Tulum, Mexico
Yes, Tulum has changed a lot over the last decade - its little beach road is overbuilt, prices are high, and some of those chill vibes have been replaced by untz untz beach clubs. But there are still plenty of serene pockets and delicious bites and with proper intel you can plan the perfect few days in Tulum. So when you need to get away and are looking for an easy, quick beach getaway, hop on that flight to the jungle and follow my lead.
KNOW: I recommend renting a car, driving yourself to and from the Cancun airport and having the freedom to day trip or go into town on your own. Navigating the area is easy, all straight shots. Drive with care because of all of the speed bumps. This also saves you a lot of money as airport transfers for tourists are so overpriced now. To keep things on the ups, stick to the south end of the beach, everything south of Atila is pretty chic and less crowded. Three night spent in Tulum is the right amount of time, if you have four, spend the last one at Coqui Coqui Coba, which is an hour away (more on that below).
STAY: There is not much variation these days between places to stay in Tulum. Which does take away some of the old beach shack charm but also makes it easier to pick a place to stay. Pick anything in the area I mentioned and you will be happy. I was there for a friend’s birthday, we stayed in a great house on the beach that I highly recommend if you are looking to go the house route. There were four houses on the Mahayana Tulum property, ours was “Casa Bonita” and was closest to the water.
Next door was Sanara which is one of my favorite all around places, highly recommend. Hotel Panamera is another great option with beautiful design and more soul than a lot of the other Tulum spots. There’s also La Zebra, Casa Violeta, Be Tulum an a few others in this neck of the woods.
DO: Yoga in the morning at Sanara, they have classes daily at 8:30am and 10:15am. There are lots of yoga options in Tulum, this one hits right - the best setting and good teachers. A boat tour + lazy river float through the Sian Ka’an (biosphere reserve!) is a must do. With your trusty rental car, no need to do one of the full experiences where they pick you up in Tulum and tour you around all day. Do a half day adventure, a couple of hours out on a boat + lazy river float through the mangroves, combined with great breakfast and lunch stops in town on the way there and back. The drive takes 30 minutes. There are two ways to enter the Sian Ka’an, inland or coastal side. Take the inland option to the Muyil entrance. Put “Laguna Tours Muyil” in your navi but take the second entrance (after the oxxo) to go directly to the boat dock. If you want to see the Muyil ruins on your way to the dock, follow the directions exactly and take the first entrance. Try to get there by 9am before the guides are committed to reservations, and one should be free to take you out. We got there mid morning and still managed to snag a great guide. The cost is 1,000 pesos / 50 usd per person. It’s fun to hear the history while cruising through the narrow canals and vast lagoons.
Your guide will let you off the boat at a dock that is the start of the lazy river. You then hop into the fresh, clear water and enjoy the light current that carries you through the most beautiful flowering mangroves. Eventually you will see your guide on a dock, from there you walk back to the boat on a boardwalk through tall grass, then cruise back through the canals and lagoons.
My fellow travelers all gushed about their spa treatments at Yaan. The treatment combined with their natural pools sounded divine, and just steps away from where we were staying. If you can swing a fourth night for this trip I highly recommend spending the last night at Coqui Coqui Coba. I headed out there with the intention of a day trip scheduled around a spa treatment and fell so in love with this place that I stayed the night. Many of us remember the impeccable design of the Coqui Coqui that used to be in Tulum (RIP). They now have three stunning locations around the Yucatan, Coba is the closest to Tulum (one hour away) and houses their classic perfumery, a spa, pools and five hotel rooms if you want to stay the night. The property sits on a little slice of jungle paradise, it has a stillness that quiets every ounce of your being and the service is unparalleled.
EAT: One thing is guaranteed in Tulum - you will eat well. Between the health nuts, the taco experts and the star chefs, there is no going wrong. For breakfast, lunch, and daytime hangs The Real Coconut is tops, their mango lassi is my fave! Casa Violeta is the other go-to on repeat, open all day, I like it for drinks + apps or for dinner.
ARCA was mentioned by many as the best restaurant in Tulum and it held up. Everything we ate - and we pretty much had it all - was delicious, inventive food that wows. The cocktails are also some of the best in Tulum and the servers are a wealth of knowledge so let them pick a cocktail for you.
Atila is a sister restaurant to ARCA and my fellow travelers also liked that very much (I missed that night of the trip). Now another important note: many of the recommendations for this guide were suggested by a Dipa (yes, the name for those in the Dip A Toe community) by the name of Kate C. Kate is a pro of many sorts including travel, she is currently spending the year as a digital nomad. She lived in Tulum for three months and is a wealth of knowledge. She says:
ARCA is “the best” restaurant in Tulum but to be honest their sister restaurant in town Verdant was better and it’s the actual farm and gardens where they grow all the herbs and veggies for ARCA so you can walk around the gardens while you eat there.
So if you are up for an evening venture off the beach, trust Kate and try Verdant. While on the topic, there’s so many great spots not to be missed in town. You can hit two easily on your way to and from the Sian Ka’an adventure. Go to ITALDO first thing in the morning (they open at 8) for coffee, croissants and other baked goods, juices and more. It’s in the nice little neighborhood of La Veleta at the end of town.
For lunch, stop in town for tacos that will change your life at Antojitos La Chiapaneca. Order more than you think you will eat because they are small. If you have to wait in line for a table know that the line moves fairly quickly. This will also most definitely be the cheapest meal you have in Tulum and one of the most delicious. My last recommendation is a newcomer to the south end of the beach, jungle side - ITZIK. Middle Eastern food with strong flavors, good drinks, relaxed vibes. Try it!
Everyone gave me the same feedback when asked where to shop and what to buy in Tulum these days - “DON’T”. And I would say that is accurate. From what I saw it is all pretty much the same overpriced gauzy beachwear, though please do tell me if I am missing something great in the comments below. The only place that I found plenty that I wanted to buy was Coqui Coqui and I came home with jewelry and perfume and an eye on their textiles for my next visit.
If your flight home is not until the afternoon, pack the car up and pop by Cenote Dos Ojos on your way out of town for one last dip. Highly recommend seeing at least one cenote and this one is on the way, very cool, and was not crowded.
If you still have time to kill, are hungry, and are in range of the Cancun airport take this final note from Kate:
There is THE BEST BURGER OF MY LIFE in a parking lot shack in Cancun not too far from airport!! El Rincón De Las Burgers Gran Plaza
The Tulum of today reminded me of why Dip A Toe guides are important. It is no longer a place that you want to go without a reliable source telling you what’s up. You can do it very right or very wrong and I am happy to report that done right, it’s still a care-free, happy long weekend in the sun.