The explorer’s guide to Tulum Mexico
How to get there:
The closest large airport is Cancun, lots of flight options from the United States. If you keep your eye out for sales you can usually find some really good deals. From Cancun it is about two hour drive to Tulum, you can rent a car and drive yourself, which I recommend for having the freedom to explore the Yucatan on your own, or you can arrange a transfer (it is best to do this through your hotel or vacation rental, so you get a reputable driver/company).
Where to stay:
It is really easy to spend a ton of money visiting Tulum, it is a popular destination and the beachfront resorts will cost you a pretty penny, if you have/want to spend the money then by all means go for it. There are some very beautiful options and Tulum is a really beautiful fun spot, but it is not a cheap Mexican beach vacation spot if that is what you are looking for. If you want to keep costs down, staying a little bit away from the water will save you and you are still a quick drive or bike ride to the beach and other activities. We stayed in a nice vacation rental in a new development in between the beach area and downtown Tulum. It was affordable, still had restaurants within walking distance, a nice pool, and it was quiet and private. We were able to access the beach by getting day passes and spending money at the beach front restaurants.
Beach Resorts: Habitas, La Zebra and Coco Unlimited
Inland Resorts: Teva, BAU Tulum, Casa Maya Kaan, and Holistika.
Where to eat:
Casa Jaguar: consistently ranked one of the top restaurants in Tulum, this place as a unique and fun menu, including fancy cocktails with fried crickets, and a resident “jaguar” or small black house cat that roams from table to table.
Habitats restaurant: The beach side restaurant at the Habitats resorts serves up incredible ceviche, small plates and desserts. It really is worth going to the resort just for this food.
Raw Love: an iconic Tulum spot, a fun little cafe near the beach serving up beautiful and tasty smoothie bowls.
Ziggy’s: A popular beach side restaurant in Tulum with al fresco seats and great ocean views. Feels like an upscale beach restaurant with great seafood and mexican. A go to spot for anyone visiting Tulum.
Mezzanine: For something a little different head to the Thai restaurant at the Mezzanine hotel. The restaurant sits on the deck above the beach for sweeping views of the ocean. The food, drinks and presentation are equisite.
Day 0: Arrive at Cancun and drive to Tulum
Day 1: Beach day at Habitas
Most resorts will let you pay to access their facilities for the day even if you are not a guest. I recommend arriving early to make sure you secure access and get a good spot on the property to lounge. The Habitas property was gorgeous, the entrance got you access to their small waterfront pool, the small beach in front, shaded and sunny lounging areas, the beachside bar, and the incredible restaurant. Start that vacation off right by swimming, soaking up the sun, eating incredible food, and enjoying some fancy fruity cocktails at Habitas.
Day 2: Tulum Ruins & La Zebra Beach
Get up a little earlier and head to the Tulum Ruins right outside of town first thing in the morning to beat the crowds. There is an entrance fee to access the ruins and if you are going on your own I recommend potentially biking or taking a taxi there as finding parking can be a pain. Spend a couple hours wandering the area checking out the Mayan ruins with incredible views of the ocean. You can do a guided tour if you want to learn more of the history or just wander at your own pace. There is also access to the beach where you can go down and enjoy a swim if you want.
After a morning at the ruins head to La Zebra for a nice meal on their beachfront restaurant, then grab a spot to lounge in front of their bar in the sand to set up camp for the afternoon. When you get hungry again, wander down the road to one of Tulums famous spots Raw Love for a smoothie bowl.
Day 3: Cenotes & Valladolid
Get up early and drive into the interior of the Yucatan for some great cenotes and a visit to a colorful city. First thing in the morning go to Cenote Xkeken and Samula which are part of the same under water river system and located right next to each other, so it is easy to visit both. Park and get a tour guide and swim in the two cenotes on site. Arriving when they first opened was great because we had the place pretty much to ourselves. Later in the day I have heard it can get much more crowded when larger tour groups arrive.
After spending a couple hours swimming and exploring the centores, head into Valladolid city center where you can wander the beautifully colored streets. There is a nice town square and beautiful old churches all within a few blocks of the center. Grab a nice lunch and hit up the local market for some great foods and spices to bring home. Stop at cenote Suyun on the way back towards Tulum and have a cold drink on the property. Cenote X'ux Ha is also a great stop on the drive back if you haven’t seen enough for the day. There is a huge number of cenotes in the area, you will have to narrow it down to a few unless you have weeks to spend exploring them all.
Day 4: Moroccan Brunch & The Grand Cenote
We went to Moroccan brunch at Macondo restaurant. We ordered the buffet so we could try a little bit of everything. It was all delicious. The restaurant is also gorgeous and gives you some serious tulum vibes with the colorful and boho decor. You sit on floor pillows that appear to be straight from Morocco.
You can spend the afternoon at the beach, or escape the middle of the day direct sun and head to the Grand Centote. No trip to Tulum is complete without a swim in probably it’s most famous Cenote.
Enjoy a nice dinner at Casa Jaguar, its best to get reservations or get there right when it opens to make sure you get a spot. The restaurant is across the street from the beach resorts, but it still has a beachy vibe. They serve up less traditional takes
Day 5: Coba & more cenotes
We drove to Coba ruins it took about an hour to get there, you should try to be there early about when it opens to beat the crowds. When we got inside we rented bikes to make getting between the different ruin sites easier.
Just a little down the road from Coba is grouping of cenotes. After a morning of walking around it is great to get a nice swim. We opted for Cenote Tankach-Ha, where you can jump off a high platform into the water.
Day 6: Sian Ka’an Biosphere tour
This might be last on the list, but it was seriously one of the best things we did in Tulum. I highly recommend this, if you only have time for one real day trip/tour, I would make this the top priority. It is a really awesome area and less touristy than many of the other locations around Tulum.
Day 7: Drive back to Cancun - stop at Playa de Carmen
Stop in Playa de Carmen for lunch, checking out the beach and a little bit of wandering through the city. It’s bigger and has a little bit of a different vibe than Tulum, so it's fun to stop and explore a little bit to just get a feel for another beach town on the Yucatan.
Then head to the airport and get ready to get on board your plane home.
