Tulum is by far one of my favourite destinations for a super chilled, low-key beach holiday. It contrasts Cancun in every way possible and in my opinion is way better than Cancun, especially if you aren’t about that all-inclusive holiday style catered for foreign tourists only.

 

Usually I plan long-haul holidays months and months in advance but given the ever-changing travel situation due to Covid-19 I planned this trip for my Husband’s 30th birthday a month before we departed in November 2021. I found that Tulum is such a laid-back place that I didn’t need to plan much to go out there and could easily do most of the planning on a day to day basis.

 

We decided to split our trip between staying in Tulum downtown and on the beach. Being a massive foodie, I wanted access to all of the local street food stalls and so Tulum downtown was the best option…let’s face it you can’t go to Mexico without trying all of the delicious tacos, tostadas and quesadillas, and these are all mainly found in town rather than on the beach. For the first leg of our trip I booked an incredible boho-chic vibe Airbnb (Esmeralda Boutique Residences & Hotel) for 3 nights which was in the centre of Tulum downtown and only a 15 minute cab ride to Tulum beach zone. Each day we would start with having a smoothie bowl in one of the numerous smoothie bars around town (our favourite was Matcha Mama and Raw Love), before heading either to the beach, a cenote or the Tulum Ruins for the early afternoon and stopping for a snack at one of the local taco joints (best one is Antojitos La Chiapaneca).

 

I would highly recommend visiting Casa Malca for a chilled beach day, which is one of Pueblo Escobar’s old mansions converted into a beach hotel and serves delicious seafood and drinks, and also visiting the various cenotes nearby (we went to Taak Bi Ha cenote and Jardin del Eden cenote, but other good ones are Dos Ojos, Gran Cenote, and Cenote Sac Actun). For the cenotes you need either a car, or need to agree a round-trip rate with a taxi driver as the cenotes are in the middle of nowhere and you won’t find a taxi to get back otherwise. Also don’t miss out on visiting Tulum Ruins, especially if you aren’t doing a day trip to Chichén-Itzá. I recommend going early as by 1pm it is absolutely boiling!

 

Our evenings were spent drinking margaritas, eating delicious contemporary Mexican food on the beach and then heading to one of the bars in the beach zone to finish off the night. Whilst Tulum beach zone is mainly for tourists, it is the place to go for a fun night out and for delicious twists on the Mexican cuisine (try Rosa Negra, Gitano and Macario); it is also one of the new hot-spots for celebrities as it is still very low-key and catered towards wealthier travellers who are looking for an escape from reality, so you may spot a few whilst you are out there.

After 4 days of exploring Tulum and all that it has to offer, we moved on to the Viceroy Riviera Maya Hotel for 3 nights, which is located on a secluded beach around 20 minutes outside of Playa del Carmen. This hotel was ultimate luxury and designed as the jungle meets the beach vibe, where each villa comes with a private heated pool nestled within the jungle, with indoor and outdoor showers, and only a 1 minute walk from the private beach. We were in HEAVEN! All we did for the next 3 days was chill on the beach, eat delicious seafood, drink Margaritas, and unwind completely.

Overall the trip to Tulum was magical and provided a perfect detox from the hectic London lifestyle. It definitely did not disappoint and I almost cried when we had to head home - that is how amazing it was! If you want to escape from reality, but still have a holiday that provides a mixture of beach and jungle scenery and activities then this is the place for you.

 

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or want to plan a trip to Mexico!