The Essential Tulum Travel Guide
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Cancun International Airport is the nearest airport to Tulum. If you are arriving by airplane, you will have to fly into Cancun. The drive is approximately 1.5 hours to Tulum, or a little more if the traffic is bad. From Playa Del Carmen, the drive is approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, south. The drive is pretty straight down the double lane coastal highway.
I highly recommend getting a private transfer from the Cancun airport to Tulum. There are many companies that come highly rated. Pre-booked transfers cost about $120 USD, but you’ll you have a car waiting for you as soon as you get through customs with A/C blasting (my driver even offered me beers and snacks). You can also save some bucks by doing a shared van with other groups. Either way, compare prices and read what others have to say on TripAdvisor.
Tulum is divided into two areas: the town (pueblo) and the beach (playa). They’re about 3 miles apart from one another. Tulum Beach is the stretch of businesses and hotels along the beach with one main road running down the entire length. Tulum town is off the beach—it is more affordable with lots of authentic flair. If you can swing it, I highly recommend you book a hotel with beach access.
Almost every single beachfront hotel (I’ll share my favorites below) will give you access to their private beach, pool and amenities if you eat a meal there. That’s a great way to save $$$ on a hotel if you can’t splurge on a beachfront hotel.
Pesos are the main currency used here although some places will accept USD. Cash is preferred at most places (although almost all the restaurants take cards) and getting enough Pesos for taxis, street food, gratuity and vendors is essential.
Brushing up on your Spanish is always a good idea, but even more so when venturing to Tulum. While English gets you far in most cities in Mexico, Tulum is a bit more remote than you’d expect.
There is no Uber or ride sharing apps in Tulum, but taxis are everywhere and super easy to catch.
The most reliable bank in town for getting money is Scotiabank — ATMs by the beach are not known to be reliable and are ripe with fraud. Many will give you dollars only or Pesos and have high transaction rates. Take care of this at the airport before heading into town.
PACK THAT INSECT REPELLENT! You will get eaten alive even if you’re not usually susceptible to mosquito bites. Most of the hotels are beach front, which means less mosquitos, but it’s important to note that most restaurants are on the jungle site of the road, which means you’ll be surrounded by bugs. Spray that repellent all over those legs, arms and ankles. Most hotels and restaurants will have several brands + bottles readily available for your spraying pleasure.
You may have heard about the Algae Bloom and/or Seaweed issue in Tulum (ugh global warming). There’s a brown seaweed that lives in the open ocean that’s washing up on beaches across with Caribbean. It traps sea turtles (I hope Squirt from Finding Nemo is ok) and legit smells like terrible rotting eggs. Most beachfront properties will have teams cleaning it up throughout the day, but it’s still there. It’s worth noting because your trip to Tulum pretty much revolves around beach time and I don’t want to mislead anyone expecting Caribbean turquoise, clear water at every corner. There are seasons when it’s worse, so definitely check up on this before booking your trip.
Tulum has an overall off-the-beaten-path vibe. If you’re expecting a huge chain hotel resort with a 24-hour buffet, this isn’t where you’ll find it. Getting trendier by the second, it’s also not the cheapest place. Most restaurants had Manhattan and San Francisco prices, if I’m being totally honest.
WHERE TO STAY
As a reminder, you can gain access to almost every single beachfront hotel’s amenities (private beach, pools, restaurants, bars) as long as you eat or drink at their restaurants. You could literally have breakfast at one hotel, grab cocktails at another and lunch at a third to see more of Tulum (I’m a lover of hotels—architecture, food, design—so, this is a strategy I definitely implement whole traveling). It also makes it a whole lot easier to be ballin’ on a budget when it comes to accommodations or even staying in an Airbnb.
Here are the properties in Tulum that I absolutely love and recommend:
PAPAYA PLAYA PROJECT
BE TULUM
AZULIK
TATA TULUM
NOMADE
EL PEZ
COCO TULUM
WHERE TO EAT + DRINK
Hartwood: This is known as the best restaurant in Tulum. Make reservations in advance!
ARCA: Tasting menu vibes for the foodie.. Incredibly great food, but not for the picky eater.
Gitano: VIBES. This place is a must for me because the food is great, cocktails craft and ambiance is lit. Incredible people watching and it turns up (apparently Friday nights is the most crackin’)
Mezzanine: Thai Mexican fusion. Good place for foodies.
Posada Margherita: Pasta in Mexico? It’s a thing. It’s all handmade and incredible.
Origami Gelato: Ice Cream is my jam, but especially in Mexico.
Rosa Negra: Good food, good drinks and a wild party at night.
Casa Malca: Pablo Escobar's old mansion is now a hotel, So, if you’re a Narcos fan, you should go here. The property is pretty incredible. I suggest going here for breakfast or lunch with a side of cocktails and take advantage of their unique pools, hammocks + day beds.
Casa Jaguar: Turns into a bit of a club after 11pm. Turn up or just go for food, drinks and great people watching.
Mateo’s Mexican Grill: Great food, cocktails & live music
La Onda: Best Pizza in Tulum (I have this weird tradition where I have to try pizza in every city I travel to).
Vegan and Healthy Options:
The Real Coconut*
Raw Love*
Charlys Vegan Tacos*
Nomade: Possibly the prettiest hotel in Tulum. This place is VERY healthy and only serves raw, paleo friendly food.
El Gourmet: Fresh juices & smoothies
Places to eat in Tulum Town:
Antojitos Tulum: Amazing street al pastor taco with fried cheese (OMG)
Burrito Amor: Most delicious food in a town. And, best of all, the average price is only about 100 pesos ($5.25). This is absolutely one of the best places to eat in Tulum. Please go here.
La Riviera Costeña: This is an authentic spot in Tulum town to have al pastor tacos (my absolute favorite kinda tacos)
El Capitan: Best Fish Tacos in Tulum town
Don Cafeto: Super cheap, delicious Mexican food with live music
BEACH CLUBS
Every single hotel I listed will let you use their facilities if you eat or drink at their property (I know, I’ve said this 3x now, but it’s honestly my favorite thing about Tulum), but here are the beach clubs I recommend (and FYI I LOVE a beach club. I’m all about a day party and rarely ever caught in any type of after hours situation, so call me a beach club expert):
Hotels listed above, but that have v noteworthy beach club situations:
Papaya Playa Project - This is my favorite hotel in Tulum. Hands down. The food, the beach, the pool. This is my happy place.
Nomade - A bit more boho and earthy than lit + turnt, but the decor is gorgeous and if you’re looking for very chill vibes, this is it)
Habitas - I didn’t mention this one (it’s also a gorgeous hotel), but it’s worth nothing that their food is SO GOOD and their pools are pretty dang Instagrammable
TATA Tulum - I love this hotel and I think it’s a fabulous beach side experience
Traditional Beach Clubs:
Taboo Tulum - I REALLY LIKE THIS PLACE. It feels like Saint Tropez or Mykonos, honestly. It’s a vibe. The food is SO GOOD, cocktails STRONG, people watching LIT and just overall so much fun. Oh, and they have Hookah (sorry, I’m Middle Eastern). I think I will go here for a day every single time I come to Tulum.
La Zebra - Luxe AF and very memorable.
Ziggy Beach Club - The food here is absolutely amazing and, for a beach club, very reasonably priced.
THINGS TO DO
Honestly, my favorite things to do in Tulum are to lounge beach side, relax a heck of a lot and eat. I’ve been to Tulum 4 times now (family, with a boyfriend and with friends—so, all the types of trips) and each time it was a different experience. As always, I love Airbnb Experiences and highly recommend you check these out first before making plans for excursions on your own—they usually come with transportation, a meal, VIP access if there are lines involved and a whole lot of peace of mind.. If you’re looking for some adventure, here are some great things to do:
Cenotes
I am a big swimming, scuba, snorkeling enthusiast. So, a visit to the Cenotes or some type of Snorkeling dextionation is usually high on my list of musts whenever at a beach destination. There are thousands of cenotes in the area surrounding Tulum, so visiting these cave-like sinkholes are really a choose-your-own-adventure experience. If you’ve rented a car you can go on your own or hire a guide to take you for the day. The options are literally endless, but visiting at least one is a must during your stay!
Mayan Ruins
Full disclosure: I hated this with a burning passion because it was hot AF, way too many hours away from the beach and truly not my cup of tea. However, some people are very into this experience. If you’re staying in Tulum, the Tulum Ruins are the only ruins built directly adjacent to the sea and they’re just 10 minutes from the center of town by car. For a completely different experience, you can visit the Coba ruins which are situated right in the jungle. If you want to go on a little road trip, you can also visit the most famous ruins in the Yucatan Peninsula, Chichen Itza (which I hate even more and absolutely don’t recommend) which are about a three hours drive one way from Tulum.
SPA DAY
Much more my speed, a day at the spa! There is no shortage of spas in Tulum, but the Yaan Wellness spa is a stunning facility located across the road from Be Tulum that’s been recognized by both National Geographic and Conde Nast. While treatments and spa packages can get pretty pricey, there are affordable day passes that will allow you to enjoy the steam room, sauna, warm and cool pools and lounging areas. There are also beach side massages you can look up that are way more affordable—after all, when you’ve got a beach this gorgeous, why be stuck inside?
River Float the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve
This nature preserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest protected area in the Mexican Caribbean. There are many different types of tours you can book to visit this area, but I think the river float might be the way to go.
RIDE Bikes
This is a super fun thing to do at least one of the days you’re in Tulum. You can rent bikes (most beachfront hotels have complimentary bikes) to take them to Tulum town (this is what I would do) or down to the beach depending on where you’re staying. Traveling by bike throughout Tulum Beach is v efficient tbh, so make a day of it and lead your own self guided hop-on-hop-off bike tour.
Yoga by the Beach
If you haven’t figured it out by now, Tulum is a very wellness forward destination. Yoga, meditation, raw foods, tumeric shots—they’re everywhere. Embrace the culture of Tulum by taking a yoga class. If your hotel doesn’t offer free classes (you’d be surprised how many do), the studio at Sanara offers classes for $20 USD a pop with gorgeous ocean views.
