Tulum News Today — Local Headlines, Travel & Culture

Municipal building with stone and white facade stands in a plaza under clear blue sky with clouds

Politics

How Much Does Tulum’s City Government Actually Owe?

Tulum municipal finances closed 2025 with 464.3 million pesos in liabilities. A Banorte loan and supplier reports of months-long payment delays now put the treasury’s books under scrutiny.

An altar decorated with framed photographs, candles, marigolds, and traditional foods sits against a white wall while people stand nearby

Art & Culture

Before the Candles Are Lit, 20 Photos in Tulum Show What Janal Pixán Takes

The Janal Pixán exhibition in Tulum traces a day of the Maya celebration of the dead in 20 photographs, from cornfield harvests at dawn to candlelit cemetery visits.

Crowd of visitors gathered in a paved courtyard surrounded by trees and colonial-era buildings

Travel

Payment Failures and One Cashier Stall Entry to the Tulum Ruins

A closed booth at the Jaguar Park checkpoint left one cashier handling cart fares at the Tulum ruins on Thursday, and service providers want more staff before winter.

Commercial jet aircraft with blue and white livery flying against a clear blue sky

Lead Story

United Airlines ends Houston and Newark flights to Tulum

United Airlines Tulum flights from Houston and Newark end in January, after Aeroméxico, Volaris, and American cut service. Canadian carriers and Mexicana now anchor the winter schedule.

October 30, 2026

Tulum Sargassum Condition

Clear / Low

Politics

Why Some Tourists Pay 550 Pesos for a 285-Peso Visitax

A Tulum councilman wants the Visitax scrapped and asks the state to investigate websites charging up to 550 pesos for a fee officially set at 285 pesos.

Aerial view of a coastal town with dense residential development on the right transitioning to forested land on the left, with ocean visible at the top

Real Estate

Tulum Real Estate Market Looks to Retirees and Remote Workers After Sales Halve

Oct 30, 2026

A woman and seven children pose together in front of a weathered blue wooden wall, with a large red fabric dice visible on the ground beside them

Art & Culture

How Letras Itinerantes Spent 10 Years Taking Books to Maya Communities

Oct 30, 2026

Abandoned concrete structure with inverted solar panels sits among tropical vegetation and construction debris on rocky ground

Real Estate

Two Face Criminal Case Over Alleged Environmental Crimes in Tulum

Oct 29, 2026

Exhibition signage for "Janal Pixán" hangs on woven wall panels in an indoor corridor with wooden flooring

Art & Culture

Mureco Presents Janal Pixán Photo Exhibition in Tulum

Oct 29, 2026

Man in white shirt standing on a residential street with palm trees and power lines in the background

Society

Who Is Behind the Alleged Attack on a Tulum Taxi Driver?

Oct 28, 2026

Man in white shirt leaning toward car window with an assertive expression, palm trees visible behind him

Society

Taxi Drivers Who Join Uber in Tulum Still Face Attacks and Threats

Oct 27, 2026

Aerial view of a beachfront resort with sandy beach, ocean waves, palm trees, and buildings nestled among dense tropical vegetation extending inland

A Stay at Alaya Tulum, Where Rest Begins Barefoot

Beachfront resort with thatched-roof bungalows surrounded by palm trees, white umbrellas, and wooden furniture on sand under clear blue sky

Ahau Tulum and the Quiet Intelligence of Hospitality

Aerial view of a beachfront resort with a long swimming pool surrounded by palm trees, lounge chairs, and a sandy beach with turquoise water beyond

How the Conrad Tulum Invited Us In and Made Us Never Want to Leave

Modern resort with illuminated courtyard and palm trees at dusk, surrounded by white buildings overlooking flat landscape

Invited by Hilton Tulum, a stay that allowed us to disconnect

A Stay at Alaya Tulum, Where Rest Begins Barefoot

Ahau Tulum and the Quiet Intelligence of Hospitality

How the Conrad Tulum Invited Us In and Made Us Never Want to Leave

Invited by Hilton Tulum, a stay that allowed us to disconnect

A Stay at Alaya Tulum, Where Rest Begins Barefoot

Ahau Tulum and the Quiet Intelligence of Hospitality

How the Conrad Tulum Invited Us In and Made Us Never Want to Leave

Invited by Hilton Tulum, a stay that allowed us to disconnect

A Santander bank branch with a black and white storefront sits along a paved street lined with utility poles and scattered buildings under a blue sky with white

Businesses

Santander Is Closing Its Tulum Branch

A notice at the Santander Tulum branch sends in-person service to branch 0825 in Playacar, Playa del Carmen. It gives no closing date, no reason, and no word on the ATMs.

Girl in red shirt sculpts sand on a beach while other participants work on sand sculptures nearby

Environment & Nature

Tulum’s Sea Turtle Festival Ends Its 24th Edition With Sand Sculptures at Xcacel

The 24th Sea Turtle Festival in Tulum concluded at the Xcacel-Xcacelito sanctuary, featuring sand sculptures, turtle films, and workshops on protecting nesting beaches.

Society

Can Anyone Drive for Uber in Tulum?

Uber in Tulum is currently operating with licensed taxi drivers. A test ride from La Comer and a union driver explain how to sign up and who pays for the free trips.

Tourists and staff interact at a visitor information booth in an airport terminal with duty-free shops visible in the background

Travel

Tulum Feels the Cost as Quintana Roo Tourist Fees Climb

A week in Cancun’s hotel zone incurs four government charges beyond the room rate. Here is the Cancun tourist tax bill for 2027 and where each peso is meant to go.

La Cocina Maya

Yucatecan and Maya cooking, one dish a week.

All recipes →

Chaya con Huevo: Yucatecan Tree Spinach Scrambled with Eggs

35 min

Mucbipollo: the Large Baked Tamal of Hanal Pixán

3 h 40 min

Tikin Xic, Whole Fish Grilled in Banana Leaf with Achiote

1 h 15 min

Queso Relleno: Edam Hollowed and Stuffed with Pork Picadillo

3 h

Frijol con Puerco: Yucatán's Monday Pot of Black Beans and Pork

3 h 30 min

Poc Chuc: pork grilled over charcoal after a sour orange soak

1 h 15 min

Relleno negro: a turkey leg and two slices of egg-stuffed pork in glossy black recado broth, with pickled red onion and epazote, in a cream ceramic bowl

Relleno Negro: Yucatecan Turkey in Burnt Chilli Broth

3 h 45 min

Three puffed fried corn tortillas topped with shredded turkey, lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion and avocado on a white plate

Salbutes: Yucatecan Puffed Fried Tortillas with Turkey or Chicken

1 h 35 min

Four fried tortillas stuffed with black bean paste, topped with shredded pork, pickled red onion and avocado, on a cobalt rimmed platter

Panuchos: Yucatecan bean-stuffed tortillas, fried and topped

2 h 45 min

Rolled tortillas under a pale green pumpkin seed sauce with a band of red tomato sauce across the middle, on a porcelain plate on marble

Papadzules: tortillas in pumpkin seed sauce with egg

1 h 15 min

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Riviera Maya Residences

Latest Dispatches

Participants wearing pink race bibs and shirts run through a street at night past a large pink banner with breast cancer awareness symbols

Society

Hundreds Walk and Run the Tulum Carrera Rosa for Early Breast Cancer Detection

Hundreds joined the Tulum Carrera Rosa on Sunday, carrying an early detection message to a state whose breast cancer death rate tops the national average.

October 25, 2026

Two people sit at a beachfront table with food and drinks, ocean and palm trees visible behind them

Businesses

Why Overcharging This Winter Could Be the Most Expensive Mistake Tulum Businesses Make

After a low season of empty rooms and closed hotels, Tulum prices this winter will decide whether visitors return. Recovering losses at the register would repeat the old mistake.

October 25, 2026

Woman wading in clear turquoise water off a tropical beach lined with palm trees and white sand

Travel

Tulum Is Back as Clear Water Returns to Its Beaches for a New Season

Clear water and clean sand are back on Tulum beaches inside Jaguar Park after a heavy sargassum summer, and the town is opening its winter season to travelers from everywhere.

October 25, 2026

Law enforcement officers investigate outside a building with red-trimmed windows and glass doors, with potted plants nearby

Society

Gunfire Hits Hotel Bacab in Tulum as Attackers Leave a Threat

Shots struck the entrance of Hotel Bacab in Tulum’s La Veleta on Saturday, and a handwritten warning addressed to a man named Rafael was left beside the building.

October 24, 2026

Beachgoers wade and stand in shallow water and sand along a coastline with seaweed scattered on the beach and gentle waves breaking offshore

Travel

Is the sargassum finally leaving Tulum?

Sargassum in Tulum is thinning on Jaguar Park’s beaches after weeks of buildup. Restaurants operating at 10 to 20 percent capacity are counting on November to reach half capacity.

October 24, 2026

Multi-story concrete building under construction with metal scaffolding and safety barriers against a clear blue sky

Real Estate

Environmental Groups Call for a Halt to New Tulum Real Estate Development Approvals

Sélvame MX says Tulum real estate development outran its drainage. The group wants new subdivisions stopped to protect the jungle and the Sac Actun and Ox Bel Ha rivers.

October 24, 2026

Two people collect trash in a burlap sack on a sandy beach lined with palm trees

Environment & Nature

Tulum’s Conservation Week Opens Its Weekend

National Conservation Week in Tulum runs through October 27 with beach cleanups, turtle talks, catamaran rides, and tours of the Jaguar reserve. Most events are free, with limited spaces.

October 24, 2026

Four people wearing skull face paint and wide-brimmed hats hold candles and orange flowers while posing together at night

Art & Culture

Hanal Pixán, Day of the Dead in Tulum, Opens With Toys for Children’s Souls

Day of the Dead in Tulum runs October 31 to November 2 as Hanal Pixán. What goes on a family altar, where to see it this year, and the etiquette for visitors.

October 23, 2026

Two workers operate a compacting machine on a wet street lined with palm trees and tropical vegetation

Politics

How Clogged Drains Make Tulum’s Pothole Problem Harder to See

The Tulum pothole repair program moves through Ejido, Centro, Cancha Maya, and Lakín before reaching Maya Pax on November 3, with the weather setting the pace.

October 23, 2026

Woman in white blazer speaking at a podium with a microphone during a travel industry event

Businesses

Tulum Airport Incentives Set at 100 Percent for Three Years

Tulum airport incentives will run at 100 percent for three years, Sectur says. Grupo Mundo Maya still has to publish the terms, and frequencies may not return until the second half of 2027.

October 23, 2026

Businesses

Uber Is Now in Tulum, Competing With the Taxis and Recruiting Them To

Uber in Tulum went live on October 20 with free introductory rides, while the company recruits local taxi drivers and motorcyclists for Uber Taxi and Uber Moto.

October 23, 2026

A large pothole filled with water sits in a deteriorated street lined with parked cars and residential buildings

Society

Three taps on a phone could decide which Tulum pothole gets fixed first

Potholes in Tulum now have a citizen map. Tulum Unido wants each one pinned and labeled, the same week City Hall launched an emergency patching campaign.

October 23, 2026

Ancient stone pyramid structure illuminated in orange light at night with stepped platforms and rectangular openings visible in the masonry

Travel

Tulum once opened its ruins after sunset, and the people who saw it remember

Lamps hidden as rocks, headsets in six languages, 40 people at a time. What the Tulum ruins at night felt like, and what it would take to see them that way again.

October 21, 2026

Two people stand on a wooden platform surrounded by hanging vines over a turquoise cenote pool beneath rocky cliffs and forest canopy

Lifestyle

Tulum won another World Travel Award, and it has nothing to do with sand

Tulum is the most romantic destination in Mexico and Central America for the second year in a row, and three resorts bearing its name took four more titles.

October 20, 2026

Man driving a car views a navigation app on his phone mounted on the dashboard while traveling through a street lined with shops and palm trees

Businesses

Uber began operating in Tulum and Playa del Carmen

Uber in Tulum and Playa del Carmen began taking trips on October 20 with free opening rides. What a fare costs after the promotion is the part nobody has published.

October 20, 2026

Two women in bikinis walk along a sandy beach with palm trees, boats, and other beachgoers visible in the background

Travel

The postcard is back in Tulum this week

Zofemat says sargassum in Tulum has dropped off for days, with 7,300 tons hauled this year and the hotel zone expected to be practically clean by week’s end.

October 20, 2026