Background:
Before jumping into all things driving related, I thought it was important to give you some background on our particular trip, so you can judge if this post is relevant to you. We stayed in Mexico for two weeks, and on our second week we rented a car for 9 days. It cost us about $47.00 dollars a day to have the car. In our opinion, it was totally worth it because we got to go where we wanted, when we wanted. We also didn't have to worry about finding and paying for public transportations such as taxis. We also explored three different cities, and Cozumel in our second week, so the car was a very valuable resource for us. So, if you are someone who plans on renting a car to get yourself around, this post is for you! Because you will be the one dealing with the driving and all of its conditions. If you plan on using public transportation, you can still gain insight from this post but, it will not be as applicable. With that being said, let's get to the tips!
Tulum: An Overview
Okay, before we get into the nitty gritty let me give you a quick overview of what to expect when driving in Tulum. It is a fairly simple place to navigate, in sense of direction. That is because there are really only two main roads. In center city Tulum you have more roads, but it is basically two main highways. Then when it gets to Beachtown Tulum there is literally one road, from beginning to end. That makes it easy, even for people like me who have ZERO directional sense, to navigate.
With that being said, the traffic is a little intense. In center city, it is like regular city traffic, but with less traffic lights and no signaling. On Beach road, it is like a mini rush hour situation on a road that could be one way, but is not. Driving in Tulum is totally doable, and I recommend it if there are a lot of different places you want to explore, but being prepared will make it a lot easier for you!
In this post we are going to talk about:
What to expect on the roads- the other drivers and the lack of lights (for both beach and center city)
Road signs and what they heck they all mean
Road conditions and what kind of transportation is best for them
Speed Bumps- yes they need their own category
Traffic and Taxi Situations
Parking- all about pricing and where to find it
So, let's dive into it!
Tulum Roads and What to Expect:
Like I said above, there are two main sections of Tulum. Tulum center city and Tulum Beachtown. The roads, traffic and drivers are a little different in each of these places, so I think it is best if I talk about them separately. Let's begin with Tulum center city.
Tulum Center City:
Tulum center city. This is a fun place if you are looking for a ton of good places to eat! Tulum center city has more defined roads than Tulum beach road, but it also has a lot more drivers. There are basically two main highways here, and then a bunch of side streets. *Note that the side streets may not be as developed as the two main highways. In center city you have to be very aware of other drivers because the people who live there have no fear. There are many intersections where there are no traffic lights, and it is kind of a first come, first go situation. And there are drivers on the road there that are going to go when they want, so you better not be in their way. Sometimes you will be told by your GPS to cross four lanes o oncoming traffic. Our advice do them two at a time. Usually there is a little section on the road in between the two different directions of road that you can wait in. Or make a right hand turn, and keep going until you find a traffic light and make your turns there because on the main highways there are traffic lights. Also, in Tulum Center city there a some roads that are just one way. So be sure to be paying attention to street signs and your GPS because you do not want to be caught going the wrong way on a one way street.
Beach Town Road:
Beach town road is easy to navigate because it is literally one road. There are no traffic lights, and if my memory serves me correctly no stop signs either. It is just one long, narrow road that takes you from one end of beach town to the next. There are places to pull off on the side if you want to go to stores or restaurants. This road is not well defined and there are no street lights on it, so if you are driving at night it is DARK. Be very aware of this road at night as you are next to the ocean, and you won't have a lot of light to see by. This road is easy in the sense that all of the traffic is going the same way, but there is a lot of it so be prepared to be sitting in your car for some time.
Road Signs and What the heck they mean:
Here you see an image of a bunch of different road signs you will see while driving in Tulum, and all over Mexico. (this photo is actually from the island of Cozumel, so these signs are all over!) Below each image you will see what each of them means.
Road Conditions and What Type of Transportation is Best for Them:
Tulum Center City:
As mentioned above, the roads in center city are a little more defined than beach roads. If the place that you are staying is off of a main road and it is in center city than honestly any car will be fine. However, if your hotel or Airbnb is off of one of the side roads, you may want to consider going the SUV route. Some of the smaller side roads are dirt roads with a lot of rocks and HUGE potholes. We had a little car when we went, and we checked into our Airbnb at night the first day we arrived in Tulum, and driving on those roads in that tiny car was not pleasant. You also want to have a car that you will be comfortable parking because in center city your parking will mainly be street parking.
Beach Town Road:
Beach town road, my opinion on types of cars here varies. Honestly, we did fine in our little car, and I think I may actually lean towards little car here because the road does get pretty tight, especially during high traffic. Also, some of the parking situations on this side of Tulum are tight, and it can be a little more challenging for a bigger car. There are pot holes and rocks on this road as well, so just be aware of that.
Some people wonder if traveling by bike, quad, or scooter/moped is better in Tulum beach town than by car. Honestly it has its pros and cons, but I still vote for car, let me tell you why. While you may be able to maneuver around the traffic a little easier on your bike or moped, you are still going to get stuck in certain places, and oftentimes (especially at night) it is harder for drivers to see you so I think that poses a danger. Also, you are completely exposed to all of the elements on a bike or moped, the sun, the heat, the rain (which it does a lot in mexico) and vehicles and other people. Also, if you are on a bike and plan on living it up with the nightlife, I don't know about you but biking 30 minutes home in the dark, after being full and a having some cocktails does not sound like a good time to me. Don't forget, no street lights out here, so on a bike that may be tough. Also, you're going to have to pay the same price to park in one of the parking lot as the cars, and at least with the cars they have room to keep their items, like snacks, water, change of clothes etc. So yes, you may sneak by some traffic, and it is easier to park your bike (sometimes you can even just lean it up against wherever you are going) but I think overall my vote would still be for car!
Speed Bumps aka Topes:
You think you've experienced speed bumps...let me tell you something...you have not experienced speed bumps until you have experienced Topes in Mexico. *Note: Topes is speed bumps in Spanish. These things are MASSIVE like if you miss one and go to fast you are going to cringe and shudder because you will feel it for sure! The speed bumps are mostly in center city but they are also on beach town roads and on the roads that connect the two of them. Sometimes you will see the signs for them on the side of the road, other times you will see that they are painted a different color from the road, but other times there will be no visual marker other than the fact that that part of the road is raised. Trust me when I tell you, you need to watch out for these. There were several times we didn't notice and we had to get out and check the car because we thought we did some serious damage. Just be aware that they are out there, keep your eyes peeled and you will be fine. At night be a little more cautious, at least until you learn the roads as they will be even harder to see at night.
Traffic and Taxi Situations:
Okay, so the taxis are everywhere in Tulum but honestly, in center city we did not have much of an issue with them. In beachtown however, oh...my..goodness. Taxis are EVERYWHERE. Which is great if you are someone who is relying on public transportation to get home, you will have ZERO problem finding a ride. But, if you are someone who is trying to get yourself home, be prepared to get annoyed. The best thing to do is keep an eye out and leave when you see that they are not 50 taxis piling up. Or to leave your cars in one of the lots that is a little further from the main hub of Tulum Beach town, that is where all of the taxis will be waiting. Just be prepared when driving to add additional time to your drive to account for the traffic, id say add about 20-30 minutes. Again this is dependant on the time of day! During the morning and mid afternoon we did not have as many issues. Late afternoon into the evening/night time the taxi quantity increases.
Parking:
Let's start with Tulum Center City because they have a lot more parking options. There is a ton of free street parking in Center City. Usually there are some spots in front of the establishment you are trying to go to, and if not there is a ton of street parking on side streets and neighboring streets. Do be warned, if you are not someone who is comfortable with parallel parking, Tulum Center City may be a bit challenging for you. Most of the street spots are parallel, there are some straight pull in ones available but you will have to hunt for them. However, like I said there are usually quite a few options so you can drive around until you find one that you feel comfortable with.
(an image from Tulum Center City)
In Tulum Beach Town there is not street parking. The sides of the roads are all lined with shops, and unless you are driving a bike or a moped that you can just pull off onto the side with, you are going to need to find a lot. Good news is that there a ton of parking lots available here! Look for little signs on the side of the road that will dictate where they are located. Be warned, you will not find a paved parking lot with little lines for you. These lots look like empty dirt lots, no lines, you wouldn't even look twice at them if they were not labeled with the P for parking. All lots are pay to park, but they have different prices depending on the owner of the lot and how much they think they can get out of you.
We recommend finding a lot you like and befriending the people who work there. We continued to go to the same lot each day, and after our second day we were allowed to leave the lot and come back and not pay again; usually you need to pay every time you re-enter. The average price that we paid for parking in Tulum Beach Town was about 200 pesos or about 10 USD. Also be sure to check the times for the lots, some of them close by certain times and you do not want to end up with your car stuck in there overnight.
(this is an image from Beach town road)
Well there you have it! Those are my top tips and need to knows for driving in Tulum.
Happy travels :)
Until next time,
Steph
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