Playa Santa Fe — Attraction in Tulum

October 2022. First the parking. Keep driving, you don’t have to pay. It’s a Scam. Some people rented bikes but it's not exactly safe with all the cars. We saw a woman hit a pot hole and fall over. It’s very hot. Fellow gringas, wear a hat, reef-safe sunblock, and bug spray. Bring lots of water and snacks. Entry to the ruins is $ 10 USD. There are people all over selling front-of-line ruin passes that include a boat tour of the ruins which is really just a selfie stop and then they take you to the reef to snorkel. We were told it was 1hr wait to get in into the ruins. We were there on a Sunday afternoon. My girlfriend didn’t feel well so we opted for the boat tour for $45USD per person. We were told the tour left every twenty minutes, that we would have access to bathrooms, and two free margaritas. Also, a scam. We waited for 1 to 1.5hrs. Had to change in a hut and there are no restrooms anywhere. The margaritas were tiny and tasted like Kool-Aid. We got thirsty and ordered one beer and one water. It was $13USD. We felt like we were being taken advantage of. They will not tell you the price until they bring it to you. Highly recommend that you learn how to convert Pesos to USD if you plan to explore without a guide. Learn to haggle in Spanish. Leave your valuables in your car or hotel or in the US for that matter. We left our belongings with the tour shack and it was all returned untouched. The tour company and staff were very friendly and helpful. Our tour group was a mix of locals and Americans. Once on the small fiberglass boat, they stop for ruins selfies. Not my jam. I'd rather walk the ruins. Next stop, the reef. Snorkeling was beautiful. The gear will get you by but it is very basic. It sits it some sort of solution to “sanitize” it. So many sting rays. Sea turtles, clownfish, and I saw a barracuda. They feed the sting rays sardines. They tell everyone the reef area is shallow water 4-6ft and you could touch the sand. Another scam. It felt like everyone we spoke to only tells half-truths. Seriously, you cannot trust anyone outside the resorts. Again, learn as much Spanish as possible. They ask for tips for being your boat guide. They said we would learn the history of the ruins on the boat tour. Nothing historic was shared. Now back to the beach. The sand is a lovely white soft sand. The area is beautiful. The water is warm and fairly clear and calm. Feels like a local beach. We felt like we were being watched most of the time. When we were leaving there were four plus drunk guys and I mean drunk!!! They were harassing all the women. Disturbing. We didn't explore Talum but it is being developed like crazy! Starting to resemble Honolulu shops but with a Yogi vibe. We had to get back to our hotel before dark as most roads do not have lights and people and animals are constantly running across the roads. All in all a beautiful beach but come prepared, come early, and leave with plenty of time to get back to your hotel. One last thing of mention there is seaweed in the beach but it's a beach. You walk over it and you're in beautiful water with a view of...

This review is regarding the snorkel/boat tour companies that try to sell you a package as you are entering the beach. PLEASE SAY NO TO THEM. They are money hungry companies with no respect for the coral reef they are selling to you. It is 350MXN to go out on a speedboat, take a picture in front of the ruins, and then go to the reef to snorkel with turtles and sting rays. We agreed because the lines for the ruins were horrendous and thought it would be nice to see the view from the water. During the snorkel session we did see lots of sting rays (because the boat guys are feeding them sardines :( ) but the worst part is they are throwing their anchors directly on top of the coral! You can see that the reef is already nearly dead and these guys are making it so much worse. We were shocked when we saw the anchor hooked under a coral bed while we were snorkeling, pulling on the coral every time the boat moved with the waves. When they were pulling up the anchor to leave, it was stuck (obviously) and they were just yanking again and again. We told them to please be more careful and he just said "ok gracias." It's so sad when you think about the destruction that this behavior, multiplied times the many other boats there with us, times the many trips a day, EVERY day, is having on the reef. Soon there will be no home left for the very animals that everyone is paying to go see. Yes, it's cool to see the sting rays but the photo op is NOT worth destroying...

Was there with my family in mid July 21. We decided to take the offer of a snorkelling trip and boat tour to the Tulum ruins. First of all, the guys trying to sell us the tour were charging inconsistent prices. One day it was 250 pesos per person, the next 300. Apart from that, the tour is supposed to last 1hr, in our case the tour guides were lazy and cut it short to 40min. They were rushing us all the time and were overall rude (watch out for the guides of the boat named Heidy). They didn't even want to put the stairs on the boat so that my kids and father in law could climb back onto the boat after snorkelling. Awful experience!!! That was the only place during that trip to the Riviera Maya when I felt ripped off.

Finally, the beach was full with Sargasus (seaweed plague). To the point where one has to walk for at least 5 meters over the seaweed to reach the water (the water was super murky by the way). Do you research of which beaches have this problem (as it is seasonal) so that you dont...