Tulum tops my list of places to travel. There’s so much to do here from relaxing at the beach, to hiking the Mayan ruins. I compiled a pretty thorough list of my favorite things to do in Tulum and hope it helps you if you plan to travel there.
Getting to Tulum
Taxi vs. Car
If you are planning a trip to Tulum, the easiest way to get there is flying into Cancun and renting a car.
I suggest renting a car because this way you are able to drive yourself to Tulum from the airport and it’s about a 1.5 hour long car ride.
On the way to Tulum we stopped in Playa del Carmen for lunch at a place called Burger Stop ha! But we definitely did not order Burgers. We ordered nachos, guacamole, tortilla soup, and enchiladas. 
I highly suggest going to at least one of the ruins. So having a car comes in handy when you want to venture outside of Tulum town. We did not experience any problems while driving. I also drove with my U.S license; you do not need an international license.
Taking Taxis to the beach and around in Tulum town was completely easy. If you don’t already know Spanish learn a little or a lot, this way you are able to ask how much it cost to get to a certain place and are also able to let the driver know where you’d like to go.
Our Air bnb host provided bikes we could take if we wanted but we decided to either Taxi or walk.
We did not drive to the beach and I wouldn’t suggest it because parking seemed to be non-existent.
Staying in Tulum
You’ll have so many options but my suggestion is staying in the newer development, Aldea Zama, we found a wonderful 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo rooftop, and jacuzzi. We stayed in the Prana community in Aldea Zama this place was gated and had its own private pool for all the residents in the building. We felt very safe here. I highly recommend exploring the town to see what makes Tulum different from every other beach town. Here is a link to the hosts page on air bnb with his listings. They were amazing https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/14724671
Things to do in Tulum.
Akumal Monkey Sanctuary
If you love animals you’ll have so much fun at the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary and Rescue. It’s a memorable experience through the picture package they offer and you’ll feel good donating to a great cause. Be sure to make reservations online ahead of time.
Swimming with Sea Turtles
The beach in Akumal you’ll want to visit in order to swim with sea turtles is right down the street from the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary. I suggest going after the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary so you can look cute for your pictures with the monkeys. This is something we didn’t do and in hindsight we should have, only for vanity sake.
For this I would book a tour and you can just show up at the beach and pay when you get there for a tour guide. They will have all the gear you need.
Cenote Dos Ojos
This was so surreal. I read about the cenotes before visiting Tulum. So many people said it’s a spiritual expererience and honestly it does feel like you enter into another world. Especially because you walk underground to get there.
So because we were underground I got nervous seeing the underwater tunnels. Deep sea divers, dive into these to go even deeper into the cenotes. They looked like portals into the underworld. So kudos to my friend April who was so brave, in my opinion, and swam around the entire cenote with her head underwater and didn’t feel like she was going to be pulled into the underworld because that’s how I felt.
But don’t let me scare you I really enjoyed the cenote. Driving there you’ll get to see the Mayan peoples homes.
When visiting the cenote please please go with a tour guide, especially if it’s your first time going. Our tour guide actually discoverd this cenote and use to swim there before they built in lights and stairs. He is the co-host from our air bnb’s his name is Jose and he is amazingly knowledgable.
Coba Mayan Ruins
One of the ruins you can visit near Tulum.
It’s a 40 minute drive from Tulum. Here you are allowed to walk on the rocks and climb the pyramid unlike the other ruins. This one is a very big area to explore so wear your walking shoes and comfortable clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.
Coqui Coqui
When you go visit Coba you have to stop by the tranquil Coqui Coqui resort. This place is probably so under visited because it’s not easy to find. I’m not even sure how we found it but I’m glad we did. We stopped here for brunch and because it’s so close to the Coba ruins it’s a no brainer visit.
It’s so beautiful and serene. I wish we would have known about it sooner so that we could have stayed here for a night. The spa area is incredible and I had the best tea I’ve ever had in my life, while over-looking a cute pond.
I would even go as far to say it would be a wonderful low key spot to plan a getaway for a few days. You can relax by the pool, at the spa, or in the lounge area without feeling the need to keep yourself busy because besides the ruins there is nothing else around.
So plan for this before or after at least it may even be a good idea to book a massage after exploring the ruins all day. You’ll need it.
Places to Eats in Tulum Town
Ki’bok:
A really cute and small cafe. Great for coffee and a pastry or two! 
La Malquerida:
Located off of one of the Main Streets in Tulum. Just google the name and it will be easy to find. My friend and I ordered a bottle of chardonnay, chips and salsa, and a burrito to share. The total came out to a very reasonable price of $20 USD. We were incredibly happy with the service and the food.
Taqueria Honorio:
This is the best place for a simple taco. But they’re tiny so if you are hungry make sure you order more than 1. This is truly an authentic place. The seating is outside under a tent and it is communion style. I recommend going here for a casual lunch or snack. Definitely learn how to order tacos in Spanish before you visit.
Taqueria La Riviera Costena
This was probably my favorite casual taco place in Tulum town. We sat upstairs of the restaurant and got to overlook the town. We ate around 11:15pm which is so late but the city was just starting to come alive. This place is open until 5am!
Cerveceria Chapultepec
If you are looking for a place to hear music this is it. It’s very loud in here and could be a good place to stop just for drinks or an appetizer before you go out for the night.
Very close to this place are a lot of bars that are so fun and many of them have the famous Tulum bar swings. So you can swing like a kid while drinking an adult beverage. 
Places to Eat on Tulum Beach
Matcha Mamma
Matcha Mama is one of the most instagrammed places in Tulum beach next to Azulik. I love Matcha so we made the stop. It’s a small little walk up stand with a few bar stools on the side of the cafe. I liked the place but couldn’t figure out why it’s so popular. I am not sure it’s someplace I would say you absolutely had to go but a great place for a quick pick me up Matcha!
Raw Love Tulum
This is the place I was most excited to go. I love eating healthy and this place has so many options for fresh raw vegan food. It’s rare I can go to a place and don’t need to make any modifications to the food or just be super picky about what I order. Seating is outside on a beach and it is cash only.
If you’re a foodie that likes to eat healthy I would definitely suggest this place. I could eat here at least once a day for breakfast or lunch.
Charlies Vegan Tacos
This place is the taco place I didn’t know I needed. Again the food is healthy and vegan. But you don’t have to be vegan to go here. I would 1000 recommend the corn on the cob and you really can’t go wrong with ordering anything. But ensure you keep room for a couple of the signature tacos. Great place for lunch or a casual dinner.
Mezzanine
This place is the cutest. The restaurant is part of a boutique hotel. It overlooks the beach and has a small dining area so every table is guaranteed to get a beautiful beach view. This place is great for an intimate dinner, and I would suggest going right before sunset so you can see the water and you’ll have a perfect view.
This is a Thai food restaurant and the food is so fresh and full of flavor. Great place to go especially if you are craving Thai food. It was so thoughtfully plated, and truly shows the chef here is an artist.
Rosa Negra
This is the place to take your fun and classy friends. One of the more expensive places on the beach, but it isn’t stuffy. At one point of the night, everyone was given sparklers and it was as if the entire restaurant were partying together in the middle of dinner.
This is definitely a place you should go for a more glamorous and fun dinner. I loved it here!
Of course, there’s the beach in Tulum and plenty of relaxing can be taken advantage of there.
I could go on and on about Tulum, but I think everything here is a good place to start.
Tulum has my heart and I hope you have as much fun there as I do.
2 comments
I feel the need to plan a trip to Tulum after reading your guide. Great read and very informative. Thank you for your detailed guide.
Thank you for reading it! Happy it inspired 😀
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