If you have read our Instagram Guide to Tulum you would know that we booked our trip to Tulum in the midst of a snow storm. It was an impulsive decision fueled by the range of emotions felt as we watched our front lawn being covered in a blanket of snow (You may understand these emotions if you live in a place where you receive heavy snow fall).
After our trip being delayed by one entire day due to snow storms (oh the irony), we boarded the plane ready to soak up some sunshine and have some incredible adventures!
Check out these other Tulum Guides
Why Tulum?
Tulum is located on beautiful white sand beaches with the ocean the color of turquoise that you can’t believe is real even if you are standing right in it. Not to mention the array of boutique hotels to choose from, the historic landmarks close by and over 6000 cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula to discover! To us it sounded like the perfect combination of optimal conditions to enter relaxation mode but also give us the option to have an adventure… or five!
Best Time to Visit Tulum
Tulum is warm all year round! The average daytime temperatures are 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit or 20-27 degrees Celsius. Dry season typically runs from December to April, with June, September and October being the rainiest months on average. The general consensus is that November and December are usually the best months to visit as this is just the beginning of peak season which typically runs from December to March.
Is Tulum safe?
This might be the most frequently asked question we received before and after our trip here! We felt safe the entire time we were exploring this magnificent oceanside paradise. As with any destination you go to, it is important to be aware of your surroundings and practice common sense. Keep in mind that the Tulum Beach has minimal street lights. There were many people out and about at night, and we felt completely safe walking with just the flashlights on our phone but practice caution if you are walking alone.
*Note: Check your countries website for currently travel advisories for Mexico before planning your trip!
Getting to Tulum
First step to having the most epic adventure in Tulum is getting there! Although we did meet someone who drove all the way from New Jersey, let’s save you some time and find you a flight! There are no direct flights to Tulum. You will need to book a flight to the Cancun International Airport and arrange for a transfer to your hotel!
*Note: Tulum is 75 miles (approximately 2 hours) away from the Cancun airport.
We used a private transfer service company, USA Transfers, and loved our experience! The drivers were timely, the vehicle was air conditioned and because it was private, we did not have to stop at any hotels to drop others off! Total time saver if you are looking to get to your hotel ASAP.
Other methods of getting to your hotel are:
- Taxi: This method can at times be costly. We noticed that none of the taxis had regulated meters and for the most part the drivers came up with a price off the top of their heads. It is important to ask the price of your trip before getting into the vehicle that way both you and the driver are on the same page. Also it is okay to attempt to negotiate a price, most drivers are very reasonable.
- ADO bus: This bus is a great budget travel option! You can catch the bus at the Cancun Airport where you will be brought to Playa Del Carmen, and then need to transfer to another bus to bring you to Tulum! The total cost on average is around $12 USD. This bus does not bring you directly to your hotel, so you will need to use another method of transportation to get there! If you do not mind multiple stops then this option is definitely something to consider. Keep in mind the bus only runs at certain times during the day so plan accordingly.
- Rental Car: There are multiple rental companies directly at the airport right before you exit! A rental car is the perfect option if you like having the freedom of driving yourself. Practice caution when renting a car. Make sure that you read contracts before signing them, ask questions, have a contract copy for yourself. Also check the car over with the representative to ensure that all is good before driving away. Follow the rules of the road. And keep in mind that all roadside signage is in Spanish!
*Note: If renting a car, follow the rules of the road and use caution when driving as locals tend to drive aggressively. There are massive speed bumps on all roads and not all are marked with signage, if you hit these too fast they can damage the front end or underside of the rental car!
Currency Exchange and Credit Cards
The currency in Tulum is Mexican Pesos. We exchanged money at the Cancun Airport when we landed as we heard this was not only the most secure way, but that they also had one of the best exchange rates. You will find that all taxis require Pesos, as do the majority of Cenotes, restaurants and bars! Some businesses also take US Dollars, but check the exchange rate at the establishment as you will get change in Pesos.
If you find yourself getting low on cash while you are there, visit a bank in Tulum Town for a secure withdrawl. There is a HSBC and a Scotiabank right in the heart of the downtown area. We have heard so many times that people who used the ATM’s that were scattered around Tulum Beach had their banking information compromised!
On that note, some establishments do take credit cards. The restaurants that did accept credit cards charged a small fee (Usually 3-5%). We did not use our cards often as we felt more comfortable using cash!
Where to stay in Tulum
Tulum is technically split between Tulum Beach and Tulum Town. Tulum beach is essentially a long road where all the boutique hotels are located! We opted to stay in this region for the entire duration of the trip. However, there are plenty of options in Tulum Town that tend to be a little cheaper and offer you the chance to explore more of the town itself!
*Note: There is currently only one true all-inclusive resort in the Tulum Beach area, Kore Tulum Retreat and Spa Resort! The majority of the hotels that you see flooding your Instagram feed are just that, hotels! Some offer amenities such as free breakfast, wifi and yoga classes. We always recommend that you do some research and read reviews before booking any accommodations.
We stayed at the boutique hotel Hotelito Azul. This cute boho inspired, ocean front property was the perfect fit for us! It was about halfway down the Tulum Beach road, allowing us to be able to walk to all of the different restaurants and shops. It was small, the staff was incredibly helpful and friendly, and the beach was gorgeous. We highly recommend it!
Some of the more popular beachfront hotels in the Tulum Beach area are Nomade Tulum, Azulik Tulum, and Papaya Playa Project! These tend to be more expensive and are slightly bigger complexes, but they are popular for a reason. They have stunning grounds and some of the rooms offer ocean front access and even private tubs on their balconies!
If you are opting to stay in Tulum Town, there are few different options for accommodations! There are plenty of very cute and safe AirBnB options. This is ideal if you want something quiet, off the beaten path and require a place to park a rental car as not all hotels offer parking. We love booking AirBnB’s to have a little more space and to have the option of cooking our own meals! Very handy when traveling on a budget or in a group!
Use our AirBnb referral code for $47 off of your first booking!
There are also several very cute hotels located within Tulum Town and surrounding area. They vary in star rating and tend to be a little cheaper than the boutique hotels located in the Tulum Beach area. Tulum Beach is only about 5-10 minutes way from Tulum Town in a cab, or about a 20 minute bike ride!
gETTING around tULUM
There are so many options for getting around during your visit to Tulum! Since the location of our hotel was directly in the middle of the Tulum Beach strip, we walked the majority of the time! Two feet and a heart beat is the most economical choice and allows you to get acquainted with your surroundings.
Most hotels and hostels will either include a pedal bike rental with your stay or have bikes for hire! This is a much faster way to get you from point A to point B without having to pay for a taxi! We used them to get us to Tulum Town to explore, as it is about 20 minutes away on a bike. There are some bike paths but due to the boom in tourism, there is plenty of construction on many roads so we found ourselves driving with traffic most of the time!
There are plenty of taxis in the area that are more than willing to help you out! We found the majority of the drivers spoke some English and were very friendly. Like we said above, we noticed that taxis did not have a standard meter so make sure to ask the driver for the price before getting into the vehicle. Since they are not regulated, the drivers tend to come up with a number off the top of their head. For example, one driver offered us a ride to the Grand Cenote for 250 Pesos, where as another offered it for $150 Pesos. Drivers were generally reasonable and we were able to negotiate prices for the majority of the time!
If you do not rent a car in the Cancun Airport, there are plenty of places to rent cars in Tulum! We rented a car from “Mex Rent a Car” for a day trip to Chichen Itza and some Cenotes (more on that later). We had an excellent experience and would highly recommend them! Make sure to read the reviews on the rental car companies in Tulum as some people have had some bad experiences. Prices on rental cars themselves are very cheap (Usually $5-7 USD for the day) but that does not include insurance. Most companies will not let you leave the lot without the purchase of some type of insurance. At the end of our experience, the rental car for the day cost us about $45 USD.
*Note: Like we stated above, make sure that you receive a copy of all rental agreements and that you get the chance to walk around and inspect the car with the sales representative. Mind the rules of the road and drive with caution as locals drive aggressively. And again, the road signage is in Spanish!
Now that we have the essentials covered, let’s get into the fun stuff! You have arrived at your carefully chosen hotel via a carefully chosen mode of transportation and are now ready to have an adventure! Let’s chat about all the things you can get up to during your trip to Tulum!
Where to eat in Tulum
Let’s just start by saying WOW the food here is incredible. Tulum is a foodie’s paradise. Out of every meal we had, only one was a disappointment. ONE! Isn’t that crazy? We have never been to a destination before and been so pleasantly surprised by basically every restaurant we visited. And there are such a wide variety of restaurants here, there is something for every palate and budget!
Tata Tulum $$
Located in the Tulum Beach area, this cute little beach front restaurant is part of Tata Tulum Hotel. This was the first restaurant that we decided to try after arriving at our hotel. This restaurant is very casual and laid back, perfect for lunch or apps! Everything here is reasonably priced (some of the cheapest beer in the Beach Area) and the food was delicious! We had the Guacamole, Baja Fish Tacos and Shrimp Tacos. The service was excellent, and everyone was very friendly. They also take USD, Pesos and Credit Cards!
Raw Love $$-$$$
This Instagram famous restaurant was our favorite breakfast spot in Tulum. Located in the Ahau Tulum Hotel, this spot makes you feel like you are eating in a hidden jungle paradise! They are most famous for their smoothies bowls, but they also serve up a variety of healthy dishes from Avocado Toast to Coconut Curry, as well as lots of fresh juices! They are plant based restaurant that is gluten and dairy free. Went went to Raw Love twice during our stay. We ordered the Berry Love and the Tropical Kiss Smoothie Bowls our first visit. Our second visit we ordered the Avocado Toast and Maca-Vanilla Milkshake as a bowl! Everything was so yummy! If we had to pick a favorite bowl though it was definitely the Maca-Vanilla Milkshake!
Tropical Kiss and Berry Love
Maca-Vanilla Milkshake and Avacado Toast
The Real Coconut $$-$$$
We stumbled upon this place by accident and what a happy accident it was! This restaurant is located in Sanara Tulum Hotel and is right on the beach. You have a choice of sitting inside of the restaurant or outside on the covered patio. The decor here is phenomenal and the food was just as amazing. This restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is gluten free, grain free and diary free. We had lunch here and ordered the Fish and Chips and the Nacho Bowl! WOW. The flavors are phenomenal and knowing that everything you are eating is sustainably sourced makes it that much better! Long story short is…you need to eat here.
Kin TOh (azulik) $$$$
Kin Toh is located at Azulik Hotel and is the front runner of the most beautiful restaurants in Tulum! This restaurant is located in what feels like a tree-house in the sky, and is home to the Instagram famous hammock-like nets and nests with views of the Mayan Jungle. You can visit this restaurant for dinner by making a reservation OR by standing in line prior to their opening at 5:30pm each night. This place is magical. We definitely recommend making a visit here.
La Popular (Nomade) $$-$$$
Nomade is another Instagram famous hotel at the far end of the Tulum Beach area with beautiful grounds and two very popular restaurants. We tried the very properly named La Popular for dinner and it did not disappoint! It is an open air restaurant located right on the beach. The atmosphere is incredible. They had a live band the night that we were there, and we watched the sun set over Tulum as we ate the most incredible meal! We ordered the Calamari, Tuna Steak, Roasted Eggplant, Roasted Sweet Peppers with Tomatoes and Potato Wedges (because we are 7 years old at heart). We loved everything we ate and would put this in our top 5 meals we had during our stay in Tulum. Also, this and the other restaurant in the Nomade Complex only take credit card!
*Note: Macondo is the Moroccan Inspired restaurant located at Nomade. This is the restaurant with low tables and floor seating that you have likely seen on Instagram.
Taboo Tulum $$$$
This is currently rated as the #2 restaurant in Tulum on TripAdvisor therefore we had to try it! We had such an incredible experience here and can definitely see why it is so highly rated. Not only is Taboo serving up a phenomenal range of dishes, but they also have a list of signature cocktails that are to die for. The showmanship at this restaurant is unbelievable, whether it be a cocktail made with dry ice or a whole salmon cooked table-side by your server with fire, they pull out all the stops to ensure that you leave there dazzled.
We ordered the Calamari, Lamb Shanks with Grilled Potatoes and the Capellini with Clams. Everything was incredible, and we couldn’t decide what dish we liked more. We also ordered the Dessert Platter to share (please note that this is meant to be shared with more than two people as it comes with four full sized desserts LOL, #challengeaccepted)
*Note: Special thank you to our Server Adrian for the incredible experience as well as the Managers Hugo and Oscar for being so attentive!
BAL NAK $$-$$$
This is currently the #1 rated restaurant in Tulum. This was the most incredible dining experience and the food and drinks were phenomenal. The manager came to our table before our service started and explained the story behind this restaurant. Every ingredient was sustainably sourced from different regions in Mexico and were prepared in the traditional Mexican way. The menu is full of beautiful dishes that represent the heart and culture of Mexico! We were so touched by the story and blown away by the food. We ordered the Pork Belly Confit, Smoked Short Rib and Grilled Loin Steak. Best meal we had in Tulum. Hands Down. If you are heading to Tulum you MUST go here.
*Note: The integrity of the staff was incredible. One couple lost their phone in a cab before getting to this restaurant and the entire staff helped them track down the cab to get it back!
Posada Margherita $$-$$$
Be transported to the Italian Coast at this cute restaurant and hotel located right on the beach! You have the option to dine in the restaurant or right on the sand. They also have a Wood-fire Pizzeria which is separate from the restaurant itself where you can dine in or get it for takeout! This restaurant was located right next to our hotel, Hotelito Azul, and we could see it from our balcony. This place was PACKED. Every night. Although we did not eat dinner here, we decided to get a pizza to go for lunch one day and eat it on the beach! The pizza had thin crust and fresh ingredients, and we would definitely recommend it!
Mateo’s Mexican Grill $$-$$$
This restaurant is a popular, open air restaurant on the jungle side of the Tulum Beach road. They have live music every night and a sport’s bar side for those who need to catch a game (AKA: Jake and his football.) The food was delicious and the beer is reasonably priced! We ordered the Guacamole (see a trend here?), Baja Fish Bites and the Chicken and Pork tacos. Everything was delicious, the atmosphere was laid back and we had so much fun here!
Antojitos La Chiapaneca $
This restaurant is located in Tulum Town. They are serving up the most delicious authentic Mexican food at incredible prices. We found this restaurant from a Google search. It has thousands of excellent reviews on TripAdvisor so we had to try it! They are famous for their tacos, specifically their Al Pastor Tacos. Tacos cost $10 Pesos each which works out to about $0.50 USD. We tried the Al Pastor Tacos, Chicken Tacos, Tostada Al Pastor, the Chicken Quesadilla and Guacamole. Everything was delicious, and if it wasn’t so far away from our hotel we would most definitely have ate here again. This was by far the cheapest meal that we had during our stay and one of the most delicious!
Other places we should mention
Hartwood – previously rated as the #1 restaurant in Tulum, this is an open air restaurant serving up phenomenal food. Hartwood is a dinner only restaurant that is 100% off the grid and focuses on sustainability. This restaurant is crazy busy and requires a reservation to secure your spot! They do take walk in’s but the line is usually incredibly long.
Burrito Amor – This restaurant is located in Tulum Town and is a budget friendly restaurant that is serves authentic Mexican food, specifically Burritos! We know quite a few people who recommended it but just never got the chance to make it here!
Gitano – This is a restaurant and bar combo that is the place to go to on Friday nights! They have a great assortment of drinks at the bar and an area that turns into a dance floor with music from a live DJ!
Things to do In Tulum
cenotes
What is a cenote you ask? Long story short it is a natural sinkhole that is formed after limestone bedrock collapses and exposes the groundwater underneath. They are known for their stunning crystal clear waters and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There are over 6000 cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula! Luckily, there quite a few located in close proximity to Tulum for you to visit.
The Grand Cenote
This is one of the most popular cenotes in the Tulum area. It is absolutely gorgeous and gets insanely busy! Go early in the morning to have a piece of this beautiful paradise for just yourself and a few others.
Cenote Calavera
This cenote is located just down the road from the Grand Cenote and can be easily done the same day! This one was our absolute favorite and was SO much fun. This Cenote is for the adventurous folks as it is deep and the only method to get in is either jumping in or using the ladder!
CEnote Dos Ojos
This cenote is located just a little further away from Tulum than the others mentioned above, but is worth the visit! This cenote is known for beautiful snorkeling and scuba diving!
Cenote Ik Kil
This cenote is located approximately 2 hours away from Tulum. It can be accessed via rental car (what we did) OR you can join a tour! This is arguably one of the most picturesque cenotes in the Yucatan Peninsula. You walk down steps carved into the bedrock and come out to a platform greeted by long hanging vines and lush greenery on the walls surrounding the beautiful emerald water. This cenote is incredible. We had so much fun jumping in from the various platforms!
*Note: This cenote is VERY busy during the day as this is a popular spot on many tours from surrounding cities. Arrive early to have this stunning cenote all to yourself .
Cenote Suytun
This cenote is also located approximately 2 hours away from Tulum. Again, a rental car or a tour are the best ways to get here! This cenote is located within a cave. It has a small opening at the top and at the right time of day, a light beam shines in and makes for an incredible sight to see. This cenote felt like we were transported into an Indiana Jones movie!
Beaches
The beaches in Tulum are stunning. Beautiful white sand and clear turquoise waters! Most people that visit Tulum go there to do some much needed R&R. The boutique hotel area has well kept beaches but do require a minimum spend to use their facilities if you are not a guest.
There is a public beach in Tulum which does not require you to pay unless you plan on using an establishment’s facilities! The public beach is where the famous “leaning palm tree” is!
Mayan Ruins
Tulum Ruins
The Tulum Ruins are located approximately 3 kilometers away from the Tulum Town centre. They are right along the ocean and make for an incredible sight to see. The best time to visit is right when they open in the morning (about 8am) as this site is popular for tours that arrive mid-morning to early early afternoon. There is a secret beach here that you can swim at also, so bring your swimsuit!
Chichen ITza
This world famous set of ruins is located approximately 2 hours away from Tulum and can be accessed via rental car or by joining a tour! Arrive early to beat the crowds as we got there mid-day and it was a zoo! There is an option to have a guided tour with your entrance ticket to learn more about the history of this magical place.
Coba Ruins
These ruins are located approximately 45 minutes outside of Tulum! You can get here by renting a car, using a tour or taking a taxi. You can climb one of the ruins at this site! Most archeological sites do not permit this anymore so this is a unique opportunity!
Other Things to know about Tulum
Water Safety
The tap water is NOT safe to drink Tulum. It is not recommended to use it to brush your teeth either. Use bottles of water provided by your hotel for all your drinking water needs.
Insects
We read about tourists experiencing bug bites in Tulum and boy they weren’t kidding. Bring insect repellent with you everywhere you go. The odd time we did forget ours, restaurants would provide us with some if we were dining out.
We hope that this post inspires some wanderlust in you! We absolutely loved Tulum. This trip was a perfect blend of relaxation and adventure. Tulum was magical, we hope you have as much fun there as we did!
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