Tulum, Si or No?

Last year I made the short non-stop flight from Chicago to Cancun International Airport and eventually settled in the South of Tulum. For such a small area of the Yucatan Peninsula, it generates a lot of discussion both positive and negative. This was my experience.

I decided on staying at a small bed and breakfast named La Posada del Sol. https://www.laposadadelsol.com/  I went a little fancier on this trip than most and opted for a Deluxe Room with King Bed, Terrace, and Sea Facing.  I had acquired credit card points over time, and this certainly helped make my boutique hotel, budget friendly.  The room had a massive terrace that overlooked the ocean and a small beach. It also came with air conditioning and breakfast every morning. My small area of the beach belonging to La Posada was shared by the made-famous by Instagram, Azulik Hotel. https://www.azulik.com/

Located just south of the Zona Arquelogica de Tulum ruins, the hotel is located on the one paved road that runs for miles along the coast. The road is littered with hotels, restaurants, and shops on both sides. Bike rentals are available at several locations and is the easiest form of transportation for checking out what this area of Tulum has to offer. While this area is where many high end hotels, shops, and restaurants are located, my favorite part of Tulum was found further inland, in the Puebla of Tulum.

Venturing into the main town of Tulum is what many visitors will miss, and to their detriment. The town is bustling, full of things to do, and most importantly, packed with places to eat. While the beachfront caters to the package tourists and day trippers, the town is as local as it gets. There are several small stores selling local crafts, and restaurants ranging from tacos stands to high end seafood establishments. One must stop is Antojitos La Chiapaneca. http://antojitos-la-chiapaneca.restaurantwebexperts.com/ Serving al pastor tacos at a ridiculously fast pace, this place churns out great tacos at a price that can’t be beat. Another restaurant close by that features a very nice courtyard to enjoy a meal and some drinks is Encanto Cantina. https://www.facebook.com/encantocantina Great music, great food, and reasonable prices. Other areas downtown to check out are some of the restaurants on Calle Jupiter Sur. They are very small, but all deliver something different, and again, at a great price.

Heading back to the beachfront side of Tulum, there are a few other equally delicious restaurants to explore. El Tabano https://www.facebook.com/eltabanotulum/ is a fantastic choice for a nice, sit down, candlelit dinner. The pollo rojo is unreal and must try if available! Hartwood http://www.hartwoodtulum.com/ is another restaurant on the high end scale that is highly sought after and sometimes difficult to get a reservation. Finally, Mateo’s, https://www.mateosmexicangrill.com/ which is right across the street from La Posada del Sol, brings the nightlife and beers when the sun goes down. Other than those, there are many more restaurants, bars, coffee shops, and beach clubs that can be found up and down the strip.

The strangest portion of my trip occurred when I realized it was the Mexican National Elections. Ley Seca was put into effect and the town banned the sale of alcohol. The law has been in effect since the early 1900’s, and each state has the option on whether or not they will apply it. In Tulum, liquor stores were closed for at least 24 hours during this time, and the only option to buy alcohol was at restaurants and accompanied by food, or at resorts. That gave me the idea of looking into day passes at some of the all-inclusive resorts north of town. I eventually found an all-inclusive day pass at Dreams Resort http://www.dreamsresorts.com/en_us/resorts/mexico/tulum.html a few miles north of Tulum. For $40USD I was allowed to eat and drink as much as I pleased until 5 p.m. Needless to say, I took the exact opposite approach to the purpose of Ley Seca and indulged in food and booze.

While I didn’t get the chance to visit everywhere I wanted to on my short trip to Tulum, I did get a good idea of why it is such a polarizing destination. Between hotels costing over $500 per night, the persistent sargassum that turns the ocean into a bed of seaweed, and high priced café’s and restuarants, beachfront Tulum is not your typical Mexican beach destination. However, if you break away from the beachfront area, check out the Puebla, view the ruins and natural cenotes nearby, and pick the right restaurants, it is a very enjoyable experience.

I would suggest looking into the sargassum situation prior to booking a trip at https://www.locogringo.com/tulum-beach-webcam. Also be sure to check out surrounding properties of the more expensive hotels and resorts. As I said before, La Posoda del Sol shares the exact beach and views as the Azulik Hotel at a quarter of the price.

I can certainly see the debate over Tulum at the moment. While the location is accessible and beautiful, the rapid build-up of resorts and high-end restaurants and shops is transposing the look Tulum was going for. Before I visited I saw it as the anti-Cancun, but now I can see the trend of it looking more and more like Cancun into the future.