I was wondering is there a road that goes directly from tulum towards chichen Itza? If I have to drive up to Cancun and across that is too long a trip!! RR

You can drive over to Coba and then up toward Chichen Itza. It's a pretty long drive. I took a flight tour from Playa del Carmen and recommend it. You arrive before 10 am and have the ruins mostly to yourself before the large bus tours arrive from Cancun at about noon.

The road from Tulum to Coba to Valladolid to Chichen Itza is the way to go. The road is in good condition (at least it was a year ago) and you can visit Coba ruins. The drive will be somewhere around 2hrs if you drive straight (if I remember right, but check that with someone else - maybe it was longer). It will be more interesting and shorter than going up to Cancun and then over. Realize that you will be driving through small towns that have speed bumps - look out for them because they are bone shakers if you go over them too fast - even if you don't see a sign, they will always be there and usually not painted.

I would highly recommend getting a map - like the one from www.cancunmap.com - it will be very helpful going through Valladolid.

Good luck!

We have done this trip recently and are going back in May again but we did it out of Akumal, minor difference. Yes, take the road to Coba. The first part of the road was being widened in anticipation of the new airport, the second part was two lane. The topes are usually marked but they are normally located at the entrance and exit of each village and very often another set in the middle of the village. You will see signs telling you to slow down before you get to the village.

Before you get to Coba there is a traffic circuit, first turn goes to Nuevo Xaan, second turn goes to Chemax, this is the turnoff you want. It will take you into Valladolid and from Valladolid you can follow the free road into Chichen Itza.

Have a great trip. Might want to consider staying overnight if your hotel is not paid for. Can highly recommend Hacienda Chichen.

I would highly recommend the Hacienda Chichen as well. So fabulous!

We stayed in Akumal as well - wasn't that a great place?

Below is a link to my trip report from last year (note a different forum). We stayed in Akumal (between Playa del Carmen and Tulum) but Wed & Thurs is our experience of our overnight to Chichen.

http://www.locogringo.com/forums/tm....y=&#218048

Also I'm not sure if you have driven in Mexico before, but there are several rules of the road that you should be aware of. I good primer is this thread

http://www.locogringo.com/forums/tm....=driving%2C101

Good Luck!

locolowe,

Great report, I spend a fair amount of time on LG myself

We are going back to Akumal in May for our seventh stay at Hotel Akumal Caribe, then on to Merida and Uxmal and end up in Isla.

Great trip report, thanks.