Tulum in Mexico is a great place to visit. It not as popular as some of the other places on the Yucatan Peninsula such as Cancun or the largest resorts on Riviera Maya, but this is also part of its beauty.

Tulum has a lot to offer to the adventurous traveler interested in Mayan ruins and nature – secluded beaches, a relaxing atmosphere, delicious cuisine, snorkeling and enjoying the crystal clear waters, interesting flora and fauna species and Mayan ruins to visit and explore.

This picturesque old Mayan settlement is located just south of Playa Del Carmen, so there is always convenient transportation and accommodations available. Here are some of the most interested places to visit if you have some time to spend in Tulum:

In 1990 about half of the Petén department was protected under the Maya Biosphere Reserve. The Reserve was created to protect the largest area of tropical forest remaining in Central America. The other half was leftunprotected, as an economical resource for local communities

When I first came to live in the Petén in 1997 about 1 third of the unprotected rainforest had disappeared. Nevertheless, with 2 thirds still standing plus the immense Mayan Biosphere Reserve being protected, we were living in the middle of a vast area of seemingly endless rainforest with a few spots of slashed forest that had made way to agricultural land.

The Sian Ka’an nature reserve is a beautifully designed bioreserve that’s bounding with natural wonders. From seeing crocodiles while navigating the mangroves, to spotting several different types of tropical birds, the scope of tropical life in Sian Ka’an is almost limitless.

After a great day of sight seeing and fun, watch the sun go down from the sparkling beaches that the Sian Ka’an nature bioreserve has to offer. The diversity of nature at Sian Ka’an will put on display the nature lover out of all the lucky visitors who witness the 1200 different species of flora, 103 different species of mammals, 339 species of tropical bird and all the forms of water life that exist in Sian Ka’an.

Whether it is your first time to the Yucatan Peninsula, or you have been here many times before, there are always new places and things to see, new adventures to have and new wildlife species to observe.

If you are interested in learning as much as possible about Yucatan ecology, joining one of the guided trips is a good idea. The experienced guides will have a lot to tell you about nature and wildlife and you will learn many interesting facts.

The Mayan people are, perhaps, best known for their awe-inspiring architecture, which ranged from magnificent, pyramid-shaped temples to simple homes for the commoners. Their style changed slightly over the generations, but never lost the mystique that surrounds these great buildings, hidden deep within the jungles of South and Central America.

Though all of the cities share the same basic style, their planning for each development was effected by such things as terrain and what building materials were available. The buildings that were set upon a layer of limestone, for example, became expansive municipalities. Other sites, built into the hills and mountains, used this to their advantage, building their towers and elaborate temples to soaring heights. All of the cities, however, were built with some of the same aspects.

For many years the Mayan World has been a popular destination for adventure seekers. Early day explorers like John Lloyd Stephens discovered the region to be full of exciting surprises when he first stumbled upon great ancient pyramids in the early 19th century. Only forty years ago a visit to the now well known ruins of Tikal, Guatemala meant a venturing on a two-day jungle hike over rarely trotted paths, after a dubious flight into Guatemala’s jungle capital, Flores.

Nowadays the region offers a escapades at any adventure level, from single-day excursions to the Chichen Itza Maya Ruins to one-week jungle hikes to El Mirador, the tallest Mayan ruin. But the Mayan World offers the adventurer much more then just archeology. In an area of roughly 300,000 square kilometers (116,000 square miles) the Mayan World encompasses mountains, lakes, white water and calm water rivers, rainforest, Caribbean beaches, cenotes, caves and waterfalls. This wide range of geological attractions and ancient- as well as modern- Mayan culture provides the traveler with an ideal destination to quench his thirst for adventure.

Long known as the largest fish that exists in the world today, you will easily be able to tell a whale shark when you see one. They have very thick skin that is colored a two-tone shade, with both lines and spots on them. The whale shark may actually swim at depths that are around 400 feet.

Whale sharks are among the gentlest giants in the world. Far more akin to a whale than they are to a shark, the whale shark diving experience tops the list of adventure vacations that many people say they would like to have. Once you dive with a Whale Shark, you'll understand why. The experience is difficult to describe until you've actually participated in it.

Belize, a small country located in Central America, surrounded by Guatemala, the Caribbean Sea and Mexico, is a place encrusted with ruins of the ancient Maya civilization. The country is considerably small, covering only 8,867 square miles, about the size of Massachusetts.

Its size, however, does not diminish the prospect of finding astonishing sights. The ancient destinations as well as the natural wonders of Belize are compressed together tightly that everywhere you turn, you'll find great adventure.