About the Site
One of Mexico's Most Spectacular Ruins
Tulum was a major Mayan port city that flourished between the 13th and 15th centuries, serving as a key hub for trade along the Caribbean coast. Unlike most Mayan sites hidden in jungle interiors, Tulum was built on a dramatic clifftop — a strategic vantage point that made it both defensible and visually breathtaking.
The site was still inhabited when Spanish conquistadors arrived in 1518, making it one of the last Mayan cities to remain occupied. Juan de Grijalva's expedition recorded seeing its white-painted temples glowing in the morning sun from their ships — describing it as a city larger than Seville.
Today, with over 2 million visitors a year, it ranks as the third most-visited archaeological site in all of Mexico, after Teotihuacan and Chichén Itzá.
Read the Full History →
El Castillo at Tulum, overlooking the Caribbean
Founded
~1200–1300 CE, Late Postclassic
Original Name
Zamá — "city of dawn"
Site Area
380 × 165 meters, walled
Annual Visitors
2+ million per year
