Tulum: Maya history and the region’s natural landscape

Discover Tulum from different perspectives: Maya history, architecture and the region’s coastal landscape each offer a different focus. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between locations as well. The Museo de la Costa Oriental is in Tulum; the archaeological zone is next to the town. The protected areas described here extend beyond the immediate vicinity of the town.

Cultural history at the Museo de la Costa Oriental

The Museo de la Costa Oriental is in Tulum, within Parque del Jaguar. It presents the history and culture of the Mexican Caribbean, particularly the Maya civilization. The chronological tour spans from the first inhabitants to Maya communities today. Special emphasis is placed on maritime trade and the importance of the Zona Arqueológica de Tulum. More than 300 exhibits and interactive resources complement the tour’s themes.

The Sala de Inmersión offers another perspective: its dynamic virtual experience features landscapes with the terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna of Quintana Roo, as well as archaeological zones in the region. The Sala’s content may change. The museum therefore presents chronological cultural interpretation and virtual landscape imagery as distinct thematic highlights.

Architecture and the archaeological zone

The Costa Oriental architectural style developed during the Postclassic period, from 1000 to 1550 AD, and found its most significant expression in Tulum. It is characterized by a horizontal design. Features include small platforms or large bases with lintels, cornices and friezes decorated with geometric figures. Columns and murals are also common.

The Zona Arqueológica Tulum lies south of Cancún, next to the town of Tulum and within Parque Nacional Tulum. The buildings visible today date from the Middle and Late Postclassic periods of the pre-Hispanic settlement of the Yucatán Peninsula, from 1250 to 1550. This dating applies to the buildings; it should be distinguished from the broader period of development of the Costa Oriental architectural style.

El Castillo is the tallest structure in the archaeological zone. Its construction made use of the cliff edge, from where both the Caribbean Sea and the mainland can be seen. The two-story Templo de los Frescos preserves exceptionally high-quality murals depicting supernatural deities of the underworld. It is considered one of the most important examples of Maya mural painting. The two buildings thus illustrate different aspects: El Castillo’s position on the cliff edge and its views, and the murals in the Templo de los Frescos.

Coastal landscapes and protected areas

Parque Nacional Tulum, near Tulum, covers 664 hectares and extends mainly along the coast from the north of the town to the Casa Cenote area. Its protected coastal landscape includes mangroves, beaches and cenotes. White sea turtles and loggerhead turtles nest on the park’s beaches; both species are protected by the Mexican federal government. The park is the only terrestrial protected area in the Cancún–Tulum corridor and surrounds Tulum’s walled archaeological zone.

A different scale characterizes the UNESCO World Heritage site of Sian Ka'an, near Tulum. The protected area covers 528,148 hectares of interconnected marine, coastal and terrestrial ecosystems. These include tropical forests, palm savannas, wetlands, lagoons, extensive mangroves, sandy beaches and dunes, as well as parts of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and seagrass meadows. In the area between Tulum and Cobá, cenotes are also connected with Maya traditions, ceremonies and legends.

Choose a focus for your trip

When planning your trip, you can consider cultural sites and landscapes as distinct themes: the museum and archaeological zone present different aspects of Maya history and architecture; Parque Nacional Tulum and Sian Ka'an are protected areas of different sizes and landscapes. The cenotes between Tulum and Cobá are part of the wider regional context. If you are looking for hotels in Tulum, compare the specific location listed for each option with the focus you want for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Isla Mujeres, Chunyaxché, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Holbox Island, Boloyuc, Majahual, Cancún, Playa Del Carmen

For the main travel overview: Quintana Roo.