Tulum, Mexico
- May 21
- 5 min read
For the past five years, you couldn’t speak to anyone in travel that didn’t mention Tulum. I was in Cancun a few years back but didn’t venture south.
This time, I was in Tulum for the week. I came here for Chichėn Itza but decided to plan a week around it. The first day was pretty basic, I flew into TQO, Tulum’s new airport and took a taxi to the city. The ride was about 30 mins considering there was relatively no traffic until we got to Tulum Central. I arrived at the Motto by Hilton after 2:00 PM and checked in. I had to secure cash for the tours of the upcoming week so, I took care of that at the hotel. The hotel is attached to a mall with shops and restaurants. I was on the 4th floor of the hotel with the pool and the gym so I was golden. I relaxed for a bit before heading to Alma Verde for dinner. Tomorrow would begin the real adventure so, I retired with a book until then.
The next morning, I got myself together and went downstairs for breakfast. Tulum in itself has quite a few breakfast spots but considering a $10 credit is in my Hilton Honors perk, I’d use that every time. I got a fruit bowl with yogurt and granola and a local juice. From there I went to the ATM to withdraw money. Word of advice, bring USD as the ATM fee is $8.35 per transaction but only $1 when withdrawing pesos. Good thing we use ATM cards that reimburse the fee. I then walked to Super Aki which was fifteen minutes away and the pickup point for my tour. Paid the $22 preservation fee and boarded the bus.
The first stop on the tour was a 30 minute layover in Valladolid, a town dating back to the fifteenth century. All the homes are now converted into cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops. There is a church too. The timeline didn’t leave much for exploration but it’s a great day spot to or from Chichėn Itza. We then drove a few minutes to Kaua, a Mayan village where we got to take part in ancient rituals, see how the cook meats by burying it and how they make ornaments from volcanic rock and limestone. We had lunch here as well followed by a show. Of course when you’re in the Yucatán, you want pibil taco’s. This particular type of pork is indigenous to the area. From there we drove to Chichėn Itza and spent two hours learning about the ancient wonder. Walking the football field and warrior temple was really special. Last stop for the day was a dip in Cenote Samaal. The property has an orchard, zip lines and bicycles for those wanted alternative enjoyment. The three hour ride back to the city was a relaxing way to recap the day and to answer the million dollar question, what’s for dinner?
Dinner was at Burrito Trumpudo, but first I had to earn my keep. I walked the 20 minutes from the drop off to my hotel and then a 7-Eleven run for beverages. Then I had chips and guacamole for an appetizer and then a ribeye burrito for dinner. Live music carefully directed me to sleep to end the night.
The next morning was breakfast at the hotel, followed by a walk to the Naala Hotel. This would be the pick up point for my guided tour. First stop was the Tulum Ruins. The ruins date back to the 1900’s and it’s an abandoned Mayan civilization. We got to see the ruins and learn the use of each building in the compound. The top of the ruins boast picturesque backdrops of the Caribbean Sea even though the sea was slightly covered in sargassum. Next up is the trip to Coba.
Cobá is a Mayan ruin dating back to 800 AD or the year 800 that predates Chichėn Itza. The ruin is not as well kept as Chichėn Itza but most of it is still being excavated at the moment. It’s a more immersive activity as in some cases you can actually walk on or touch the monuments, not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. From the entrance to the largest pyramid is about three kilometers so in the interest of time we took bicycles. The fee is between $8 and $11 depending on party size and if you take a bicycle or tricycle.
From Coba, we drive to a Mayan Village for lunch. Lunch was buffet style and had many options. After lunch, we had the options of Cenote Chen and Cenote Mariaposa. This was my first time swimming in a Cenote and the water made sure I was welcomed and not warmly. (water was cold) Once in the water it got warmer and that was a great way to wind down the day.
Day 4 started with the customary acia bowl at the hotel, I like the fact they switch up the ingredients daily and keeps you guessing. I then walked over to Woolis to rent a bicycle for the beach. The ride to the beach was roughly thirty minutes. The bike was included in the room stay as well as access to the beach bar Bagatelle. Free access is from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM (Monday to Thursday) with the condition you purchase food from the beach bar. Parking for the bike is 50 pesos. You basically have access to a beach bed and can walk up and down the beach freely and return at your pleasure.
While at the beach I visited the Tulum Jungle Gym, from the outside at least, there was no way I was going to pay $35 for a workout when I had a free gym at the hotel but for those vying for the Instagram experience, by all means it’s really cool and probably one of the only gyms I’ve seen people work out in bikinis. I then moved down to the Art With Me Park to get the quintessential Tulum picture, with the Ven A La Luz statue. Being at the beach for the day was good for the body and trust I still have the tan to prove it. The ride back was with music and in pure bliss that I might have just had one of my best days to date.
Getting back to the hotel, I had to wash off the beach and take a nap to take on my final night in Tulum. I walked over to Birria for dinner and I think it was my best decision yet. For 90 pesos I got 3 beef tacos and a consumme. I added a chips and guac and a large mango lemonade. It was definitely worth it and I occupied a table for hours into the night with complementary music, I need more days like this. My wind down was poolside at the rooftop pool at the hotel.
Check-out day came and it was the end of a beautiful trip. One last hotel breakfast before my taxi picked me up for the airport. On the way we did a mini tour of Tulum central and a few key spots related to Mayan tradition. Look forward to attending a Mayan festival at Zanma one day. Tulum, it was great and I hope to see you soon.
Editors Note: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any parties mentioned. None of the entities mentioned has reviewed, approved or endorsed the content listed in this post.
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