Tulum has been on my travel bucket list for a while now. I know … this is a bit silly since I live just steps from the beach in San Diego and we’re just 20 miles from the border with Mexico.
But the white sand beaches and the clear, turquoise-blue waters of Tulum have been calling to me. So I packed up my family this past Thanksgiving and we flew across the country to go check out this trendy vacation spot on the Yucatan peninsula.
Here’s the recap of our fun trip!
Tulum Travel Guide
How to Get to Tulum:
It’s actually pretty easy to get to Tulum. We flew into Cancun, which is Mexico’s second-largest airport (behind Mexico City). The airport is modern and serves several US carriers including American, Delta, United, Jetblue, and Southwest.
From Cancun, we took a private car service to our hotel. The drive is about 1.5-2 hours. The car service was arranged through our hotel and cost $140 each way or $260 round trip (cash only!).
You can also easily rent a car. The drive is pretty straightforward — you just follow the highway down the coast. And I’ve had lots of friends do this without a problem. But there are also those stories of people being pulled over for no reason and having to pay cash “fines” to the police before being allowed to continue. So if you decide to go this route, I’d recommend doing some further research.
Tulum Travel Guide: Where to Stay in Tulum
For our stay, we picked the Encantada Tulum — and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s a beautiful, boho-chic, 8-bedroom boutique hotel right on the sand on the southern end of the Tulum beach road. And while it might look rustic with it’s thatched roofs, it comes with all the luxe amenities you expect from a top hotel including a great hotel restaurant and bar.
Plus, the staff and the service were amazing! Everyone was so nice and welcoming and helped make our stay so special.
We stayed in an oceanfront upstairs room which was located just feet from the beach and came with a perfect ocean view (you can watch the sunrise from bed!). The large room was equipped with a super comfy king-size bed, hardwood floors, and a large private wrap-around deck with a hammock. The room also had a ceiling fan and A/C for when the ocean breeze just isn’t enough.
Other Tulum Hotel Ideas:
- The happening 44-room Nomade Tulum, which is located just south of Encantada Tulum.
- Nest Tulum, an intimate, 12-room beachside hotel.
- The 19-room Sanara Tulum features beachside yoga and a wellness center.
Tips: I would definitely recommend picking a hotel on the beach. And I’d also pick one with A/C — at least in the bedrooms. We were there in late November and it was still hot and humid!
Tulum Travel Guide: Where to Eat in Tulum
Tulum is a great spot for foodies. From raw juice to homemade pasta served beachside to fresh shrimp tacos served on homemade tortillas — Tulum has something (delicious) for everyone!
Our Favorite Spots to Eat in Tulum:
Arca: Arca was our favorite restaurant in Tulum! Helmed by renowned Chef Jose Luis Hinostroza, who’s worked at several top restaurants (Alinea in Chicago, El Cellar de Can Roca in Spain, Noma in Copenhagen), Arca serves up delicious, seasonal, “fire to table” dishes in a stylish, open-air jungle setting. Our favorites included the grilled avocado, the roasted squash, the grilled octopus and the suckling pig. The drinks were also great! You can make a reservation via email here.
Nü Tulum: We ate at this open-air, contemporary Mexican restaurant on our first night in Tulum and we loved it! It’s located in the jungle across the street from our hotel, Encantada Tulum. Our favorite dishes included: the pork belly tacos, the duck mole, the tostada, and the grilled fish. You can make a reservation on Open Table.
Hartwood: Hartwood might be Tulum’s most famous restaurant (and a good spot for celebrity sightings). Located on the jungle side of the main Tulum beach road, this cash-only, outdoor restaurant serves up a new, seafood-heavy menu every night. The night we visited it was super busy and despite a reservation, we waited over an hour for our table, which was annoying despite the good cocktails. But the food was excellent, especially the fresh grilled fish. To make reservations, email: reservations@hartwoodtulum.com.
Tips: While we had no problem with drinks or ice at the restaurants we ate at, the hotel did remind us not to drink the water from the tap or the shower. They also provided us a jug of potable water every day.
Tulum Travel Guide: What to Do in Tulum
If you can bring yourself to put down your cocktail and leave your beach lounge chair, there are several cool things to explore nearby including several Mayan ruin sites.
Here’s a recap of our top adventures in Tulum:
The Tulum Ruins:
This impressive 13-century (pre-Columbian), walled Mayan archeology site is located on the ocean just north of the main beach road in Tulum. It’s very easy to get to and it took just a few minutes from our hotel in a cab.
The park is open Thursday-Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and costs 70 pesos (about $3.75) per person. Make sure to bring cash!
We visited early in the morning and it was already very crowded — and hot! Make sure to bring a hat, sunscreen, and water.
Tip: While you can’t climb the ruins, you can jump into the water and swim at the beach right below the ruins. So don’t forget to pack your swimsuit and a towel.
The Coba Ruins:
If you’re feeling a bit more ambitious, you can head to another Mayan ruin, Coba, which is located in the jungle about 25 miles north of Tulum.
The ancient city of Coba was first settled between 100 BC and 300 AD and at its height, it was home to an estimated 50,000 people. Today, you can explore the many impressive ruins scattered over this large archeological park.
And yes, you can still climb the 130-step Ancient Pyramid. Just beware, it’s a pretty steep climb and the stones are slippery, but the view from the top is worth it!
The ruins are open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is 75 pesos (about $4) per person (make sure to bring cash!). We took a private, guided tour arranged by our hotel. But it would be easy to drive from Tulum and tour the site without a guide.
Tips: You can easily walk on the flat white dirt road, or Sacbe, from the entrance of the site to the pyramid. But there are also bikes available to rent (as well as bike “taxis”), which is a fun way to explore the site.
Other Fun Things to do in Tulum:
- Take a day trip to the ruins of Chichen Itza. We didn’t make it to this site during our trip but I hope to on our next visit!
- Swim in a cenote, a freshwater limestone sinkhole. Popular ones include Cenotes Dos Ojos, near Tulum and Ik Kil Cenote, next to Chichen Itza.
- Visit the small beach town of Akumal for a chance to swim with turtles.
- Take a nature or snorkeling tour of the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site just south of Tulum.
Tulum Travel Guide: Things to Know Before You Go to Tulum
Best Time of Year to Visit Tulum: There are a few things to keep in mind when planning a trip to Tulum. The first is the Caribbean hurricane season, which lasts from the beginning of June to the end of November, with peak times from August to October. You’ll also want to avoid Sargassum (a foul-smelling seaweed) season, which runs from April to August.
Make Sure to Bring Cash: Many of the places we visited, including restaurants, only took cash (pesos).
Bike with Care: Just a heads up! If you’re like me, you’ve seen lots of gorgeous photos of people biking down the main beach road in Tulum. But when we were there, the road was torn apart and under construction (new power and sewer lines) and the road was bumper-to-bumper cars and taxis.
It’s Still the Jungle: With all the luxury hotels, great restaurants, and the gorgeous, white-sand beaches, it’s easy to forget you’re in a pretty remote location in the jungle. So plan accordingly. Also, our hotel supplied eco-friendly bug spray but if bugs are an issue for you, you might want to consider bringing some of your own. And don’t be surprised if they pull out the smokey copal resin (a natural tree resin) incense they use to ward off mosquitos in the middle of dinner.
Looking for more travel guides? Check out the recent recap of my two-day girls trip to Chicago or my recent Northern California road trip.