Chic, but rustic. Boutique, but jungle. I don’t use the phrase “it’s a vibe,” but I appreciate it and endorse it when it comes to Tulum. It’s definitely a vibe. Tulum’s personality is vibrant. The lush environment, the people, the culture, the music, the food ... all of it. It is innately holistic and spiritual, with so much emphasis on presence and slowing down, but with a simultaneous energy that is vivacious. Everywhere you look has an atmosphere that draws you in.
The first time I saw Tulum was in a bathing suit ad in early 2013, and I was obsessed immediately. I made it a topic of conversation a couple years later with a friend and we finally pulled the trigger to make the trip ~6 years after that. You best believe it was more than worth the wait.
I usually do my research and have an idea of certain activities I want to do and places I want to go before travelling anywhere. The research part is fun for me in and of itself. But exploring, making connections with locals and moving through the days accommodates so much potential for changes in plans, which I invite unhesitatingly. The natural unfolding of a trip is a huge factor in my love for travel - that evolution makes me feel alive.
Tulum is split between a town center and a beach town. None of the hotels or resorts surpass ~35-50 rooms, which makes for a very intimate and secluded experience no matter where you choose. We stayed in a hotel in town center for the first two nights, Una Luma, and at a resort on the beach the last three nights, Habitas. We split the trip like this for two reasons -
We wanted to experience both aspects of Tulum. Although the two parts are an easy 10-minute bike ride away from each other, they are different worlds.
We wanted to have at least 4 full days there and the hotel we found in town was exponentially cheaper than the resort, which made a longer trip eligible for us.
DAY 1
We woke up early on Saturday morning and immediately started exploring the town center. Keep in mind, Tulum is a vacation spot so mornings are slow. It comes to life closer to 10 am. We made our rounds before deciding on Encanto Cantina for a bite to eat. The outdoor atmosphere was so calming and and the food was killer. A superfood bowl and a green juice to start the day.
While there, we met a couple and their beautiful baby girl, Mia Luna, who had recently moved down to Tulum from New York. They had been vacationing there for 8 years and they decided to split their coming years between Tulum and New York. In NYC, they owned owned a life-coaching, fitness and nutrition business, Circuit of Change, and a farm in New Paltz that hosted retreats revolving around the same initiatives. They have transitioned Circuit of Change online to allow their 6 months in Tulum and they plan to continue to host the New Paltz retreats during their 6 months spent in New York. They live a dream life … they don’t own a car; they bike or walk everywhere, always taking Mia Luna when they can. They have their organic greens (that are more than enough for weekly consumption) delivered to their home once a week for $15 … my jaw dropped when I heard that. They gave us their recommendations, complimented our choice in resort, Habitas, for the following three days - claiming it was the “sexiest environment in all of Tulum” - and went on their way.
From Encanto Cantina, we spent our day at Papaya Playa Project. Keep in mind, we were staying in town center at this point so we didn’t have inclusive access to a beach club; however, if you spend a certain amount toward food and drink, you can have your pick of beach club to lounge at. Papaya Playa Project happens to be owned by the same owner of the resort we would stay in the following few nights, but ours was a bit newer and better kept according to our waiter. We indulged in their guacamole, fish tacos, tropical fish ceviche and too many spicy margaritas. Extra spicy, always. Their ceviche was easily the best I’ve ever had … Tulum loves to use pomegranate seeds in dishes unexpectedly. PPP garnished both their guacamole and ceviche with them. They add the perfect pop of flavor and extra crunch.
DAY 2
Day 2 started off with another bang - Burrito Amor. Holy hell ... a must! An egg and veggie burrito and a green smoothie to kick off another day. The tortilla was dream-worthy. We walked a bit more around the town afterward before checking out of our hotel. I made a comment as we were walking that it smelled so delicious everywhere and a couple steps later I realized I was sniffing freshly baked bread from the local Subway. It was shameful, honestly. But really … everywhere smells sensational, I promise!
We checked out of Una Luma and made our way to Habitas. Habitas really is the “sexiest environment in all of Tulum” and very well-kept. Its lush environment is consuming. We stayed in one of their jungle rooms - essentially a tent with a dreamy bed. The toilet and shower are outdoors, which is major for me. If you’re someone who would prefer an indoor situation, look at that shower and tell me you are not enticed!
We spent the afternoon reading and lounging around the resort. We got a later lunch at the restaurant on-site, Moro. Moro fuses together Moroccan and Mexican influences into each dish. We split their guacamole and salad - you’ll notice a guacamole theme here. The plantain chips that came with the guacamole were top-notch and, again, more pomegranate seeds!
We explored the beach town before dinner, walking in and out of the local shops. The couple from the day before mentioned a new “secretive” restaurant that is in a cenote. A cenote is a natural sinkhole. All they could tell us was to look for the mushroom statue. We were walking along unassumingly and all of the sudden I screamed “THE MUSHROOM STATUE,” practically giving my friend a heart attack. We took the trail back and discovered the alleged cenote. Drinks followed soon thereafter. We met Christina from Ibiza. She was snorkeling in the water. It appeared to be so dark compared to the other cenotes we had heard about and had yet to experience for ourselves, but you could see everything on the bottom perfectly when you looked down. It was surreal. There was a fish swimming around that was a tad too big for her liking, so she joined us for drinks instead. She had been down there for a month already and had a few weeks left to go. She didn’t know where she was off to after, but she travels for 6 months a year so the options were endless.
We finished our drinks and headed to Casa Jaguar for dinner. There are too many restaurants in Tulum to get to, even if you have a couple weeks there. I prefer to avoid the restaurants that are the touristy and stick with those that exude the flavor of the city. Casa Jaguar thematically embodies all things Tulum. It’s a darker, rustic, sensual experience, with great music, people and indulgences … it was probably the best meal I had the whole time. Killer cocktails too … extra spice, of course. Restaurants down there do not skimp on their salads, elevating the potentially “mundane” appetizer with all of the town’s lush seasonal fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and herbs. These overflowing dishes can usually substitute for an entree. But mama didn’t raise no quitter so I kept the salad in its appetizer “box” and ordered their sea bass for my main course. The group of men behind me split the same amount of fish that I easily took down all by myself. Key word “group.” You are expected to filet the fish yourself, FYI. My friend got their grilled octopus and again… probably the best I’ve ever tasted.
DAY 3
We got up early, rented bikes and made our way to the local Mayan Ruins. Be careful if you rent an electric bike - those mothers can move. I had a couple injuries, and defective bikes, along the way, but few things make me happier than wind in my face and my hair while riding a bike.
I recommend going as early as possible to any tourist spots because they get busy early and quickly. The ruins were unbelievable. Palm trees, fruit trees, cacti, flowers. I love to learn about the inspiration behind the architecture and the cultural norms of the society and to study in person the structures that have withstood time. It’s mind-blowing to me. Even more mind-blowing is the underwhelming thought of the local area that surrounds my apartment.
After we’d gotten our fill of the ruins, we headed to grab a bite at Raw Love - a vegan breakfast and lunch spot. A large percentage of the restaurants are vegan / vegetarian or at least have those options on the menu. It’s a very plant-based, pescatarian town. We each got a smoothie bowl to hold us over and then biked to the Gran Cenote. On bike, it took probably 15-20 minutes and I do not recommend walking.
The cenote is gorgeous. The ardent hues of the water speak to all things Tulum. It is pretty chilly though … you have to just dive in, but finding open water without an Instagram “influencer” taking a shot from behind is a learned skill. There is a park on the grounds where you can lounge and hang out in as well. We dried off there naturally before biking back.
For lunch, we went to a taco spot we’d been craving, Safari. The waitress recommended the shrimp and the grilled octopus tacos. I stuck with fish tacos because I’ll do just about anything for a fish taco. I would recommend the grilled fish taco and then trying the octopus option - I’m full of regret and no pulpo, unfortunately.
It rained a bit in the later afternoon, so we spent that time reading and relaxing around our resort.
We headed to the crowd-favorite, Rosa Negra, for dinner. Although a bit touristy, it’s a non-negotiable. Every night after 10:30 pm, the restaurant turns into a big party… dancing on the tables, the works! We left no man behind cleaning our plates of Humita empanadas, Hamachi Tiradito, Branzino, the Flan tasting and the Chocolate Sphere…
DAY 4
Our last day. I made a comment as we walked into town for breakfast that it had begun to feel like normal life. I heard the ridiculousness of my comment as it escaped my mouth but I still stand by it.
We tried Tunich for breakfast. Their burritos will make you lick your plate and the chocolate smoothie bowl has a nice, surprising kick to it. We headed back for one final day in the sun accompanied by some passion fruit mojitos, one last round of fish tacos and the burnt potatoes from Moro and then said our farewells to the beach. It wasn’t that sad of a goodbye because we were headed for our deep tissue massages in their most tranquil spa. My massage therapist’s name was Laura. She intrigued me because she was dressed in this bad ass outfit and combat boots … not your standard spa attire. But that bad ass image was no facade - she did not mess around. That was an abnormally fast 60 minutes and a hard goodbye. I left a special kind of “spa drunk.”
We did not want to get ready and go to dinner after those massages, but we mustered up the energy. We had heard about Posada Margherita being the best Italian in Tulum, but they are difficult and cash-only. We didn’t want to exchange any more money so we found Parole instead. This restaurant was one month old. It has the same ownership as Rosa Negra - you will pick up on hints of similarity. It was delicious, as was the waiter Chema. We finished our bottle and headed home.
WHAT WE DIDN’T GET TO
ATV tour + Ziplining
Beach Dirt Bike Tour
Snorkeling
Kaan Luum Lagoon
Casa Malca
Hartwood
Posada Margherita
Arca
I am mostly bummed about not making it on an ATV or dirt bike tour. They had no availability left when I called to make reservations before we arrived. I highly recommend one or both of those because they look bad ass and so much fun. Although, I am a huge adrenaline junkie so take my advice with a grain of salt. Our trip was a little more R+R and less action-oriented than I am used to, but it served its purpose. I can’t recommend this little beach town enough!
If you have questions, please leave a comment or send me an email. I would be love to provide more details for you, especially if you are interested in going.
Xx