Tulum By Deane Barker • June 22, 2023 • (Credit: Madina Zanfongnon) This is an ancient walled city on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. It’s the site of considerable Mayan ruins. It was abandoned in the 1600s. A modern city of Tulum has developed alongside the ancient ruins is a popular tourist destination. Why I Looked It Up An SNL skit mentioned it.