepare or Maya Prepare. The present projection is that the Cancun to Tulum route can be open in June 2024, however there’s a stable risk of delays, so make certain it’s working should you plan to make use of it to get all the way down to Tulum in your keep.
Taxis are simple sufficient to search out although collectivos (small van-like native buses) are extra the norm there for farther jaunts. After all, 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 probabilities within the area. however time will inform if the practice helps or hinders the areas it’s opening up.
In both case, you possibly can’t go fallacious with both location because the seashores are lovely, the meals is scrumptious and the persons are welcoming.
