Tulum

How to get there

By bus from Cancún about 2 hours, from Chetumal about 4 hours; by car from Cancún 131km/81mi on the MEX 307, from Chetumal 250km/155mi on the MEX 307, from Mérida 315km/196mi on the MEX 180 and then the turning from Nuevo Xcan via Cobá.

Tulum is the only well-known fortified Maya town to be situated by the sea. The site, which is bounded on the landward side by a wall, is visible for 2mi around by virtue of its dominating position on top of 12 m (39 ft) high cliffs overlooking the white sandy beaches of the Caribbean Sea.

Although in comparison with other Maya sites, it has no special architectural importance, Tulum is nevertheless, thanks to its unique position and its wall paintings, one of the most fascinating ruined towns on the Yucatán Peninsula.

Not very much is known about the past history of Tulum (Maya: "fortification"). The original name of the town is thought to have been Zamá (Maya: "dawn"). The site today is ascribed to the Maya Late post-Classic period (after AD 1200), in other words the period of the "Mayanised" Toltecs.

The most important buildings were probably not erected until 1450. It is true that a stela with the date AD 564 has been found in Tulum, but it is now thought that this calendar stone must have come from some other place, probably nearby Tancah.

Members of a Spanish expedition under Juan de Grijalva were sailing along the coast of Yucatán and became the first Europeans to come across the fortification when they arrived here in 1518. The town appears to have been inhabited until 1544 when the Spanish conquered the north-east of Yucatán. Towards the end of the last century, during the "Caste War", Maya Indians barricaded themselves once more at Tulum. The first accurately illustrated description of the archaeological site came about as a result of the efforts of the American Stephens and his British draughtsman Catherwood, who explored Tulum in 1842. During this century, archaeologists who have been active here have included the Americans Morley and Howe from the Carnegie Institute and later the Mexican Angel Fernández as well as various other Mexican organisations.

The Ruins

The relatively small area occupied by the ruins of Tulum is, like the later post-Classic Toltec-influenced Maya towns of Mayapán and Ichpaatún, surrounded on the landward side by a fortified wall. This enclosed area measures from north to south 380 m (1248 ft) and from east to west 165 m (543 ft). The stone wall was originally 3 to 5 m (10 to 16 ft) high and on average 7 m (23 ft) wide and contained five exit points provided with stone slabs. These features lead to the conclusion that Tulum was not only a religious site but also included a dwelling area. A circular walkway protected by a parapet led along the length of the wall. At each of the two inner corners there was a small temple which was also used as a watchtower.

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Related Attractions

Read More Temple of the Frescos

The most important building at Tulum from an archaeological point of view is the Temple of the Frescos (Templo de los Frescos; Edificio 16). It stands more or less in the middle of the walled area and on the east-west axis. The essential parts of the building were probably constructed about the year 1450. As with so many of the Maya religious buildings, in the course of time the temple was built over on several occasions.

The only room on the ground floor has an entrance on the west side which is divided up by four columns. Above this there is a double ledge which is sectioned off by three niches. In the central niche there is a stucco sculpture of the God Descending. The side niches are decorated with other reliefs modelled in stucco which depict seated figures with elaborate head-dresses. The corners of the ledges consist of large bas-relief masks; they were once painted over and are thought to have depicted Itzamná, the old Sky God revered by the Yucatán Mayas.

Over the door of the upper floor there is a niche with the remains of a stucco relief which originally is likely to have represented the God Descending. The wall of the interior room is decorated by interesting codex-like paintings which in terms of their content are Maya, while in terms of their style they are Mixtec. They mainly depict figures from the world of the Maya gods. In the upper section two representations of the Sky God, Itzamná, face one another, flanked on the right by the rain god Chac. The central part of the frescos depicts the moon and fertility goddess Ixchel alongside two unknown figures. In the upper part on the right-hand side a picture of the goddess Ixchel is again recognisable, its base comprising a sea scene with stylised fishes.

In front of the temple on an altar stands the 1.30m/4ft high stela no. 2, which bears a post-Classic Maya calendar date which has been deciphered as AD 1261.

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