IF YOU GO

Getting there: The Tulum area is most easily accessible via rental car, but you could also hire a taxi or a shuttle from the Cancun airport.

Getting around: Taxis and collectivos (vans that travel a set route) troll the beach strip, and hotels offer group tours to area attractions.

Seasons: Prices (and weather) vary dramatically according to season. Peak months are January-March, when weather is predictably clear and sea water at its clearest. Hotel rates drop by half or more during the July-October low season, when rain and wind can be expected.

Vacation homes: Casa Perla del Mar and many other vacation rentals are clustered in the Tankah and Soliman Bay areas just north of the Tulum ruins. A 7-night stay at Casa Perla del Mar runs from $1,800 to $4,500, depending on season, working out to a reasonable $64 to $160 a night for each of the four bedrooms. Daily housekeeping service and preparation of one meal a day is included in the rates. A number of bed-and-breakfasts, including American-owned Casa Amor del Sol, cater to couples seeking a quiet, off-the-beaten-path experience.

Tulum beach hotels: A wide array of https://www.petergreenberg.com/2009/05/23/ask-the-locals-riviera-maya-mexico/price points makes Tulum affordable to a wide range of travelers. On the modest end is Tita Tulum, with 10 cabana-style rooms from $95-$170 a night. Mid-range La Zebra, $128-$550, has a well-regarded restaurant and live salsa music on Sunday nights. Maya Tulum Spa Resort is a wellness and yoga retreat with rooms from $120 to $660 and a wide assortment of packages. Ana y Jose Charming Hotel & Spa is an elegant hotel with one of the strip’s best restaurants; room rates start at around $250 a night. On the high end is Be Tulum, an Agentine-spiced celebrity hideaway with low-season rates from $350.

For more information on Tulum and Mexican adventures:

• Spring Break for Grown Ups: Cancun the Rivera May
• Ask the Locals: Riveriera Maya, Mexico
• Peter’s Travel Detective Blog: Why I Travel to Mexico

Text and photos by Janet Fullwood for PeterGreenberg.com. Janet is a freelance writer and editor who served as the travel editor for the Sacramento Bee for 21 years. Visit her on the Web at www.janetfullwood.com.