Cancun: Tulum

Our time in Cancun was mostly spent enjoying the amenities of the resort and not venturing far from the beach and/or pool.  However, visiting this part of Mexico requires at least some time exploring the Mayan ruins. Originally, we were going to check out Chichen Itza, seeing that it is the most well known of the Mayan ruins and one of the new seven wonders of the world.  Tulum was recommended to me by a friend not long ago, but the main reason we chose it over Chichen Itza was the time and distance.  Going to Chichen Itza was a full day commitment and is located twice as far from the Beach Palace Resort.  Tulum was a half day affair and boasted being the only ruins located on the ocean.

Our tour started at 7:30 am by boarding a bus along with 40 other resort guests.  It took about 1 hour to get to the ruins (not including a long stop at a supposedly authentic Mayan market, which seemed a lot like a souvenir shop).  Upon arrival at the ruins, it was another 20 minute walk inside the walls.  We spent 2 hours at the actual site.  The first hour was spent on a guided tour by our tour guide Hector and the second hour we were left to our own device.  Hector was an excellent tour guide and provided an abundance of interesting information about Tulum and its history.

Tulum is amazing!  The ruins and grounds are located on a cliff overlooking the ocean.  The view of ancient ruins along the vibrant blue ocean was almost surreal.  I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the site and taking pictures.  Two hours was a sufficient amount of time to view Tulum, but you could definitely go for longer and spend some time on the pristine beach located below the ruins.

We did not go to Chichen Itza so I can not directly compare the two, but I can tell you that I really enjoyed Tulum and would highly recommend it!  Below are some images from our time there.  Thank you as always for stopping by and take care!

I did not purchase anything at the Mayan souveniour shop, but I did take this image which is one of my favorites.

Tulum was inhabited by many iguanas (or Mexican Chickens as our guide claimed).

Hooded Oriole... and so far from Baltimore.

Swimmers in the ocean below the ruins.

Cancun: The Beach Palace Resort

Last week Rachel and I returned from a fantastic week in Cancun, Mexico.  We spent six nights at the all-inclusive Beach Palace Resort.  This was my first trip to Mexico and my first time visiting an all inclusive resort.  It was also the first time that Rachel and I have gone on a trip together with no real itinerary or obligations.  It was a week full of sun, booze, beach, and food... and it was great!

The Beach Palace Resort is located on the beach in the middle of the Cancun hotel zone.  The property is clean, contemporary, and offers lots of amenities.  The highlights for me include...

1. Excellent Customer Service- every one that we came in contact with was very attentive and seemed genuinely nice.  There was poolside service as well as ocean side service.
2. Food- there were 4 on-site restaurants and room service.  The Italian restaurant was particularly good and the Salmon Nero with Squid Ink Risotto is so good I had it twice.
3. Booze- I don't drink much these days, but seeing as we were in Cancun I enjoyed many different libations.  There are even 4 bottles of booze waiting for you in the room.  We had fun but it is a good thing I didn't come here in my early 20s.
4. Entertainment- during the day, the resort hosted various activities that cultivated in a nightly event such as a Hypnotist, Fire Dancers, Magician, Casino Night, etc.
5. Guacamole- it was delicious and unlimited.
6. Resort Credit- guests receive a resort credit based on the duration of visit that can be used for different things.  We used our credit for a couples massage, romantic dinner on the beach, upgraded bottles of wine, and a tour of Tulum (additional post to follow).
7. Everything else- including the spa, sports bar, pools, pool tables, ocean, in-room jacuzzi, and endless desserts!

The pictures below are a sampling of our time at the Beach Palace Resort...

The room.

Rachel loves bubble baths.

View of the lagoon from the balcony.

The giant pull down screen used for night time events.

Fire Show!

One night there was a wedding happening below our balcony.

Magic Show!

Ghost Rachels on the beach.

Straw hats that we bought on beach.

There was one very overcast day.  Bad for tanning, good for pictures.

I am still not sure what was happening here.  I think it was some kind of graduation ceremony?

View of lagoon and ocean.

Rooftop pool and bar.

The love of my life!

A close-up of the love of my life!

Thank you as always for stopping by Dirty Thirty Photography, and be sure to check out the Tulum pictures coming soon!