Cycling to the Maya City of Tulum

Together with a fun group from the hostel—Dusty and Alana from Australia, Nick from the United States, and Valentine from Belgium—we set out on a bike ride to the Maya ruins of Tulum.

The ruins are located right by the sea, in an incredibly picturesque setting overlooking the Caribbean. It is said that wealthier Maya elites once came here to spend their holidays, enjoying the coastal views long before modern tourism arrived.

Walking through the archaeological site, we see several impressive structures. One of the buildings is believed to be among the last Maya constructions built before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.

Not far from the ruins lies Casa Cenote, a place where the Maya had access to one of the region’s famous underground freshwater lakes (cenotes). These natural water sources were extremely important for settlements in the Yucatán Peninsula.

After exploring the ruins, we spend some time at Tulum’s beautiful beach, relaxing in the warm Caribbean surroundings. At one point someone even ends up towing a bicycle along the sand, which becomes a bit of a running joke among us.

Back at the hostel in the evening, we gather again and play an Israeli card game called Yaniv, which turns out to be both simple and surprisingly addictive.