This month I visited my fifth country, Mexico, which was an exciting milestone for myself! I went on a little tropical getaway to Tulum with one of my friends, Sophie, and we had the time of our lives enjoying some beach time and relaxation! This was my first time visiting Mexico, and Tulum did not disappoint! I wanted to share my Tulum travel guide with you all, and highlight where we stayed, things we did, delicious food we ate, and all the important details you might want to know if you’re going there!
About Tulum:
Tulum is a relatively small area, that is split in to two main parts. Tulum Town and Tulum Beach. Tulum beach is where most of the hotels and restaurants are, and Tulum Town is more of the local area. The beach area is mostly where you will want to be. Everything is so cute, and trendy, and all of the boutique hotels are gorgeous! Speaking of boutique hotels, that is mostly what everything is. There are no large resorts, or all-inclusive resorts like other areas of Mexico.
Hotel:
We stayed at the beautiful NEST Tulum, which was a complete tropical oasis. If you are looking to getaway for a little rest and relaxation, peace and tranquility, this is the place to stay. Their mantra is natural simplicity, and that is the perfect way to describe the atmosphere there. You arrive to a sandy, white path that leads you throughout the private towers and villa, the pathway lit by candles and torches. Keep walking under the canopy of palms and jungle trees, and you’ll wind up at a little slice of paradise where the white sands and turquoise water meet the most beautiful blue skies!
-Their hospitality was amazing, and they made us feel so welcome. They have the restaurant and bar that overlook the most incredible view of the ocean, with a canopy of jungle trees overhead, and music playing in the background. Grab a table, or a hammock, order a drink and some chips and guac, and you might just never leave! We had the BEST margaritas and mojitos that both of us had ever had, no doubt. The guacamole was unreal, and the tacos we had were also some of the best I had ever had! One night we went down to the little lounge area by the bar to order drinks and cheesecake, there was music playing, the sound of the waves crashing in the background, stars above in the sky, and I have truly never felt so relaxed. I wish I could go back and relive that night over and over! Another experience that I will always remember is seeing the baby turtles hatch and make their way to the ocean! There was a protected nest there, and we happened to go down to breakfast at just the right time, we were able to run down and see the last few turtles making their way! It was the cutest and most incredible thing to see!
-There are only 12 rooms, and one villa so there is a very relaxing and intimate feel while staying there. The fact that it is so small adds to the sense that you truly feel like you’re in your own little private paradise. Everything is fresh and modern, while still having that very natural feel which I loved. The simple decor in the rooms was so pretty. The hotel itself is eco-friendly so the A/C runs from 6pm-9am and the lights are a little dimmer at night in the rooms. There are no lights down by the beach, so everything is very dark which leads me to the next thing I want to mention. I will never, ever forget the first night that we arrived. We got there late at night so it was dark, and we immediately went down to the water, and it was completely dark. The moment that I looked up at the sky and saw all of the stars is a moment I will never forget! I have never seen stars like that before. I haven’t ever lived or traveled anywhere where it was dark enough to see stars quite like that. It was unreal.
-They have the prettiest little shops there like Kaya and Wanderlust! So many gorgeous beach dresses, bracelets, hats, etc. The dress I’m wearing above in the photo with the palms was gifted from Kaya.. I think it is so beautiful!!
Sorry that was all a little long, but I truly can’t put in to words the atmosphere and beauty there! We enjoyed every minute of our stay, and hope to return again to the tropical oasis of NEST Tulum.
Where to Eat:
All of the restaurants have such a fun atmosphere to them, and lots of character! They all have such pretty outdoor sitting areas, surrounded by palms and many overlook the beach. Everything in Tulum is very trendy, so when you think of traditional mexican food, that’s not really what you’ll find there!
Taqueria la Eufemia: Along with the tacos we had at NEST, these were some of the best tacos I’ve ever had! This place is a chill little beach restaurant/bar, where it seemed a lot of the locals hangout…which always means the food is good. And it was! The margaritas were amazing, the guac was delicious, and everything was very inexpensive, too.
La Onda: Best pizza in Tulum! We ended up going twice we liked it so much.
Food Trucks: These were right next to La Onda, and we got some delicious tacos! They had a few other options, but we went late at night so most were closed. Perfect place to walk up from the beach and grab a bite to eat, or go at night and sit under the strings of lights!
Matcha Mama: Not only are the smoothies and bowls soo delicious and fresh, but it’s also one of the most Insta-worthy spots in Tulum, ha! There’s the cute little surf board sign out front, swing chairs, and palms over head! Hop on a bike and come here to grab a smoothie or açaí bowl!
Two places that we heard amazing things about, but didn’t get the chance to try were Nomade and The Real Coconut.
Where to Go:
–Shopping in Tulum Town. As I mentioned above, this is more of the local, authentic area. They have a strip of shops that are so cute and fun to go look around, as well as restaurants! You have to take a taxi to get there from Tulum Beach.
–Shopping in Tulum Beach. There are tons of pretty shops along the main road in Tulum Beach!! Beautiful handmade dresses, blankets, housewares, accessories, etc!
–Cenotes: These are fresh water swimming holes! Many are in caves, or more of a jungle setting, and are so pretty! Entrance fees are usually 100-200 pesos per person. We went to Cenote Calavera, and while it was very cool and pretty to see, I would probably visit a different one if I could do it again. It was just very small, so it got a little crowded even without very many people there, and the surrounding area wasn’t that pretty. Some popular ones are Gran Cenote, Dos Ojos, Sac Atun and Casa Tortuga. Tip: many don’t allow you to be wearing sunscreen, makeup, etc to protect the cenotes. Bring a GoPro or underwater phone case if you want to film under the water, and bring a towel with you!
There are so many cute restaurants and bars that have a great nightlife if you want to go out for a few drinks! Gitano turns in to a dance bar, and we heard great things about Batey, Playa Papaya, and Nomade.
How to Get to Tulum:
Most people fly in to the Cancun International Airport, which is what we did. You then have to drive about 1.5 hours to get to Tulum. I highly recommend getting a private transport. It’s the safest and most convenient option. Your hotel might offer it, or there are also companies that are highly rated. We used Happy Shuttle. It had tons of great reviews, and heard other people/bloggers recommend it. You can schedule it ahead of time, they were very professional, it’s private so it’s just you and whoever you’re traveling with, and the van has A/C and was clean.
Was Tulum Safe?
There was never a time where either of us felt even a little unsafe. Tulum is generally know to be a safe place to go. Even with that being said, always stay aware of your surroundings (and belongings), and just be smart. Keep your belongings locked up, don’t carry too much cash on you, etc. Be careful if you decide to go out at night. The main road in Tulum Beach where all of the restaurants are is not lit (and it’s very bumpy), so it gets pretty dark! I definitely wouldn’t recommend biking at night.
How to Get Around Tulum:
Given that Tulum Beach (described the area above!) is pretty small, you can generally either walk along the beach to get where you need to go, or walk/bike/take a taxi along the main road. Often times we would walk along the beach, and then just cut up back to the main road once we had walked the beach far enough to where we needed to go. Our hotel provided bikes, but if yours does not, you can rent them.
What to Bring/Tips
Money: I recommend converting some money to pesos before hand. Often times if you wait to do it in the airport or at an ATM when you get there, you will get ripped off with the rate they give you, or a fee. I have used my bank to convert money, but for this trip I ended up using Travelex. You can order the money and have it sent right to you, it was so easy and convenient! Just do it ahead of time, so you don’t get stuck paying overnight shipping like I did, oops! If you end up needing to convert more money while you’re there, just make sure to use a legit ATM or currency exchange store. Our hotel recommended some to us.
Bug Spray: We had heard the mosquitoes can be pretty bad there, but luckily we didn’t have too much trouble with them, I think mostly because of the time of year we were there. I definitely recommend packing a good bug spray (not the natural kind).
Sunscreen: You will definitely need some! Maybe bring some aloe vera or after-sun lotion just in case, too!
Portable Phone Charger: I always travel with one of these!
Water: It was recommended not to drink any of the water. Our hotel provided water for us in our room and bathroom. You don’t want to drink the water in the shower, and it’s recommended to also use bottled or filtered water for brushing teeth, not the sink water. All restaurants we went to served bottled water.
This was definitely a trip that I tried to disconnect and relax a little more than I usually do on my travels, which was a nice change. Given that we were at the beach, it was hot and humid, and the overall atmosphere of Tulum is very laidback and natural, I tried to just embrace the beach hair, covered in sand, no makeup, chill vibe, haha! With that being said, I would say that 3-4 days was a perfect amount of time, and then I was about ready to return to my normal, cleaned up routine I’m used to at home.
I hope that you all might find this Tulum travel guide helpful if you find yourself going there, and please let me know if you have ANY additional questions!! Thank you all for stopping by! Xo, Rachel
Thank you to NEST Tulum for hosting us.
