Tulum Ruins Facts

The essential facts about the Tulum ruins — where they are, how old they are, what stands inside the walls, and what you need to know before you visit. Everything here is checked against Mexico's national institute for the site, INAH.

• LocationTulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico (Caribbean coast)
• Ancient nameZamá — “dawn”
• Modern nameTulum — “wall”
• CultureMaya, Post-Classic period
• Main periodc. 1200–1521 CE
• Earliest carved date564 CE
• SettingA 12-metre limestone cliff above the sea
• Managed byINAH
• Opening hoursDaily 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (last entry 3:30 pm)
• INAH ticket~MX$210 (MX$105 nationals & residents)

Location and setting

Tulum sits on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán peninsula, in the state of Quintana Roo, about two hours south of Cancún and an hour from Playa del Carmen. It is built on a low limestone cliff, roughly twelve metres above a small beach and a break in the offshore reef — a setting no other major Maya city shares. Details on reaching it are on the getting there page.

Age and timeline

Most of the standing architecture dates to the Post-Classic period, between about 1200 and 1521 CE, when coastal towns like Tulum rose as the older inland Classic cities faded. The site is older than its walls, though: a stela in the Temple of the Initial Series records the date 564 CE, the earliest yet found here. Tulum was still occupied when Spanish ships first passed in 1518, making it one of the last living Maya cities Europeans encountered — the fuller story is on the history page.

Size and structures

The walled precinct measures roughly 380 by 165 metres. Its wall — three to five metres high and up to five metres thick — closes the city on three sides, with five gateways and two corner structures often called watchtowers; the seaward side is left open along the cliff. Inside stand El Castillo, the clifftop temple that is the city's landmark; the Temple of the Frescoes, with its 13th-century murals; the Temple of the Descending God; and the House of the Cenote, built over a freshwater sinkhole. The architecture page covers each in detail.

Why Tulum is unusual

• It is the only major walled Maya city built on the coast.
• It was one of the last Maya cities still occupied at the time of Spanish contact.
• It was among the first Maya cities Europeans recorded — sighted from the sea in 1518.
• Its clifftop setting above the Caribbean is unique among the peninsula's ancient cities.

The meaning of the name

The Maya called the city Zamá, a word meaning “dawn” or “morning,” chosen for its position facing the sunrise over the Caribbean. The name we use today, Tulum, is more recent and simply means “wall” or “fence” — a plain description of the stone rampart that rings the city. Both names, and how one replaced the other, are covered on the name and meaning page.

Visiting facts

The site opens daily from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, with last entry at 3:30 pm; arriving at opening avoids both the crowds and the midday heat. The INAH ticket is about MX$210 (MX$105 for Mexican nationals and residents, free for them on Sundays), and separate park fees are collected at the entrance — the full breakdown is on the plan your visit page. Most visitors spend 1.5 to 2 hours on site, and the structures can no longer be climbed. To see it with a guide, compare our top Tulum tours.