she travels to tulum
A couple years ago, I visited Cancun and Tulum with a couple friends (review coming soon!), and the last day I found myself in a beachside cafe, drinking a smoothie, looking at the aquamarine water (and very shortly being in it), knowing that I would be back.
Here, for the first time (but not the last), I've actually documented, linked, and kept track of all (okay, most) of the activities, discounts, tools, tips & tricks. If you know me, I like good food, beautiful places, and smooth travel, without sacrificing value.
So here is the whole thing. Where we stayed, how we got around (new favorite mode of transport unlocked), every plate worth the bike/walk (literally all of them), the best steak house, and then a sprinkle of the unexpected punches you just have to roll with when traveling (seaweed real, scorpion large).
Overall, I attribute my smooth travels so far to research, the right tools, and a flexible mentality. I do as much prep as I can before I get there, so I don't waste time researching things when I just want to enjoy the moment! The only decision I have to make when I land is which taco joint to hit first 😏
How I planned
I started where I start every trip now: Wanderlog. It is arguably my top travel app, and I am not exaggerating when I say that. I map everything, drag my days/itinerary around, and keep all my reservations in one place. I love using it to keep track of all the random places I might want to try, and then at any point I can pull them up on a map and see what's nearby. It imports flights automatically and keeps track of changes and confirmation codes. If you travel as much as I do, you know what a pain it can be to find a confirmation code for a flight you booked months ago! I could go on and on about this app, and I will in a future post. I think it currently runs about $40/year, and it's worth every penny.
Link to Wanderlog: here
Wanderlog
Getting there
Pre-scheduled a quick stop at the Chase Sapphire Lounge at PHX before we flew out, because anytime I'm flying out of Terminal 4 I just have to take advantage of that lounge.. again, I could write a whole post about that place (and I will!), but the Press Coffee espresso in their espresso martinis..
Last time I went to Tulum the airport hadn't been finished, so we drove from the Cancun airport. The Tulum airport is niiiiice. Very clean, smells good (iykyk), and customs was a breeze. Very pretty.
I always (well, internationally at least) pre-book airport transportation, for a couple of very strong (in my head) reasons. Right off the bat, it lets you walk past the walls of transportation guys that hit you right as you walk through security. You know exactly where you're going, and you know exactly who is there for YOU thanks to your name on a little sign. The service is great, the cars are nice, and you'll always be offered a corona. You can usually ask them to stop by a gas station or a 7/11 on the way as well for some snacks and cervezas! And by booking in advance, you can get the best price and not have to worry about haggling right when you walk off the plane.
We used My Tulum Transportation to book this time - link here.
I know it’s not just me searching for the Mexican doritos - so while you are at that gas station: you have to really hunt for Doritos actually hecho in Mexico these days.. almost everything I saw at the 7-Elevens and gas stations was imported!
stayed: Amira District
We stayed at a friend's Airbnb in the Amira District, and it was perfect!
Link: Book here!
The complex has four buildings, each with a rooftop pool, and the buildings are connected two-by-two with a glass-bottom pool bridge. You can catch both sunrise and sunset up there. One night we got the most incredible thunderstorm and lightning show I have ever seen in my life.. it went on for hours.
There is a nice gym in the complex too. I told myself, perhaps too ambitiously, that I would make it there a couple of mornings. Wellll any morning I had a little extra time went straight to coffee on the beach or the rooftop pool instead. I have no regrets. One of the best parts was how centrally located it was. We never had to travel far for beach or food.
Game changer: ebikes
One of the absolute highlights of this trip was having ebikes the whole time.
I thought a lot about transportation. I won't take a cab unless it's called by a hotel, and I didn't want to rely on apps (InDrive anyone?), and scooters didn't seem particularly.. safe (for me) 😅 So eventually, I landed on ebikes. I like the idea of being able to be anywhere, no gas, low cost, and the chance to view the scenery! I hear you can also take them into Jaguar Park for free.
I researched where to get bikes from before we left because you do hear about a lot of scams happening around renting cars, ATVs, things like that in Mexico, and I think a lot of that is people not being smart about it. But when I read all the glowing reviews about Twist & Glide, I felt very confident! I contacted them via WhatsApp to book the reservation and also inquire about their delivery service. They responded super quickly and said that if you rent the bike for more than three days, delivery and pickup to your residence was included (!). It was so easy. They delivered the bikes to the front gate with helmets, battery chargers, locks, keys, and a mini lesson. They can go just as fast as a car does there, and I think the farthest we went was about ~7 miles with no problem. If you are going long distances, I'd recommend charging them every night.
I cannot recommend this enough. You skip the whole hassle of finding a reasonably priced, safe, reliable ride, and you are completely on your own schedule. The bikes were $30 per bike per day.
Link to Twist n’ Glide: here
Sunset & tacos at La Milpa
After we dropped our stuff, explored a little, and walked down the Tulum Beach Road (the main strip, Carretera Tulum to Boca Paila), we stopped at the first place we felt drawn to, which turned out to be Azulik.
The entrance fee was I think $40 to $50, which I was a little hesitant to agree to at first, but I'm glad I went because it was just so gorgeous. Entry fee does come with your choice of drink. I really had no idea what to expect going in, until the hostess led us up to the treetop deck with a 360 view of the ocean and jungle. Tables, nests, a live DJ, netting with pillows to lay on.. bliss!
We were among the very first to arrive, but within an hour it had filled up quickly for theee most incredible sunset. We arrived at roughly 6pm and stayed well past the sun going down. I would like to go to the restaurant portion next time, Kin Toh!
We explored the rest of the property too, this wild underground-but-above-ground tunnel situation that I cannot fully describe accurately.. 🐝
Prepped for tacos, we wandered across the street to La Milpa and got steak tacos, carnitas, an octopus taco, and a tuna tostada. It was all sooooo good. They even brought us a shot of tequila with a grasshopper chaser! The grasshoppers were honestly really good. (I tried to go back days later for a grasshopper taco but they were closed. Next time.)
Breakfast, smoothies, and all the fruit
I love the fruit in Tulum, especially the bananas! I took advantage of smoothies, fresh juices, and acai bowls.
Loved coming to Potheads, and it was a 5 min bike ride from Amira. Smoothies, burritos, mimosas, perfect morning atmosphere for a coffee. I especially liked the upstairs. There is a little bar you can look over the street from.
Raw Love Cafe (inside the Maya Tulum Resort) had an incredible smoothie bowl. I got a Caribbean something? Tropical something? bowl: papaya, mango, banana.. delicious. My only gripe here (and it's not really on the cafe) is that there were definitely some mosquitos. Not a huge deal, but I did make my next stop a farmacia since I neglected to bring bug spray :(
And.. the smoothie winner. On my actual birthday I stopped by Matcha Mamafor a strawberry peanut butter oat milk smoothie, and it was SOoOoO good. They have a whole lineup of matcha drinks I did not get to, so I’m already planning a return!
Link to potheads: here
Link to Raw Love Cafe: here
Link to Matcha Mama: here
A perfect beach day: La Zebra, a $25 lobster, and a coconut
Full circle: two years ago, my last stop of that trip was La Zebra Beach Club & Restaurant, so we went back. Now, last time I could swim and this time I didn't, which brings me to.. seaweed. It's true, there is a lot of seaweed right now, and it totally sucks. From what I understand, some days are better than others, but it's unpredictable and particularly bad this year. But Tulum is still a beautiful place, with so much more to see. You just have to set your expectations.
We grabbed a beach bed at La Zebra, and because it was the slow season, no minimum! Super nice people. We ordered a pina colada and a pizza (I physically cannot help ordering pizza in as many places as possible, it is.. a gift and a curse 🕵️). Listening to the waves, reading a book, someone bringing you a drink in the sand.. seaweed and all, it was lovely.
The beach menu is a little more limited than the regular restaurant, and I really wanted some seafood, so we went to La Onda (which I think is actually more of a pizza/Italian place nearby) and split a TWENTY-FIVE dollar lobster caught that morning!! It was so, so good. Perfectly seasoned, perrrrrfectly cooked.
I also had tacos at La Eufemia (the famous cheap-and-cheerful taco beach bar.. carne asada and al pastor), and of course a coconut, because hydration is important AND it makes for a cute photo🥥
Link to La Zebra: here
Link to La Onda: here
Link to La Efuemia: here
Adventure day: ruins, a cenote, and lagoon snorkeling
For our adventure day we booked a combo tour through Viator: Mayan ruins, a cenote, and lagoon snorkeling.
We met the bus at a nearby hotel (this didn't work as well as I intended, I should have just chosen a public meetup that was a bit farther from us) and drove a short while to the first stop, the ruins. Definitely bring a hat, and they do not allow plastic water bottles, so bring a reusable one (you should be doing this anyways, insulated bottles keep your water WAY colder) since it is toasty! The sea breeze and the view at the top are a nice respite.
Then the cenote, which was beautiful but no photos allowed ☹, and then the lagoon snorkeling, which I really, really wish I had photos of. They didn't allow you to take anything but your shoes, unless you had a waterproof case. My REAL regret is not thinking about this beforehand, because I had a waterproof fanny pack back at the Airbnb! 😢 I bought it more for the beaches, and I just didn't even think about bringing it on the tour. (I did end up using it on our boat snorkeling day later, and it worked great!) So learn from me and bring something waterproof, like the waterproof fanny pack or the tried-and-true phone pouch. We ended the tour at a beachside cafe with tacos, ceviche, and hibiscus iced tea, then headed back.
One more tour tip, one that can be a BIG time saver: these vans usually pick up a lot of people from a lot of hotels, so depending on where you are in the rotation, you can lose a big chunk of time in transit. Try to book a tour that bundles multiple adventures into one day (ATV, horseback, lagoon, whatever you want to do). You'll end up spending the same amount of time being shuttled around for a single activity as you will for 4.
Link for adventure tour: here
Waterproof fanny pack: here
Waterproof phone pouch: here
BAK' Fire Steakhouse
On the tour we met a group of girls (you know who you are 💃) who mentioned they were headed to a steakhouse that night. BAK' Fire Steakhouse was already on my list, I had heard it was incredible, and I had just bought a vibey dress from Sabbia Tulum and was feeling very fancy.. so we made it the pre-birthday dinner.
The steak was the best I have had in YEARS. I am not being dramatic.
There is a show too, called Cha'an Ka'ak, a Mayan-inspired fire and dance performance, which was so impressive! It started around 9:30. I'm not sure it runs every night, so it's worth checking.
The boat day (and a $15 lesson)
If you are staying at an Airbnb, there is often an option to meet at a local pickup site for boating (ours was the Super Aki). We were shuttled over to the boating site, where they lined us up in front of a cashier and asked for a $15 entrance fee. This was a learning experience for me. I was caught off guard and just paid it, thinking I must have missed the note (there was a note on our last tour saying we would have to pay the entrance fee to the ruins separately). But our tourist friend behind us balked when he got to the cashier and said he had paid for everything already online. The cashier asked who he booked through, and then waved him through. I later found out he paid the same price as we did, so I should have said something similar. For next time!
The boat trip was great. They had a range of boats (ours was a bit smaller), it was a gorgeous sunny day, open bar with great tequila sunrises, plenty of snorkeling, swimming, and a small lunch. We even saw a marlin jump out of the water!
Link to 4 hour open bar sailing: here
My favorite: Vesica, the cenote day club
Hands down one of my favorite things of the whole trip was Vesica, the cenote day club. Admission was around $30, and if you get there early you get a better pick of daybeds. The best-view daybeds have a $50 minimum spend, and the slightly-less-view ones are about $25 per person. You can also just grab a table. We were there ALL day, and it was so worth it.. the food is so good we were way over the spend anyway!
They have a live DJ on certain days after 3pm depending on the season, so you can message them on WhatsApp (+52 984 323 9572) to see what is on while you are there.
The food was very, very, VERY good. We had a yogurt fruit bowl, smoked salmon avocado toast with a poached egg (immaculate, gorgeous, I have dreams about it), incredible ceviche, great tropical drinks, and steak tacos. There are two cenotes: the lively one near the DJ, and a much larger, quieter one a short walk away. There is also a little artisan vendor area where local artists sell their goods. I met one of the vendors whose gorgeous handmade body chains you will soon be able to buy online.. link coming soon!!
All in all? I LOVE Tulum and I will absolutely be back.
Thank you to everyone who followed along on stories and asked the questions that turned into this post. It means the world. 🐟
And, visit my storefront for all travel things, here!
