Tulum Travel Guide 

Tulum is located on the Caribbean coastline of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. It’s about 90 minutes south of the Cancun airport. Millennials like myself love Tulum for its bohemian & eco-chic vibe. Tulum offers two completely different landscapes – the jungle & the beach. You’ll find Yoga Retreats here and health-conscious restaurants. Tulum really was made for content creators. So go.. have fun and take alllll the pictures.

Where to Stay

Whether you’re looking for the best place to see and be seen, or want to try your hand at “Glamping” – Tulum really has it all.  The Tulum pictures you see on Instagram do not come cheap though – especially if you want an ocean-view room – for those “Waking Up in Tulum like….” shots. But, I have a mix of recommendations for you depending on your budget and the vibe you want.

Maria Del Mar

Maria Del Mar Boutique Hotel is a small, 18 room, adults-only hotel within walking distance to Azulik and just down the street from popular DJ parties at Papaya Playa Project. I stayed in the Oceanfront Penthouse Suite and adored it. The jacuzzi on the balcony – overlooking the ocean was clutch.

Because it’s not a huge scene, it’s way more affordable to stay here vs the larger, more popular hotels down the road. It will also cost a few pesos to drive to dinner, but I highly recommend this smaller hotel if you want an adults-only escape in Tulum at a great price point. I did a full review of Maria Del Mar, which you can read all about it.

Casa Malca

If you’re into art or appreciate a design-driven hotel, Casa Malca is the spot for you. Rooms here do not come cheap, so you may need to sacrifice an ocean view room. But don’t worry – you’ll make up for it in the epic photos you’ll get around this hotel. While Casa Malca has a big property, there are only 41 guest rooms so it still feels like a boutique hotel.

It’s likely you’ve seen Casa Malca’s entrance on Instagram (like my photo here) … Believe it or not, these are all wedding dresses that have been reused into curtains! Pretty cool, right?!

Casa Malca has a Keith Harring inspired restaurant, intriguing art sculptures throughout the hotel and property and an epic chandelier room – this hotel just ooze’s the cool factor.

Great location too – you are within biking distance to many other hotels, restaurants and shopping.

Be Tulum

If any hotel can encompass the whole Tulum experience into one property .. it’s Be Tulum. Be Tulum is an oceanfront hotel that has rustic, jungle vibes, with epic DJ beach parties to match. All the influencers stay here and you pay a pretty penny for this vibe. It’s a bit of a bigger property, about 64 rooms total.

Their food is uber health-driven .. you’ll find a lot of vegetarian options, wellness shots, salads and smoothies. Be Tulum is the place to be seen, so bring your best outfits (and bikinis) and get ready to rave, zen out or both.

Luxury Glamping Options

If you’re up for really feeling one with nature, you might want to opt for a different kind of accommodation. How about a Luxury Tent?  

Habitas and Azulik (Adults-Only) are modern, glamping resorts. Don’t think these resorts are any cheaper though! Often times, depending on the year, they can be more expensive than a traditional hotel because they got that unique factor.

And buyer beware: Staying in a tent has drawbacks… like potentially weak electricity, spotty wifi & designated air conditioning time.

Transportation

Each hotel above can arrange transportation for you from the Cancun airport, which usually is $200-300 roundtrip. I typically book my airport transportation through Viator and highly recommend this service.

What to Eat/Drink

Breakfast at Matcha Mama

Matcha Mama brings you Acai Bowls, smoothies, juices, cold brew & Kombucha. Their little hut is seriously made for social media photos! You gotta get a picture with their surfboard sign.

After you order, sit back & SWING your worries away while they prepare all their beautiful food right in front of you. Check out their cute Instagram page – @MatchaMamaTulum

Breakfast/Lunch at Tunich Jungle

You might want to come here for breakfast & lunch – it’s so good! Tunich is on the jungle side and will give you delicious Mexican dishes like breakfast burritos, super juices and amazing coffee.

If you’re looking for lunch – try their fresh ceviche & any of their tacos (they have a variety!) Cheap eats, but highly recommend.

Lunch at Raw Love

Raw Love is a Vegan’s dream (And still a dream if you’re not Vegan, like me) They are open all day and on the beach side, so great views. They have Avo Toast, Vegan Pizza.. even dessert too! All their food is so instagram-worthy. Different vibes than Matcha Mama, so I would go to both if you have the time.  

Dinner at Rosa Negra

Tulum at night is a mood! If I had to describe it…every dinner I had was like this sexy.. mysterious.. uber-chic first date. And Rosa Negra does not disappoint. Their dishes and drinks are really inventive and make for some great boomerangs.

I don’t want to spoil all the fun, but I suggest that you keep your iPhone close by because you’ll want to record all the fun surprises.

Reservations are a must! I would also recommend going a bit early and having a cocktail at Gitano, right across the street.

Dinner at Kin Toh (Azulik Hotel)

Kin Toh is one of my favorite dining experiences in Tulum. Azulik Hotel is truly stunning and no doubt, the most instagram’d hotel in Tulum. I am sure you have seen some of their pictures already.

Kin Toh is the best way to experience Azulik in my opinion because you can get all the great social media photos that you want and enjoy an incredible dinner too. They have different types of seating arrangements, including larger tables “in the sky.”

I would recommend booking well in advance and try to get a reservation around sunset for the best lighting.

What to Do

In Tulum, a lot of hotels have bikes that you can use to get around town because everything is relatively close to one another. There is really just one road in and out of Tulum. I also would recommend bringing pesos because some of the cenotes and activities around town do not accept cash.

Swim in the Cenotes

You can’t come to Tulum without swimming in a few cenotes. There are thousands of cenotes along the Yucatán Peninsula and they are all unique. You can think of cenotes as underground waterholes. You can scuba dive, snorkel or swim in them.

Some of the bigger ones are more tourist traps these days, so I typically like the smaller cenotes. I actually have a blog post about my Top 3 Cenotes to Visit in Tulum, so check it out!

Check Out the Shipping Container Shops

Tulum is known for their “shipping container” design – it’s what you’ll see up and down the main road. I would recommend spending some time during your trip shopping the local goods. Depending on where you stay, you can easily grab a bike from your hotel and head to the Shipping containers.

You’ll find all sorts of shops – clothing apparel, home gifts, Tulum souvenirs and more.

Visit the Mayan Ruins

If you’re interested in history and want to get your steps in, you could easily spend half a day at the Mayan Ruins. Wear good walking shoes and wear sunscreen because you’ll be in direct sun most of the time. I booked this Mayan Ruin private tour with my group and it was perfect. It includes roundtrip transportation from your hotel. If you want to swim in a cenote and check out the ruins, I would recommend this full-day two-in-one excursion.

Tulum Photo Tour

If you, or your group, is really into taking the best Tulum social media photos, look no further than this Tulum Photo Tour. It’ll take about 2.5 hours, but transportation is included and you’ll hit up all the major instagram spots, like the Ven a la Luz art sculpture above. This is also a perfect tour for the solo-traveler who may find it hard to take their own photos in a new city!

Hope you enjoyed this Tulum Travel Guide! I’ll update this guide when new and exciting hotels, restaurants or bars open up. Tulum is always changing! For your convenience, I have all the hotels and restaurants mapped out for you below that I included in this travel guide.

And, I want to hear from you! If you’ve been to Tulum and have other recommendations for me, drop them below in the comments!