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While Cancun was the first majorly popular vacation destination in the Mexican Caribbean, it spurred a spread of growth all along the coast.
Among the destinations in this region that gained a large amount of popularity is the small coastal town of Tulum.
In recent times, the popularity of the destination has continued to increase, and there are five reasons why Tulum is more popular than ever right now.
Before we dig into why it’s so popular today, let’s take a look at Tulum’s history as a vacation destination.
Tulum Through The Years
Tulum has been popular for quite some time now. It started becoming more of a “trendy” destination just within the last 15 to 20 years, though.
This is when celebrities began to discover the destination, and as the years went on tourists found and came to love Tulum too.
Fast forward to today and it is one of the Mexican Caribbean’s most popular destinations, with hotel occupancy at around 80 percent even during off-season.
The New Tulum Airport
The most recent boost to tourism in Tulum is the now-completed Tulum International Airport, also known as the Felipe Carrillo International Airport.
It was completed last December, but until March was open mostly to domestic flights only.
In March, flights began arriving from several airports in the U.S. Now nonstop flights to Tulum are available from nine airports in the United States.
Tulum’s Magic Town Status
In Mexico, there are certain towns that are dedicated as “Magic Towns,” and Tulum is one of them, added to the list in 2015.
Magic Towns are chosen based on a town’s unique historical, natural, or cultural features.
Tulum has all of those things and more, which attract visitors to the destination.
Everything In One Place
There are many things to see all along the Mexican Caribbean coast and in the more inland areas that sit back to back with the coastal destinations.
The Mayan jungle, beaches, cenotes, Mayan archeological sites, all-inclusive resorts, and fantastic restaurants.
When you stay in some of the region’s destinations you have to travel to get to some of these things, but in Tulum, everything is in one place.
Numerous cenotes are only minutes from the center of town, both sprawling all-inclusives and boutique hotels call the destination home, stunning beaches line the coast, and the Tulum Ruins are one of the most important archeological sites in Mexico.
A Central Location
Tulum is also in a great central location for those wanting to explore more of the Mexican Caribbean region.
Destinations like Akumal, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Aventuras, Chetumal, and Bacalar are easily accessible from Tulum.
Whether you rent a car, hire transportation, or book a tour, all are close enough for a day trip.
One Of The Safest Mexican Caribbean Destinations
You hear reports and get warnings about the Mexican Caribbean having security issues, but for tourists, it’s a lot safer than you might think.
Tulum is one of the safest destinations in the Mexican Caribbean.
It’s very rare for tourists to be the victim of any crime, let alone violent crime.
Why Tulum Will Be Even More Popular In The Future
Tulum isn’t done growing in popularity, that’s for sure.
Although an exact date for inauguration has not yet been set, as of right now the expected timeframe for the completion of that route is sometime this September.
Once the Mayan Train route from Cancun to Tulum is completed, even more tourists will travel to the popular destination.
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