8 Unmissable Outdoor Activities in Tulum, Mexico

If you’ve been dreaming of turquoise blue water, ancient ruins, and sunshine, you will love these outdoor activities in Tulum, Mexico!

I recently spent a month and a half exploring Tulum and fell in love with the nature surrounding the popular tourist hub.

Many people will say that Tulum is overrated, and although it’s not my favorite city in Mexico, I disagree.

Even if you don’t vibe with Tulum’s expensive beach clubs, rapid gentrification, and influencer culture (I don’t!), you can still appreciate the enchanting cenotes, lagoons, snorkel spots, and ruins that made Tulum so iconic.

An Introduction to Tulum, Mexico

Located two hours south of Cancun, Tulum is situated on the Caribbean Sea on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.

Ten years ago, Tulum was a sleepy beach town that few international travelers knew about. Yet in the last decade, the once small Mexican city has grown to host over two million visitors each year.

While most tourists think of Tulum as a beach town, the beach is not what comes to mind when I remember my month and a half in Tulum.

Instead, I picture turquoise blue lagoons, mysterious cenote caves, and peaceful lush jungle.

These are juts a few of the many incredible natural wonders to explore in and around Tulum, so don’t make the mistake of spending all your time at the beach.

Curious about the best outdoor activities in Tulum, Mexico? You’ve come to the right place!

The Best Outdoor Activities in Tulum, Mexico

1. Muyil River Float

My hands-down favorite outdoor activity in Tulum is the Muyil River Float.

After a short boat ride through a stunning turquoise blue lagoon, your boat driver will drop you off with a (mandatory) lifejacket and allow you to float down a natural lazy river.

The river is actually a canal connecting the lagoon to the ocean. It was built by the Mayans thousands of years ago to connect the ancient city of Muyil to the outside world.

In addition to gently floating down the river for about 45 minutes, you can also see the ancient ruins of Muyil and go on a nature walk through the jungle.

Floating down the natural lazy river at Sian Kaan

This unmissable adventure is in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site just a few minutes south of downtown Tulum.

There is a strict limit on how many people can float down the Mayan canals each day, so be sure to plan ahead.

I highly recommend booking a tour ahead of time so you can secure your spot. If you are curious about visiting without a tour, check out my full guide to the Muyil River Float.

2. Swim (and Scuba Dive) in Cenotes

Cenotes are naturally occurring sinkholes filled with groundwater. Within fifteen minutes of downtown Tulum, you can access dozens of gorgeous cenotes, which make perfect swimming holes.

There is one small but charming free cenote within walking distance of downtown Tulum. Read my full guide on Cenote Aldea Zama for information about how to visit.

If you’re looking to explore numerous cenotes in a day, consider booking a tour like this one that takes you to three cenotes in one day.

One of the incredible blue cenotes near Tulum, Mexico

Divers and aspiring divers from around the world flock to the Yucatan peninsula’s stunning cenotes. Some of the best cenotes for divers include Cenote Dos Ojos and El Pit.

You can easily rent scuba gear from local diving companies, and if you want to go on a guided dive, Tulum has several options.

First, you can book a guided cenote diving experience that includes a dive in Casa Cenote. Alternatively, you can try this guided dive day trip that features a dive at Casa Cenote and a dive at the Tulum Reef in the ocean.

3. Ride Bikes Between Tulum Centro and the Beach

The closest beach access to Tulum Centro is about 4 miles away. If you stay in Tulum Centro, you’ll want to visit the beach at least once, and if you stay in the Hotel Zone along the beach, you’ll want to visit Tulum Centro during your stay.

Riding bikes between these two areas of Tulum is a great way to explore the town. There are bike racks at most Tulum beaches and outside businesses in Tulum Town, and it’s very easy to rent a bike for about $8 USD a day.

If you want to bike from town to the closest public beach, I recommend heading to Playa Las Palmas. 

4. Go on a Snorkel Day Trip

Snorkeling is one of my favorite things to do, and thankfully, there are several places near Tulum with incredible snorkeling.

Some of the best snorkeling spots include the Tulum Reef and the Punta Allen side of Si’an Kaan. The reef can only be accessed via boat, and Punta Allen is very difficult to visit without a tour. With this in mind, I recommend booking a snorkeling day trip with a local tour company.

Snorkeling with tropical fish, one of the best outdoor activities in Tulum Mexico!

For an easy two-hour excursion, head on a boat tour to the Tulum Reef. You’ll have the opportunity to swim with sea turtles, stingrays, and a diversity of tropical fish. Along the way, you’ll see the towering Tulum Mayan ruins from the water.

If you want a rewarding full-day snorkeling adventure, head to Punta Allen and the Si’an Kaan Biosphere Reserve. This area of Sian Kaan is difficult to reach by car, but with this highly-rated tour, you’ll get roundtrip transportation from Tulum and the opportunity to see manatees, dolphins, crocodiles, tropical birds, fish, and more.

5. Visit Laguna de Kaan Luum

Just a few minutes down the road from Tulum Centro, you’ll arrive at the Laguna de Kaan Luum.

The lagoon is actually a large open-air cenote with gorgeous water in several stunning shades of blue. Despite its proximity to town, few visitors journey to this stunning spot, so it feels a bit like a Tulum hidden gem.

The gorgeous blue water has incredible clarity, making it a delightful place to swim and snorkel. If you want to snorkel or swim, make sure you bring everything you need for the day, since there isn’t anywhere to rent snorkel gear.

Need a way to get around Tulum? Read my full guide to renting a scooter in Tulum!

6. See Wildlife at Sian Kaan

I’ve mentioned Sian Kaan a few times in this article. One thing you need to know about Sian Kaan is that it is one of Mexico’s largest natural reserves, and you can’t do every activity I recommend in one day. For instance, the Mayan canals and the best area for snorkeling with manatees are located in very different parts of the reserve.

However, spotting wildlife is one thing you can do anywhere in Sian Kaan.

Peeking at the Muyil lagoon from a jungle tower in Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve

If you choose to visit the Muyil ruins and do the Muyil River Float, I highly recommend strolling along the jungle boardwalk between the ancient city of Muyil and the lagoon. Along the way, you can see tropical birds and other wildlife and climb to the top of a wooden tower (see photo below).

If you explore the Punta Allen side of Sian Kaan, your experience will be more heavily focused on wildlife, with the chance to spot manatees, dolphins, crocodiles, colorful birds, and tropical fish in the wild.

7. Relax on the Beach

One of the most obvious yet unmissable outdoor activities in Tulum, Mexico, is relaxing at the beach. After all, the stunning blue Caribbean ocean and gorgeous white sandy beach is reason people come to Tulum.

It is worth mentioning that Tulum’s beaches can be somewhat difficult to access if you’re not staying in a beachfront resort. There are several public beaches, but sadly, resorts and beach clubs have blocked access to most of Tulum’s beachfront areas.

Another unfortunate reality of Tulum’s beaches is the frequent seaweed (sargassum) blooms. Many visitors come to Tulum looking for pristine beaches and are shocked to see brown water and meter-high piles of seaweed on the beach. Tulum beaches weren’t always like this, but environmental disasters have caused an increase in seaweed over the years.

Once you set your expectations and recognize that your Tulum beach experience may not look like the photos online, you can enjoy a day at the beach.

While living in Tulum, my favorite (affordable) way to experience the beach was to rent a lounge chair at Playa Paraiso. If you rent from the beach shack directly near the beach entrance, you’ll be able to get two chairs and an umbrella for $17 USD for the day.

Also see: 202 Mexico Instagram Captions

8. Explore Ancient Mayan Ruins

There are several spots in and around Tulum where you can see relics of Quintana Roo’s past. Each archeological site is unique and worth visiting.

First, you can visit the Tulum Ruins, located along the beach road in Tulum. These are the most visited ruins in the area and for good reason. Ancient temples tower over ocean cliffs, making the Tulum ruins a picturesque place to visit.

Gazing up at El Castillo in the Muyil Archeological Site

If you want to journey outside of Tulum and see other nearby ruins, head to the Muyil, where you’ll find a few excavated buildings, or to Coba, a popular archeological site about 45 minutes away from Tulum.