by Jessica Valenzuela; travel vignette by Marco Cristofanelli

The past few weeks have been awfully hectic for me. Living in New York has its benefits — so much opportunity and not a minute to spare. You have to actually mark down your calendar if you want “me time.” At times you succeed, most often the call of the urban jungle wins. I finally found quiet in the in-between to read through stories submitted by our kiters from different parts of the world. Written in many flavors, expression and an equal magnetism and passion for kiteboarding, kitesurfing or snowkiting…whichever one suits your attitude. As kiters, we all have one thing in common: longing and waiting for wind.

Spectacular route to the Mayan Ruins, photo courtesy of Richard Halman

Today, we will travel to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. A place that has an abundance of archeological culture, an iridescent town or pueblo and its beautiful coast. Muchos gracias to Marco for sharing the gorgeous delta of Tulum and why it should be on your list of kite spots to visit.

Road To Tulum

To get to Tulum, one must fly through Cancun or Playa Del Carmen. Cancun is an hour and thirty-minutes away from Tulum. There are taxis as an option which could bring your tab up to $90 for the ride. Another bet are the Green Line or Grey Line shuttles. The shuttles will drop you off at your hotel in the Riviera Maya area. If you don’t mind the wait in between filling the van with 15 passengers and dropping them off one at a time, before you arrive at your final destination. Tulum is the last stop so add approximatelyan extra hour to your travel time. It is a steal for $35 per person. Traveling on a bootstrap budget? Take a bus to Playa Del Carmen for $8 and take a second bus from Playa Del Carmen to the heart of Tulum for $4.

Place For Sleep

Marco shares that his kite school is expanding operations with the construction of a hotel on the beach which will boast of 35 well-appointed rooms. The price point per night ranges from US$150 to US$350. Quite pricey for bootstrap style travelers, but perhaps a great option for those who prefer resort style accommodations. As a kiter, you MAY receive special discount (not an opinion shared by Marco…but you can always ask) . Travel Yucatan offers a wider range of options – Green Tulum as low as $60++ per night.

Marco Cristofanelli, takes a jump in Tulum, Mexico

What About Kiteboarding?

The best time to kite in Tulum according to Marco is June to December. Obviously there is no guarantee - you could get skunked, but as kiters we all know to factor this element into our kiting travel program. Tulum is an excellent spot for beginner and intermediate riders, not your radical advanced rider spots since the wind quality is not as consistent in comparison to spots like Maui, Tarifa, Hood River, Cabarete and many kiting mecca destinations. Riders have a few options to visit, including:

• Playa Paraiso, that magical flat water in the Yucatan Peninsula is an excellent learning area for those who want to turn into wind chasers. Playa Paraiso is protected by the reef, hence the waves do not rise in comparison to the South side of Tulum beach. With East and South winds you can ride down right in front of the Mayan Ruins. WOW! I’m in love with this spot already. Meanwhile, North East and East winds will blow you downwind to Posada Margherita or Ziggy Beach.
• Posada Margherita, is a spot more akin to advanced riders and those who get stoked on wave riding. After a session riders can enjoy yummy Italian and drinks. Bon appetito!
• Ziggy Beach, is a place for newly converted wind chasers or beginners. Marco and his team has set up shop here too. Part of their no wind offerings include rentals for wave and ocean kayaks and body or boogie boarding. You can also check out their hotel with a conveniently built-in bar and restaurant.

For Marco, Tulum holds a number of firsts: his first ride, first jump, first back-roll and many fond memories of down winders. He started his foray into kiteboarding five years ago and has not looked back since. His passion and love for the sport found a place in teaching the sport. Today, thanks to Marco you’ll see more than one kite flying in the coast of Tulum.

All three kite spots offer plenty of space for kiters. According to Marco, the beach is never crowded – there is plenty of space for everyone!

Night Life

Don’t miss out on the Friday parties at Mezzanine, Ziggy Beach is the hotspot on Saturdays and La Zebra salsa party on Sundays. For more of a party scene one must travel to Playa Del Carmen.

Traveling With a Non-Kiter?

No problemo! Tulum being in the Yucatan Peninsula offers a number of outdoor and rich archeological adventures to explore the pre-Colombian Maya walled city. There are jungle and lagoon tours. For a complete rest and recreation day head to the Maya Tulum.

Check out our Flickr set for more of Tulum, Mexico.

Thank you very much Marco Cristofanelli for sharing this story! Look forward to hearing more about kiting in Tulum! Kiters, we’d love to hear from you. Share your favorite kiting adventures write to [email protected].

View Original Post at justkiteit.com

• Tags:
• sweet spot
• Mexico
• kiteboarding
• kiting
• kitesurfing
• back-roll
• Extreme kiteboarding
• kiting Mexico
• kiting Tulum
• kiting Yucatan Peninsula
• Tulum
• Yucatan Peninsula