Tulum

Three days between El Castillo, Cobá and the Muyil canals

Be at the Tulum archaeological zone when it opens. Cycle or take a colectivo to the entrance, buy the park wristband and the INAH ticket, and walk the hour-long loop past the Temple of the Frescoes to El Castillo; by ten it is hot and crowded, so drop down to Playa Pescadores or Playa Paraíso for a swim.

After lunch in the pueblo, ride out to the Gran Cenote on the Cobá road for an afternoon snorkel. In the evening, walk Avenida Tulum for tacos and a mezcal.

Day two. Drive or take a morning bus about 45 km northwest to Cobá. The city spreads through the forest, so rent a bicycle or a pedal taxi at the gate to reach the tall Nohoch Mul pyramid and the ball courts. On the way back, stop at one of the underground cenotes near Cobá village, reached by wooden stairs into a dark cave pool. Return for sunset on the beach road.

Day three. Head about 25 km south to Muyil, a smaller site at the edge of the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve. A boardwalk leads through the forest to a lagoon, where local cooperatives run boat trips to an ancient canal; you put on a life jacket and float with the current through the mangroves. Back in town, finish with dinner in Aldea Zamá or a last swim at Playa Santa Fe.

Cochinita pibil, sopa de lima and Avenida Tulum taquerías

Tulum's best cheap food is the Yucatán peninsula's own Maya cooking, found in the pueblo, away from the beach road's poke bowls. Start the day with cochinita pibil, pork marinated in achiote and bitter orange, wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked, piled into tacos or tortas with pickled onion and habanero salsa; stands sell out by late morning.

Later, look for panuchos (fried tortillas stuffed with black beans) and salbutes (puffed tortillas without the filling), both topped with turkey or chicken, avocado and onion. Sopa de lima, a chicken broth sharpened with the local lime and topped with crisp tortilla strips, is lighter than it sounds. Grilled pork poc chuc and fish cooked tikin xic, rubbed in achiote and grilled in a leaf, appear on many menus. Near the beach, ceviche and fish tacos are the safer bets.

The pueblo is where to eat. Avenida Tulum and the side streets off it are lined with taquerías, loncherías and fruit juice stalls, and prices are a fraction of those in the hotel zone. At night, carts sell marquesitas, crisp rolled wafers filled with Edam cheese and Nutella or cajeta, a Yucatán sweet that sounds strange and works. If you are staying on the beach, buy water, fruit and snacks at a pueblo supermarket; a cool box and a bag of ice keep drinks cold all day.

Sargassum months, turtle nights and the dry Caribbean winter

December to April is Tulum's kindest season: highs of 29 to 31 C, nights down to 18 C in January and February, little rain (31 mm in March) and a flat, glassy sea. It is also high season, with full hotels and the steepest rates over Christmas, New Year and Easter.

From May the heat and humidity build. Highs sit at 32 C right through to October, and the rains arrive in force: 157 mm in June and a peak of 178 mm in October. Showers are often short and heavy, but August to October is also the heart of the Atlantic hurricane season, so travel insurance and a flexible plan make sense.

The warmer months bring sargassum, a brown seaweed that drifts in from the open Atlantic and can carpet the sand in bad years, usually from around April into late summer. Some weeks the beaches are clean, others the smell is strong. When it is heavy, switch to cenotes, which are unaffected. The same season has a compensation: from about May to October sea turtles come ashore at night to nest on the quieter beaches, and in late summer the hatchlings make for the water. Keep lights off and give marked nests space. November is a good compromise, with 84 mm of rain, fewer crowds and the cooler air just returning.