Tulum Mayan Ruins, a must to visit place in Mexico

Tulum Mayan ruins is a well known touristic destinations in Mexico and a must to visit place.

For me seeing the Mayan pyramids was a dream since I was young back in Europe. I was fortunate to visit them when we went down south escaping the cold Canadian winter 🙂 My husband and I went many times to Mexico and visited almost everything. That year we went to Riviera Maya on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Tulum was the first Mayan archeological site we had ever seen. It looks like we started with the right foot 🙂 But, My God!… I got really overwhelmed by all that was there to see …

Templo Dios Del Viento, Tulum

The most photographed place of this archeological site is “Templo Dios del Viento” translated to “God of Winds Temple”. I photographed it from several different angles. Oh, the water is so incredibly blue-turquoise all along the Mayan Riviera, from Cancun down.

In fact, Tulum Mayan site is the only site ever built on the sea. It served as a major port for Coba, the nearby inland Mayan Site

The site was a trading center as well as a fort protecting the Mexican Caribbean coast.
* In the Yucatán Mayan language, Tulúm is the word for fence. The two towers above look like observation points at the sea entrance to Tulum.

– Unfortunately they couldn’t defend themselves against the Spanish conquistadors eager to take over the “New World”. Drastic changes happened leading to the disappearance of this ancient civilization roughly at about 1500

Tulum Mayan ruins and stone structures

A thick stone fence was surrounding the whole site.  You can still see part of it here and there right from the entrance:

Many structures built of stone are scattered all over the place there. Some were administrative buildings, some residential, others had religious purposes.

What’s characteristic for the Mayan temples in the Yucatan peninsula are the columns:

Mayan built the columns from cylindrical pieces of stones cut and stacked together.

Most Popular structures at Tulum Mayan ruins

Here is a side view of the main building of the site, called “Castillo” – translated: The Castle.

I found that a view of “Castillo” through the tropical vegetation was more artistic than a front classic view, so here it is… Coming from the North, I am always attracted by the palm trees, Ha, ha 🙂

Temple of the Frescoes

What impressed me most was the Temple of the Frescoes, the largest structure in the Mayan Tulum site. This building was an observatory from where Tulumians were watching the movements of the Sun.

At a closer look, you notice a beautifully carved face of the Mayan Diving God:

On the left side of the face you can see some more stone carved artifacts dedicated to Venus. I’m not sure about the relation between the two, but this is what it was 🙂

After you visit the Tulum Mayan ruins archeological site, you should not miss the bar restaurant at the entrance/exit. Here you can treat yourself with some refreshing drinks and snacks.

… and the giant iguana, pet of the site, is an bonus for the kids:)

Tulum Mexico Souvenirs:

I uploaded four of the photos above to my gallery at Fine Art America, where they are available as art prints at your disposition. Besides that, I also made a collection of Mayan ruins images and artifacts. It’s a reminding of the reason why someone should visit this unique place on the Mayan Riviera, Mexico. Just click on the images for details!

… and this is how it can look on the wall:

You can even have a Note Book with the famous site as a cover. But many other souvenirs are also available. Just click on the images and see for yourself:

Thank you for visiting!