Planning a trip to Tulum, Punta Allen and Sian Ka'an

Getting There --By Car: Highway 307 runs straight from Cancún through the town of Tulum. By Bus: Several buses a day leave Playa del Carmen for Tulum.

Orientation --A rental car will make everything much easier. From the north, you pass the entrance to the ruins before you enter town. When you come to an intersection with a traffic light, the highway to the right leads to the ruins of Cobá. Turn left to reach Tulum's beach Hotel Zone, beginning about 2km (1 1/4 miles) away; the road sign reads BOCA PAILA. When you come to a T junction, there will be hotels in both directions. If you turn left (north), you'll be heading toward the back entrance to the ruins. If you take a right, you'll pass a long line of small hotels until you reach the entrance to Sian Ka'an.

In the town of Tulum, Hwy. 307 widens and is called Avenida Tulum. A particularly handy resource is the travel agency/communications/package center called Savana (tel. 984/871-2081), on the east side of Avenida Tulum between calles Orion and Beta. Most of the staff speaks English and can answer questions about tours and calling home.

Getting to the Beach -- If you're staying elsewhere but want some beach time in Tulum, the easiest way is to drive to El Paraíso (tel. 984/113-7089; www.elparaisohoteltulum.com) about 1km (2/3 mile) south of the ruins (take a left at the T junction). This is a great place with a long, broad beach that is pure sand, and access is free. The owners have a restaurant on the sand and make money by selling food and drink, so they ask you not to bring your own. They've also opened an 11-room hotel with A/C and plasma TVs; rates range from $85 to $155 depending on season and demand. A few tents are available for camping. For true isolation, check out the small hotels in Sian Ka'an and Punta Allen.