Eleven?

During my travels I had visited many gorgeous beaches of fine white sands, coconut trees gently swaying over calm turquoise waters, either fairly deserted, otherwise populated by friendly local folk. From the Caribbean coastline of Colombia to the islands of San Blas and Belize, I thought I had seen the most beautiful beaches in the world already. But then I arrived at Tulúm, on the Yucatán Peninsula of East Mexico.

I really only wanted to visit the ruins because I was on a bit of a roll with ancient architecture and it happened to be on the way to Cancún. The ruins themselves were not spectacular after the likes of Tikal, which I had visited only shortly before, and the site was too clean and packed with tour groups compared to Tikal's wonderful peaceful jungle setting, that I would not have rated the place at all if not for one thing. It's location.

Far out. Honest to god it was a surprise for me. I walked up the path, through the stone doorway and the incredible view opened up in front of me. An expansive turquoise ocean at the foot of the steep rocky cliffs on which the ruins perched. The waves crashed on a narrow stretch of white sand below. The beach and the seas were not much different to the other Caribbean sites I had visited before, but this beach was not protected by reefs. While calm clear waters perfect for snorkeling is paradise, there is something about the movement, sight and sound of waves crashing on the shore that has its own merits.

This combination of gorgeous seas tumbling over pristine beaches and rock cliffs topped with ancient ruins just blew me away.