If you are planning a trip to the Riviera Maya you may be still deciding whether it is better to spend some days in Tulum, Playa del Carmen or Cancun.

Here's my 3 reasons why you should visit Tulum.

Las Colaradas is an astonishing location which is part of the Ria Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, established in 1979 with the aim of protecting 60,000 hectares of vegetation and hundreds of species of birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Despite the huge variety of fauna that one can spot here, including turtles and crocodiles, Las Coloradas is famous for two things: its pink waters and its flamingos.

As you can see checking out Happy Cow, the choice of vegan food in Mérida is quite short, as there aren't many vegan or vegan friendly restaurants in the center of the town. Many places are located outside the city, so you either need a taxi, a cab, or a bus ride to get there. I spent only a few days there so I didn't have the time to move around a lot looking for food and decided to explore what the central area had to offer.
Of course, like everywhere else in the peninsula, you can always find something cheap to eat like rice or tacos with vegetables, but if you fancy something different you'll need to spend a bit more.

A few kilometers outside Tulum you'll find its best beach: it's a natural reserve called XCACEL,  where you can enjoy a beautifil beach and a small cenote.

SEMA (Secretaría de Ecología y Medio Ambiente) declared this area a natural reserve for the protection of sea turtles in 1998, and even if it is open to the public you won't see the crowds that are invading Akumal beach.

In 2016 Akumal's Ecological Center announced the creation of a marine refuge for protected species in Akumal Beach, with the declared intention of protecting three species of sea turtles, four species of corals, three species of mangroves and three species of seagrass.

After only one year from the announcement the situation has gone wild, and it looks like commercial interests are prevailing over the protection of this delicate area. Let's be honest: nobody wants to loose the golden business of the "swimming with turtles" tours, the rental of life jackets and all the related activities, even if this means that maybe, in the future, there won't be any turtles to swim with.

As Akumal Bay Info reports, after a suspension of the "swimming with turtles" activities at the beginning of 2017 and for only 51 days, SEMARNAT reissued permits to commercial operators. Tour operators are supposed to follow certain rules, but are often ignoring them.

These rules inludes:

• Snorkel activities can only be carried out between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• No more than 6 people/group plus a guide.
• The minimum distance between groups is 10 meters.