Tulum Centro (Pueblo)

Pueblo has the budget accommodations, local restaurants, and all the practical stuff like bus stations and supermarkets. It's safe during the day and much cheaper than the beach zone, but you need to be more aware of your surroundings at night.

Pueblo is where actual Tulum happens - locals, the ADO bus station, tacos for 30 pesos instead of 200, and the supermarkets people use daily. Avenida Tulum (the main road) has bike rentals, pharmacies, budget hostels, and restaurants with big portions at normal prices. Around Batey bar and Burrito Amor there's a cluster of cafes and restaurants for backpackers and digital nomads. During the day you'll see people running errands, catching colectivos, and grabbing food before heading to the beach. Main streets feel safe with regular foot traffic and police around. At night, stick to the well-lit main roads. English is less common than at the beach - tourist places speak enough to help, but you'll struggle at local markets. It's grittier than the beach zone, which means better prices but you need to pay more attention to where you're walking after dark.