Flying Texas to the Riviera Maya? You Have A New Airport Option

In the early 1990s, I took my first trip to Cancun. A year later, I stayed at a hotel in Cozumel.

Both trips required flying into the Cancun International Airport.

Over the last few decades, the growth of hotels and resorts on the Yucatan Peninsula has been exponential. My family takes a trip to an all-inclusive resort along the Riviera Maya about once every five or six years.

Every time we travel there, 3 things are certain:

1. The number of resorts has increased dramatically
2. Many more resorts are under construction
3. No matter where your Riviera Maya destination is, you must fly into Cancun International Airport.

There's a New Airport in the Yucatan

Late in 2023, Tulum International Airport opened. Just a few days ago, an American Airlines plane from Dallas/Fort Worth became the first U.S.-based flight to fly into the new airport. Several others have since joined.

American will be offering two daily flights from DFW to Tulum. Other carriers such as Delta and United are also offering flights to the new airport. United in IAH in Houston started offering two daily flights as of Easter Sunday.

There are numerous attractions and resorts that run along Highway 307. The Tulum International Airport, which is several miles west of the main city, will give some travelers a much shorter shuttle to take to the resorts that are well south of Cancun.

The airport in Tulum is still very new and some additions are on-going. I've read several reviews that praise the beauty of the airport, but many of the restaurants have yet to open.

My biggest question revolves around something I call the 'gauntlet'. After you pick up your baggage at the airport in Cancun and make your way to your transportation, you go through a gauntlet of high-pressure and loud folks trying to sell you everything from timeshares to excursions.

I hope the airport in Tulum is a little easier on the nerves.