Is Tulum overrated?
Tulum is not worthless, but it is often over-sold. Go if you want that specific beach-and-design scene; skip it if you are hoping for quiet ruins, cheap Mexico or effortless logistics.
Answer
The problem with Tulum is not that nobody should go. It is that many travellers arrive expecting several incompatible things: wild beach, easy ruins, low prices, polished hotels, local texture and no friction. Tulum can work for a traveller who wants its particular mix of style, beach clubs and scene. It works much less well as a default Yucatán base or a symbol of “authentic Mexico”. If your real interest is ruins, cenotes, food or a calmer town, Valladolid, Mérida, Bacalar or another base may suit better. The right question is not whether Tulum is famous. It is whether you want the famous version.