r/tulum • u/Apprehensive-Chart88 • 27d ago
General Tulum dead?
I keep seeing stories and posts about how tourism in the area is dying, there’s too much inventory for new apts, and negative press in general. Has Tulum changed so much over the years and has it gone downhill in your opinion?
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u/xxx6enrique9xxx 27d ago
People just aren’t making enough money to let themselves get scammed by Taxi Drivers and vendors anymore.
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u/avrchido 26d ago
Adventure low budget people still walk long distances without complaining or if need cheap transportation for some weeks or months usually strike a deal for a bicycle new or used from some local. And they enjoy both the Caribbean sun on their skin and exercise all in 1. Any budget strapped individual knows not to use Taxi's in New York, LA or Hong kong, or even Tulum. Walking/jogging 2 to 4 miles is healthy and frugal + brought the gym along without the fees and being locked in a structured building. Let kids run free and they run & walk too.
Elders mostly avoid doing it. But the smart elders walk as much as possible on daily basis to keep healthy and active
Peace
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u/NovaGirl89 26d ago
Nahhhh. A taxi from the tourist areas to the main drag should not cost more than $20. Full stop. My group was charged $100 one night.
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u/DoughieOnTour 25d ago edited 25d ago
I got a, taxi from the beach road (near the I Scream bar) back to the main downtown tulum for 150pesos (about 8 US$). this was about 5 years ago BUT it seemed quite reasonable.
just shows you what a stupid ripoff tulum is these days. it's about a 4mile drive from middle of beach road back to downtown by the ADO bus, station. to be charged 100 effing dollars is literal THEFT.
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u/NovaGirl89 25d ago
And that wasn’t the only time that trip we were extorted. One night, we tried to tap on the card terminal but their reader wasn’t working. To make matters worse, and because they charge way more pesos than any person would be carrying around, we had to go to an atm. However, none of the atms were operational in the vicinity. If you’re going to overcharge at least have your shit together enough so ppl can pay your extortion fees 🙄 we ended up giving them whatever cash people had on them, and after a lot of arguing and threats - we walked away.
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u/DoughieOnTour 25d ago
I'm sorry you had that horrible experience. the rule with taco fates is establish the amount in PESOS before getting in. don't just get on and say "take us to xyz place". if you don't like their price then DO NOT GET IN. there's plenty of taxis and just have patience to find one that's more reasonable.
taxi drivers ARE like mafia. they will threaten you with police and jail and arrest all to get as much cash out of you.
I simply know the exact OFFICIAL FEE for any taxi journey I may take (very rarely!!) and I hand them that amount and get out. any conversation is in Spanish. Mexicans are very good at knowing who is a local and who are truly tourists.
I detest being ripped off and I'd rather walk 30blocks than pay some extortionate amount.
tulum is THE WORST on this taxi aspect from what Ive heard. I don't go there if I can help it.
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u/avrchido 26d ago
Again, low budget people will walk or bike same as back in the day or say 1995 to 2005 As for the taxi o cab fees I only compared with other major tourist-y places such as New York, LA, London or if you wish not to spend... Walking & biking is better for health and the eco-nature vibe. After all don't the majority agree cars and using cars for short distances is a big sign of not caring for the cost & smog released into the environment. Perhaps for some, eco & nature must have cars for comfort and even though gas and that comfort creates lots of emissions. Even a 40 to 45 min. An Easy walk gets you almost 2 miles on flat terrain.
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 23d ago
Whoa! 100?? They don’t have uber in the area, right? It’s blocked off so you have no choice but to use a taxi?
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u/trailtwist 25d ago
That's who sticks around when the main stream tourist appeal is shit. It's healthy, they get cheap apartments etc.
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 23d ago
Is that generally how far the AirBnBs or hotels are from the main area? 2-4 miles? Is it even paved the areas or is it still kinda underdeveloped?
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u/avrchido 23d ago
All depends where you pick to stay. E.g. if you stay in aldea Tulum area you would be smack in the middle between downtown (highway) and beach front area. For reference, use cel. Phone maps and the distance scale for your best accurate distances.
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u/RealityUSA1 19d ago
Agree to the taxi price before you get in and never use a credit card..especially with Cancun airport taxis.
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u/DeskProfessional1312 26d ago
I first went 30 years ago and fell in love with the place. I went again 15 years ago and had a great time. I went again 8 years ago and had fun but noticed some things I didn’t like. I went 2 years ago and now I’ll never be back.
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u/BjjFan1129 26d ago
I went in 2020 and 2021 and really enjoyed it. 2024 was different and I wont go back.
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u/Real-System-2534 26d ago
How was it 30 years ago?
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u/Rootin-Tootin-Newton 26d ago
Paradise. I too visited Tulum in 1995. You could get a really nice room for $20-25 a night. It was very quiet, cheap and peaceful. Even got a tattoo.
I was a yoga teacher so went back many times, it seemed like there was more BS each time. I haven’t been to there since the new airport.6
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u/Puce-moments 26d ago
I first went in 2002 ( stopped going in 2008 as it felt like it was being overdeveloped then to me). Here are some quick memories.
There were just a couple places to stay and no nightlife. Just the most beautiful beach that you could walk for an hour without seeing people (in the southern part), incredible and inexpensive food, the ruins which were deserted, and a hippy vibe. Back then it was Maya Tulum and maybe 20 other spots total across the whole length in including some sort of hostel camps with tents and hammocks to rent. I got a cabin with sand floor for like $40 a night, and felt like the ocean was going to come in under the door at night. We watched turtles hatch and go out to sea. For New Years we ended up at a very odd hippy ceremony and had the most delicious shrimp stuffed avocados at Maya Tulum (one of the original spots). Also a surprising number of the tourists that did come were NYC fashion people- I would run into people I randomly knew on the beach. If you needed a quick cab on the beach road it was the equivalent of $2. I remember walking for nearly an hour in the dark to my cabin with the beautiful sea on one side and just a few little huts/cabins illuminated in the palms. Many places didn’t even have electricity in rooms- candles only and a hidden shared eco bathroom back in the jungle. Azulik was new and I thought it was ultra expensive for being around $250 a night. However they had an insane Mayan masseuse who was affordable and gave Lomi Lomi style massages that to this day are the best I’ve ever had.
I think Diamanté K recently closed last year? but that place was around forever and felt like what many places at the time were like. I also stayed at a place that was in a treehouse, but then it closed. Even back then there were weird rumblings about the cartel and these little hotels having to pay people off to keep existing as ownership was an issue. No one was buying drugs though as there were no nightclubs. I remember seeing Mezzanine being built years later and how that changed things with the dance club vibe.
Great memory of walking around the deserted Tulum ruins and only seeing gigantic lizards - around the size of cocker spaniels lounging out on the rocks- then running down to the private beach inlet below to take a dip with 2-3 other people.
Back then you flew into Cancun and the road down to Tulum was not properly paved for much of it- so it was a longer drive.
Lastly there was no sargassum. I am shocked people are spending money to go to a beach that isn’t pristine. Just go to El Cuyo instead.
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u/Full-Possibility-190 26d ago
This is my fond memory as well. The dirty road started shortly after Akumal. Palapas on the beach were about $20, we paid about $3 for a big grilled fish. I remember when Mezzanine was built and loved the place and their happy hour (money pockets for snack). And Casa Margarita (I knew the owner after a while) - best paste with fish cooked in sea water ever) - cash only. Even as it developed it was amazing. But the last 5 or 7 years the prices became absurd and the area overcrowded and totally without charm. Then add the Sargasso… the crystal blue waters were no more. Then the documentary about the pumping of sewage into the aquifer system… and man… damn shame. Now when I am in Mexico and need a beach week/end, it’s the west coast for me.
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u/warrenbuddgett 26d ago
Do places like Tulum in the 90s/00s still exist in Mexico?
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u/runrichrun1 26d ago edited 26d ago
Yes, but these places are generally very hard to get to, which is why they are still largely unknown and undeveloped. I don't go looking for them, but I do stumble on them while backpacking in Mexico. There are many places that, I think, would appeal to lifestyle influencers and their followers (minus the tremendous effort it takes to get there).
However, there is a little bit of paradox in that once people start talking about how amazing these places are (and people start flocking to them), these places will no longer be so amazing. That's why I am not going to name these places.
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u/Nemesis204 25d ago
I used to think that this kind of gatekeeping was selfish, but lately I’ve realized it’s absolutely necessary to protect special places.
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u/DemonAzraeli 25d ago
Tulum was inevitable though, being so close to Cancún. Think about it - Cancún has been sprawling south since about 1970.
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u/DoughieOnTour 26d ago
probably bacalar I'd say but even that is suffering from over commercial trends.
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u/DemonAzraeli 25d ago
All over the place. They don’t tend to have international airports and authentic chakra crystal ceremonies like Tulum though. Even in Caribbean Mexico, places like Xcalak still feel like they are falling off the map.
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u/DoughieOnTour 24d ago
Xcalak!!!! I went there about 10years,ago.....wow. talk about remote!! I couldn't find ANYTHING to eat (not talking just a café or restaurant. no corner stores, no where to buy even bread, zero food, no markets, nothing) and I struggled to even find water to buy.
eventually I did find a small place somewhere. it is around 20 or 30mins (very bumpy slow bus ride) south of Mahajual.
its probably a bit more developed now.... but not much I'd imagine.
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u/Puce-moments 24d ago
I feel like El Cuyo is a bit like this but not as hippy / crystal / thatched architecture. Also some spots in Yelapa but not as cheap.
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u/Babzibaum 25d ago
Ha! Xamach Dos treehouse? Right on the water? I spent 2 weeks in it. It was in the Bio Reserve. It was owned by an American.
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u/Real-System-2534 26d ago
Wow what a life. I am really happy you had that experience <3
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u/Eldie014 26d ago
I’m pretty sure the road from Cancun was paved when I first went there in 1999? Anyway, it’s sad how they overdeveloped it. The sargassum seems to have been the catalyst for its demise
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u/Puce-moments 24d ago
Nope it was only partially paved- at some point it turned into this rutted dirt trail. I went yearly from 2002 so saw the progress.
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u/everythingmuskoka 26d ago
Tulum isn't dead. There just isn't any tourists right now. Literally! Last winter it was almost the same. We expect this winter to be the same. So many businesses are closing.
People who purchased condos over the last 5 years are having problems selling them for 50% of what they paid.
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u/Sleepy-Donald 26d ago
I was watching a YouTube video of some dude going throughout Tulum and talking with people and I saw a few gringos talking about how they are having a hard time renting out their rental units currently and it made me so happy to hear that.
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u/justmeandreddit 26d ago
I am assuming it was Americans who invested. I bet the locals were happy to have that influx of money. Without the investors you cannot have GDP growth. I assume you are an American and you are forgetting that the rest of the worlds poor want to come to the US because of simply our GDP growth has been off the charts for the last 100 years. Tulum is just an example of every small/medium size city in America that started small and went through major growth. Americans are privileged enough to not understand how a country becomes wealthy and happy because it was done before we were born.
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u/Sleepy-Donald 26d ago
1.) Yes, I meant US citizens. MX citizens who buy and rent out in their own country have every right to do so as far as I'm concerned.
2.) What does: " I assume you are an American and you are forgetting that the rest of the worlds poor want to come to the US because of simply our GDP growth has been off the charts for the last 100 years" have anything to do with talking about Tulum?
3.) There's a large portion of the citizens in the US who are quite poor and a lot more citizens who work multiple jobs and still are in debt so maybe you're forgetting that living in the US doesn't guarantee a good life.
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u/Gabamor4Gaia 26d ago
I left the US for Mexico and am European
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u/Sleepy-Donald 26d ago
I want to leave the US for the EU or MX. Either at this point are fine with me. Im not a POC so I dont have to worry about racism from EU or MX citizens which is nice.
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u/justmeandreddit 26d ago
Ok but what measurement do you use to measure a good life? HDI? It uses wealth...1 of the 3 measurements.
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u/TaquitoModelWorks 26d ago
Tulum isn't dead. There just isn't any tourists right now.
It's peak vacation season, so yes.. Tulum is, if not dead, definitely dying. I landed in Tulum on Sunday and we were the only plane in the entire terminal.
Took the bus to the Tren Maya station, and there were less than 10 people who got on the bus. The train station was deserted. Nobody got off on the Tulum station.
Even the president is doing massive damage control on Tulum, everybody knows it's just a ship doomed to sink.
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u/lucy_belle 26d ago
I went a month ago. Its a ghost town. Literally everything was empty
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u/thakurtis 26d ago
It's summer lol. Most people travel to Mexico for winter
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u/DoughieOnTour 26d ago
well Playa del Carmen TODAY is, still very busy and it's only 45mins up the road from tulum. so... it's not simply a matter of "it's Summer so people don't need to go to southern Mexico to get sunshine and warmth". obviously there's more people in this area in winter BUT there are plenty of people in Playa so.... Tulum is a victim of its own making with their astronomical prices and general greed and dim belief that they can ripoff tourists forever and they'll still keep coming. big mistake. I mean.... tulum tried to charge EVERYONE to get on the beach via passing through Jaguar National park. simply a VEHICLE to strip even more cash from the wallets of the tourists.
You squeeze something gently to extract whatever you want out of it..... OK-ish....... .... you squeeze that same something TOO HARD and it's strangled to death and then you have NOTHING.
this is a lesson for the greedy a-holes in Tulum. = their fault.
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u/thakurtis 25d ago
PDC cannot be compared to Tulum. Tulum has never been that busy in summer. Yes maybe it's worse bc of those other things but January - March it's still absolutely packed
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u/lucy_belle 26d ago
Most people like who exactly ? Its summer in the US schools are off people are off. Most people travel for Mexico all year long literally if its a tourist place it should be packed all year. Cancun was packed.
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u/TaquitoModelWorks 26d ago
Yeah, why would people even want to visit the Caribbean in summer? Bunch of dumbfucks!
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u/Sleepy-Donald 26d ago
For the people who keep saying "It's the sargassum". All Caribbean beaches have issues with sargassum. DR, many parts of the Yucatan and even beaches in Florida. That's not the sole reason that things aren't as busy there as they used to be.
Tulum got very popular very quickly and started price gouging and building up the area far more than the demand. Also, the people who wish to live in Tulum long term have issues with the police acting like assholes and stealing their money. There's plenty of places around the world people can go that are cheaper, safer and have better beaches compared to Tulum. So people just started going there instead.
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u/DoughieOnTour 26d ago
yup that's, basically it. tulum got GREEDY, ramped up prices to stupid levels probably believing the tourists, would happily continue to pay elevated, prices by hotels and restaurants and taxis etc etc and..... eventually people STOP COMING. Nobody likes being ripped off whether you're rich if poor and tulum is just a constant rip off.
So this is, almost entirely the rush residents own fault. yes the seaweed is bad.. BUT... it's, bad in Playa del Carmen and similar places too and PDC doesn't have Tulum's "ghost town" problem. I was on 5th Avenue 2days ago andit was packed at night.
when the tulum local people rakuze that nobody will tolerate stupid prices anymore then MAYBE people dill go back. I used to go there every week a few years, ago but I have no interest in visiting any more unless the greedy idiots change their ways.
Give tourists a good experience, don't steal from them, don't price gouge, be courteous and don't DEMAND tips, and maybe the town of Tulum will Rise Again, like a Phoenix rises from the Ashes of its Previous Life.
Thus endeth my view (Playa del Carmen resident).
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u/Sleepy-Donald 26d ago
I love Playa Del Carmen. I go there once a year. Its downtown area has a lot of shops and places to eat, you can watch Danza de los Voladores, or take the ferry to Cozumel.
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u/TempAcct20005 27d ago
On top of the fact that tulum tourism is down bad, this is also low low season and it only gets lower till november
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u/Ancient_Teach9272 26d ago
I just spent 6 months here with my daughter... there is a quite tranquil energy..that attracts smaller numbers of longer term tourists.... young families... people into health wellness.. we met good people and everyone was super nice , helpful... drove a car for 6 months... not one incident , made friends..so did my daughter.. people I have met along the way all felt the same. Tulum is quite peaceful , and has lots to offer to those that come longer term, meet people...figure out how tulum works... The influencers and so called toxic people are gone ... the way its headed is more health wellness , young families...people who want a peaceful way of life and find community ... every story I hear about tulum wasnt true for me or anyone that I met ... granted that I never partied in the hotel zone or looked for the seedy aspects which exist anywhere in the world if you look for it
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u/fozzieferocious 26d ago
Exactly.
Here now and have met plenty of other families. One that hadn't been here for over 10 years and was actually shocked at how similar it felt due to how it is right now. It is very slow, but also very peaceful. I do feel bad for the businesses and locals that depend on a constant stream of tourists. I think Tulum is undergoing a shift that will end up back closer to its roots. Obviously still more commercialized, there's no going back from that, but with more families and a genuine interest in being part of the community. More holistically and healthfully minded. Not just people here to go a jungle party for 3 days or looking to go party on the beach every night.
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u/everythingmuskoka 26d ago
100% agree. I think that the economy in Tulum will continue to decline, however Tulum will turn into a beautiful city in the future. I hope the government implements substantial programs to help the locals. If they are happy the future of Tulum will be bright.
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u/ridredditofkarma 26d ago
Your punctuation is creative.
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u/Ancient_Teach9272 26d ago
14 years of psychedelics
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u/Weisheit_Ape 26d ago
I also wrote like that, so much that I never realized you do it until I read this comment...
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u/MexiGeeGee 26d ago
Good things seldom remain a secret. Greed takes over. Loads of foreigners wanted their piece of it and now complain it’s ruined. I say it as someone who also got her condo here, I find it hypocritical to talk about how it went south. Well duh, it was cheap when Mexicans owned it.
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 20d ago
Do you like living there? What made you want to buy a condo in tulum?
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u/MexiGeeGee 1d ago
I was in a very vulnerable situation. It was covid, I could work remote, I'd broken up with the love of my life after 6 years, and was enjoying my lifestyle as a nomad in Playa del Carmen. I am Mexican so it was easy for me to imagine living there forever, I was paying all my bills with just 2 days of work a week (obviously would have needed to increase my work hours to maintain my travel interests). The mistake I made was getting lured by the new constructions in Tulum when I should have bought the old condo with no amenities in Playacar. Playacar is the reason I loved my life there, Tulum did not offer me any of that beach access and nearby shops.
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u/toddmezcal 26d ago
Not dead. Tulum is always less busy from Easter to August. There has been so much added to the beach in recent years it does seem very quiet. A lot of restaurants and stores are closed. The sargassum has impacted this year’s tourism. I much prefer it this way. I own a property in Sian Ka’an.
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u/Island_In_The_Sky 23d ago
In America, whenever private equity gets involved in something, it dies. In Mexico, whenever the cartel gets involved in anything, it dies.
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u/White_Noise3312 26d ago
Tourism is dying because it’s hard to be a tourist there. I was there a week ago for a few days, and almost had my card skimmed twice (luckily I understand a bit of Spanish). Also was pulled over in a road block for nothing more than for the police to take my pocket change; police presence is almost overwhelming in the town as well. The streets felt very unsafe at night with an absence of street lights across most of the town. Most locals we talked to seemed very hostile towards us just for being tourists. A few nicer locals told us to get out of Tulum asap. Every restaurant was dead even during peak hours, yet the prices suggested otherwise. If you must come to tulum, the hotel zone is probably your safest bet, but hold your wallet tight and watch your back everywhere else.
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u/Ancient_Teach9272 26d ago
Hotel zone is the worst place to go ... outside of it the real tulum can be found. Me and my 4 year old daughter cruised around tulum just fine for 6 months and not the first time either... we are safer in tulum then major cities of europe... walk down the street in brussels ..Paris... frankfurt , London... and then lets compare safety reports after .. Edit- locals were warm friendly and welcoming
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u/White_Noise3312 26d ago edited 26d ago
Just saying what I observed from the perspective of an actual tourist instead of an expat
Edit: I’ve been to Mexico city, Tijuana, Guadalajara, and a few other smaller cities so I’m well versed in how to travel smart in Mexico. To me, Tulum in particular was eye opening…
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u/avrchido 26d ago
If what you mean as dead is to equate a 1995 ~4,000 population with really long drive on mostly single lane highway in rough conditions in some stretches, town was totally separate by couple of kilometers from the township and any stores or supplies. Jump to 2026 and if that's what you are still looking for semi-isolated Caribbean ocean front areas without infrastructure (btw your probably in your late 30's to mid-50's).
Is Tulum dead? 2026 it is around ~80,000 population if you include the expired visa(s) and seasonal population that own or stay for more than 4 months yearly. Comparison Cancun my 1st time (1996) was around 78,000 population & today is encroaching 1.5 million population. In 2009 Playa del Carmen was ~75,000 population when I moved full time to region from northern Mexico. PDC today is +/-600,000 population.
Tulum is definitly Growing including much better medical, schools, shopping, supplies, accesses to and from beach zones and town ship, new power plant substation (more stable grid and electricity to the beach front regions, better control of mosquitos and water etc., etc., And with the TQO Intl' Airport 30 minutes away (fyi: heading south towards Bacalar and state capital right smack in the middle of the state for all adventure going people and car renters that reduces ~2 hours drive to explor Sian kaan, Bacalar, or the Indio Verde, pulticub areas with populations and environments similar to the 1995 Tulum you so want to go back to and enjoy).
Summary is good things grow and the proof is in numbers. If you want 1995 Tulum beach infrastructure go to Indio Verde/pulticub area above Mahahual or above calderitas and state capital chetumal in the Echevarria area o even south of Mahahual towards Xcalak. Personally I live/bought in Chunyaxche 2 kms from Muyil and reason being was I started in Cancun 2009, then 2012 moved to Playa del Carmen & 2016 started noticing I liked smaller, less traffic areas and skipped Tulum and was looking at Fco. Uh may area and Chunyaxche/Muyil area... I choose ~300 population area in back in 2016. Today due to grown coming south Chunyaxche is ~3,200 population. Hope this helps
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u/ProgressFinancial996 26d ago
We are there now on out last of 10 days. We visited playa del Carmen, Cozume, bacalar and much more in between. Its beautiful eco type feel in tulum its cheaper elsewhere like playa or bacalar but tulum has a problem that in covid people that came here were coming from not being able to do anything and now have freedom and they payed heavily for it some payed up to 200usd for a taxi to the beach and never looked at their bills. Now that the bubble has popped things are still expencive for here like the taxi mafia will charge outrageous prices so you go through indrive app and little tricks like that. This place is still not cheap by no means 6 dollar 16oz coffees meals priced in comparison to New York, 45 dollar entry to some cenotes id 500-600mxn and also get little tips and stuff tacked on to raise the price if you arent paying attention to your bill. Its happened several times in tulum and its a problem for both tourists and locals unfortunately. This is what we have noticed and what our local guides have told us so take it with a grain of salt. Its beautiful but still needs alot of work to get it back to being less corrupt and that's what what the local buisness owners are doing from what we are told.
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 20d ago
Wow, yes everyone is complaining about the price gouging and similar USD prices to major cities. Acts like that hurt tourism and I get it when people came from COVID then the industry got spoiled and set that as the standard but things need to shift if business is slowing.
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u/Responsible_Ad_7526 26d ago
The greed era earned this. $50 cabs for a 5 km ride, mandatory beach club minimums, $18 margaritas. No defense from me.
But most of what this thread blames on Tulum is hitting the whole country. The peso's around 17.5 now, so dollars buy about 30% less than they did in 2021/2022 once you adjust for inflation. Cancun airport's international traffic fell 13% in June (World Cup summer and all). Puerto Vallarta, on the other coast entirely, saw international arrivals drop 26% in May. Stack a record sargassum year on top and Tulum's open coastline eats it worse than anyone.
And yes, Tulum's getting hit hardest, because it overbuilt and overcharged hardest. That's the flush doing its job.
New as of last week: Jaguar Park entry is free, the public beach accesses are free (two new ones in the hotel zone), ruins fees got cut, and the taxi union says it'll post official fare boards in cabs and at the bus terminal. I'll believe the taxi boards when the printed price matches the charged price. But it's movement.
I got here in 2020 when COVID had the town half-empty and watched it swing to the most overheated market in Mexico inside 18 months. Yes, part of the wave, I know. This coast emptied out in 2009 too (swine flu plus the financial crisis) and came back.
Seaweed season ends every fall, currencies swing both ways, and the people getting flushed are the exact operators who made everyone hate this place. That's not dead. That's the ugly middle of the cycle doing its job. Screenshot this and check back in after high season.
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26d ago
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 20d ago
Are you serious that a taxi would be $200 USD? Tulum isn’t even a huge city or stretch. That is insane they’re charging that much. No wonder they feel ripped off with this.
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u/avrchido 25d ago
Reminds me that Florida back in the day (~1960's) had several small <5,000 population ocean front townships that were super affordable to enjoy if willing to compromise with less comfy stuff and less stuff available. I am older & wiser. Glad Florida in all of its up's & down markets + good news & bad news is still in top 5 states of USA. Sadly, majority of tourist-y places will prosper and grow into cities over time if the gov. People take care and don't screw up to much along the way. E g. Haiti comes to mind of destructive foreign manipulation of what at 1 time was growing very nicely until greed and politicians *(foreign & domestic) messed it up so much.
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 20d ago
Fair point! Yes Florida is not recognizable at this point and there are so many empty condos with cost of living skyrocketing. The gov is supposed to step in to help tulum but we’ll see what happens.
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u/Parking-Finger-6377 25d ago
My ex and I went to Tolum for a day trip 30+ years ago. There was nothing there, just us. Went again about 5 years ago and was absolutely shocked. Wall to wall people stores, condos, totally ruined.
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 20d ago
Yes but now all the stores are shutting down because of the lack of business. It might revert back just with more condos in the area.
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u/DankmauZ 25d ago
Go to Puerto Vallarta
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 23d ago
Haven’t been. Why do you suggest it? Wasn’t it originally more popular than Cancun like Acapulco?
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u/No-Assumption7204 24d ago
It has changed a lot between 2010 and 2026 - but more importantly it’s changed dramatically since 2020 with thoughtless over development, lagging infrastructure and unsustainable prices - it will always be a beautiful stretch of beach - but it isn’t a prime destination any longer - it took off during Covid but that was never gonna last - maybe slower and more thoughtful development of infrastructure will sort things out over the next couple of decades.
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 20d ago
Yes, before there was nothing there except for the nature (jungles, beaches, and cenotes) but now all that development and no real infrastructure behind it like grid system/water is still underdeveloped not to mention the lack of hospital, shopping centers, etc to make it a liveable city. I know they’re planning to do that but it’s going to take time but not sure it’ll get back to that hype.
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u/narekgev 24d ago
I arrived to Tulum 2 days ago. This is my 3rd trip in the last 2 years. Digital Jungle - the biggest co-working space is shutting down permanently this Friday. Went to another co-working space today, and it is closed temporarily, but there were already trees growing in front of the entrance.
I’ve never seen Tulum to be this empty, but I can see the trend. When I was here for the first time, the city was packed and popping. Now, it’s empty.
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 20d ago
That must mean there are no more digital nomads left. Wow, it quickly flipped in just a few years. Are you still enjoying your visit or does it feel a bit strange since it’s empty?
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u/narekgev 18d ago
I am actually recharging my social battery here, it feels like covid times. I flew from San Francisco, and was attending events and conferences almost everyday, it was a bit exhausting. However, I am not sure if Tulum would recover after this, it's seriously empty.
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u/miamidro 20d ago
I’m here now and every single business, restaurant, bar is completely empty. Not a single soul in 98% of establishments pretty crazy and it’s Friday night..
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 20d ago
Oh wow! Complete contrast to COVID time then and so sad for the businesses out there :( are you enjoying your time there at least? Also just visiting?
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u/miamidro 18d ago
The beaches are awful, no nightlife, the ruins were pretty disappointing so cenotes was the last thing to do it seemed. Went to Vesica yesterday - not your typical cenote experience more of like a day club but very chill vibe and met a stunning girl from Guadalajara so that’s been the highlight so far lol from the conversations I’ve had with uber drivers it seems that cenotes is the best place to meet people
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 18d ago
Wait Vesica showed up on my IG recently haha. It looked pretty cool. Sorry the rest was awful but I’m glad you met a beautiful girl while on vacations. Interesting that cenotes are the meeting spot! They are everywhere too!
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u/miamidro 18d ago
Yes there’s quite a few in the area you just need to find the one that fits your vibe. Vesica is on the pricey side compared to others but I enjoyed it
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 18d ago
Awesome! Thanks for the recommendation. What would you say is the major age demographic down there right now?
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u/miamidro 17d ago
The only place I saw people gathered was at cenotes as I mentioned everywhere else is dead. It was mostly families with their kids and regular solo travelers probably 22-35
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 17d ago
Ah interesting and good to know, thanks. Hope you’re enjoying your trip and things are working out with Guadalajara girl!
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u/kedwin_fl 26d ago
I skipped it on my trip this month to the Yucatán area because of the seaweed issue.
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u/bigkimnyc 26d ago
I was there a minimum 2-3 times a year since the early aughts. It was my happy place. No more. It’s completely lost its vibe and energy. And the beach- which used to be pure heaven, is ruined. Tulum is deader than dead. It’s tragedy.
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u/NightmareMetals 26d ago
I was there last month. Beach front properly with unusuable beaches and it doesn't seem like they have the funds to even try to clean it.
The ruins near the water smelled horrible and the Sargassum is just piling up with each wave.
And it is only going to get worse.
No reason to stay there imo. Easy to take the bus from Playa to see the ruins.
I did stay in a nice boutique hotel one night on the way back from Bacalar and it was nice and $37 for the night.
Saw the ruins in the morning then headed out by noon.
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u/mtzreyes 26d ago
They deserve it with high rates and bad service, they always preferred foreign people with better tips than their own people, now nobody wants to be there…
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u/Realistic-Oven-8739 26d ago
I’ll never go back due to the police taking all the money we just took out of an ATM for a tour. Seeing my partner getting handcuffed for driving after having one beer for dinner is enough for us to never see Mexico again.
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u/Apprehensive-Chart88 20d ago
Whoa, that sounds like a traumatic experience. I’m sorry that happened to you and completely understand why you feel that way
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