Some friends and I went to Tulum a few years back and it was such an amazing place I thought I’d share it with you.

Tulum was built late in the thirteenth century, during the Mayan post-classic period.  It was also the only Mayan city built on a coast

Tulum was one of the last cities built by the Mayans between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. The Spanish settlers brought Old World diseases which, appears to have been the cause of their demise

Each Mayan city had a specific purpose, Tulum was a seaport, trading mainly in Turquoise and Jade

 There are three major structures, El Castillo, The Temple of the Frescoes, and the Temple of the Descending God

Temple of the Frescoes was used as an observatory for tracking the movements of the sun

In the corners of the Temple of the Frescoes are two stucco masks believed to possibly be Chaac the Rain God

 The El Castillo Temple served as  a navigational signal to the large cargo canoes that the Mayans used in their trading with other civilizations up and down the coast

The El Castillo Temple has steps leading up to a columned shrine on the top

Tulúm is the Yucatan Mayan word for fence, wall or trench

We stayed at our friend place in Playa del Carmen and these cute littles guys called Coatimundi were in our back yard everyday along with numerous birds and other animals.  We fed them fruit which they absolutely love!  I loved the little baby on the left.

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