TULUM
My friends live here year round and invited me down to vist. In turn, I introduced them to geocaching and we got the idea to put a series of geocaches around this amazing town to let visitors see the city for themselves.
When most people think of Tulum, they think of the Ruins (one of the top 5 most visited places in all of Mexico). Tulum also consists of the beach (south of the ruins, a strip of hotels and restaurants) and the town, 3 kilometers as the crow flies from the water. The town is an incredible array of restaurants and shops and is very laid back.
We spent hours sipping Jaimaca (Hibiscus tea) discussing what the future will look like for this city. Development has already begun everywhere, but it still retains a laid back, relaxed atmosphere. Big box stores have not yet arrived (unlike Playa del Carmen) and the tourist zone is quite tranquil compared to Cancun. Still, Tulum is growing and changing and the future is uncertain. Will it be more like Playa and Cancun in the years to come, or retain its unique charms as more and more tourists arrive. Either way, if you're looking for this series of caches, consider yourself lucky! You get to experience Tulum today!
VOCHO
The Volkswagen Beetle was introduced in the Mexican market in 1954 and produced here until 2003 (49 years). Long after they fell out of favor other places, the Beetle had a special place in Mexico. The locals call it Vocho (and once you see the cache, you'll understand why we named the series that as well). Take a gander around Tulum and you'll see plenty of Vochos, including one that was even converted to a sugar cane press. Interesting indeed!
CACHE
The cache is placed in one of the main parks where local villagers gather to play baseball, soccer, volleyball and catch up with one another. I highly recommend walking around it as it is quite beautiful!