There is SO MUCH to do in this area, after visiting the ruins, of course! And be sure to check out the town site- lots of great little shops and restaurants.

Sian Ka´an Jungle Trip

This is a must do while visiting Tulum. The best trip is through the local community tour group. They offer a guided tour through the jungle with explanations of wildlife, trees, and medicinal plants. The hike takes you through Mayan ruins and wetlands where you end up by a lagoon. There is a short boat tour through the Mayan canals and then you get to cool off by wearing life jackets and literally floating downstream through one of the canals. There are gorgeous orchids and mangroves. The water is crystal clear and very refreshing. There is then another short boat ride to a cenote to watch for manatees (we weren't able to see them) and then to a museum for an authentic Mayan lunch with tamales and fresh honey. After a walk through the museum, you ride a small van to a cenote for a late afternoon swim. The tour lasts all day and is worth every penny.

Snorkeling

You are so close to Hidden Worlds & Dos Ojos, great caves & cenotes for snorkelling. Same for Aktun Chen, which also has a monkey preserve. Other great cenotes include: Gran Cenote, Cenote Carwash, and Cenote Calaveras on the road toward Coba (but very close to Tulum) and Cenote Escondido and Cenote Cristal just south of Tulum pueblo on the highway toward Carrillo Puerto (again, just outside the pueblo, very close to Tulum).

Xel-Ha is close-by, about 17 km north of Tulum pueblo. You can get there by taxi or colectivo. You can do it all here: Snorkel, tube down the lazy river, jump off a cliff, swing on a rope, hang with the iguanas, swim with the dolphins ($). You can choose to pay the simple entrance fee, or the all inclusive fee that includes meals and gear.

If you’re looking for more great snorkelling, there is a lot nearby in Tankah (Casa Cenote), Akumal, Half-Moon Bay, and Yul-Ku Lagoon.

Archaeological sites

You may also want to check out the ruins at Coba, which is about 45 minutes from Tulum. There are a variety of companies that will take you, some combined with other activities like visiting a Mayan Village, Zip-Lines, Rapelling, Kayaking, Cenotes, etc. Or you can hire a taxi to take you there independently.

The ruins at Muyil are much less visited than the ones at Coba and Tulum. They are hidden in the jungle and really magical. This is a great half-day trip. The easiest way to get there is by rental car or taxi (you can arrange for the driver to wait for you).

Possiblities of things to do in this area are endless!

Running

If you´re a runner, be sure to get up early so you can run before the sun is strong, or wait until the evening, about an hour before sunset. The sun is very hot during the day, and since you´ll probably be sweating a lot more than you do at home (both while running and not), be sure to drink a lot of extra fluids.

There is a great bicycle trail leading from Tulum pueblo to the beach highway, but it´s very sunny and not protected by shade at all, though it´s just to the side of the main road so you are more protected from cars. Running along the beach highway is great because you get to see (at least the entrances to) other hotels and restaurants in the area. Be sure to run facing traffic, so you can see the cars that are coming toward you.

KIteboarding

Tulum is a great spot to learn kiteboarding.  It has long stretches of beaches, warm clear Caribbean waters and fairly consistent winds.  Althought the winds are not as strong as other places in the world the conditions make it ideal to learn in a non-intimidating environment.  As well, there are definitely great opportunities for more advanced kiters.  With great downwind opportunities from Tulum to the Biosphere Reserve or the other way depending which way the wind blows.  There are a range of conditions from flat water lagoons, mellow bays and great wave areas.  All in all Tulum offers all levels of kiters some great scenery to kite in, especially if you are lucky enough to kite in front of the Tulum ruins

The only thing is the wind does not follow a consistent pattern so it can be hit or miss here but you are more likely to get good wind conditions between December and July.  Kiteboarding is a great sport and Tulum is one of the last places left along the coast where you can enjoy this sport.