Tulum. The only place in the world you’ll witness woman walking down a dirt road in a jungle, dodging mopeds while stunting a brand-new Chanel bag with Louboutin heels. Then turn the corner to yogi’s finding their spiritual connection to the stars and the earth. Enter a beach bar to find a full club with one of the world’s hottest DJ’s making a “casual” appearance. To meeting the locals at the endless taco and beer stands! Tulum is an incredible mix of boujiee and down to earth, local culture and 5-star cuisine, partying and relaxation. That’s what truly makes Tulum unique and truly special.
Getting to Tulum
I am sure you have already read, to get to Tulum, you have to fly into Cancun. Tulum is about an hour and 45 minutes south, however for us, it took about 3 hours because of construction and flash rainstorms. Traffic is very unpredictable in Mexico!
We used a private car service through Canada Transfers. A week before traveling they confirmed our flight details and were waiting right on time. A fun extra is when booking, you can preorder a variety of snacks, drinks and alcohol for a very low cost. This was a life saver after an early flight and a longer than expected drive south! We booked round trip transportation.
Money
One thing I read over and over before traveling to Tulum is that most places do not accept credit cards and that you have to have Pesos. This is very far from true. We were on the main beach row for the majority of the time and only encountered one location that did not accept card - a small, local taco bar. The only thing I would plan for is having cash for taxis or bike rentals. On top of that, everyone in Tulum accepts Pesos or US Dollars.
Have you been watching your favorite influencers travel to Tulum? Have you started a list of the hottest restaurants and clubs you want to go to? Trust me, I did to and we went all out. Please remember, it is not cheap. Most travel destinations that attract celebrities and influencers are not cheap. Are there a lot of affordable options? 100%, yes. You can definitely find a happy balance. But if you are expecting to have the same type of experience as your favorite DJ or Instagram model, be prepared for some hefty bills.
Hotel
I decided to stay in the beach zone right on the beach. There are SO many options. My first recommendation is when searching, don’t look at the star rating google provides. Look at the actual reviews! Our hotel was rated a 1-start hotel by google, however it has 5-star reviews from real guests!! Google needs a reality check because our resort was easily a 4-5 star hotel based on location and amenities! Little fun fact about me, my undergraduate education was in hospitality management. It is engrained in my mind what makes a hotel great. Coco Tulum checked every box!
Amazing front desk service
From check in to check out, they were polite, prompt and prepared. They provided tons of great recommendations, reserved us hard to secure dinner reservations just hours before, ensured we had every little thing we needed, remember our names, and made us feel at home.
Room quality and location
We had one of the beach front suites on the beach club side of the resort. The rooms are a minimalist design with just the right number of amenities. The ocean view was perfectly enjoyed on our porch with a hammock, chairs, and swings. We couldn’t have asked for anything more!
Massage
Coco Tulum has a private massage hut set back from the beach, so it was a quieter location. We decided to do a couple’s massage with the clay facial masks. It was incredible! If you are staying at the resort, I highly recommend.
Yoga
Yoga is one of my favorite things and this class was top notch!! Located right on the beach, we lucked out with a private lesson.
Getting Around Tulum
Taxis are NOT cheap. Before leaving, I read many times how cheap Taxis were. That was not the case. At night, it takes forever to get around in them. It took 20 minutes to go less than a mile one night to dinner. Taxis are great for during the day quick trips.
We rented bikes for one of the days. Our hotel had bike rentals right on property. It was super easy to get around the main road and felt nice to get some physical activity after tons of eating and drinking. Please keep in mind, at night, it can be a little nerve-racking riding them home. With cars and motorcycles zooming around you while you’re a little tipsy from dinner/drinks, I can definitely see some people not comfortable.
I cannot speak to the scooter or motorcycle rentals because we didn’t choose that, however it seemed like a very easy method of transportation.
Restaurants
Tulum is a foodie’s heaven. Check out my post Top 5 Places to Eat in Tulum for my favorite places and tips to make sure you don’t miss out on anything!
While these are just a few key tips and tricks to Tulum, I hope they make your travels a little easier! Tulum will forever be one of my favorite tropical, beach vacation spots after this trip. I couldn’t recommend it more! Have more questions? Drop them in the comments below. I am here to help!
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