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When talking about Tulum, many travelers immediately think of white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters, but there are other reasons to consider this unique destination. Those interested in history and nature will be delighted by the impressive Mayan ruins in this city.
After Cancun, we were headed to Tulum. Paolo picked up the guide and we arrived on time for the tour of this ancient city. Marco, speaking in Spanish, helped Franco buy the entrance ticket and we began the itinerary. Ursula, as usual, explained to us how the city looked in the past. Tulum was a seaport located on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in southeastern Mexico and was one of the last major pre-Columbian Mayan cities to be conquered by the Spanish. It was very hot, so as we toured the Mayan ruins, Franco advised us to seek occasional shelter in the shade of the palm trees. As soon as we arrived in this coastal town, we could actually see these surrounding palm trees and the beautiful blue sky. Afterwards, Paolo thought, why not take some pictures?
A peculiarity of this ancient city, which was located on the sea coast, is that the walls were also built with the use of corals to make mortar. Paul would have liked to do some diving on site by renting a diving suit, but unfortunately there was no time. Visiting the city of Tulum, we immediately want to learn more about the Mayan civilization. Our guide Ursula explains that the Mayan civilization was one of the most advanced civilizations in the pre-Columbian Americas. It originated in the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico and spread to present-day Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua. Currently in these states Spanish is spoken and Marco in fact uses this language to converse with the inhabitants of Mexico, but many Mayan languages are still spoken by some local groups and ethnic groups.
The guide Ursula reveals that, in a future trip, she would like to visit Guatemala. In fact, an important period in Mayan history was the Classic Period (starting around 250 AD) and many of the previously separate city-states joined in political alliances, leading to the development of the first complex civilization in Guatemala and the Yucatán Peninsula.