My Top Tips and Recommendations

Tulum was so much more than I expected, and even though I did my research, we ended up making a lot of in-the-moment choices that brought us to some really great spots we didn’t hear about before hand. So while there is a lot of knowledge available about the hotel strip on Boca Paila, there is so much more to enjoy in town now too, especially if you’re looking for good food and unique experiences that don’t break the bank (I know I am!). There is so much more to Tulum than the 2-3 places you always see on Insta, although Instagram and Pinterest posts definitely paved the way and helped inspire me to visit Tulum. Now I hope to share a bit of what we discovered on the not-so-beaten path, my recommendations on how to make the most of your time here, and what I’d love to check out next time we come back!

When planning our trip to Tulum, I really wanted to make it a road trip where we drove to a new part of the Yucatan peninsula each day or so. There really are so many places to see and things to do, from exploring the yellow city of Izamal to chocolate tasting in Valladolid! Although that didn’t pan out due to shifting the focus of the trip to scuba certification, I really liked how we ended up staying part of the time out at the beach, and the remainder in town at a super cute little airbnb. Splitting our time between the beach and the town gave our trip a nice balance.

• Enabled us to enjoy some splurge activities (like dining at Azulik, Nomade, and Mezzanine) by eating cheap in town

• Allowed us to arrive early to the Tulum ruins and beat the crowds to the beach in the mornings

• Thanks to our airbnb host’s stellar dining recommendations, we explored some of the lesser-known restaurants of Tulum town with confidence

We thought the food was better in Pueblo all around - better prices and better quality. Although several of the boutique hotels on Boca Paila do have some really interesting restaurant concepts which were cool to check out, we found the quality of the food and drinks was average for the price we were paying. Pueblo, or Tulum Town, really surpassed all our expectations. It had so many hidden gems of restaurants and everyone we met seemed really friendly, down to earth and interesting.

Top Travel Tips for Tulum

• When to visit Tulum: We visited in December to escape the winter and holiday madness, but next time I would visit sometime March-June for less crowds and more whale sharks!

• How much we budgeted: Your budget depends on your tastes and preferences and when you travel. Many places in Tulum offer a discount in price if you pay with pesos. Paying with credit card often incurs an additional processing fee. We love finding good deals when we travel, so most of our budgeting will reflect that. Here’s what we found:

  • Hotels and Restaurants on the beach are more expensive than places in town. Peak season in Tulum is December to March. Off-peak is June - November (hurricane season).

  • Car rental was the best way to get around for us as we liked the independence and freedom of traveling on our own time. The buses from the airport to Tulum didn’t work with our schedule but they are worth looking at if you’re into that. Do your research on car insurance.

  • Pesos are the best way to pay. We each brought about $250 usd worth of pesos to use for our daily dining budget over 6 days, and used a travel rewards credit card for a few splurge meals at the hotels, and it was the perfect amount of cash.

• Create a top five bucket list: Shoutout to Selena over at @FindUsLost for this tip; it really helped me plan activities to maximize our time.

• Best Morning Activities: The cenotes, beaches, and ruins are less crowded in the morning. If you are looking for the best photographs, I would spend one morning shooting at the cenotes, one morning shooting on the beach, and one really early morning getting to the Mayan Ruins first thing!

• Best Midday Activities: Scuba diving or snorkeling with Infinity2Diving, the only 5-star rated dive center in Tulum. Tulum lies on a stretch of the second longest barrier reef ecosystem in the world, the Meso-American reef. We saw bull sharks, sting rays, moray eels, spiny lobster, and giant schools of fish.

• Best Afternoon Activities: Explore Boca Paila by bike, then pick from a selection of beautiful, boujee hotels for drinks or apps. You could easily spend 4-5 days exploring the different boutique hotels, shops, restaurants and bars on Boca Paila alone. We only made it to Azulik and Nomade and both were truly unique places.

• Best Sunrises/Sunsets: Tulum is located on the Eastern shore of the Yucatan peninsula, so the sun rises over the water and sets over the jungle. The famous leaning palm tree on Playa Paraiso is a good spot for sunrise! There are a few rooftop bars and restaurants to view sunset from, like Azulik’s Kin Toh.

• Best Nightlife: All the locals recommended Batey (“Bah-tee”) Mojito Bar for drinks and live music in town. We didn’t get to Gitano this time, but we heard this bar on the beach has great cocktails and music.

*Pro Tip* On the road to the beach, there is a huge grocery store. We would pick up a 6-pack of Tecate there for $3 usd, then bike down to Sunrise Beach and enjoy them while people watching.

*Bonus Tip* Plan an hour for the bike ride from town to Nomade, as it’s farther away than it seems. Expect heavy traffic and lots of weirdly spaced speedbumps. The Tuluminati love their speedbumps. Be extremely careful biking after dark especially on the stretch between Nomade and Azulik where there is no bike path.

Our ‘Top 5’ Bucket List

Here were my ‘Top-Five’ experiences I wanted to accomplish while we were there. We never got down to Bacalar this trip, so that will have to carry over to next time we come back:

1. Bike down Boca Paila (Azulik, Casa Malca, Matcha Mama, Nomade)

2. Swim in a Cenote (Grand, Suytun, Calavera, Azul)

3. Go Scuba Diving (4 open water dives in 2 days)

4. Explore Mayan Ruins (Chitchen Itza, Calakmul, Muyil, Coba)

5. Swing Over Lagoon in Bacalar

Places of Interest

When I was planning our trip, these were the places that sparked my curiosity and travel bug! There are a lot of outdoor activities here, and luckily the weather cooperated with us. We were worried when the forecast showed rain every day of our trip, but it never actually rained on us. My recommendation for rainy weather in Tulum, would be to pack a rain jacket and go about your day - the rain usually passes quickly. Good thing about rain: clouds make photos more dramatic!

Activities Near Tulum

Within biking or walking distance from Tulum Pueblo or Boca Paila:

• Tulum Ruins - A must-see while in Tulum. These ancient Mayan ruins are built on the seaside cliffs of Tulum. Keep an eye out for iguanas and coatimundis!

• Infinity2Diving - The only 5-star PADI certified dive center in Tulum. We loved diving with these guys because they made us feel safe, included all our equipment and transportation, and provided delicious tamales for lunch!

• Cenote Calavera - Located within minutes from Tulum, featuring a big ladder and rope-chair. It was super fun jumping down into the cenote through several small holes in the rock!

• Grand Cenote - A very popular cenote minutes from Calavera, but if you look past the main staircase you’ll find some hidden steps down to a spot away from the crowds

• Matcha Mama - Delicious acai bowls and most Instagrammable cafe in Tulum with rope swings and surf décor. They have locations in town and on the beach road! Definitely coming back here next time.

• Art Galleries - A contemporary art gallery housed within Azulik, Ik Lab showcases artwork with a backdrop of environmentally conscious architecture. Casa Malca, formerly owned by the notorious Pablo Escobar, is now converted into an art-filled boutique hotel open to the public.

• Yoga Classes - Take a yoga class at Holistika in Pueblo, even if yoga isn’t your thing… It is a fun way to embrace the ‘hippy’ nature of Tulum :) Plus they have a jungle art walk on site.

Day Trips from Tulum

You would prefer a car or taxi to get to these places:

• Coba - Spend a morning exploring the Mayan ruins of Coba by foot or by bike, 40 minutes from Tulum. Climb an ancient pyramid to gain an unparalleled perspective of the jungle

• Coqui Coqui Residence & Spa - Perhaps the boutique hotel that stood out to me the most. Locations in Coba, Valladolid, Izamal, and Merida. Each place inspires its own unique scented perfume. The Coba location captured my heart.

• Valladolid - Step into authentic Mexicana, and explore this lively, colorful city halfway between Tulum and Chichen Itza. Try tasting some authentic sweets at the chocolate factory, or take a refreshing dip at Cenote Zaci

• Cenote Oxman - Swimming hole with deep limestone cliffs, featuring a rope swing. On the way to Chichen Itza

• Cenote Suytun - Underground swimming hole with beautiful, mystical light column in center, near Valladolid and Chichen Itza

• Sian Ka'an - Spend a day exploring Quintana Roo’s UNESCO Biosphere, featuring great reefs for snorkeling, floating amongst the mangrove canals, and the ancient Mayan ruins of Muyil

• Bacalar Lagoon - Another day trip idea: 30 minutes south of Tulum’s Boca Paila, relax by this freshwater lagoon with swings over the water, great when the seaweed is too much on the beachfront. Make a stop at Cenote Azul nearby

• Izamal - Day trip to the ‘yellow’ city to wander cobblestone streets and marvel at the colonial architecture

• Las Coloradas - A lagoon featuring water as pink as the flamingos

• Holbox - Locals only island 2 hrs north of Cancun also known as the “old Tulum”

• Cozumel - A quick ferry ride away lies this small island where you can dive along its colorful coral walls. If diving’s not your thing, rent mopeds and explore the many deserted beaches.

• Akumal - Tiny fishing village north of Tulum where you can go swimming with sea turtles or visit the Monkey Sanctuary for a fun wildlife encounter

• Other Cenotes - There are over 6,000 cenotes spattered across the Yucatan peninsula. Many are still undiscovered! See if you can convince the locals to reveal their favorite ones.

Best Dining Options In Pueblo

• Steakhouse - La Parillada - “best steak of my life” - Drew. Delicious steakhouse with outdoor seating a minute’s walk from our airbnb $$

• Craft Beer & Sports Bar - Hermana Republica - We watched the entire Clemson vs Notre Dame football game at this bar also located steps away from our airbnb, met a bunch of locals, great service and friendly waitstaff $-$$

• Tacos - Antojitos La Chiapaneca - Loved this hole in the wall taco spot where we walked out happy & full with 7 tacos, coca cola, and 2 cervezas all for under $10! $

• Italian/Mexican - La Malquerida - Italian and Mexican menus available. Enchiladas were great, and a mariachi band played La Bamba for us live in true Mexican style! $$

• Mexican Breakfast - Don Cafeto - Chilaquiles for breakfast? Yes please. Try the pickled carrots! $-$$

• Fish Tacos - Charly’s - Open air in traditional Mayan-type building with thatched roof and colorful decorations $-$$

• Best Tamales Ever - Shoutout to our Infinity2Diving scuba instructor who brought us the most delicious tamales for lunch we’ve ever tasted! Thanks again!

Dining Out In Boca Paila

• Poke Bowl - Nomade - unique Moroccan ambiance - $$-$$$

• Thai - Mezzanine - multi-tiered dining space on beach front with delicious shrimp salad and drunken noodles, but beware their magical water; water bottles cost $9 a piece here! $$-$$$

• Guacamole - Azulik - all the jungle treehouse vibes here! Kin Toh is their rooftop bar with the nets. Cenote is their more reasonably priced cafe with great breakfast, lunch, and appetizer options. Great place to come for breakfast, late lunch, or drinks and apps before dinner. $$$-$$$$

• We don’t recommend Cenzontle Jardin Secreto - we strongly suspect Drew felt unwell from eating here. Also their ribs tasted strangely like lucky charms... $$-$$$

Restaurant Ranking

Drew and I ranked each restaurant we went to on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the best score. We considered the food+drinks, ambiance, price, and averaged them out for the overall experience ranking. You can see my notes on each place for more details behind the scores.

Hopefully you found some helpful info in this travel guide to Tulum! Have an amazing trip and safe travels, and leave me a comment if you tried any of my recommendations or have any questions!

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