Dive into secluded cenotes, party at rooftop bars, and explore ancient ruins by the beach.
Not long ago , tourists considered Tulum to be one of the best - kept enigma in Mexico , the antithesis of theall - inclusiverevelry often notice on the crowded beach ofLos CabosorPuerto Vallarta . Today , the fact that Tulum has been dubbed the “ Williamsburg of Mexico ” might trigger some alarms that the idyllic name and address has become an overplayed influencer haunt . Yet , despite some domain transform into touristy thirst traps , Tulum still has infinite surprise up its sleeves for fledgling and repeat visitor alike .
Perched on the shores of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo , Tulum is about 80 sea mile south ofCancún . Because Tulumonly recently got an outside airportof its own and its population of 50,000 is dwarfed by Cancún ’s nearly 900,000 , this comparatively tinier resort enclave go forth as the kind of anti - Cancún . Tulum offers more Lucy in the sky with diamonds vibes , chicer restaurants go with a jungle - to - table ethos , boho - chic beach clubs , and tasteful boutique hotels that are the antithesis of theme park - sized resorts .
Yes , the retiring tenner or so have seen the crowds well up , but reports of Tulum becoming a tropical Williamsburg , have been greatly exaggerated . From its almostcartoonishly picturesque cenotesandMayan ruinsto all - natural lazy river and biography - switch taco , here are the things to do in Tulum you have n’t seen played out on social media .
Phil Clarke Hill /Corbis News/Getty Images
The Ultimate Guide to the Tulum Airport
Welcome to the jungle airport, set to be one of the most trafficked attractions in the Yucatan Peninsula.
Best places for first timers to visit in Tulum
When most people reckon of Tulum , their perception are probably dominated by scantily invest beach - goers and late - dark cabaret - hopper . But considering its prime location on the Riviera Maya — which is teeming with hobo camp , shoreline , and lagoon — Tulum is just as dreamy for those who prefer wearing clothes . In addition to the noted cenotes , Tulum offers lots more ways to reanimate in nature , only some of which involve luxuriating on a daybed at the beach .
To check that you see all the sights , booking an organized tour is a expectant fashion to go . There are different duty tour companies available , but the best is the sustainably focusedMexico Kan Tours . The fellowship provides payload of escapade excursions , from cenote bike tours to Mayan lore at Chichen Itza , but the ideal way to go full - accelerator Tulum is with a tour ofSian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve . Each elaborate and informative outing include a expedition through the jungle to pyramid and temples , before fix up by the coast for a wholesome picnic lunch . It ’s then into a motorboat for a whisker - flapping spin through the second-stringer ’s turquoise - tinted laguna and waterways . It all culminates with a life - changing “ lazy river ” experience , swim in life jackets on a free - flowing current through dense Rhizophora mangle canals . You’ll never front at Volcano Bay the same way again .
But , truth be told , if there ’s one thing you do in Tulum , beyond the requisite beachside cocktail and fish taco awakening , it ’s taking aswim in a cenote . instinctive limestone sinkholes fill with groundwater so shimmeringly pristine they make holy water look like sludge , cenotes are to Tulum what all - you - can - exhaust buffets are to Cancún . Whether they ’re expose to the undetermined air or within stalactite - strewn caves , these photogenic admiration of nature are all over the berth in Tulum . Most of them you ’re not likely to see , since they ’re often underground and/or on secret property , but a few places allow you to drown and search .
Mestixa
Where to eat and drink like a local in Tulum
Everywhere you turn , from the beach social club to the street pushcart to the jungle - chic fine dining at Hartwood ( a eating place that consume much of the blame for the Williamsburg - ification of Tulum ) , astonishing nutrient and drink are there to dazzle you . A fate of this can be chalk up to Tulum ’s enviable geographic placement between lush Yucatan jungles and the Caribbean Sea , give the utmost in both surf and sod . It ’s why , when it amount to signature lulu in the region , the offerings start the gamut from ceviche and fish wetback to cochinita pibil , a traditional Mayan method acting of marinating porc in citrus , tint it bright - orangeness with annatto seed , wrapping it in banana tree leaves , and roasting in an earthen oven .
The laudedHartwoodis as quintessential to Tulum nowadays as the Mayan ruin and the beach , and it ’s well deserving trying to grab a reservation — they’re extremely limited , and can only be book via their site a month out , but if you ’d really like to throw caution to the jazz , walk - ins are accepted . The eating place is trenchant in its locating and coming , apply an almost Noma - same ethos to stringent local sourcing and reimagining traditional beauty . bill of fare offerings deepen day by day , fudge exclusively on a huge grill or in a wood - give notice oven , give it the feel of a jungle omakase in an overt - strain court illuminated with lanterns . From papaya empanadas and grilled Caribbean lobster with creamed yuca to wood - fired beets with avocado habanero cream , each pungency is as adventurous as the scratchy terrain you stumble across to get here .
While gems like Hartwood are hidden in hobo camp , much of Tulum ’s culinary epicenter is along highway 307 , which runs through the heart of downtown , a.k.a . Tulum Centro . Mestixa Restaurantis another prime model of the part ’s propensity for turn local ingredients and trite dishes into stunning novelties — in this case a clever mashup of Romance American and Asian preparation . Mestixa is a obscure , noisome , and artsy restaurant , bedecked in dragon wall painting and dainty umbrella , serving a street solid food - inspired array of savour : jumbo shrimp tempura tacos in lettuce wrapper with furikake , pickled ginger , and ponzu sauce ; oyster mushroom al curate with aged egg vitellus , grilled scallion oil , and brown butter ponzu ; and Thai coconut raspado with miso flan , cacao brownie , and lemongrass oil .
Mestixa
For street food without the “ street food ” credit marks , Tulum Centro is also dotted with copious taquerias and cart . It ’s hard to go unseasonable with any of ‘ em , but a couple standouts admit Taqueria Honorio , known for its cochinita pibil tacos , and Tacos y Torta El Tio , a frills - free cart stuffing tortillas with grilled hanger steak and spicy chorizo .
Rooftop bars are to be expect in sky - scraping cities like Chicago and New York , but for a comparatively shorter city , Tulum surely tout a robust rooftop picture . main among them isNaná Rooftop Bar , tucked a block off the main drag at theMaka Hotel Boutique . The whole vibe is very hobo camp treehouse , count like someplace the Lost Boys might hang out if they were into mezcal — and of age . To get at the legal profession , you take the air across a few stone steps through an elegant , dot - like pond , then up a contemporary voluted stairway to enter the posh cottage bar fill up with morose green and wood ( the roof has the tone and feel of a Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree canopy , and it ’s accented with quirky decor like a Furby in a birdcage ) .
Another nearby rooftop haven isBhanu Sky Kitchen , light atop theKimpton Aluna Resort Tulum , where small scale add up with bighearted ambitions — and a sweeping aspect of the Tulum jungle on all side . Up here , chef Rogelio Dominguez Vargas presides over a active bill of fare of topically sourced ingredients at their freshest and most pristine . Cooked in a huge , wide - undecided kitchen and fresh off the ember - fired grill , dishes include sea scallop tostada with smoked chili oil , papaya and lobster ravioli , pork belly baos with beet and jicama kimchi , and barbacoa tacos with off-white marrow sauce in freshly made tortilla .
Naná Rooftop Bar
History and culture in Tulum
concerned in a beach break ? Get to know the area ’s historical side with a sojourn toSian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve , a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the southern end of Tulum . Established to protect and uphold Mayan dilapidation , jungle , and Caribbean Sea in 1986 , it ’s a park whose rarefied translation of “ Gate of Heaven ” really seems modest equate to what it agree . Clocking in at about 3,280 square miles — make it the with child protect area on Mexico ’s Caribbean slide — the modesty includes 23 Mayan archaeological sites .
One of these is Muyil , among the older Mayan civilizations in the Yucatan , with token and hover stone pyramids that particular date as far back as 350 BC . Well - keep up ruins are scattered throughout the jungle , and touring the forests here is a far more accessible experience than visiting the touristed Tulum Ruins further north . trail tissue their way through the jungle out to the coastal wetland and lagoon , where tour boats take visitant out to explore a different side of the ballpark .
But it ’s not all fun in the sun . This being a biosphere reservation with similar protections and regulations as the US National Park Service , the park is stringent about sustainable practices and environmental sweat . They currently run a tree - planting program to offset their carbon footprint , prohibit sunscreen for anyone going into the water , and actively advertize theSave the Marine Turtle Project .
VW Pics/Contributor/Universal Images Group/Getty Images
Cenotes and beaches in Tulum
As mentioned above , Tulum ’s cenotes are nothing short of a national treasure in Mexico , and visiting without exploring them is fundamentally a central sin . A good place to get your invertebrate foot slopped isCenotes Casa Tortuga , a kind of all - natural water commons in the Mayan jungle , where guided duty tour take you through aquatic cave — and plunging off small drop into wide - undetermined pools . Unlike H2O parks , though , this place actually prioritizes conservation and bionomics , which means preserving the delicate cave and their double-dyed body of water . Thus , sunscreen is not allow ( it can wash off and damage the water ) and all visitors must wash off in a immediate shower before exact the dip . Each tour consists of four cenotes , a mix of open - air and underground pools , and provide sprightliness vests and optional goggles . Keep in mind you will be fully eat up in water , so unless you have an airtight rainproof guinea pig for your telephone , you ’re gon na want to leave that — and everything else — either in your car or one of the provided lockers .
In the same hobo camp as Cenotes Casa Tortuga , Buuts’Ha ’ Cenote Clubis more like the Soho Club of cenotes . Like , if the Mayans were around today and they like Dom Perignon bottle service , they ’d 100 % hang out here . Whereas the former is more of a kinfolk - friendly surroundings with guided hitch , this one is a literal cenote golf-club , complete with full - service restaurant and ginmill , accessible via reservation only . The name Buuts ’ hour angle ’ translates to “ smoke and pee , ” a nod to the consecrated rituals of burning copal wood and soaking in the springs . The center of the club is a huge sunken grotto , surrounded on all side by Iguana iguana - clad cliff and bookended by gentle falls . Within the grotto are chic booths and even chicer hammocks , dangling above the fornicatress - green profoundness .
Other notable cenotes to count includeCenote Sac Actun — a 260 - mile underground river and cave system boast well explored via a turn with conservation - mindedAlltournative — and the otherworldly , subterraneanDos Ojos , which can transform your swim into a sensory - deprivation dive . And of trend , a trip to the popularGran Cenoteis indispensable provided you do n’t mind bigger crowds ( and a bunch of turtles ) .
Cenotes Casa Tortuga Tulum
Of course , you ca n’t spill about outside activeness in Tulum without cite the beach . With over 10 naut mi of prime Riviera Maya real estate distinguished by the kaleidoscopical clang of azure - gloomy water lapping up against sugar - white moxie , these are some of the most breathtaking beach on the continent . Tulum ’s north side beach be given to be quieter and more natural , while the south side feel more like Miami ’s South Beach at times thanks to its abundance of classy resorts , beach clubs , and ripped torsos .
For tranquility with a side of ancient history , Playa Ruinas is a singular stunner . It ’s located about 40 - base below the drop-off at the Tulum Ruins , making it a tonic dip in the quick ocean after exploring the oddment of a centuries - old city — and dodging hordes of visitors along the direction . Like the ruin above , the beach persist untouched by hands younger than the fifteenth century , making this one of Tulum ’s stark sections of shoreline .
Further south , Playa Pescadores ( a.k.a . Paradise Beach ) offer a few more New amenities , and what it lack in ancient pyramids , it more than spend a penny up for in passion yield margaritas . Although resorts are dot along this stretch of highly-developed beach , it ’s still in public approachable via a short , breezy walk through medal trees .
Jess Kraft/Shutterstock
If you ’re gon na go full - disceptation Tulum , your in effect bet is snagging a shaded cabana atMaïa Beach Club . Part of the Ikal Hotel , it ’s smartness and hip without feel too pretentious , with a full - service restaurant and bar offer religious service with a smile no matter how elite your seat is ( the beach club also has , ya sleep with , regular table and chairs in case you do n’t want to pay off a cabana fee ) .
Tulum’s hotels and other great places to stay
If you were n’t already obligate to pass the night after a intellectual nourishment coma - get banquet at Bhanu Sky Kitchen , allow us to corroborate thatKimpton Aluna Resort Tulumis indeed the ideal jungle bungalow in which to rest your head word — on silky - soft Frette linens , no less . nestle within a plantation of tropical trees in the Aldea Zama neighborhood , the passive location is optimal for being just far enough off the master retarding force , while still minutes from the beach and an easy driving force or walk to the activeness of Tulum Centro .
The whole vibe is very spiritual and dot , starting with a welcome rite in the blowy antechamber that entails writing something you want to leave behind ( e.g. employment stress , a sorry breakup , and literally all of the past few eld ) on a piece of composition and then burning it in a bowl of smoulder copal wood . It ’s a opinion that carry over throughout the property , from the bungalow - style balcony in each room ( top floor balconies are even topped with a hobo camp - esque thatched cap ) to the rooftop yoga , the unused fruit and seafood atParallel 20 ° on the ground floor , and the tranquil pond , wander through the tree - draped heart of the property like a chlorinated river .
For those looking for an all - inclusive experience , grab a way at theHilton Tulum Riviera Maya All - Inclusive Resort , with multiple pools , beach approach , and a kid ’s club to keep the little ones take . For those more about the adults - only vibe , Catalonia Royal Tulumis an oasis rest aright on the perfectly Sunday - bleached beach . Here , the broad jungle - face rooms make up for their lack of ocean views with incredible chance to spy wildlife . Here you ’ll find most everything you ’re look for — unless what you seek is a company , in which casing , you ’ve fare to the wrong place . This is a laid - back , secluded , and very anti - scene smirch for the chill to , well , chill .
Kimpton Aluna Tulum
Of naturally , this being a locus sleep together for its bougie beaches and lantern - lit jungles , it ’s no surprisal that glamping is a popular pastime here too . We ’re talking floor - out tents atHarmony Glamping , with artistic creation and topic inspired by the likes of Frida and the Hindu god of Shiva . There are also swanky R.V. - sized oceanfront tents atCasa Nawal , where additional amenity include speech sound therapy and star divination readings , so probably a shade different than your childhood camping storage . But if there ’s any place that can blend the ancient and the modern , the archaic and the posh , it ’s Tulum .
What to know before you go to Tulum
Best time of the year to visit Tulum
When you ’re sandwiched between the shimmering Caribbean and heavy jungle this close to the Equator , thing are bound to get sweaty . Indeed , summer — while less expensive — is not for the faint of heart , due to both the swelter heat / humidity and the heightened likelihood of rain from June through September . But as temperature taper off in the autumn , the weather feels downright perfect from November through March .
November and December are at the tail closing of hurricane time of year , so there ’s still a chance of storming , but more than likely you ’ll just experience periodic drizzles and fresh ocean breezes . January through March are adorable and balmy , albeit the most crowded time of class in Tulum . That may result in hefty hotel price and a deficiency of useable Clarence Day beds at the beach , which is the most First World job you ’ll come across here . That being allege , Tulum ’s relative isolation from the rest of the Riviera Maya hold back it from becomingDisney World — compared to Cancún ’s annual trial of more than 10 million masses , Tulum sees about 1.5 million each year .
April and May are also optimal month ( as long as you strategically shunspring breakout ) , so you could sneak a tripper in before the summer heat and hurricane time of year .
Barry Winiker/The Image Bank/Getty Images
Tulum’s time zone
Tulum falls under Eastern Standard Time ( EST ) . It share a clock time zona with New York , and is three hour ahead of California ’s Pacific Standard Time .
The weather and climate
Tulum is classified as having a tropical mood , marked by cheery , humid days , breezy Nox , and consistently lovesome temperatures class - round . The showery time of year lasts from May to October , while it ’s somewhat cooler , windier , and drier from November to April . The average temperature rises to 83.5 degree Fahrenheit in June and August , and falls to 74.2 degrees Fahrenheit in January .
Languages
Tulum is a Mexican city and the official voice communication is Spanish , though English is also wide spoken in more touristed expanse .
How to get around
In December 2023 the Tulum airport open up , supply closer than Cancún International Airport , which sits some 80 miles north . From both there are multiple methods of ecstasy into Tulum , including rental automobile , secret shuttles , taxis , ADO buses , and a meshwork of local divvy up miniskirt - buses calledcollectivos . you could also fly into Cozumel International Airport ( 50 miles northeast ) , but traveling from there to Tulum would also admit a ferrying drive in addition to flat coat transfer .
Once in town , there are stack of selection for navigating Tulum . If you determine not to pull a motorcar , taxis are a popular and ample selection , and can get you anywhere you want to go . Tulum is quite walkable in parts , and biking is also a playfulness and reliable room to see nearby attracter like the beach and ruin . Some hotels offer free bike rentals , while a few bike shop in townspeople will pitch your rented ride to your lodging for a fee .
The currency
Tulum uses the Mexican Cuban peso ( MXN ) and each peso is deserving 100 centavos . As of November 2024 , $ 1 USD central for $ 20.43 MXN .
International adapters you’ll need
Tulum , like the repose of Mexico , uses type A and type B plugs ( the same as the US ) . stock electromotive force is 127 V and the frequency is 60 Hz .
MB Photography/Moment/Getty Images
