A Complete Guide To Tulum

Tulum is one of my favorite little towns right on the Caribbean coastline of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. It is truly one of my favorite vacation spots (and no not because it is where I got engaged- which will be a whole separate blog post). After a week long vacation in Tulum in 2019 and a three week long vacation in 2021 I am confident that I can suggest the VERY best places to eat, drink, stay, and play! I have hit almost all of the trendy spots and plenty off secret gems as well! I know this guide will help you plan the Tulum trip of your dreams!

How to get to Tulum:

The closest airport to Tulum is Cancun International Airport. Most Airport Hubs will have direct flights. From there it is about an hour and a half drive into the beach town. To get to the beach town of Tulum I suggest booking a driver. They will wait for you outside of the Airport for you. It is safe and easy but make sure you booking advance. I personally do not recommend renting a car. The deposit is outrageously high and the roads of Tulum are a bit scary to drive yourself. Not to mention there really is not a ton of parking anywhere in town. Most tourist travel by taxi in Tulum.

What to bring to Tulum:

• Tons of bikinis (duh)
• Passport
• Sunscreen
• BUG SPRAY (I can’t emphasize this enough)
• Beach Hat
• Bikini cover up
• Beach bag
• Flip Flops
• Nice outfits for dinner, nightlife, clubs (think dresses, sandal heels, cute matching sets)
• Boho beach attire for day time activities (shopping, visiting the ruins, cenotes, beach clubs)
• Shop my Tulum look book at the end of this blog!

Quick Tips:

• Bring Pesos with you
• Cash is preferred but they take cards
• Check for hurricane season and avoid those months (trust me I was there during one.. it wasn’t fun)
• Do not drink the tap water
• The Ice and Water at restaurants in town were fine to consume
• Tulum is NOT cheap but there are ways to make it affordable (taco stands, buy your own bottle of liquor etc.)
• There are no Ubers but plenty of taxis. If you find a driver you like get their number!
• Another form of travel is by Bike which is super fun!
• Download ‘Whats app” this is how drivers and hotels communicate with you
• Again… BUG SPRAY (I had over 100 bug bites when I got home)
• Optional but bring a tripod to get epic pictures if no one is around to take them!
• Get places EARLY if you want to avoid crowds. Tulum has quickly become a huge travel destination!
• There is currently a curfew of 12 am
• There can be bad seaweed at certain times of the year. The hotels do their best to clean it up though.
• Rain is inevitable when you are in the jungle! It comes and goes quickly much like normal tropical locations.
• Cenotes are a MUST. They are natural fresh water pools all throughout Tulum. I will cover my favorites!

Where to stay:

I may be biased but I truly think the hotels we stayed at are some of the BEST!

• Casa Malca: This hotel was Pablo Escobar’s Mansion back in the day. It is a very unique hotel! I promise it is unlike any hotel you have been to. It has a totally different vibe from any hotel on Tulum Beach. It is dark and romantic. The pool and beach give the boho feel but the hotel rooms themselves are dark grey cement with pops of deep red and purple felt. It feels very classy and sexy. They have excellent service but that comes at a hefty price. This hotel is one of the most expensive on the whole beach. The food and drinks are amazing. Wonderful spa services. Wild and Unique artwork and statues all over the hotel grounds. They made for epic engagement photos (see below). The only downside is the hotel is at the VERY end of the beach strip so the walk to dinner is close to 20 minutes. Overall I rate Casa Malca a 9/10.

• Hotel Maxanab: Did you know the definition of Maxanab means barefoot? All the hotel employees walk around barefoot and in beautiful linen uniforms. This hotel is small but very serene. It feels as though you are the only guests at the hotel- in the best way possible. The pool and restaurants are never too busy which is a huge plus! This was the best service I received out of all the hotels. The employees are very friendly and helpful. They know you by name which I thought was so special. This was the hotel my fiancé and I came the following day after our engagement! They wrote a hand written note and gave us a bottle of wine (more than I can say for Casa Malca which is where we actually got engaged haha). It was very special! The nice part about this hotel is the rooms are extremely private. I believe there are only 11 rooms in total and most have their own pool on the balcony! My fiancé and I got the best room in the whole hotel- front row beach view with the pool right below us (see below). My favorite part of our stay was our private breakfast that we enjoyed on our balcony. I rate Maxanab 9/10 BECAUSE it is great service and food at a more affordable price point.

• Papaya Playa Project: Hands down my favorite hotel in Tulum. The grounds are incredibly well kept. This is truly a jungle experience. The interior of the rooms themselves are ok- very bare and mainly plaster. The best part of the rooms are the roof top pools. They are out of this world! Not every room has a rooftop pool but in my opinion it is a MUST. The beach is the best beach on the strip in my opinion BESIDES the hidden rocks that you step on as you head out into the water. The ocean is as blue as can be and the vibes at the beach club are unmatched. My MAIN complaint with PPP is the service. The employees seemed to be very standoffish. It seemed as though they were bothered to have us there (with an exception of a few). While this wasn’t ideal it does not take away from how much I love this hotel. Every Saturday night they have a moon party and it is such vibe! There is a DJ on the beach and it goes all night long.

• Places I haven’t stayed but heard are nice: Be Tulum, Nomade, Delek, Azulik (Stunning and top notch if you are ok with no electricity or AC! It is a true eco-friendly hotel with not much privacy).

What to do:

• Visit a Cenote: I had no idea what a Cenote was before Tulum, let alone how to pronounce it (say-no-tay). A Cenote is “deep, water-filled sinkhole in limestone that is created when the roof of an underground cavern collapses. This creates a natural pool which is then filled by rain and water flowing from underground rivers.” There are hundreds, if not thousands, of Cenote’s around Tulum and let me warn you the water is CHILLY. The only two I visited were Grand and Sac Actun. They both were stunning. Grand had many different Cenotes to explore. Some were outside and open, others were enclosed and required swimming into a cave. Sac Actun was fully enclosed and opened up into a huge underground cave. It is pretty spectacular. Warning though: some areas are pretty tight so if you are claustrophobic maybe skip out on the enclosed caves. Warning #2 there are bats! They don’t bother you but still it was *spooky*. Oh and BTW these photos below have no filter! The water is truly that turquoise.

• Tulum Ruins: The Mayan Archeological ruins are a must when in Tulum. I love to immerse myself into the culture when going to a new country and what better way then visiting ruins that have been around for centuries. When I first went to Tulum, Patrick and I did the ruins and Cenotes in one day. Personally I loved it because it gets very HOT at the ruins so going into a fresh cold water denote after is *chefs kiss*. It is a ton of walking and sight seeing but the beautiful stone ruins over look the ocean and it is truly magical to see!

• Kaan Luum Laguna: a beautiful laguna about 15 minutes from downtown Tulum. The water is a slightly green turquoise color. There is NO crowd here at all, it is truly a diamond in the rough. This laguna is a non negotiable, you MUST visit if you love swimming in crystal clear water. My family and I all agreed it was the HIGHLIGHT of our trip (aside from me getting engaged of course). There is a small boat that takes you across the lagoon to a natural “lazy river” where you float in a life vest for about a hour. Once you reach the end of the float, the boat picks you back up! The experience is around 1.5 hours. I truly would do it again in a heart beat! It was my favorite excursion I’ve ever done!

• Azulik Sunset Experience: Azulik is a super unique hotel that gives off boutique jungle vibes. The views and architecture is incredible. This hotel is known for their “nest” which you can sit to have drinks and dinner in. It is essential a huge sectional table in a birds nest looking wooden oval that overlooks treetops in the jungle. The sunset experience is in one of these nests! You sip cocktails and mingle with others. It is $50 but that counts towards your drinks and is totally worth it for the views, the sunset, and of course the pics!

• Catamaran Booze Cruise: If you are a big drinker and like to adventure- like Patrick and I (on vacation at least) then a booze cruise might be right up your alley. Most of these catamarans will take you out for a few hours to see some beautiful blue water- during that time you can snorkel, have a fresh fish lunch, and drink lots of booze! They usually have music playing and shots being poured so consider this a warning- it is a lot of fun but will leave you tipsy for sure.

• Beach Day Clubs: Patrick and I were too exhausted from our trip to make it to one of the day clubs but I hear they are a MUST! I am still so bummed that we missed it. Taboo was on the top of our list. Think Vegas but beachside with a boho topical house vibe. The bottles and entrance fees are pricey but according to friends it is totally worth it! There are henna tattoos, sparklers, bottle service, saxophonist, performers etc. etc. I would make a whole day out of visiting a beach club and prepare for a LATE dinner to give yourself ample time to recover!
• Shop at the beach boutiques: There are so many cute boho shops in the beach town of Tulum! If you are look for the quintessential Tulum linen outfits this is your spot! There are amazing home decor items, clothing, bags, trinkets, jewelry etc. but buyer beware the prices are just as similar to LA prices!

• Ride bikes Through Tulum: You can rent a bike at most hotels along the beach strip! It is a fun way to explore town while also getting some exercise! Make sure to stop by the “follow your dream sign” and “matcha mama” for a yummy açaí bowl! FYI be careful with the drivers- they drive worse than NYC cab drivers. It can be pretty dangerous so always be aware of your surroundings.

• Papaya Playa Moon Party: Every Saturday night there is a house DJ on the beach at PPP hotel. There are tables for bottle service, performers, dancing, and an epic DJ. NO PHONES allowed out of respect for those attending. Lets just say these parties get pretty wild and there are things that shouldn’t be saved on camera rolls. Overall it is such a fun experience and I highly recommend if you are into a house club scene.
• Enjoy the boutique hotel beach clubs: Papaya Playa project, Be Tulum, Casa Malca, and Nomade are probably the best ones to check out for a nice beach view! You can rent cabanas or just hangout at the bar! There is typically a minimum to spend but there is usually never an issue hitting it after a few drinks!

Where to eat:

Let me preface by saying ALL of these restaurants are a major vibe. The food and cocktails are 10/10 and are all a higher end culinary experience! The service is incredible and the atmosphere is one big party, literally, they all turn to nightclubs starting at around 10 PM (cue the endless sparklers and table top dancing)! Seriously my girlfriends and I were pulled up to dance on tables mid dinner almost every night! IMPORTANT TO NOTE: there is no real relaxing at these restaurants. Luckily our parents and even grandma had fun but these restaurants are not a quiet place to eat! I would consider the dinners to be anywhere from a high end dinner to a sorority girls night out.. you never know what you’re going to get but I can promise the FOOD will be worth it.

• Chambao: This restaurant has the best vibes! The cutest rattan chandeliers over every table, fun neon signs, and an aesthetic AF bar. The bread basket, butterfish and lychee martinis were my favorite. The dishes are HUGE and totally worth sharing. My family and I ate and danced until midnight here! I think my Dad had the most fun of all (he danced all night and summoned the waiter for a rum and diet about every 5 minutes lol) Overall one of my favorite restaurants in Tulum.

• Rosa Negra: This restaurant holds a special place in my heart. The first time I went with Patrick we were celebrating our 5 year anniversary, the second time we went was right after he proposed! We love this spot! Very similar to Chambao (same owners). Food is amazing. THE BEST STEAKS- Literally melt in your mouth. There salads and veggie sides literally feed a small village so keep that in mind when ordering! The vibe is dark, rustic, and bohemian.
• Bagatelle: This restaurant is another must. AMAZING Italian food! I have never been to Italy but this HAS GOT to be what it tastes like. Truffle pizza (I dream of this pizza, my girlfriends and I talk about it til this day), cheesy pastas, fresh and light salads! What more could you want.The standards here are held very high. There were literally 50 servers walking around every second to clear your plate and fill your glass. Don’t let that fool you though, this was one of the most fun nights I had! Bottle service, DJ, and table dancing until midnight! Who knew restaurants could be so fun?!

• Kin Toh: THEE most epic restaurant you’ll ever experience! This restaurant is at the famous Azulik hotel I keep mentioning. It is a glorified high end treehouse that serves trendy cocktails and beautifully plated dinners. The thought and love that goes into the food here is incredible. Truly a piece of art! There are literally nests to sit in that overlook the jungle treetops. However, I will mention to actually sit in these nests to eat it costs over $1000, so I suggest speaking to your serving and asking him to let you check it out for a picture or two and just dine inside! It is still just as beautiful with a 360 jungle view.

• Gitano: While I haven’t had the food here, the drinks and the vibes are UNMATCHED. This is a jungle bar with a disco ball casually hanging amongst the luscious greenery. They light palo Santo throughout the bar and restaurant which leaves an amazing woodsy scent and a smokey scenery. There are loungey couches, two full on bars, a roof top bar, and its never TOO crowded- truly everything I would want in a restaurant. If there is ONE bar that I would say you must go to- this is it! It is chill yet upscale (does that even make sense?)

• Confessions: A small and intimate hidden lounge! This place gives me “speakeasy” vibes as it is easy to miss when walking down the street. They only serve tapas so the food portions are small but delicious! I was CRAVING sushi the whole trip and this place did not disappoint. We went with several different rolls, sliders, and most importantly French fries (which were hands down the best fries I have ever had). This place is extremely dark and is mainly outdoors. We went on a Monday night and they had a live DJ playing- needless to say it is always a party in Tulum.

• Raw Love: The cutest little açaí bowl beach hut! This place is right near Delek Tulum and Azucar Hotel! There are so many yummy topping to explore.. it is a must try for their açaí bowls! Major plus is its right on the beach!

• Matcha Mama: Another great açaí bowl place (I prefer it to raw love HOWEVER raw love is literally on the beach so you can’t beat that view). Their coffee and matcha is out of this world! It truly was the only coffee spot I found that reminded me of my iced almond milk lattes back home. Side note there are cute little swings for a photo opp- you really can’t beat that!

Tulum outfits look book:

If you couldn’t tell by this long and extensive guide- I clearly love Tulum! I highly recommend vacationing here if you are planning a trip to Mexico! I hope you enjoyed!

xoxo,

Kerry