Tulum’s new airport is a fresh, intriguing and imperfect option for travelers. Here’s what it’s like

03.04.2024 - 20:09 / thepointsguy.com / Felipe Carrillo Puerto / Airlines

There's a brand-new airport for travelers hoping to visit Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Several U.S. carriers launched service during the past week to Tulum's bright and shiny Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport (TQO), and TPG was there to report as the inaugurals began.

About 20 miles from the center of Tulum, the airport could be a more convenient option for travelers visiting the region's beaches, resorts and historical sites — many of which sit closer to Tulum than Cancun.

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Though it opened for domestic service in December, the airport welcomed its first international flights from beyond Mexico on Thursday.

As part of that international "grand opening," TPG was on board the first-arriving American Airlines flight — as well as the first-departing Delta Air Lines flight. We aimed to get some insight into the new airport and the new dots and lines on these airlines' route maps. This way, we can help you decide whether this is the right airport for your next trip to Mexico.

From the access road into the airport to the building to the terminal, taxiways and runways, everything is new. It's clean, fresh and less overwhelming than the older and better-known Cancun International Airport (CUN).

Overall, it's a gorgeous space with high ceilings, clever artistic touches and plenty of nods to the beauty of the surrounding Riviera Maya.

Natural light floods into the terminal with floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the spacious ticketing area and allowing guests plenty of views of the ever-increasing number of aircraft coming and going.

Still, readers should be aware it is lacking some amenities right now: The Wi-Fi and air conditioning were lackluster on day one of international flights, and it has little in the way of concessions at the moment.

Overall, though, it's an impressive new option for travelers.

Here's what we found arriving and departing on the first day of international service at Tulum's new airport.

Tulum, the Riviera Maya, Cancun and the entire Yucatan Peninsula are filled with gorgeous resorts.

Historically, though, guests hoping to get to Tulum have had to fly into busy Cancun Airport before getting a taxi or private shuttle to their resort; this can be a multihour trek and cost $150 or more each way. The new airport is designed, in part, to solve that problem.

Unfortunately, it's still not the perfect solution.

Since the airport is actually south of Tulum proper, the drive could still potentially take close to an hour (or more) if you're heading to the farther-north resorts of the Riviera Maya.

Still, there's hope among some locals that splitting passengers across two airports could ultimately help