Monthly car rental in Tulum
Tulum is the place where the extra 5,000 pesos for the SUV most often pays for itself. Half the good stuff is down a dirt road.
- Free delivery
- Insurance included
- No credit card required
- Unlimited mileage
Short answer
We deliver to Tulum Pueblo, the beach road and the Aldea Zamá and La Veleta neighbourhoods at no extra cost. A Mazda 3 is 10,000 MXN per month, a Nissan X-Trail 15,000 MXN. In Tulum specifically the X-Trail is worth the difference: many cenote and jungle access roads are unpaved, and 210 mm of ground clearance stops being a luxury.
See both cars
Mazda 3
10,000 MXN per month
The sensible one
Nissan X-Trail T32
15,000 MXN per month
Seven seats for family and luggage
Prices in Mexican pesos (MXN). Insurance and unlimited mileage are included.
Tulum without a car is expensive and slow
Tulum is spread out in a way that catches people off guard. The pueblo, the beach road and the new residential neighbourhoods are each a 10–20 minute drive apart, and a taxi between them runs 150–300 pesos every time — Tulum taxis are the most expensive in the region and are not shy about it. Add cenotes scattered along the road to Cobá, the ruins, and a supermarket run, and a month of taxis comfortably exceeds a month of car rental. Bicycles work for the pueblo; they do not work for a 5pm cenote 18 km inland.
- Tulum taxis are unmetered and the most expensive in Quintana Roo — 150–300 pesos for a short hop
- Pueblo → beach road is 4 km, and the beach road itself is another 10 km end to end
- The best cenotes (Dos Ojos, Gran Cenote, Car Wash, Zacil-Ha) are strung along the highway and the Cobá road
- Cobá is 45 km inland with no practical public transport
- Sian Ka'an and Punta Allen need clearance — the road is unpaved and rough
Driving in Tulum
- The beach road is narrow, one lane each way, and parking is informal and paid — 100–200 pesos at most beach clubs.
- Topes in the pueblo are frequent, tall and often unpainted. Drive slowly; this is where low cars get hurt.
- Police checkpoints on the road south are routine and normally uneventful — have your licence and the car papers to hand.
- Fuel up in the pueblo; there is nothing on the beach road and nothing on the way to Punta Allen.
Where you can drive from Tulum
| From Tulum | Distance | Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Cancún airport (CUN) | 117 km | 1:45 |
| Cancún city centre | 130 km | 2:05 |
| Playa del Carmen | 64 km | 1:05 |
| Puerto Aventuras | 43 km | 0:45 |
| Cobá ruins | 47 km | 0:55 |
| Valladolid | 102 km | 1:55 |
| Chichén Itzá | 153 km | 2:30 |
| Chiquilá (ferry to Holbox) | 185 km | 3:05 |
| Bacalar lagoon | 215 km | 3:25 |
| Mérida | 259 km | 3:50 |
Questions and answers
Do you deliver the car to Cancún airport?
Yes, free of charge, to any terminal at Cancún International (CUN). Send us your flight number and we track it, so a delayed landing is not a problem. We meet you in the arrivals hall with the keys — no shuttle bus to an off-airport lot, no counter queue, and no upsell. We collect the car the same way when you fly out.
Can I rent a car in Mexico without a credit card?
With us, yes. This is one of the most common obstacles in Mexico: international agencies require a credit card in the driver's name and place a hold of 15,000–35,000 pesos on it, and local ones often ask for a Mexican guarantor (aval) instead. We take a straightforward refundable deposit — cash, transfer or card — with no credit check and no guarantor.
Is it safe to drive in the Riviera Maya?
Driving the tourist corridor is straightforward and most long-stay residents do it daily. The genuine hazards are mundane: topes (speed bumps) that are tall, frequent and often unpainted; unlit stretches of Highway 307 at night; and cyclists and scooters without lights. The standard local advice is to avoid long intercity drives after dark — not for crime, but because animals, unlit vehicles and unmarked topes are much harder to see.
What do I do if the police stop me?
Stay calm and polite, stay in the car, and hand over your licence and the car's papers, which live in the glovebox. Routine checkpoints on Highway 307 are common and usually end in thirty seconds. If an officer suggests paying on the spot, you are entitled to ask for a written ticket (infracción) instead — asking for it, politely, resolves most of these situations. Call us and we will talk to them in Spanish if needed.
Can I drive to Chichén Itzá, Bacalar or Mérida?
Yes, all included. From Playa del Carmen it is about 183 km and 2.5 hours to Chichén Itzá, and 289 km and just under 4 hours to Mérida on the toll road — tolls are paid in cash, run several hundred pesos each way, and are your cost. Bacalar is 277 km and a solid 4 hours: Highway 307 south of Tulum is single-lane, runs through villages and is full of topes, so allow more time than the distance suggests and set off early enough not to finish in the dark. Both cars handle these trips comfortably; the only planning needed is fuel, since Pemex stations thin out inland.
How far in advance should I book?
We have two cars, so availability is the real constraint rather than the price. High season here runs December to April, when both cars are usually spoken for weeks ahead. Message us as early as you can — if we are full for your dates we will say so straight away rather than string you along.
All four towns
Playa del Carmen
This is where we are based. Tell us the address and roughly when — most of the time we can be there the same day.
Cancún
Land at CUN, walk out, and the car is there. No shuttle bus, no counter, no 40-minute upsell about insurance you already have.
Tulum
Tulum is the place where the extra 5,000 pesos for the SUV most often pays for itself. Half the good stuff is down a dirt road.
Puerto Aventuras
A gated marina community 20 minutes south of Playa. Lovely to live in, and close to useless without a car.
Ask us anything
Tell us your dates and which car you want. We answer in English, Spanish and Russian.