Tulum is a magical beach town in the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico. With a jungle climate, warm weather year-round, delicious cuisine, and a welcoming vibe- it’s easy to understand why so many people fall in love with the town. Sipping on a Margarita and laying on a beachside chair listening to the sound of the ocean waves were just some of the things that I was looking forward to the most before visiting Tulum to celebrate my birthday and I was not disappointed. I’ve created this Tulum travel guide to share our favorite places to eat, explore and stay.
We visited Tulum in late January, flew from Austin to Cancun Thursday Morning, took a shuttle, and checked into our hotel around 4 pm. We explored Tulum until Sunday- which was a good amount of time, but I would recommend staying an extra day where you have nothing planned and just relax by the beach.
Our Itinerary:
- Thursday:
- Fly into Cancun, ride a shuttle to Tulum, and check into our hotel, Rosa Del Viento
- Lunch at Raw Love
- Walk around Tulum Beach Road
- Dinner at Arca
- Friday:
- Cenote Tour
- Sightsee/Shopping in Tulum town
- Dinner at Gitano
- Saturday:
- Ride a Moped to the Tulum Ruins
- Relax by the beach
- Dinner at Rosa Negra
- Drinks at Casa Jaguar
- Sunday:
- Fly back to Austin
Where we stayed:
We stayed at Rosa del Viento, a beachside hotel in Tulum Beach. Tulum is separated into two sections – Tulum town and Tulum Beach. Tulum Beach is a tourist hub, with one main road filled with restaurants and boutiques, and hotels along the beach. Rosa del Viento is the last beachside hotel which made it more affordable than the other beachside hotels but it did require us to spend a little more on taxis.
Where we ate:
- Breakfast was included in our hotel stay so we ate delicious chilaquiles, omelets, and pancakes at our hotel each morning.
- Rosa Negra was one of our favorite restaurants, they serve amazing Mexican food and the service is the best. They knew it was my birthday
- Gitano is such an aesthetically pleasing restaurant, they serve modern Mexican food. They also have really great mezcal cocktails.
- Arca: We stumbled upon Arca on our first night out, while walking down the main beach street and were pleasantly surprised at how delicious the food was.
- Casa Jaguar- We visited Casa Jaguar for drinks after dinner at Rosa Negra. Casa jaguar has such a cool vibe, with a jungle atmosphere and delicious drinks.
- Casa Violeta– located inside the hotel, casa Violeta is so cute and was one of my favorite restaurants. It has tons of healthy options, like tortillas made from beets.
- Origami Gelato– if you need a mid-day snack- Origami has delicious gelato.
- Raw Love- super healthy and delicious meals, with a lot of them being vegan.
What to do:
- Visit a Cenote
- Cenotes are underground bodies of water that are created when the ground breaks and exposes the water. There are tons of cenotes around Tulum and they are all connected. This was our first time visiting a Cenote so I booked an Airbnb experience to guide us. The tour began in Tulum town in the morning and biking to two cenotes, Cenote Crystal and Cenote Escondido. Both Cenotes were so naturally beautiful and because we arrived early, it was not crowded at all. Our tour guide Marcela was super knowledgeable on the cenotes and it was great to understand more of Tulum from a local.
- Visit the Tulum Ruins
- Located right next to the ocean, the Tulum Ruins date back to B.C. Mayan era and have tons of history. There are temples dedicated to the Sun God, Wind God, and more.
- Spend the day at the beach
- Bike down the main beach road
- The main beach road is mainly surrounded beachside hotels as well as cute local boutiques, restaurants, and bars.
- Shop in Tulum Town
- After visiting the cenotes, we walked around Tulum town and perused the shops. There are a ton of shops selling local-to-Mexico products and you can easily spend an afternoon exploring all of the shops in downtown Tulum.
Cenote Crystal
Things to know before visiting Tulum:
- There is no airport in Tulum, the closest airport is in Cancun, so you have to book a shuttle or rent a car, and drive about 2 hours to arrive to Tulum.
- There are no app ride-sharing services, so you’ll have to use a cab or rent a car to get around.
- The wifi is very spotty
- Some hotels do not have air conditioner
- Make reservations for dinner at least two weeks ahead of time to avoid waiting for a table or not finding a place to eat.
- Make sure to book any tours in advance and try not to fall for tourist traps
I absolutely fell in love with Tulum and can’t wait to visit again.
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