I arrived in Tulum after one night in Cancun and it is quite a dichotomy from what I have seen. There are beautiful beaches like this:
Motivational signs like this:
And then rundown houses across the street like this:
Continuing down the street from the hotel/rundown house, you will see extravagant boutiques, swanky restaurants, more hotels, more construction/disrepair, etc. I suppose most resort towns are like this but I still wonder how locals perceive all this visitors. This thought always makes me a bit uncomfortable so I try and learn a bit of the language and get some idea of the local customs before I arrive.
Either way, it is nice to get some time away and I look forward to experiencing more of the area!
Ever been to Tulum and/or have any thoughts?