A week in Mexico: Tulum, clear water, and street tacos

A June 2026 trip with my girlfriend, based in Tulum and filled with ruins, adventures, canal floating, and a visit to Chichén Itzá.

In June 2026, my girlfriend and I traveled to Mexico and spent a week based at an Airbnb in Tulum. We rented a vehicle and drove to Tulum, then used our time to explore ruins, take tours, and enjoy the water. Looking back, the trip comes together through a few strong memories: beautiful clear water, impressive temples, and the street tacos we loved.

Making Tulum our base

Staying in Tulum gave us a base for the week. We explored the ruins in the area on multiple days, so they became a recurring part of the trip rather than a single stop. The photographs show several ways we saw them: among palms and vegetation, beside the coast, and from farther out on the water.

Stone ruins beneath palms — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

The coastline was part of what made those ruins so memorable to photograph. In these images, the stone structures belong to a larger setting of sea and sky. I like having those wider views alongside the closer architectural photographs; together, they show more of the places we spent time exploring.

Ruins overlooking the sea — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

A day of adventure

One of our tours combined an ATV ride, ziplining, tequila tasting, and cenote diving. It brought several very different activities into the same outing. That variety was part of the week: some of our time was spent exploring ruins, and some was devoted to experiences in and around the water.

Clear water beneath a cave ceiling — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

The clear-water photographs add a closer view to that part of the collection. The turtle image is a small detail among the much larger landscapes. Looking closely at the water was as rewarding as taking in the wider surroundings.

A turtle in clear water — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

Floating through a canal

We also took a canal boat tour at a preserve near Tulum. The guides showed us canals, and the water was some of the most beautiful and clear I have seen. We spotted large fish as well as all kinds of unusual-looking fish. Being able to see so much in the water made the outing especially memorable.

A green pool surrounded by vegetation — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

We floated along a canal like a lazy river and enjoyed a beautiful day out on the water. That is one of the experiences I most want to remember from the trip. The boat tour and the float stand out among my memories of the week, alongside the time we spent exploring the coast.

Coastal ruins from the water — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

More ruins, and a different setting

Exploring the ruins over multiple days gave us more than one setting to remember. Some photographs are open to the coast, while others include trees, roots, and shaded stonework. The forest scenes give the collection a different feel from the sunlit coastal views.

Roots beside a forest ruin — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

I like the contrast between a close detail and a whole structure. Roots beside stonework draw attention to a small part of the scene; a stepped building among trees gives a broader sense of its surroundings. Both belong in the story of the places we explored, without needing every photograph to be the same kind of view.

A stepped structure among trees — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

Chichén Itzá and the heat

We made sure to visit Chichén Itzá. The temple was very impressive, and it was one of the sights I especially wanted to see. The heat and humidity were the difficult part, but the place itself was beautiful. That combination—being uncomfortable in the weather and still impressed by what was in front of us—is part of how I remember the visit.

The pyramid at Chichén Itzá — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

Away from the ruins, we loved the street tacos. They are one of the first things I mention when I talk about what we enjoyed. The colorful street scene is a reminder that the week included time beyond the big sights, too.

A street beneath colorful decorations — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

What I brought home from the week

The week was shared time with my girlfriend: exploring from our Tulum base, trying the adventure tour, and spending a beautiful day on the water. The impressive places matter in the photographs, but the experiences together are what connect them in my memory.

Palms and lights by the shore — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

When I think back to Mexico, I remember the clarity of the water, the canal float, the ruins, and how much we enjoyed the tacos. Chichén Itzá was worth seeing even in the heat and humidity. Those are the details that turn this collection from a group of travel photographs into a record of our week.

Pink clouds above the treetops — Photograph by Brandon Wichmann.

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