We were up early to beat the crowds to the Tulum Ruins, we'd heard it gets busier and busier as the day goes on. Our hotel gave us bicycles to use during our stay so we went whizzing past the hundred or so walkers on the road to the entrance.

Despite only being 8:30am, the heat was debilitating and only the iguanas seemed to be enjoying it. We made our way round the ruins, stopping in the shade where possible to take a photo or to read up on the history. The small beach accessible from the ruins was packed with dozens of people wanting a swim to cool off. By 10am even the iguanas were looking for some shade, it was time for us to move on.

We cycled further down the coast towards the hotel zone and by luck picked a very nice one that was still serving breakfast. We had a table in the sand overlooking the sea at a price not much more than we paid in Playa. After a very tasty and filling breakfast, we moved to their sun loungers on the beach which were free to use provided we buy something to drink. David said he would 'take one for the team' and ordered a beer so we didn't have to move.

We stayed at the beach until mid afternoon enjoying the sun, sea and sand. It's easy to understand why this beach is often referred to as one of Mexico's best beaches. We then cycled into Tulum Pueblo to buy our bus tickets for tomorrow's journey to Valladolid. We stumbled across an Italian looking deli that was making sandwiches, actually Ciabatta Panini's and they were amazing. Not your normal flattened 'under a car' type of panini, this was a thick, warm, crunchy ciabatta with a huge filling inside. Even the healthy fresh fruit (and vegetable) juice was good enough not to miss a cold beer.