We've tried twice to go to the ruins at Tulum. The first time, we were given the wrong time to meet the tour and it left without us (we got a full refund); the second time, big swells voided the entire tendering process, so no one went anywhere. So we've decided to give up on Tulum--even though it is said to be the biggest and the best. We did see the ruins at Belize. This involved a tender trip and a long bus ride, made pleasant by a pleasant, knowledgeable, and down to earth guide. We saw this two years ago, and the site was not overrun -- in fact, we were the only group up there, which made the guide's folklore and ghost stories all the more interesting. Wear comfortable shoes, cool clothing, a hat, and take lots of water -- it is boiling hot--our group scurried from one shady spot to another. You can climb to the top of one of the ruins (or you could when we were there). The site was in a state of being excavated, so you could see where some of the ruins just look like grassy hills-- once you know what to look for, however, you can easily tell land features from covered ruins -- kind of cool. The town of Belize itself, while interesting to see from the bus, offers little of interest for tourists -- only the area near the dock has a few shops and cafes. Anyway, I guess this is a long-way of saying the best ruin is the one you can get to!
