Choosing between Cancun and Tulum in your subsequent trip spot is like deciding between two good tacos, every made to order and every with its personal distinctive taste. Both locations provide beautiful Caribbean coastlines alongside Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, however cater to completely 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. While each provide 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 in search of and matched it to our moods and expectations earlier than arriving in Mexico.
Cancun or Tulum? Which is the Best Vacation Destination for You?
Though it may be a straightforward reply for many who’ve had the great fortune of visiting every vacation spot beforehand, the choice primarily boils all the way down to what options you’re in search of in a getaway in addition to your price range, expectations, ease of arrival and even your timelines.
Key Takeaways
- Cancun is for you if you need a straightforward, all-inclusive expertise, nightlife, and the comfort of recent facilities.
- Tulum is for you if you need 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 allow you to determine which vacation spot fits you greatest.
Cancun: Vibrant Nightlife with Modern Luxuries
Cancun, typically synonymous with the Spring Break crowd, is a well-known resort city on the northeastern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. The well-known Hotel Zone is a protracted, beachfront strip of high-end inns, nightclubs, retailers, and eating places, all dealing with the breathtakingly blue Caribbean Sea. Cancun is finally designed for vacationers in search of an opulent, all-inclusive expertise with the comfort of recent facilities.
Why Choose Cancun?
- Vibrant Nightlife: Cancun’s nightclubs and bars provide an electrifying ambiance with world-class DJs and events that final till daybreak.
- All-Inclusive Resorts: The metropolis is understood for its huge array of all-inclusive resorts catering to each kind of traveler, from households to get together goers to {couples} in search of excessive class romance.
- Shopping and Dining: With an intensive number of buying malls, boutique shops, and eating choices, Cancun is a hub for many who get pleasure from city conveniences by the seashore.
- Activities and Excursions: Beyond the seashore, Cancun presents quite a few actions reminiscent of {golfing}, snorkeling, scuba diving, and visiting close by Mayan ruins like Chichen Itza.
Tulum: Bohemian Charm Meets Ancient History
A few hours south of Cancun, Tulum presents a contrasting vibe that’s extra laid-back and immersed in nature. Known for its eco-friendly boutique inns, Tulum is the epitome of a bohemian paradise, with yoga retreats, natural cafes, and artisan retailers. Its seashore is dotted with palm bushes and rustic cabanas, with the traditional Mayan ruins overlooking the ocean, providing a novel backdrop.
Why Choose Tulum?
- Eco-Chic Lifestyle: Tulum’s lodging are typically designed extra in concord with nature, typically 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.
- Natural 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 Relaxation: With a concentrate on wellness, Tulum tends to draw these trying to unwind by yoga, meditation, and spa therapies utilizing pure, native elements.
Things to do in Cancun
There are a myriad of issues to do in Cancun from journey excursions to spas. Here’s a number of of our favorites:
Playa Delfines stands out for its expansive stretches of sand and vibrant turquoise waters, good for sunbathing, swimming, and even browsing. For these fascinated by 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.
Beyond the seashores, Cancun serves as a hub for exploring historic and pure wonders. The Mayan ruins at El Rey provide a glimpse into the traditional civilization proper within the coronary heart of the Hotel 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 will probably be drawn to the pure great thing about the cenotes, reminiscent of Cenote Ik Kil, with its crystal-clear waters perfect for swimming and snorkeling. Adventure parks like Xcaret and Xel-Há mix the great thing about the pure atmosphere with thrilling actions, from zip strains and river tubing to snorkeling and cultural exhibits.
We additionally love heading over to Isla Mujeres for the day and if you happen to had a bunch, taking a catamaran cruise over to it could be a enjoyable solution to get to and from the island.
Things to do in Tulum
Tulum’s appeal lies in its skill 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 provide breathtaking views and an opportunity to stroll by the remnants of a once-thriving Mayan port metropolis.
Beach lovers will discover their slice of paradise at Playa Paraíso, recognized 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 presents 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 recent water. Cenote Dos Ojos, for instance, is a well-liked spot for snorkeling and diving, with its clear, turquoise waters and complicated cave methods. We loved our first time at Cenote Dos Ojos a number of years in the past. These pure swimming pools provide a cool respite from the warmth and a small peek into the geological wonders of the Yucatan Peninsula. Locally, 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 recent, native elements and revolutionary dishes. Many eating places provide out of doors seating, permitting diners to get pleasure from their meals within the open air. Wellness retreats and yoga studios are plentiful, selling rest and mindfulness amidst the pure great thing about Tulum.
Making the Decision: Cancun or Tulum?
The alternative 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.
- Prefer the comfort and luxurious of enormous, all-inclusive resorts.
- Enjoy having loads of buying and eating choices at their doorstep.
- Are in search of a trip the place the whole lot is inside attain, providing a mixture of rest and journey.
- Are okay with being close to to resort properties alongside the seashore.
- Want to be at their resort inside 20 minutes of getting off their aircraft.
Tulum fits vacationers who:
- Want a quieter, extra serene setting that’s near nature.
- Appreciate the appeal of small-scale, eco-friendly lodging.
- Desire a cultural expertise, exploring historic ruins and interesting with native traditions.
- Value sustainability and wellness as integral elements of their journey expertise.
- Enjoy lengthy stretches of seashore with minimal giant resorts.
- Are okay with longer drives to get the place they wish to be.
More to consider…
Both 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, alternatively, 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 package deal with a smaller metropolis to discover and nearer to ruins and cenotes.
Your choice may rely on the form of recollections you want to create. Are you trying to dance the night time away and indulge within the epitome of resort dwelling 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 damage?
All this isn’t to say which you can’t discover rest and tranquility in Cancun or a number of wild events in Tulum. Each location has its share of each, however Cancun’s vacationer roots stretch farther again so typically, the inns, 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 magnificence pattern is unquestionably in direction of the extra ecological facet.
Where to Stay in Tulum
We’ve stayed in small inns, condos and much more conventional all-inclusive resorts in and round Tulum over time. Here’s a number of private favorites we’ve stayed at or had family and friends rave about.
Kanan Tulum Hotel and Spa – Gorgeous bohemian stylish beachside resort
La Zebra Boutique Hotel – Smaller upscale boutique resort on the seashore
Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa – One of the bigger extra conventional all-inclusive inns 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 resort near retailers and eating places
Where to Stay in Cancun
We’ve completed loads of all-inclusives when staying in Cancun although we’ve stayed in a number of condos and even a standard resort once we had an early flight the subsequent day. HZ refers back to the Hotel Zone strip which runs north to south outdoors of the principle metropolis in Cancun.
Grand Fiesta Americana Coral Beach Cancun – A private favourite from once we stayed right here final! Great spa and calm oceanfront on the northern finish of the Hotel Zone.
Paradisus Cancun – Center 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 providing you with a pleasant tropical really feel
Sun Palace – Couples solely boutique retreat on the south of HZ
Ambiance Suites Cancun – Clean on the town resort nice for an inexpensive in a single day keep when wanted
Getting There
Getting to Cancun or Tulum is comparatively simple.
Cancun
Cancun has been on the vacationer radar for many years now and has a preferred and busy worldwide airport solely 20 minutes away from the Hotel Zone. Flights to Cancun are typically low cost and plentiful from most North America, South American and European nations. Local buses are straightforward to leap on and off and taxis are all over the place plus journey sharing websites like Uber additionally exist.
Tulum
Tulum opened their very personal worldwide airport just lately (Tulum Airport (TQO) | Felipe Carrillo Puerto Airport). However there are solely a fraction of flights at present touchdown in comparison with Cancun, so if selecting Tulum, understand that you simply is perhaps pressured to land in Cancun and must drive or take a bus or shuttle service (roughly 2 hrs from Cancun airport).
There’s a prepare route beneath development from Cancun to Tulum, referred to as the Tren Maya, which is typically known as the Mayan Train or Maya Train. The present projection is that the Cancun to Tulum route will probably be open in June 2024, however there’s a strong chance of delays, so make sure that it’s working if you happen to plan to make use of it to get all the way down to Tulum in your keep.
Taxis are straightforward sufficient to search out although collectivos (small van-like native buses) are extra the norm there for farther jaunts. Of course, each cities have good lengthy distance ADO buses that may get you anyplace within the peninsula and even all the way down to Belize or central Mexico.
Cancun or Tulum, Both Are Awesome
Whether you select Cancun or Tulum, each locations promise an unforgettable escape to the Riviera Maya. We’ve had superb experiences in each locations each with our children and with out and have a tendency to name the Riviera Maya our unofficial second dwelling. We’re excited to see how the brand new worldwide airport in Tulum and the brand new Yucatan prepare modifications each the panorama and the chances within the area. however time will inform if the prepare helps or hinders the areas it’s opening up.
In both case, you may’t go improper with both location because the seashores are stunning, the meals is scrumptious and the persons are welcoming.