phitnessphan

My husband and I are looking to tour some ruins during our upcoming trip to Puerto Morelos- we were thinking of Chichen Itza, but have heard the drive is too long, and it is too touristy. Sam (husband) has been to Coba' a # of years ago- and wanted to see something different.

Would appreciated any and all comments!

Betsy

Diana

Hi Betsy.

I've been to Tulum, Coba and Chichen Itza, and they are all very different from one another.

Tulum is the smallest, and it is not far from Puerto Morelos, and it is gorgeous. (Right on the ocean with an amazing view.)

Coba is much larger, but it is spread out and much of it is not completely excavated. But it is well worth the trip.

Chichen Itza has the most extensive sites and intact buildings, but it is a bit more commercial than the other ruins. (People usually like it the best because there is a LOT to see.)

Why don't you check out Tulum and then see if you would like to see more?

Chichen Itza is really incredible. You can take a comfortable bus ride there, or you can drive and get there early while it's cooler, get a guide and see what you want to, and go on back to PM.

My favorite is Tulum solely because of the ocean setting and the gorgeous beach that you can go to to cool off after visiting the ruins. (It is closer to most areas too.)

We flew from Cozumel to Ch Itza and so missed much of the drive/ride.

MrsKiss

Diana explains the three ruins completely and I agree with all that she says about them. We (my husband and I) walked a lot at both Coba and Chichen Itza. It was terribly hot when we saw Tulum and we hadn't planned on swimming in the ocean that is so beautiful there. It might be a good idea to cool off! My favorite is Chichen Itza because there is so much that is intact, to learn about, and to explore. For that reason, I have been to Chichen Itza twice!

outtadodge

Hi Phitnessphan,

Explored the Yucatan peninsula for 15 days about 2 years ago and it was amazing! I agree with the comments, Chichen Itza is beautiful and well worth the visit. Stayed in a bungalow at the Mayaland one night so we could see the night show (turns out the fireflies were the best part) and enjoy the ruins the next day early before all the tourists showed up.

Didn't stop at Coba (despite my protests) but drove to Tulum. Tulum is really great because of its proximity to the beach. We stayed in Boca Paila, a small beachside hotel village 5 mins away from Tulum ruins. Highly recommend Tulum, Boca Paila, and the Ana Y Jose Hotel is very nice. If you have time, recommend a day trip to the Sian Khan Biosphere Reserve right next to Boca Paila.

It's pretty easy to drive around the Yucatan, recommend the toll roads unless you're adventurous. Key to getting around is a good map or two, recommend ITMB (International Travel Maps and Books), you can order online.

Happy travels!

nkd

our visit to Tulum was great

Poppa

Tulum is a dump.

You will realize this when you see Chichen. Over on Trip Advisor you should search for Posts on a tour that sounds both inexpensive and easygoing.
Was it Grayline?

Remember to AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE those tours that give you "lunch," steer you to curio shops, and include a "cenote swim." This will eat up your day and Chichen deserves all of one day and perhaps two.

Good luck.

Little_Man

Tulum is a dump????

It may not be an important ruin, but it is situated on a hill overlooking one of the world's most beautiful beaches. It's definitely worth seeing, is interesting, and it's wonderful to have a swim after inspecting the ruins!

MrsKiss

Tulum is absolutely beautiful! Dump is a word I would never use to describe Tulum. The history and what remains is interesting. It is not Chichen Itza, no, but well worth seeing. As for going with a tour and seeing a cenote, well, I'm glad I went that route. We saw the most beautiful cenote! I feel it is one of the most beautiful, natural wonders I have ever seen. My day was filled with the cenote, having lunch, but a great deal of the day was seeing Chichen Itza. It is so hot that we needed the break, we had a wonderful, informative guide, and saw a great deal of Chichen Itza to satisify our time there with the guide and on our own for awhile. Love every minute. Tulum is breath taking!!

swimmr

I visited the Yucatan in January, stayed at Chichen Itza (Hacienda Chichen) and visited Coba and Tulum. While I thought Tulum was an interesting site, I didn't enjoy being there when it was overrun with tourists. I plan to go back and stay someplace nearby such as Ana y Jose so I can visit Tulum before the buses arrive.

Coba had far fewer visitors when we there, and I was impressed with the site. There is a large pyramid in the center of the ruins that looked bigger than the pyramid at Chichen Itza.

As for Chichen Itza, we explored the site in the late afternoon and early the next day, and basically had the park to ourselves for quite a while (pretty amazing). I'd go back there too, but also hope to visit Uxmal and some of the other Yucatan sites next time.

phitnessphan

A big "thank you" to everyone who answered me! I really appreciate it! Still don't know what we're going to do. I would like to "do" Chichen Itza, but the long bus ride (2.5 hrs each way) is a drawback for me.

We leave for vacation on 8/14- and cannot wait!

Again, thank you for your help!

Betsy