Tulum, the ancient walled city overlooking the Mexican Caribbean, is quite the must-see when visiting Yucatan. Having lived in Tulum for a number of years, I would certainly recommend everyone explore the town by bicycle: to get a feel of the streets and daily life, discover delicious local food as well as the mural art scene and crafts on show up and down the main street.
This town is vibrant, full of color and has this amazing blend of nationalities, complemented by fruit stores and tropical juice bars, funky taquerias, hip boutiques and gelato shops. Riding a bike in this town is not just a means of transport, it’s definitely the best way to explore and soak up the vibe.
One of the Best Tours in Tulum – Classic Tulum Bike Tour
I recently came across the Classic Tulum Bike Tour and decided to try it out to get a new perspective and thought it might be a good way to both keep active and try something new. I have to say I was surprised!
The tour has a nice design and pace, the perfect balance between biking and stopping to explore. Starting with the ruins, the guides give context to the beautiful Mayan ruins and give you a lowdown on Tulum’s beginnings.
It was interesting to know that the Mayan language was spoken widely in Tulum and later we visited a Mayan church founded by rebels in the jungle. There is great info on this tour about the local history and culture, and also stops to check out some amazing art and even more amazing tacos!
If you want to hit the backstreet spots that the locals love, take this tour. It’s one of the best tours in Tulum. You would never find these spots by yourself and the tacos on the tour take things to another level. There is also an emphasis on nature and conservation that Tulum Bike Tours focuses on, another reason to travel by bike and help out Mother Nature.
Which takes us to the cenotes, my favorite part of the trip. The water of cenotes is very refreshing and is the best place to be in the hot summer months, and also great for a dip after a bike ride in the warm winter sun. The water is crystal clear and there are a number of fun jumping spots.
These guys know how to design tours because even though it’s so close to town there was hardly anyone there. We also stopped by a Mayan Bee Sanctuary where they take you into a beehive and let you sample honey! This sounded uncomfortable until I realized it was native stingless bees.
We learned that the Mayan culture spent thousands of years creating a wonderful bond with these bees, as they are not aggressive and don’t sting, plus their honey has a lot of healing properties and is used in treatments.
Every second Sunday “Casa Don Diego”, a guesthouse where the bee sanctuary is located, opens its doors to host a very special local organic market, full of local producers selling fresh eggs, goat’s milk, organic honey, organic veggies, medicinal tinctures, natural beauty products and more.
I liked that the tour included this stop, as it was a great way to support a very interesting initiative that seeks to keep harmony by maintaining a healthy population of native bees and the foundation does way more work in supporting rural communities and families who still live from (organic) farming. The market is a great way to experience the end product!
Mayan Inland Expedition with Mexico Kan Tours
Another great way to spend time in the pueblos and learn from the amazing Mayan locals is visiting the inland communities with the team at Mexico Kan Tours. Mayans live in their own authentic way, very connected with nature, speaking their own language and cultivating the earth so they can produce their own food, spices, herbal medicine, honey and more.
Their humble and hospitable nature is mind blowing. I try to visit them once per month, so I don’t forget how important their cosmovision and knowledge is for the local wellbeing. Mexico Kan Tours offer an amazing tour called Mayan Inland Expedition that combines culture, history, nature, adventure and heaps of fun. I totally recommend booking this tour.
To sum it up, if you want an insider’s view into the Tulum way of life and the surrounding area, Mayan temples, cenotes, authentic food and amazing secret spots, Mexico Kan Tours and Tulum Bike Tours are your people.
Passion and a focus on doing things in a respectful and educational, yet fun way – their trips are packed full of memories and unique details, and all those little things that make the difference between good and great.
