My girlfriend and I are planning a trip very soon to the Tulum/Sian Ka'an area. We're looking at going either the last week of September, or the 2nd week of October. We would be flying Delta into Cancun, but beyond that, we're at a loss as to how to approach it, exactly where to stay, transportation, etc. .
We liked what we saw and read about Cesiak in the Bio-Sphere, and I definitely want to visit the ruins at Tulum.
We are on a bit of a budget, but it seems the rooms run about USD$60-$80 for that period, so not too terribly bad.
Should we rent a car in Cancun, take a bus to Tulum, or...? any bad experiences with Cesiak? Any place you would recommend other than Cesiak? It doesn't say specifically on their site, but it appears that the rooms have direct access to the beach. Since this is a nature preserve, are you able to go on the beach/swim at will? I see that they have shared bathrooms. Any problems with that?
Thanks for any info!

- Jack & Annina

Cesiak looks like a great place to stay in that price range. I stopped in there once - looking for my husband. Everyhting looked very clean and the shared bath was clean...I was actually surprised at how nice the facilities were considering what most shared bath situations are around Tulum.

You should be able to use the beach whenever you want. People drive into Sian Kaan all the time, pull off to the side of the road and use whatever beach they find.

Cesiak is located far away from anything and cabs would be hard to come by. I'm sure they could call one for you, but it'd be a bit of a wait. Renting a car would be ideal - a Nissan Tsuro has some good clearance if there are potholes and they are usually the most economical to rent.

You could stay more in Tulum if you want to be in a more populated area and not have to rely on a rental car. Tita Tulum should have good rates at that time. A couple of others to look at are: Tierras del Sol, Shambala Petit, Dos Ceibas, Le Zebra.

Just did this trip in April. Rent a car with good shocks and clearance. We stayed at Villa Tulum--on the road to the beach, but near the pueblo. As my friends said, the rooms were "spartan"--but comfortable with a/c. They were doing some sprucing up while we were there, but the on-site restaurant and bar was inexpensive and delicious. We did the all-day boat tour at Cesiak--highly recommend it. You can use the beach at Cesiak--very nice beach with good waves.
We liked having a car as we headed to Tulum one morning, Coba another and up to snorkel at Yalku.
Enjoy--it's a beautiful spot!

Definitely rent a car at the airport. It's not that expensive, and Cesiak is quite remote. We used Ace/Executive rentals and were quite pleased. Just be aware of the pushy time share salesmen at the airport that pose as 'tourist information' workers. Another option to staying in the preserve would be to stay at one of the numerous small hotels/cabanas along the beach road in Tulum, but just outside the Biosphere. We stayed at Tierras del Sol and had a great time, but there are many other options.

Well I went ahead and booked the flight. These were Delta Awards tickets I won at the Christmas party last year, and I have to complete travel by October 18th. I also have a very busy travel schedule with work, so it left one of only two weeks to do this between now and then.
I'm booked to depart Atlanta on October 4 (Wed), and return on the morning of October 11 (Wed).
Now we aren't dead-set on staying inside the preserve itself, and it sounds like there's lots of options. Do you think I should just fly down there and look for a room after we get there?
Also, what do you think I should expect to pay for a rental car, including all of the BS fees, insurance, etc.? Should I get a car, or would bus service from Cancun to Tulum be sufficient?
What are the average high and low temps during the first half of October? Should I go for a place with AC, or will someplace like Cesiak inside the reserve be OK?
Forgive all the questions, but I'm getting a migranie from all of this planning.

I would definitely line up a place to stay ahead of time. Have you checked out locogringo.com? Realize that the busses go to Tulum Pueblo, which is several miles from the beach. From there, you would need to take a cab. Renting a car is the way to go. There is so much to see in the area, you'll want your own transportation.
Very few places along the beach offer AC. There is usually a good breeze, so you shouldn't need it. As for auto rental fees, I think we paid about $135 for 5 days with all the insurances from Ace.

Considering the time of year - Oct and the height of hurricane season, your own transport is a good idea. Make a hurricane plan and get some maps of the Yucatan Peninsula.

I do fine in Tulum during the worst heat of August with either a ceiling fan or an ocean breeze. The platform tents at Cesiak look like they are at a good height to catch the breeze.

There are many places to stay in/around Tulum. Depends on what you are looking for. Oct is low season; you may have luck with getting a room on the spot. It's a good idea to be familiar with the hotels/cabanas and prices before you waste your time looking through all of them when you get there.

Thanks for the info. The Rental car thing seems a bit shady with the insurance. I'm going to call Capital One (Visa Card), and see what they say, and make sure they give it to me in writing.
I found the Nissan Tsuru for $66 a week from Thrifty, but once you add on the 10% tax and the 10% airport fee, it comes to $79.86. It doesn't say anything about insurance so far. I know I checked with Executive and they required getting Liability for any rental, which added a good bit to the rental.
The insurance on rental car thing seems to be a lot of smoke and mirrors designed to milk people in general, just like here in the good ol'US of A.

We always get full coverage insurance; it totals around $55/day for a VW Pointer wagon (basically a Jetta wagon). You're getting a good rate on the Tsuro - have you added in the insurance?

There's a weird "catch" with insurance in Mexico. If I explain it incorrectly, somebody...please correct me. The way I understand it: if you have an accident w/o insurance, you have to pay the total for the damages before you leave the country. And then you figure out how to get re-imbursed through your credit card insurance. Apparently it's a huge hassle. Just take the full coverage.

The entire rental will be much less than you taking taxis, transfers, etc. There is the bus, but how much time do you want to spend waiting and waiting?

Pepper is correct about the insurance. Your car insurance from home is not valid in Mexico and if you get into an accident, all costs must be paid before leaving the country. With Mexican car rental insurance, the company will go right to the accident site and confirm coverage to the police. Your Visa will only reimburse you upon return to the USA and you will have to submit accident report and copies of invoices for any work done. Also they are only good for CDW, nothing else. Take the insurance for the peace of mind, we always do.

TripleJack -

If you're still checking this...I found this today while looking for something else...

http://www.tripadvisor.com/GoListDet...Peninsula.html

I recommend renting a car. If you choose to waive the rental car insurance, make sure you get the car insurance your credit card has (they will mail you their policy) and take it with you to Mexico. I know someone that had some damage to their car which they had to pay for before leaving Cancun, but they had no problem getting reimbursed from their card company. Our last trip a few weeks ago we took the liability which was @$10/day from Budget.

It may be better to stay in the Tulum area which is closer to restaurants and just drive into the Biosphere for a day trip. We pack a picnic and just spend a few hours at the beach there when we want a change of scenery.

You will have a great trip.

Carole
www.CasaTropical.com

Thanks again to all who have replied thus far. It's been a help. I went ahead and did the rental car, as well as our firt night there in Cancun, since we arrive at 7PM at the airport, and our last night, since our flight out is at 8AM.
I'm still stuck on the majority of the days/nights.
I want to try and make a trip up to Chichen Itza, maybe staying one night, as well as the Ruins in Tulum.
Do you guys/gals think we should just wing it on accomidations in Tulum, and find a place after we get there? Keep in mind that we're going from Oct.4 to 11, which is the low season.
Also, can I do the same when going to Chichen Itza? just show up and get a room?
Will I end up paying more by doing this, or potentialy less?

Thanks again.

I think you can wing it...but, get a map ASAP from cancunmap.com - get the Chichen Itza map...it'll save your life!!

I would go to Chichen directly from Cancun, so your 2nd day and spend the night at the Dolores Alba across from Ik Kil cenote. While you're there...you might as well see the ruins Ek Balam and Chichen - maybe spend 2 nights??
Or you could stay in Valladolid at El Meson del Marques or Maria de la Luz.

After that leg, take the road through the interior to Tulum. Follow the signs to Chemex, Coba, Tulum. It's all on the map.

Have fun!!

There are lots of small places to stay on road that runs along the beach in Tulum - they are literally a few hundered feet apart. I would think you could find something. When you are approaching Tulum pueblo from the north on rte 307, make a left at the traffic light on the road which heads down to the ruins and the ocean. after a few miles, you can then head left to the ruins and a few hotels, or right to many more hotels and Sian Ka'an. The further down you go, the quieter it gets.