Ven A La Luz Tulum Guide
Complete Guide to Ven a La Luz Sculpture.
Here is everything that you want to know about visiting the Ven A La Luz large wooden sculpture!
So you’ve seen these really epic pictures on Instagram of people posing with this amazing huge wooden statue of a woman…
You want to do the same, but all you know is it’s in Tulum… Well I’m hear to answer all your questions like: ‘Where is the famous big wooden statue of a woman in Tulum?’ and ‘How do I get to the giant statue in Tulum to take a picture?’
Here is your Guide to the Ven a La Luz in Tulum to answer all of your questions and help make your experience and photos awesome!
Table of Contents
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What is Ven a La Luz?
Ven a La Luz is a large wooden sculpture that is made of wood by Daniel Popper.
He is a South African artists who creates large and sometimes interactive art. A lot of his art is huge sculptures of people or faces.
He created Ven a La Luz sculpture for the Art With Me Festival in Tulum in 2018.
He has also created art for other festivals such as Burning Man and Coachella.
The full name is “Escultura Ven a la Luz” which means Come to the Light sculpture.
Where is the Ven A La
Luz Sculpture?
Here is a map that you can use. I have marked the Ven a La Luz sculpture.
You can also check out hotels in the area and book using different booking systems here.
Ok, so you’re probably wondering: where is the giant sculpture of the woman in Tulum?
It can be challenging to find for 2 reasons.
Firstly, it moved locations, so if you find an old post, it will give you the wrong address. Secondly, you can’t see the sculpture from the road even though it’s so huge.
Even though it’s 10 meters tall, it doesn’t stand out from the view from the road.
The sculpture Ven a La Luz is located in a sculpture park at a hotel in the beach area of Tulum.
To get to the Ven a La Luz you need to enter the sculpture park from the main beach road that shows as route 15 on google maps.
The full address for Ven a La Luz sculpture is Carr. Tulum a Boca Paila Km. 7.5 Zona Costera in Tulum.
This is a very long road, so I have included photos to help you find it.
First of all, the hotel is called Ahau Tulum. The sculpture park is on the hotel grounds. I have 2 photos above showing what the outside looks like from the street, as sometimes there are no numbers, or at least not visible on addresses in Mexico.
The 1st picture is the outside of the entrance for the sculpture park, and the 2nd photo is the signs that you can see just past the entrance.
There quite a few buildings that have a similar look close by, so if you’re still having trouble finding it take a look at these close by gelato shop.
The Aldo’s Gelato is across the road from the entrance.
Also, there is this sign for the sculpture park, but honestly, there is so much going on around the area, and so much to look at, that I didn’t even notice it until later when I was talking photos for this travel blog.
A few buildings down is the Mulata Tabaco & Lounge. This is a pizza place that has amazing pizzas! I highly recommend enjoying a drink and a pizza there after your photos with Ven A La Luz.
They make the pizzas fresh in a pizza oven as you enjoy a fresh drink in the open-concept fresh air restaurant.
They have vegetarian and meat options, and they accept card and cash.
What does Ven a La Luz mean?
‘Ven a La Luz’ means ‘come to the light’ in Spanish.
This sculpture combines nature and art as it is made of wood and rope, greenery, and other materials.
On the inside of the sculpture there is an arch way that is lined with vibrant green leaves and plants.
There is a lot of symbolism with this piece such as the black mask around the eyes and the head looking down.
Then there is her hands holding open her chest that reveals beautiful green nature!
Even more so, the fact that you can walk inside of the chest and emerge from it, is also very beautiful and symbolic.
To me, this piece exudes peace and tranquility and internal balance with nature and life.
What is your opinion of this beautiful piece of art?
How to get to Ven a La Luz
There are no public buses in Tulum, so your options are walking, car, taxi, bike, or a colectivo.
So, let’s break it down.
Walking – if you’re already in the beach zone, then this is doable. If you’re staying downtown it will take a long time, like 2 hours depending on where exactly you’re coming from. It can feel even longer with the sun on your head as you’re walking. I wouldn’t recommend it.
Car- this is a good option and there is a parking lot across the road close by, just know that there is limited parking and it can be costly.
Taxi- Of course this is a good option, but it will cost you. The advantage is that it will take you right to the sculpture, and most drivers should know exactly where it is located. This is the most convenient and comfortable way to get there.
Bicycle- There are rentals in most areas of Tulum where you can rent a bicycle, electric scooter, or motorbike or quad. With the bicycle, you can just lock it to a pole or bike lock area and you’re good to go. This is a cheap and easy way to get there and back.
Colectivo- This is a large white van that gets stuffed full of people. The cost is under 50 pesos, it depends where you’re coming from for the price. There are bench seats along the edges of the vans, and the back of the front seat.
There are also bars to hold on to because when all the seats get filled, then people stand in the van and hold on to the bars. This is the most econcomical way to get there that is quicker than cycling. Make sure you note of when the last colectivo is, or you may have to take a taxi to leave the area if you’re not staying close by.
How much does it take a picture with the Ven A La Luz sculpture?
At first, it was free.
As time went on, the Ven a La Luz sculpture was relocated to be in the sculpture park that has a fence around it.
There is also a staffed entrance now, where you have to pay to go through the entrance.
Although the price used to be cheaper, as of November 2023 it is now 100 Mexican Pesos to enter the sculpture park per person.
Below is the picture of the entrance to the sculpture park. The entrance is under the palapa. The other picture shows where you enter from the street.
Tips for visiting the Ven a La Luz Sculpture
You can choose to go to take your pictures with Ven a La Luz during the daylight, or when the lights come on at sunset.
The lights are on an automatic timer and slowly change colours. The lights cast different colours on the sculpture like blue, purple, red and yellow.
We chose to go just a little bit before the sunset, so we could take pictures in the day light and with the lights shining on the sculpture at night too.
Timing matters, but this I mean the time of year.
There is a sign that says that there is a 1 minute time limit for photos.
I often hear about this rule being enforced and people feeling rushed to get a good photo.
So, I recommend visiting Ven A La Luz when it’s low season, rather than high season.
We visited on the cusp of low season ending, and we did not have a time limit. It was great!
We took so many photos and then went back to the sculpture after enjoying the other sculptures and took more photos! We were not rushed and enjoyed our time there thoroughly.
There were also only about 4 other people there at any time that we were there. It was peaceful and we could take lots of photos and relax.
We even took photos for another couple, and they took photos for us.
It was very nice! 🙂
During high season, the 1 minute time limit is enforced, meaning that you might be rushed to get your perfect ‘instagrammable’ photos of yourself with Ven A La Luz.
If you are there during high season, then think about the time of day and weather.
You could consider going when it’s a bit rainy, or very hot with not a lot of wind or clouds.
Although, these conditions may not be the best for you, it may cause other people to wait until another time to visit the Ven A La Luz, making it less busy for you!
In fact, after we finished our photos it started pouring rain! It had also rained earlier that day as well…
These factors contributed to making our visit a less busy time too.
The results = less busy and lots of time to take photos!
Taking your photos with Ven a La Luz
I recommend using a selfie stick for your photos.
The Ven a La Luz sculpture is 10 meters tall, so it can be challenging to get the right angle to fit all of you and all of the sculpture!
I especially recommend this if you do not have someone to take photos for you.
Also, consider how deep you stand inside of the sculpture. We found that if we were far inside or covered by the sculpture, that we were more shadowed.
If you have a 1 minute time limit, I would recommend stepping forward to make sure that your pictures are bright and you are not all dark and shadowed.
If you are there at sunset or after, try to take photos with different colours of lighting that is shining on yourself and the sculpture.
Check if you’re centred, if you’re trying to be in the centre of the arch, look up and make sure. It’s pretty wide, so it can be easy to stand off centre. Of course, it may be your intention to stand to the side at times as well.
Tips for visiting the Ahau Sculpture Park
There is more than just the Ven a La Luz sculpture, although I feel it is definitely the highlight!
Truly, it’s not a big sculpture park and I can count the number of sculptures easily, but there are a lot of great photo ops there!
I am going to share some of our photos for you to check out some of the other sculptures in the Ahau Sculpture Park!
There are these fun street-style signs to take photos with too!
Here is an overview of part of the sculpture park. It’s not that big, but there are different pieces of art spread throughout the park.
I recommend taking your time and mingling through the area; you just may notice some other pieces of art that are more hidden then Ven de la Luz.
You can also have some great photo ops with wings!
There is also this huge butterfly up in the trees which is fun to pose with too!
Also, you can pose with these beautiful wings too.
There is also this giant sculpture of open hands that you can pose with. This is another symbolic piece of art.
I have also posted a picture to see the overall area.
The ground is sand, so consider that when you choose your shoes for your photos.
The exhibits are spaced out, so if it’s not busy you will have your space for photos.
Leaving the Sculpture Park
When you exit the Ahau sculpture park you end up back on the main road, and it looks like the photo below.
To exit the park you have to press a green button to exit and go through a turnstile exit.
The exit is on the other side of the sculpture park.
Are there washrooms at the Ven A La Luz sculpture?
Yes, there are washrooms that you can use for free once you pay for the entrance to the Ven a La Luz.
There are 2 washrooms available for people attending the sculpture park.
So, get your instagram account ready...
some great photos are coming its way!
I hope that these tips and information help you to have a great experience at the Ahau sculpture park, and to get great photos with the Ven A La Luz sculpture in Tulum!
Feel free to share your photos with me in the comments or on Instagram.
Join me on Instagram! Follow me and share your Ven A La Luz photos too!
Thanks so much!
Tours in & around Tulum
Are you looking to book some tours for you trip to Tulum.
You can check out your options, and even book, right here using Viator.
Check out some of the fun and beautiful experiences that you can have in and around Tulum!
Where to Stay
There are many different unique and interesting hotels in Tulum.
You can use booking.com to check out the ratings, locations of the hotels and more!
There are 3 main areas with hotels in Tulum, the beach area, the hotel zone, and downtown.
I recommend checking out the areas and deciding which area you prefer to stay in.
Storing your Luggage
If you have to check out of your hotel, or have a layover in Tulum for a day, you may want to store your luggage so that you can go check out the beach, some Mayan ruins, a Cenote or get a bite to eat.
You can prearrange this service through Radical Storage, so that you’re not wasting time when you could be at the beach!
How to get to Tulum?
There is a new airport opening in Tulum in December 2023!! This is going to make it much easier to get to Tulum.
If you land in Cancun, you can take an ADO bus from the airport to the ADO bus terminal in downtown Tulum.
This bus also stops and picks up people in Playa Del Carmen too.
Besides being a travel blogger, I am also a travel writer, Amazon author and an English teacher. Check out my services here!
