How to Get Around Tulum Mexico

In this guide we’ll share all the different ways you can get around the popular Pueblo Magico of Tulum in Mexico. Located along the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula, Tulum is more than that one lush street with photogenic hotel and beach club entrances that you see on social media. The attractions like the Maya ruins, cenotes, and beaches are actually quite spread out and you’ll need to plan how you’re going to visit them. It’s really not that difficult once you know all the options.

We spent 5 days in Tulum and used many different modes of transport, including cycling, walking, and renting a car. However, there are even more options depending on your personal preference.

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How to Get Around Tulum Mexico

Tulum is split into a few different areas: Tulum Pueblo, or Centro, the Beach / Hotel Zone, Zama and La Veleta. Most people either base themselves in Tulum Centro or the Hotel / Beach Zone.

Whilst Zama and La Veleta are located just outside of Centro, the Beach / Hotel Zone is located about 5km to the south and stretches for over 10km along the coast. If you want to visit some popular cenotes, they’re mainly located to the north of Tulum Centro along Highway 109.

As you can see, unless you just want to relax at a beach club, you’ll likely need to use different modes of transport to visit the best attractions around Tulum. Below we’ll discuss all the ways you can get around Tulum, list the pros and cons of each method, and give you some suggestions on where to use one over another.

1. On Foot

Walking is the most environmentally friendly and cost effective method for getting around Tulum. However, we don’t recommend walking everywhere.

If you’re staying somewhere around Tulum Centro, definitely take a morning or evening stroll along the main street. Its lined with many bars, restaurants and souvenir shops. We took a late afternoon stroll along Calle Sol Oriente where we found a ton of street art. If you’re based in the Hotel Zone, then you can also walk up and down this leafy street.

However, we don’t think that anybody would want to complete a 20km roundtrip on foot between Tulum Centro and the Hotel / Beach zone. Probably the only place that you could consider walking to from downtown are the Tulum Ruins, but even that could take you a good 45 minutes one way.

2. By Bicycle

Another eco-friendly and fun way to get around Tulum is by bicycle. Cycling in Tulum is pretty safe as there are many dedicated cycle lanes both in Tulum Pueblo and along Coba Avenue (Highway 15), the road that connects downtown Tulum to the Hotel / Beach Zone. You can most certainly cover more distance on two-wheels than on foot.

We rode a bike along the Hotel Strip one day, then cycled to the Tulum Ruins and the beaches on another. However, you can also cycle to some of the cenotes just outside Tulum such as Cenote Cristal, Cenote Escondido and Cenote Calavera.

There are many bike rental shops in Tulum, with Ola Bike Tulum and IBike Tulum being popular ones. Booking a bike tour could also be an option if you want to socialise a bit more. This Cenote Bike Trail Tour visits either 2 or 3 cenotes to the west of Tulum, or this bike tour takes you to the archeological site as well as a cenote.

Alternatively, booking an accommodation with bikes included means you won’t even need to spend extra on a rental.

The downside of cycling is that it’s usually pretty hot and humid in Tulum. The distances you’ll cover can add up quickly and before you know it you’ll have cycled 20km or more. There’s also no segregated bike lane along Highway 109 to the north of Tulum where all the most popular cenotes are located.

For more information about biking in Tulum, read our detailed guide packed with safety tips.

3. By Scooter

If cycling sounds like a lot of effort, then consider renting a scooter, or moped, to get around Tulum. They are faster than walking or cycling and less physically demanding. Whilst renting a scooter will be more expensive than renting a bike, it’s still slightly cheaper than renting a car. Plus, they’re way easier to park than a car.

With a scooter you can quickly reach the Hotel Zone from Tulum Centro, or the Tulum Ruins and beaches. It’s also a much quicker way to visit some of the popular cenotes, such as the Gran Cenote to the north of Tulum.

Many of the bike rental shops, such as IBike Tulum, also have scooters available to hire for a day or so.

4. By Rental Car

If you plan on visiting places further afield from Tulum, such as the Coba Archeological Site, then we suggest hiring a car for the day. We did this and drove to Coba Ruins in the morning, then stopped at AZULIK City of Arts and ATIK Tulum Park along Highway 109 on our way back. For the two of us it worked out cheaper to rent a car than to book organised tours to visit the places we wanted to.

Top Tip. You can even drive all the way to Chichen Itza or Valladolid from Tulum, if you’re only in Mexico for a short holiday. Since we were on a backpacking trip across the country, we used long-haul buses to travel between major settlements.

There are many car rental places in Tulum, with both well-known international agencies and more local ones. If you want to secure a vehicle before your trip, check out DiscoverCars where you can find the best rates because they compare local, national and international companies.

5. By Colectivos (Shared Minivans)

If you’ve travelled around Latin America before, then you know that you can likely get anywhere you want using colectivos, aka shared minivans. Whenever we can, we always use colectivos as our mode of transport.

The advantage of a colectivo is that it’s a faster way to get to the Hotel Zone from Centro than walking or cycling. It’s also way cheaper than renting a scooter or a car for the day. Just flag one down that’s going either towards the Hotel Zone (Cabanas) or the northern beaches (Ruinas) anywhere along the main avenue (Highway 307).

The obvious downside of colectivos is that they can often be packed and you’ll have less freedom with their set routes. You’ll also have to have small change on you to pay your fare. Some basic Spanish knowledge can also come in handy.

6. Taxis

There are always plenty of taxis available in Tulum. Taking a taxi is a good option if you want to have the freedom to get to attractions located further afield but don’t want to hire a car and drive in Mexico. This way you can get to places quickly and don’t need to worry about parking your vehicle somewhere. Many drivers will offer to drive you around all day for a set fee, in case you want to visit Coba Archeological site as well as other cenotes along the way.

If you choose to get around Tulum in taxis, just make sure to always negotiate and agree on a price, (in Mexican Pesos!), before you jump in. Many drivers try to inflate their prices, therefore always ask your hotel about current fares so you know if you’re getting a good deal or not.

7. Organised Tours

Lastly, you can always book an organised tour in Tulum, which could take you somewhere further afield. Guided tours are great if you travel solo, want to socialise, or just don’t want to be thinking about the logistics of getting to places. Depending on the tour you sign up for you can get a pretty decent deal too. Obviously, the downside is that your time will be limited in places and you’ll have less freedom on what you see. Plus, if you’re with a group of friends or family, then a car rental would definitely work out cheaper.

Popular day trips from Tulum include a visit to Chichen Itza, the beautiful Pueblo Magico of Valladolid, or even to Xcaret, the coolest water park in Mexico.

This tour includes Chichen Itza, the nearby cenotes, a stroll around Valladolid and a buffet lunch. If you want to spend a fun day at Xcaret, then book this full-day tour that includes your transport and your ticket to the water park. In case you just want to spend your day on the water, check out this half-day sailing adventure to Isla Mujeres

Final Thoughts on Ways to Get Around Tulum Mexico

Thanks to the popularity of Tulum, there are many different ways to get around the city. We enjoyed going for a stroll around Tulum Centro, browsing some of the souvenir shops and searching for colourful murals. Cycling to the Hotel Zone was also a great idea, even though we paid the price for biking back in the midday heat. Again, reaching Tulum Ruins on two-wheels was also way better than it would’ve been with a car. However, hiring a car for a day to reach Coba Ruins worked out cheaper for us than a tour would’ve done. Of course, being able to stop at some of the cenotes along the highway was an added benefit of renting a car.

We hope this article gave you a good idea of the many transport options you have for seeing the best attractions around Tulum. Have you ever visited Tulum before? If so, which methods did you use to get around? If not, what would be your preferred mode of transport during your stay? Let us know in the comments below.