Mayan Backroads Private Bike Tour From Tulum

Pablo is a truly phenomenal host! His enthusiasm for the local culture and nature was contagious and he had the best attitude and laugh. We had the most amazing adventure exploring the jungle while also learning about the native animals and plants and the history of the land and the people. Highly recommend. We had a once-in-a-lifetime day! Thank you for your hospitality!!

This was an amazing day. Pablo was a brilliant tour guide and the drivers were excellent too - it was very fun and informative too - the food was amazing and all the little extras from Mayan culture made it special - muchos gracias 🙏

We had an amazing time. Great organisation, very friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating guides, loads of interesting activities in addition to beautiful cycling, lovely, interesting and very clean accommodation, not to mention a fantastic food. We couldn’t have asked for more.

We did this tour today, and I don’t quite know what to say just yet. This is a once in a lifetime experience. Though the website indicates a minimum of four people, the two of us were alone with our tour guide and driver. Our tour guide Pablo asked us when we began, “do you know everything we’re doing today?” We knew we had liked the description on the website, but both answered no. He then explained the absolutely singular day we would have: drive to a secluded nature preserve where a local Mayan guide took us on a trek to see spider monkeys after receiving a customary Mayan ritual. The trek will lead to a zip line over a lagoon, hop in a canoe to view the howler monkeys, hike to see more undisturbed jungle, and learn from your native guide the whole way. We then hopped on bikes to ride 10km to an incredible cenote that lets you jump in (or walk down) from the surface. Our guide took great videos of us jumping. Inside, the very private cenote has turtles and fish; we were surprised by an incredible colony of bats living on the cave ceiling. Then we rode bikes to the best part: lunch cooked and served in the native home of a Mayan family who still lives off the land to this day. They served as an indescribably delicious, vegetarian lunch with ingredients exclusively grown by them on their land. We were invited to cook tortillas in their home with them over open fire, and they spent a lot of time teaching us about their way of life. It is very hard to put into words the specialness of this tour. Nature, adventure, culture, tradition, fun, and love, all in one. If you are able bodied to ride a bike for an hour, this will be a defining experience of your trip to Tulum. Do not hesitate. Request our guide, Pablo, who will ensure your day is one of the most special days you can remember.

Iber was an amazing guide and very knowledgeable. We really enjoyed the visit to the Mayan home and the lunch they provided on our bike tour!

Iber our tour guide catered everything around our 8 & 9 year olds. Hunting for monkeys, zip lining, canoeing, 7 km bike ride, swimming in a cenote and a delicious lunch with the Mayans. Iber always made sure kids were safe and having a good time.

You will not be disappointed. This tour was so much fun and we did so much! Iber was our guide and he was so informative and patient. We got picked up from our hotel, then headed over to our starting point. We did a 2-3mile bike ride through jungle back roads. We arrived to a cenote cared for by a small family. Iber had water, fruit, and cookies for us. Was such a welcomed snack. We were the only ones at the cenote, which we appreciated for tranquility sake. Then, we headed over to visit a Mayan family and got to see how they raise their crops. They were so kind to open their home to us. We had a delicious Mayan lunch! After lunch, we went to Punta Laguna for a walk and monkey observation. We got blessed by Mayan shaman, did a small zip line, and canoed back to our starting point. Was a full day of activities. We HIGHLY recommend this tour and IBER was amazing! So enthusiastic about the wild life and nature this place has to offer.

Alex our tour guide was great. It was a total surprise to see that we had a private tour with him. It was a very educational experience with lots of information about local plants, cenotes formation, local customs you name it! We were blessed and offered a prayer by the local shaman as we entered one area. If you are looking for a local educational experience with a swim in a private cenote a traditional tasty dinner made by a local Maya family that was very welcoming. It was a blast seeing all the kids come out to wave at us from the local family's as we biked by thier pueblo home's. Alex our tour guide made the experience thanks for everything!

This is a review of two bikes tours we took. The first was the Mayan tour lead by Frank and the second the cenote tour lead by Iber. The Mayan tour starts with hotel pick up and a drive North. Once out of the pick up, we first cycled to a small Mayan community cenote. We elected not to swim there, in part not to remove our mosquito repellant. But it was a very quiet cenote, we were the only visitors, and we saw some turtles. From there we went to lunch at a Mayan plantation. I was a little worried that this might be like a Disney recreation of rural Mayan life, but came away convinced that it was the real thing. Foods were from their garden and milled/prepared on site. Our Mayan hosts were very gracious and also gave us a tour of their garden. Then we went to the spider monkey preserve where we had the good fortune of seeing and hearing a howler monkey. We took a short canoe ride to a zip line and then back to the truck for the ride to Tulum. The only negatives were that my wife's bicycle rear derailleur had some shifting issues and separately from this she had a spill that caused some forearm pain. Because of this we were offered the option of doing the cenotes in a car. We took the car option, first went to the Grand Cenote. The key is to arrive early before the crowds. We were provided with mask and a light, both of which were useful to visualize the cenote life, stalagmites and stalagtites. We also visited two other less developed cenotes, including the Crystal cenote. These were more like ponds. Following the first cenote, we had a stop for some tacos, either chicken or veggie, with lemonade. Both of our guides were excellent and knowledgeable. I would recommend the Mayan tour over the cenote tour because it is more unique and would be hard to replicate by yourself, but either one is very enjoyable.

This was by far the coolest part of my trip. We met in the downtown of Tulum where there was so much culture and so many sites to see! Frank, my host had everything readily available... car, water, bikes, mosquito repellent, snacks, etc. He was friendly, patient and kind. We drove to the location and began cycling! We went through beautiful trails, saw tons of beautiful butterflies, spider monkeys, and various other animals. Most importantly, we saw the Mayan people and how they live! So much culture. We ate with a local family and helped prepared tortillas from scratch! The food was AMAZING! Got to relax on hammocks, hopped in a beautiful cenote that very few people in Tulum knew about because the area was remote (awesome!), and even hiked through the jungle to go zip lining. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS TOUR IF YOU ENJOYING GETTING DOWN AND DIRTY ON YOUR BIKE!! It’s worth it!

Great experience ... Just loved our visit at the Mayan village, it was so interesting and such a lovely place. Iber did a great job translating all the information we were given about their life and the bees. We got to see the monkeys and the Cenote we had all to ourselves!

My wife and I booked the Mayan Backroads Tour for a day during our honeymoon in Tulum and absolutely loved it! We were fortunate enough to have been the only two booked for that particular trip for that day, so we basically got a private tour. We were picked up right on time at our hotel by a super nice guy (who's name I'm not sure how to spell unfortunately) and driven out to the monkey sanctuary (about an hour) where we met our bike tour guide Octavio. What a fantastic guide he was! Such a positive person who genuinely enjoyed what he was doing. He was extremely knowledgeable about the land and environment and very passionate about the Mayan people and culture. His passion really showed and was contagious as my wife and I sucked in all the information he was giving us. We visited a beautiful secluded cenote, had lunch with small Mayan community (such kind and generous people) and ended back at the money sanctuary for some wildlife viewing, canoeing, and a zip line. As a cyclist, I also enjoyed my time on the bike (would have enjoyed more time there as well) and my wife also enjoyed the biking, even though she doesn't fancy herself a cyclist. Fun for all! I can't recommend the tour enough - really such an intimate experience, and something we would not have gotten out of our trip had we not booked. We hope to be back in the future! A+!

Everything about this tour was fantastic. Our guide (Pluma) and driver (Iber) were early picking us up from our hotel (beach side Tulum) but waited patiently while we finished up. Then, during the drive to our first activity, Pluma explained everything about the day, introduced himself and Iber, talked about the history and culture of the area in a way that was funny, relevant, informed, sensitive to the culture and environment and totally entertaining. The bike ride (with helmets and water bottles) was along quiet, paved roads with a few gentle hills and the van followed behind us for safety the whole time. When we got to the denote, we were the only visitors. What an amazing experience - it was so quiet and peaceful, with deep clear water and lots of fish, turtles, birds, bats, etc. We then biked over to a Mayan family's house for lunch. The host family was gracious and welcoming and the food was delicious and filling. Then, on to another bike ride to Punta Laguna, where we had a short canoe trip across to the lagoon for ziplining. After canoeing back across the lagoon, we were incredibly lucky to spot a family of spider monkeys in the trees and watch a baby being groomed by its mother. Lots of fresh snacks, and fruit and cold lemonade were offered by Pluma and Iber all day. We were returned by air-conditioned van to our hotel on time at the end of a wonderful day. Truly the highlight of our trip! Hatch June Boutique (forgive the bad Mayan spelling) for a great day!

The "Mayan Backroads Bike Tour" was excellent on all levels. Registration at the TBT office in the center of town was easy. The van, which included our bikes, arrived at our hotel at 8:00 as promised and we were warmly welcomed by Ursula, our tour guide. She was well informed on the Yucatan natural world and Mayan culture, answering all our questions, and many we didn't ask, throughout the day. After a drive to the interior, we biked for perhaps an hour to our first destination, a cenote (one of the many water-filled sinkholes that dot the limestone landscape of the Yucatan) for rest, a snack, discussion of local flora and fauna, and an enjoyable swim. [Our party consisted of two couples, one in their 30s and my wife and I in our 70s; we in our 70s were happy to ride some of the way in the van.] The next stop was a Mayan village, including discussions with native Mayans on a range of topics including agriculture, housing, beekeeping, cooking, family life, and traditional medicine. This was followed by an opportunity to make our own tortillas and enjoy a traditional Mayan meal. After lunch we went by van to the Punta Laguna Nature Reserve, where we: experienced a traditional purification ceremony; walked among the trees that were filled with spider monkeys; canoed across the lake; took a zip line run across the tree tops and over the lake; and paddled some more on the lake. We returned to Tulum at about 5:00. It was a full and memorable day. Ursula, our driver, the residents of the village and others who helped along the way all were outstanding. Highly recommended.

My boyfriend and I were looking for a way to get to know the local culture and environment in an authentic way, and this tour really nailed it! Our guide Hugo was so knowledgeable and super fun. The ride itself was not too taxing - only about 4 miles total I think. All of the food/drinks were package-free and zero waste, which is awesome! They provided homemade snacks and water in reusable bottles, and lunch was provided by a Mayan family - it was so delicious. This company is focused on being eco-friendly and low-impact. Also, note that there will be a van where you can keep your belongings throughout the day - you don't have to carry everything on your back. Make sure to bring some small bills in case you want to buy trinkets or leave tips along the way. Overall, highly recommend this tour!

This excursion was just phenomenal. We did so much in one day, all via bicycle (although there was a van that followed behind us in the event that we needed a break). Luigi and Antonio(?) were simply amazing! Luigi is very well educated in the Mayan culture and the history of the area. He was so friendly, helpful, and funny! We had a blast! Absolutely recommend this trip to anyone thinking about it.

My two friends and i did this tour with Pluma. It was a fantastic trip. The tour was packed with interesting and diverse activities. Pluma was a great guide with a great attitude. He was very knowledgeable about Mayan culture as well as all of the local flora and fauna. The tour is long but every minute was interesting. I would recommend this tour to everyone. We did not have anything like this offered to us by anyone in Tulum!

Absolutely amazing experience. Pluma was my guide and couldn't have been more personable and knowledgeable about Punta Laguna (where we toured) and the Mayan community visited. Punta Laguna is gorgeous. The backroads tour was packed full of epic bike rides, a unforgettable Mayan experience with a authentic family and meal, ziplining, hiking, and canoeing. The experience was one in a million and I will always cherish the experience. Thanks Pluma!

My wife and I had been looking at various tour companies and excursions out of the Tulum area whilst on a recent holiday. We happened upon Tulum Bike Tours and after having read many gleaming reviews, and the varied level of bike tours offered, we booked immediately - thus choosing the Mayan Backroads journey. I had initially dropped an email requesting full details of the tour, and was not disappointed by the thoroughness in information and professionalism from staff. Equally I had the pleasure of meeting one of the proprietors, Frank, the day I popped into the shop to make the down payment. Extremely personable and professional! In the end, I was able to get my in-laws to agree to join us on the back-roads trip. We were promptly picked up at our hotel on the beach road and greeted by our guide, "Pluma". HANDS DOWN not only one of the best tour guides I've ever had the pleasure of having, but one of the BEST human beings I've ever met. Pluma was not only passionate about every step of the journey, from his vivid descriptions/stories of the Mayan culture in the drive to the rendezvous point, but had explained that he had built a fundamental personal relationship with some of the local Mayan families, particularly the family our group had the pleasure of being hosted by. The initial trek found us on a back set of roads near Punta Laguna, the entire time there was a support vehicle driving behind us in case anything happened or if any member of the group wished to ride along rather than cycle further. The journey started with us cycling on a winding set of roads (paved and unpaved) to the Mayan family homestead. Once being greeted by one of the leaders of the lovely family, Jose, we were shown around the impressive, fully sustainable homestead, with everything from chickens, to various fruit and vegetable plants, as well as Jose's very own bee farm! The family then provided us with a most excellent breakfast, and we had a chance to ask questions about their lifestyles and the Mayan culture. Frank from Tulum Bike Tour also joined us briefly on our journey which added even more substance to the experience. He had instructed us that they were one of the few organizations in the area who have strengthened the bonds with the local families and that experiences such as the Mayan Backroads would not be possible without this connection. Following the lovely stay with the family, we carried on another path back to the original starting point at Punta Laguna. From there, Pluma invoked the assistance from a local Mayan guide (shout out to Carlos) who guided us into the nearby jungle for a bit of monkey spotting (spotted both Howler and Spider Monkeys). Further into the trek of the lush jungle of Punta Laguna, we had the chance to zip-line across the pristine lake (highly suggest you go with this option). Following each member's survival from the adrenaline rush, we found ourselves canoeing back to the main shore, whereupon we had the opportunity to stick around and swim in the lake. On the way back to Tulum to drop off the group, Pluma regaled us further with more Mayan legends and philosophical thoughts that will stay with me for quite some time - all very insightful. I truly felt like I had experienced so many different things for the single price of admission for the trip, but more importantly at no point in time felt like a tourist/dollar sign for any particular member of the party. I will undoubtedly be making the trek back to Tulum and the first order of business will be to book another tour with this wonderful crew! I highly suggest supporting them and the preserving touches they make to their tours, as well as their investment in the local communities and sharing with visitors all the beauty and magic Tulum and the surrounding area, has to offer!

A wonderful experience! Frank is an amazing person that wants to exhibit the culture and people of the region and support preserving the traditions. If you want to see the outskirts of Tulum, meet some locals, see how Mayan live sustainably, eat some delicious homemade meal (the tortillas were yumm) bike into the jungle, and swim in the lagun, then this is the tour for you. Highly recommended!

Super Guide (Alejo) took us safely from north to south of Tulum by bike. The tour starts early if it is not so warm and ends after noon with a refreshing swim in a cenote. You can't feel the heat on the bike because of the relative wind. Very pleasant and highly recommended!

We went around: Mayan ruins and a cenote, by bike. Our guide Ocho was very friendly and attentive to his group, moreover we had a French translator because Ocho spoke in English. We had the explanations to get to know the Mayan civilization by visiting the ruins of Tulum, then we tasted delicious tacos served with excellent fresh orange juice especially since it was hot it was a treat! we are a family with 2 girls 14 years and 10 years, watch out for the bike tour for my daughter of 10 years, she did not have a bike to her size so she went on the luggage rack, and it was better this way because she would not have managed to make the whole circuit to the cenote because the roads have many holes and it was hot! the bath in the cenote cooled us down and it was a pity that we did not stay any longer at the cenote. I recommend this bike tour, and this excursion costs you less than the excursions offered by the hotels.