Tulum, Mexico

We spent the pandemic going on little trips to Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, which was great, but it was amazing to actually travel again! At some point during lockdown we created a travel wish list and at the top of the list was Tulum, Mexico. So when the restrictions lifted, we booked our trip. The following is a mixture of film photos and phone snapshots.

We divided our trip between two AirBNBs. The first was surrounded by jungle with a very romantic shared pool area. The hosts were super great and provided fantastic recommendations. Though it was in a killer location, I found it a bit too dark and noisy, so I was ready to move when the time came. Though I’ll miss the herd of stray kittens that resided in the pool area.

Our second AirBNB was a really cool loft a bit further from the centre of town. It had its own little plunge pool and floor to ceiling windows which allowed us to view the jungle from bed. A total dream!

Our idea around staying away from resorts was that we wanted to roam the town, explore, and really experience Tulum. Here are some of the non-food related places we went:

Cenote Calavera

Right on the edge of town, I imagine Calavera could get very busy. We went right at opening and there were maybe a dozen other visitors. It’s opening is right at ground level and it’s fairly small, but the area around it is full of lounge chairs and a bar so you can use it like an outdoor pool.

Cenote Multum Ha

A spheric, water-filled cave near Coba that’s at the bottom of a spiral staircase 18 meters underground. It doesn’t have any bells or whistles, but it’s refreshing as hell.

Tulum Archaeological Zone

What makes these ruins special is that they are located right on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. There are iguanas everywhere and there’s no shade, so it’s very very easy to overheat.

Cobá Archaeological Zone

These ruins are a 50 min drive from Tulum. They’re near several large cenotes so it makes for a great little half day trip out of town. I don’t think I’ve experienced anything more refreshing than spending an hour overheating while looking at ruins followed by a plunge into an underground pool. These ruins are much larger than Tulum and you can rent bicycles to explore the large grounds.

Casa Malca

If you stay in town like we did, I highly recommend treating yourself to a beach club. There are dozens of clubs and resorts along the beach road and they’re all a bit different in price and amenities. We did some research and decided to go big and spend the day at Casa Malca — it was like our Disneyland day. We really enjoyed our day of luxury even if it was insanely kitschy.

This was also the day that we really got a feel for the price difference between the beach and the town. It seemed everything — food, drinks, and accommodations — were triple the price on the beach which is a 5-10 min drive from town. The majority of our favourite food spots were along a side street in town called C. 7 Sur.

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Holistika

Holistika is a yoga-centric resort on the edge of Tulum. I was so obsessed with it’s calming atmosphere that I insisted we go back three times throughout our trip. Breakfast comes with a complimentary cup of coffee in the cutest handmade mugs (we bought one to bring home) and features delicious twists on traditional breakfast dishes and elaborate smoothie bowls. After eating, we explored the grounds to check out the unique architecture and art walk through the jungle.

La Pebeta

The first place we tried when we woke up in Tulum was the Argentinean cafe around the corner from our AirBNB called La Pebeta. Their coffees are strong, their staff are friendly, and I highly recommend their fresh pastries. Absolutely delicious!

PASHA

Pasha is a Turkish and Middle Eastern restaurant along the main street of Tulum. We visited for an early tapas dinner, which meant the place was dead, but I can imagine it to be super fun and moody after dark.

Raum

We passed by Raum everyday on our trip and it always struck me as a mysterious little hole in the wall. On our last night we finally decided to investigate and discovered it to be an insanely atmospheric ramen restaurant with a Middle Eastern vibe. We were obsessed with their signature Mezcal cocktail and the all around ambience. P.S. Last time I checked it has zero web or social media presence, so it truly is a hidden gem.

IL Bacaro (Maybe)

This charming cafe-by-day, Italian restaurant-by-night was really lovely. It doesn’t seem to be on the map, but it was clearly associated with the restaurant across the street so I’ll refer to it by the same name. I was very curious to see it at night but we discovered it late in our trip and ran out of time.

CAsa MAlca

Part of our day pass fee to Casa Malca was a large food and drink credit so we were able to indulge a bit on their overpriced cocktails and food menu. The pricing truly was over the top ($40 mediocre burger??) but you can’t beat the views and Pina Coladas delivered directly to your beach towel.

STreet Tacos

We had street tacos at two different places. TacoBish is a food truck with outdoor food area. It’s great, but according to Adam, it had nothing on the little taco stand which popped up down the road every night after 7pm. If you look it up online, it’s literally called Best Tacos in Tulum and Adam was obsessed.

CANOVA cantina

Canova is an Italian restaurant with cheap beers and excellent pizzas. I found the atmosphere to be incredibly charming.

Sin Etiqueta

This brunch place seemed to be a favourite amongst travellers who are eager to chat and exchange recommendations (at least that was our experience). We loved their Nutella Hot Cakes and smoothie bowls.

Mezzanine Hotel

Located right next to the public beach, the hotel restaurant is great for an overpriced happy hour margarita with ocean views. I mostly like it due to nostalgia: it’s where I went five years ago when I first visited and fell in love with Tulum on a day trip from the resort I was staying at in Playa Del Carmen.

Burrito Amor

This is one of those places you’re bound to find on any top list for Tulum. It really caters to tourists, but still has a beautiful vibe. Their green juice was incredible.

Spending two weeks in Tulum was a really great re-introduction to travelling for us. Muchas gracias Tulum!