The New Tulum Tren Maya Station

The Tren Maya Stations in Tulum (Tulum Airport and downtown Tulum) are open. In this article we will take a look at the new train station in Tulum’s downtown. At first glance, it is impressive. It has a flowing roof, integrated design that will connect the Tren Maya to the Jaguar Park, Tren Maya Hotel and the Tulum ruins. Compared to the station in Playa Del Carmen, it is more finished and has a nicer design.

This new station feels to be the right size and has enough flow in the parking lot to direct cars, buses and people in and out of the station area very effectively. Inside the station you will find commercial spaces, modern facilities and a VIP waiting area for the Tren Maya. So, the station looks good and feels good, but how will it operate? Where is the train station and will the train work for Tulum? We examine these things below.

Tren Maya Station Tulum — The entrance to the Tulum Tren Maya Station.

Take a short video tour of the Tren Maya Station in Tulum

Where is the Tulum Tren Maya Station?

The Tulum Tren Maya Station is along the Tulum Coba road. It is about 12 minutes out of the center of the downtown of Tulum. This is on the north end of Tulum and will make a stop for the Tulum ruins a little easier. But as you will read in this article, there are limitations with the location of this station.

How is the Tren Maya Station in Tulum connected to Tulum?

Since the train station is northwest of the downtown of Tulum, there needs to be transportation to and from the station. Currently there are buses that meet the trains arriving at the station. The buses cost 55 pesos and will take you to the Tulum ruins or the ADO station in the center of Tulum. Depending on how many people arrive by train, there is one bus going to the ruins and one for the downtown. If there are not enough people arriving at once, there is one bus that will service both stops in Tulum.

A new way to see Tulum ruins

Below you will see the dark green area which is the new Jaguar Park of Tulum. This is a huge project that combines the Tren Maya train stop in Tulum, the park and the ruins all in one area. You can see the dark grey line at the top of the photo, this represents the Tren Maya line. The red line into the park and down to the ruins are the electric buses that run between the station and the ruins. This has been designed to be the new gateway to the ruins and how it is possible to accommodate many people daily. There is even a large bridge over the 307 Highway so there is a seamless movement of vehicles going back and for to the ruins and vehicles entering Tulum from the highway.

Jaguar Park Tulum — The Jaguar Park in Tulum is a big deal! This is reorganizing the entire north end of Tulum and will open new areas for investment and affect real estate prices in the area.

Does the Tren Maya station work to go to the Tulum Airport?

So, let’s say you are staying in Tulum and want to take the Tren Maya to the Tulum Airport. So, this is how the three-transportation services line up for Tulum Airport transportation. Here is how the train compares to the bus and private transfers.

Tren Maya to Tulum Airport

The Tren Maya offers two trains daily going to the Tulum Airport. This is not the most convenient, but more trains will come online in the future, however, this does not make this the best option as you will see.

First you need to get to the Tren Maya Station. This means either taking a taxi or the bus service from the center of Tulum to the station. This bus takes about 13 minutes and costs 55 pesos. The Tren Maya takes 37 minutes to the Tulum Airport and costs 77 pesos for economy. So far this is 132 pesos and 52 minutes. Then there is the time to get to the bus station in Tulum, waiting for the bus, then waiting at the train station and then the transfer from the Tulum Airport Tren Maya Station to the Airport. So, in total it can be anywhere from 1 1/2 hours to almost 2 hours to get to the Tulum Airport from Tulum via the Tren Maya. It is not very efficient and has minimal savings.

Note: If you are staying in the Hotel Zone of Tulum, taxis are expensive in Tulum and can add considerable expense to the Tren Maya option to and from the airport. Taxis do not have meters in Tulum and taking a taxi to the Tren Maya Station is about as expensive as going to the airport.

ADO Bus to Tulum Airport

The only public bus between Tulum Airport and Tulum is the ADO bus company. The buses connect the airport to the ADO bus station in the center of Tulum. It takes 45 minutes to get between the two and costs 220 pesos each way. This is about half the time it takes on the train when you factor in the transfers and waiting times. The bus is about 100 pesos more than the bus/train option, but most would prefer the bus since it is more direct and only one form of transportation between destinations.

For more about the ADO bus schedule between Tulum Airport and Tulum and Playa Del Carmen, see our article here.

Tulum Airport Transportation — Here you can see the ADO bus parked at the Tulum Airport.

Private Transfer between Tulum and the Airport

Nothing beats the efficiency of door-to-door service of a private transfer to and from the airport. It does take around 40 minutes from the center of Tulum and up to an hour for some parts of the Hotel Zone. The cost is $67 USD for one way service between the Tulum Airport and your hotel. Private transfers are a better option than taxis because taxis do not have meters and often charge more than private transfers.

Does the Tulum Tren Maya Station work?

Well, as we talked about earlier in this article, the train is not efficient to go to and from the Tulum Airport. The ADO bus or colectivos are faster and cheaper to get to Playa Del Carmen. So, what is this train station good for? Well, here are a few options.

Tulum to Cancun Airport. Since the Tren Maya stops at the Cancun Airport, it is more of a direct transfer. It also eliminates congestion and delays on the only road in the entire state that connects Tulum to Cancun (307 Highway).
Tulum to Bacalar. Even though you have to make your way to the train station, you can enjoy a comfortable ride south to Bacalar. If you are staying in the center of Bacalar, you can visit without the use of a car rental. If you stay outside of the town of Bacalar, it will be hard to visit without a car or without relying a lot on taxis.
Tulum to Palenque or other far destinations. We have consistently said that the Tren Maya is going to work better on long distance routes. This is because most stations are not in the center of towns and cities. Short trips are just not efficient on the Tren Maya.

The Tren Maya will become more efficient when the entire route is done, and when it operates at the maximum speeds. Overall, the Tren Maya offers another option for travel. Albeit not as efficient most of the time, but more comfortable.