Today, Tulum’s
brand-new Felipe
Carrillo Puerto International Airport began welcoming flights from other
countries, making it even easier for overseas visitors to reach the Mexican
Caribbean hotspot.
Previously, foreign
tourists had to fly into Cancun’s
international airport and travel roughly 80 miles south by road to reach their
ultimate destination, which is located in Mexico’s
increasingly popular Riviera
Maya region, sitting both on the coast and in the heart of the ancient
Mayan jungle.
Domestic flights
at the new airport first commenced in December 2023, but international
operations are only now getting underway. Nonstop routes are, or soon will be,
available aboard multiple major carriers, connecting Tulum directly with several
major cities in the U.S. and Canada.

United debuts direct flights between U.S. and Tulum. (Photo Credit: United Airlines Media)
- American
Airlines - From
today, American Airlines begins offering daily nonstop service from three U.S.
cities: one daily flight out of both Charlotte, North Carolina and Miami, Florida, and two daily
departures from Dallas, Texas. As Thrillist
reported, these routes are scheduled to operate all year long aboard Being 737s.
- Delta Air Lines - The first U.S. airline to announce
service to Tulum, Delta also commenced daily direct flights today, in this case
coming from Atlanta. This route will be offered year-round and flown aboard Boeing
737-800 jets.
- United Airlines - Starting today, United likewise
launches nonstop flights to Tulum from three U.S. hubs: New York/Newark,
Houston, and Chicago. Later this spring, on May 23, the carrier will also add
seasonal routes out of Los Angeles.
- Spirit Airlines - The low-cost carrier also began its
nonstop service from both Orlando and Fort Lauderdale to Tulum today.
- JetBlue – While it hasn’t started service yet, JetBlue
is slated to start flying daily nonstops between New York (JFK) and Tulum on
June 13.

A rendering of the Mayan Train line through the Yucatan Peninsula. (photo via AMLO)
After arriving in
Tulum, visitors will also be able to access a new train station that’s
connected to the long-awaited, 950-mile Mayan
Train. Once completed, the train’s route will take it through five Mexican
states: Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo, which is home to
both Tulum and Cancun.
Along the way,
they’ll pass through 11 important archaeological sites, including El Meco,
Tulum, Cobá, Muyil, Xel-Há, Paamul II, Dzibanché-Kinichná, Chacchoben,
Oxtankah, Ichkabal, Kohunlich and Calakmul.
After much
anticipation, the Maya Train’s first
section opened in December 2023, connecting Campeche and Cancun. Then,
earlier this month,
a second leg, connecting Cancun with Playa del Carmen, made its official
debut, although parts of the respective stations are still under construction.
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