Tulum and its environs offer enough exotic wildlife-viewing opportunities to keep kids (both big and small) enthralled. With species from lizards, frogs and crabs to iguanas, crocodiles and numerous types of bird, make sure to bring an extra memory card for all the photos you're bound to take.
5. Easy access to Mayan ruins
For a break from the beach (trust us, you'll appreciate it more afterward), visit any of the several Mayan ruins within easy reach of Tulum. (Do it on your own schedule by renting a car for the length of your visit, or join a tour from any of several local outfitters.) The nearby Tulum ruins, a spectacular site overlooking the sea, will be your first stop: watch for the many iguanas that make their home here.
Farther afield, the only partially excavated Cobá ruins make an easy afternoon trip. Climb the 42-metre-high Nohoch Mul pyramid for a challenging butt and thigh workout, and after you leave the ruins complex, visit the crocodile-viewing pier down the road from the parking lot to get a look at the lake's hungriest inhabitants. And if you're in the mood for an all-day excursion, make your way to the more famous site of Chichén Itzá – try to get there early to beat the rush.
6. Crystal-clear cenotes
Cenotes are a kind of sinkhole prolific across the Yucatan peninsula, where all fresh water runs underground. They range from simple pond-like structures to more elaborate caves with water running through, and many are available to the public (often for a small fee) for swimming, snorkelling and diving. Probably the best cenote near Tulum is Gran Cenote, not far along the road to Cobá. Refresh yourself in its cool waters after a hot afternoon of wandering the ruins, and swim under the caves to watch the cenote's resident bats flying around.
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