Tulum, Mexico

Until the early 1990s, Tulum was a quiet village on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Known for its beaches and well-preserved Mayan ruins, the community has swelled in recent years to accommodate a rapid increase in tourism. It’s population grew from 3,000 in 1995 to over 46,000 in 2020, and its infrastructure now includes hotels, restaurants and bars, boutiques, and gyms.

Source imagery: NASA / Google Timelapse / Planet