Playa del Carmen- Tulum
 

We are staying in a resort in Playa del Carmen for a few days. There are 17 of us- is a day trip to Tulum worth doing? Just to see the town...not an excursion. If so, any reccomondations on transportation or do we rent cars?

Tulum is really made up of 3 areas:

Tulum Pueblo - A nice enough town, but nothing to write home about. The highway runs through it, and you've got shops and restaurants, banks, some hotels, plus all the other things you would expect in a town of any size. I would not make a day trip to Tulum just to hang out around town though.

Tulum Ruins - The ruins are a couple KM north of Tulum Pueblo, between the highway and the sea. The ruins themselves are pretty interesting I think worth a visit. Most have been excavated and roped off, but you can walk through the site. If you want a guide, you can hire one at the entrance. The location of the ruins is phenomenal - on a bluff overlooking the sea - just amazing. Outside the ruins is a shopping area with bunches of shops and restaurants - I haven't shopped there, but I would bet that the prices are higher than those in Tulum Pueblo.

Tulum Beach - This is a long stretch of beach starting just south of the Tulum Ruins - miles and miles of beach. It is a few KM outside of Tulum Pueblo. There are some rocky outcroppings that divide up the beaches in some areas and in some areas, it is just beach for miles. There are small hotels, restaurants, bars, and beach clubs along the beach road. In some areas they are concentrated together and in other areas they are more spread out.

For transportation, you can take the bus or taxis. The bus will go along the highway - stop at the ruins and in town. To get to the beach you'll need to take a taxi. Taxis are plentiful though.