Around Tulum
The Road Chose Me Volume 2 OUT NOW!!
The Road Chose Me Volume 2: Three years and 54,000 miles around Africa
Leaving the Isla Mujeres we are again the last car on the ferry and make it by the skin of our teeth. Perfect timing 😉 We roll south and checkout the extremely touristy, party-centric town of Playa Del Carmen before getting into Tulum right at dusk. We eat dinner and walk around for two hours trying to find acommodation only to find every hotel, hostel & motel completely full. It’s getting darker and colder, and both of us stop having fun around the two hour mark as we get more and more foot sore. At another booked-out hotel we randomly meet Barton, an ex-pat bartender who has a room for rent at his house, five minutes out of town in the jungle. We find a paradise awaits us and we make it our home for a couple of days to explore the Tulum area.
Our room at Barton's place
Up early to beat the crowds we enter the ruins at Tulum and are hugely impressed. The city was built on limestone cliffs overlooking the ocean and the whole area is absolutely beautiful. We wander around in the morning sunshine reading all the information boards and trying to overhear paid guides from time to time.
The oceanside ruins at Tulum
More ruins at Tulum
As the sun get higher and warmer we move on and drive out to the small town of Coba to see more ruins. The drive is supposed to take 30 mins, and in a daydream I miss to turn and we wind up driving twice as far and arrive only shortly before closing time. The ruins at Coba are spread over a huge area, and this combined with our lack of time makes renting bicycles seems obvious.
Riding bikes around the Coba ruins was great fun
We have a great time rolling around, stopping every 500 meters or so to checkout another temple or building. At one stop we come across a little critter that I at first think must be an ant-eater then a couple of locals tell us it’s in fact a very close relative of the raccoon.
The biggest temple at Coba
The main attraction at Coba is a temple 42 meters high, which is plenty enough to get a great view over the jungle canopy, which stretches endlessly in all directions. All manner of people are tackling the climb & descent with varying degrees of success. Back in Tulum we’re in the habit of eating out for every meal, which is going to hurt my pocket for sure – what the heck. We also love wandering up and down the main street poking into all the shops looking at various nothings.
View over the jungle canopy at Coba
One of the major attractions in the Tulum area are ‘centoes’, limestone caves filled with extremely clear water – perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving. There are quite a few to choose from, so on the advice of a cool guy we meet we head out to Cenote Dos Ojos (two eyes) to get the run down. Once we see the photos we’re quickly convinced to hire a guide and do the full tour. The guide jumps in the Jeep for the few kilometer ride to the actual entrance so I ride on the outside standing on the running board holding onto the roll cage while Kate drives for the first time on the right hand side of the road. It’s a riot and might just be the most fun couple of kilometers of the whole trip 
Snorkeling in Cenote Dos Ojos
We gear up and head straight into the centoe and pretty soon we’re right in the thick of it. The water is extremely clear and we can see for maybe twenty or thirty meters underwater with powerful flashlights. Seeing the odd scuba diver glide by many meters under us really adds something. Our guide takes us through all kinds of connecting tunnels and small caverns, all filled with massive stalactites and stalagmites.
Outside the cenote
An underwater stalactite
The highlight is going through one section about thirty meters long where the roof of the cave is never more than 30 cm from the water, and not much wider. Quite a few times we have to keep our heads completely in the water as only the tip of the snorkel has enough clearance.
Water to roof height is pretty small
Underwater in the cenote
I’m completely shocked at how beautiful the underwater formations are and walk around with a huge grin for the rest of the day.
Reflected in the surface of the water
Belize is close, really close
-Dan
Sounds incredible, I cannot imagine being in such places, I’d love to do this sort of traveling in the future, just wondering how you afford it, have you saved up or are you making money as you go ?
Great site by the way, a big inspiration
Hey Ben, I saved for about 2 years to be able to afford the trip, and I’ll more than likely have some credit card debt buy the time I am done. It’s pretty cheap living in my tent and eating camp-stove food. Gas is by far my biggest expense.
I cannot wait to see your photo! Reading your blog is an imbold for my trips. „If you want something in life, reach out and grab it!”
With any luck at all, you should see a ton of photos in less than a week. Fingers are crossed
Amazing photos man,looks like your having a blast!
That I am! The sun has kicked in now and I’m starting to get brown enough to pass for a local!
Any idea how to get in touch with Barton? I think I’d like to rent his room out for awhile!
Sorry, no clue.
We found him working a bar on the outskirts of town.. my memory says it was at the Southern end, West side of the road, and I Think the bar was at some kind of hostel, and there was tons of plants/jungle greenery to walk through before getting to the bar. I don’t remember the name.
I bet this was amazing. I don’t think I could have done it though.