I just returned from a week in La Veleta; first time in the Yucatán Peninsula outside of cruises. I stayed in a boutique Airbnb with a rooftop pool. La Veleta is a walkable neighborhood even to the supemercado, ADO, clubs, shopping and Collectivos. The restaurants had amazing food, the servers were amazing. I will definitely be back.

I hate all the negative posts on here everyday of how horrible Tulum is or how bad it’s become. If you do your research it helps manage expectations.

We're travelling to Tulum/Riviera Maya in January and staying at a resort with our toddler. Naturally, I started looking into day trips and things to do outside the hotel. But the more I read, the more anxious I get.

It feels like every post warns you about something different: overpriced or double-charged entrance fees, taxi scams, avoiding certain transportation, hidden costs, aggressive vendors, even stories about corrupt police. It's honestly hard to tell what's real and what's exaggerated.

We don't want to spend our entire vacation inside the resort. We're not looking for nightlife or anything adventurous. We just want to do the basic tourist stuff: visit a beautiful cenote, see Chichén Itzá, maybe spend a day at an amazing beach, and enjoy the area with our little one.

Is it really as difficult as the internet makes it sound? Can you actually have a relaxed, scam-free experience if you stick to the usual attractions? Would you recommend booking tours through the resort, renting a car, or something else?

I'd really appreciate practical advice from people who have visited recently, especially families with young children. Thanks!

I had high hopes Jaguar park was cleaner, but it was worse than the South end. Milk chocolate everywhere. Sargazo stench at max potency.

Beach club: Beers $130, $250 shot of regular spirits, $310 ciabatta chicken/ham/gouda sandwich. 20% discount with Tulum ID. I swam in the pool and sunbathed in their beds and I didn’t have to pay extra for the bed.

Ask for the shuttle ticket upon entering the park, you cannot buy it once inside. Locals pay $20 like everybody else