Museo Regional de la Costa Oriental Celebrates Two Years as a Cultural Landmark in Tulum

Tulum, Quintana Roo — The Museo Regional de la Costa Oriental, also known as Mureco, is celebrating its second anniversary with a month of free cultural activities, cementing its place as a key destination for Maya heritage in Quintana Roo.

Located inside the Parque del Jaguar in Tulum, the museum opened on September 7, 2024, under the federal Archaeological Zones Improvement Program, promoted by Mexico’s Culture Ministry and carried out through the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH).

The anniversary program begins September 11 at 6 p.m. with a conference in the Sala Tunich titled “Navegantes mayas: una ruta secreta” (Maya Navigators: A Secret Route), led by Guillermo de Anda Alanís, an underwater archaeologist and researcher at the INAH Quintana Roo Center. De Anda will discuss the sea routes ancient Maya inhabitants used for trade, political ties, and religious ceremonies.

On September 18 at 6 p.m., INAH conservators Patricia Meehan Hermanson, Inés Mejía Martínez, and Cecilia Colín Moya will present “Los retos en la conservación arqueológica en Tulum: a 15 años del planteamiento del Proyecto Costa Oriental” (The Challenges of Archaeological Conservation in Tulum: 15 Years After the Costa Oriental Project). The talk draws on their work preserving murals and architectural features at El Castillo and the Temples of the Descending God and Halach Uinic, which face deterioration from humidity, salinity, endemic wildlife, and weather extremes such as hurricanes.

Closing Night Tour

The festivities conclude September 25 at 6 p.m. with a guided night tour of the museum’s Sala 2, titled “La vida cotidiana de los mayas” (The Daily Life of the Maya). Archaeologist Eva Romero Ortiz, from the INAH Quintana Roo Center, will lead the walk through the permanent collection, which includes vessels, axes, and other stone and ceramic tools.

Spaces for the night tour are limited to 30 people, and prior registration is required.

Record Attendance

Since its official opening, Mureco has gained a strong presence among INAH’s network of museums. In 2025, it received 126,000 visitors, ranking ninth among the institute’s 165 museums nationwide. Between September 2025 and August 2026, it welcomed 104,151 more, making it the INAH museum with the highest attendance in Quintana Roo and across the Yucatan Peninsula.

Beyond its permanent exhibitions, the museum maintains a full calendar of conferences, book presentations, film screenings, specialized tours, and educational programs. It also cooperates with tour guides, universities, local communities, and other institutions.

Through this programming, Mureco aims to connect the public with the region’s archaeology, history, and conservation of cultural and natural heritage, offering a view of Maya culture that reaches beyond the archaeological remains.