Tulum’s Conservation Week Opens Its Weekend

National Conservation Week in Tulum opened Friday with a hatha yoga class and a play about an explorer bat, the first of more than 20 activities running through Tuesday, October 27.

The program is organized by the National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (Conanp), the federal agency under Mexico's environment ministry, Semarnat, that manages Tulum National Park and the Jaguar Flora and Fauna Protection Area. Its stated aim is to get residents involved in caring for local ecosystems, biodiversity, and natural resources.

Most of the week takes place outdoors, in or near those two protected areas, and most of it costs nothing. Families, students, runners, and visitors in town this weekend can join a beach cleanup, a catamaran ride, or a guided walk with the staff who look after these sites year-round. Spaces are limited at every event except the opening ceremony.

A bat on stage and a turtle talk on opening day

Friday, October 23, began at 9 a.m. with two events at once. Hotel Ikal Tulum hosted a hatha yoga session, and the Centro de Cultura para la Conservación of Tulum National Park staged Mateo el Murciélago explorador, a children's play about a bat. At 11:20 a.m., the talk "Las tortugas marinas" introduced sea turtles to students at Colegio Inter de la Riviera.

The official inauguration was scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. on the esplanade of the Palacio Municipal, according to Conanp staff, and would include representatives of protected areas from across the region. The program listed the dance piece Alix y el cenote sagrado by DanXología, the ritual performance El Corazón de Tulum, and a set by trova singer Julkin Chablé.

Around the stage, organizers planned photo exhibitions on the protected areas, stalls for producers from communities linked to the protected areas, and a crafts market.

Saturday starts at Caleta Tankah at 6:30 a.m.

Saturday, October 24, is the busiest day on the calendar, and it starts early. A beach cleanup at Caleta Tankah begins at 6:30 a.m.

From there, the program splits across four venues.

• Hotel Pocna: a paddleboard outing from 6 to 9 a.m., the 9 a.m. walk Recorrido por la Conservación, Conectando con la Naturaleza, catamaran rides at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and the talk La vida de las tortugas marinas from noon to 1 p.m.
• Zazil Kin: a 7 a.m. social run with a talk on natural protected areas, and at 11 a.m. the play Alux Kin y sus amigos protectores
• Hotel Ikal Tulum: yogasana at 9 a.m., the children's session Live Pure Kids at 2 p.m., and breathwork at 5 p.m.
• Centro de Cultura para la Conservación, Tulum National Park: Macetas Vivas planter workshop at 10 a.m.

Organizers have also described environmental walks, theater, and activities for children across the day.

Sunday and Monday move into the Jaguar reserve

On Sunday, October 25, and Monday, October 26, the focus shifts to the Jaguar Flora and Fauna Protection Area, the federal reserve on the edge of town, with biocultural tours alongside recreational activities, more cleanups, and workshops and talks on citizen science and environmental monitoring.

One session leaves Tulum proper. Conanp plans an educational visit to the telesecundaria in Chemuyil to talk with students about the importance of Tulum National Park and the Jaguar area.

The recycling contest Dale una segunda vida, Give It a Second Life, runs as part of the program to encourage reuse of materials and cut household waste.

The hourly calendar reviewed by The Tulum Times covers Friday and Saturday. For Sunday through Tuesday, organizers have described the activities but have not yet published times.

A Day of the Dead altar for wildlife struck by vehicles

The week closes on Tuesday, October 27, four days before Hanal Pixán begins, with a Day of the Dead altar dedicated to wildlife hit by vehicles inside natural protected areas. It will stand at the Centro Artesanal de Tulum.

The same day, the Universidad Tecnológica de Tulum hosts a talk on urban solid waste and a photo exhibition. The closing ceremony is set for 4 p.m. at the Centro de Cultura para la Conservación of Tulum National Park.

How to join National Conservation Week in Tulum

Everything on the program is free except the boat ride, which carries a cuota de recuperación, a cost-recovery fee. Spaces are limited at every activity except the inauguration, so early arrival is the safest approach for anything at sunrise or on the water.

The 2026 edition runs under the theme Conservación de la naturaleza, nuestro futuro (nature conservation as the future).

The next fixed point is Tuesday at 4 p.m., when the closing ceremony brings the week back to the Centro de Cultura para la Conservación, the same stage where a bat named Mateo opened it on Friday morning.

Which would get you out of bed first, a 6:30 a.m. cleanup at Caleta Tankah or a sunrise paddleboard session? Join the conversation and share your perspective with us on Instagram and Facebook at @thetulumtimes.