Tulum Mexico

There’s Something About Tulum

If you have never been to Tulum Mexico and you love wide white powder sand beaches and the blue gin clear waters of the Western Caribbean, then for no other reason you should go.  Visiting some of the best beaches in the world is only one of the draws to this magical area.  There is truly something magical going on here.  The Mayans felt the magnetic pull from this majestic piece of the Earth and built an observatory on the cliffs above the blue waters of this Yucatan paradise as a major seaport and lookout for the further inland Mayan city of Coba.  The areas along the beaches of Tulum are now home to many Tulum resorts offering an eco-friendly yet luxurious vacation option.

The name Tulum comes from the Mayan word for wall, but this ancient Mayan city was also called Zama which means “city of dawn”.  Maybe they called it that because of the incredible sunrises you can see from the cliffs and beaches surrounding these well preserved and sublime ruins and the most popular ruins of any in Mexico to visit.

Tulum is far removed from the mega resorts and hotels of Cancun and is still beyond the booming Playa del Carmen hotels and resorts.  The Tulum hotels you find in this area are primarily the eco friendly variety and the area is known for coining the phrase “eco-chic”, these are not your average eco friendly hotels with many offering full service spas and amenities you would not expect in such a natural and pristine environment.

Tulum and Yucatan travel and lifestyle choices offers you a wide variety of options as far as style and substance. 

If you are traveling to the inland areas of this region you can explore the new 7^th Wonder of the World at the ruins of Chichen Itza or visit historical Merida where colonial charm meets Mayan history and culture.  Playa Del Carmen offer a more typical Caribbean holiday experience. The streets are bustling with world class shopping and nightclubs as well as an active daily beach scene ideal for people watching and sun worship.  Of courseCancun has long been established as a major and popular tourist destination since the late 1970’s and now represents a more modern and typical large luxury resort experience.

* Data from Mexico’s National Office of Statistics, INEGI.

Cost of Living in Tulum

The cost of living in Mexico is typically lower in Mexico than it is the USA, Canada and Western Europe, although precise costs depend upon where you live and your lifestyle choices.

Regional and geographical cost variations do exist, and this part of the guide shows you how some goods and services at Tulum vary from the average.

Information about the real estate market in Tulum

Real Estate Market in Tulum

The ‘real estate bargains’ that were available here a decade or more ago are long gone, but property prices remain affordable in comparison to beach-front or beach-side property in places like the U.S.A. and Western Europe.

Tulum offers a wide variety of property types to choose from. Realty developers have entered the market in earnest and this, coupled with other smaller as well as private investment projects has produced a local realty market that serves a broad range of interests and budgets including modest condos and casitas (little houses) mid range and luxury condos, apartments, suburban town homes as well eco-friendly communities.

The real estate market in Tulum continues to experience ongoing and brisk development driven by rising investment in the region, and there are also plans to expand development of the town inland, past current limits, to include the other side of Highway 307, the main highway connecting Tulum with Cancun and the rest of the Yucatan.

Prices of realty in Tulum, as in all Mexican resort towns, have risen considerably over the last decade, although they still remain at very affordable levels when compared to ocean-side realty prices in the U.S. and Western Europe. The financial ‘credit crunch’ has tempered market activity and this is beginning to influence some prices, especially of properties whose owners had come to adopt unrealistic expectations of their value.

Prices for very desirable real estate situated on plots of land which are by nature limited (e.g. on the beach) continue to hold, or at least the price tags haven’t changed much,keeping in mind that price is negotiable. For example, for properties overlooking the ocean or very close to it. However, the tear-away price rises of recent years are yielding and to a more stable price market.

Most real estate is sold through local realty agents who know the area and the surrounding region, as well as directly through the developers marketing major realty projects, often on prime beachfront locations or on fine golf courses.

Rentals Market in Tulum

Tulum has limited long term rentals at this time.

Healthcare in Tulum

In addition to Mexico’s state sponsored healthcare provided via the country’s national health service IMSS, good quality healthcare services offered through private clinics with US -standard healthcare services exist in Tulum. The privately-run out patient clinics available locally are ideal for day-to-day ailments, sprains, broken bones and other health matters which would normally be diagnosed and treated by a General Practitioner of medicine.

Local Climate in Tulum

Tulum is hot and humid with dry and wet (rainy) seasons. The annual average temperature is around 80F/26C. Humidity levels are very high all year long; often exceeding ninety per cent. The rainy season runs from May to October each year. Sea breezes bring cooling winds which help to make the location feel cooler, fresher and less aggressively humid than towns and cities located away from the coast.

Winter Climate:

November to January are the coolest months with average temperatures ranging from 81F/27C during the day and 68F/20C overnight. The “high” season for tourists and part-time residents begins in November each year.

Spring Climate:

February thru early May offers a beautiful spring-like climate with very little rain. Temperatures begin to increase from April, with average temperatures ranging from 84F/28C during the day and 71F/21C overnight.

Summer Climate:

June through September are the hottest months, with temperatures ranging from 75F/23C overnight, to 95F/35C in the daytime. The rainy season begins between mid and late May and will last through to October. Hurricanes may occur anytime during the hot summer months but are most likely during July, August and September. Temperatures and humidity reach their peak from mid-July to the end of August.

Autumn Climate:

The temperature begins to moderate again in October. Mid and late autumn brings cooler temperatures with averages ranging from 87F/30C during the day to 73F/22C overnight.

Rainy Season:

Tulum’s rainy season runs from May to October, with most of the rain falling in July and August. Torrential afternoon rains may be experienced several days a week and, in the peak temperature months of July, August and September tropical storms and hurricanes may feature, too.

Hurricanes:

Hurricanes can affect Tulum at any time during the summer, although they are most frequently experienced here during the peak summer months, especially mid-July through September. The last major hurricane to land on near Tulum was Hurricane Wilma in 2005, Dean was much further south in 2008.

Sea Temperature in Tulum

The average sea temperature in the region is 80F/26C. Sea temperatures rise higher in the summer months, and dip slightly November through February.

More News and Information About Tulum