Tulum: The Rise of the Descending God

Name: Tulum: The Rise of the Descending God
Brand: VoiceMap
SKU: 2608
Price: 6.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.6 (27 reviews)
Author: MayanSmartGuide

(27 reviews)

Yucatán Peninsula audio tour: Tulum: The Rise of the Descending God

This is a 1mi walking tour

It takes an average of 45 mins to complete.

Yucatán Peninsula

Mexico

$6.99

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About the Tour

Tulum is one of the most beautiful cities in the Maya world; nested on the top of the only cliff in the area its temples overlook the turquoise waters of the Mexican Caribbean Sea. Enjoy its gardens and swim in the beautiful white sandy beach that once served this Maya city as a door for trade throughout the pre-Hispanic world from Honduras to central Mexico. Discover how this advanced civilisation lived their daily lives in this breathtaking city on the shores of the Caribbean.

Tour Producer

MayanSmartGuide

2 tours

I'm a sucker for history, traveling and eating, I have explored the Mayan world for more than 10 years and I think it is amazing!

Preview Location

Location 25

Observation of the Skies

Stop here for a moment and look towards the castle and the sea.

That’s the east you’re facing now, where the sun and other celestial bodies rise every morning.

Tulum was a commercial port but also a very important place for adoration particularly towards the sun, the mo... Stop here for a moment and look towards the castle and the sea.

That’s the east you’re facing now, where the sun and other celestial bodies rise every morning.

Tulum was a commercial port but also a very important place for adoration particularly towards the sun, the moon and the planet Venus. Its geographic location made it unique. Here at dawn on the winter solstice, the sun is "framed" on those small windows at the upper temple at El Castillo, The castle.

This phenomenon was not the only one in the Maya calendar of Tulum. Similar alignments also occur during the equinox and zenithal sunrises. The sunlight is projected over the temple of the wind and the temple of the descending god slightly on your left, and visible from the house of the columns, also known as the temple of the Sun, which is right in front of you.

Such astronomical calculations allowed the rulers of Tulum to influence and control the population. As you can imagine, the people must have been amazed in reverence as the ruling class was confirmed by the Sun god whom would manifest itself in a building opening following the rituals of their kings and priests.

These elements show the connection of the city not only with its surrounding seascape but with its cosmological environment. It’s very likely the reason why this city’s original name was Zama, meaning dawn, and highlights the impact that this phenomenon had on the local collective psyche.

Astronomical calculations in architecture are not unique to the Maya. Ancient cultures all over the globe place great importance in the astronomical phenomena. The need for a way to understand life and therefore time, took men on a journey that continues to this day and that has left us with more questions than answers. What is time?

Well, now it's time for us to move on to our next stop.

Make your way back onto the main path. With the castle on your left hand side, walk towards the next building, the house of the Chultun, that is in front of you. I'll meet you on the main path. Read More

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Major Landmarks

The temple of the Descending God
The Castle Of Tulum
Temple of the Frescoes

Getting There

Route Overview

VoiceMap tours follow a route from a set starting point. It’s how we give turn-by-turn directions and tell a story greater than the sum of its parts.

Start location
Zona Hotelera Tulum, 77765 Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico
Total distance

2km
Final location
20.21308472, -87.4310668
Distance back to start location

249.43m

Directions to Starting Point

To get to this archaeological site you can get any of the “colectivos”, vans that depart from Tulum downtown’s Main Street (Avenida Tulum) towards the town of Playa del Carmen, the ride is under $1USD and it takes about 10 minutes to get there.
After buying your entrance ticket, follow the signs into the city, I’ll meet you right at the beginning of the pathway into the site.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

There are a few souvenir shops surrounding the archaeological site, you can also find a couple of restaurants and even a Starbucks in the area, and don’t forget your bathing suit, the beach inside the city is great for swimming.

Best time of day

Beat the large groups and long lines; get there early in the morning. The site opens at 8:00 am and till 5:00 pm

Precautions

Wear sunscreen and bring drinking water, there are very few shades where to hide from the sun

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App Store Review

“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”

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Questions and Reviews

4.6 / 5

27 Ratings

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