(photo: Instagram @nesttulum)
The first time I visited Tulum, Mexico it was an unexpected stop on a day trip from Club Med Cancun - a girls holiday I'll never forget. But that's a story for another day....
The Yucatan Peninsula is not only a beach holiday destination, but filled with incredible Mayan ruins. Back in 500 B.B the Peninsula was the centre of the Maya empire, which stretched all over southern Mexico and into Belize and parts of northern Guatemala.
Nowadays Tulum is known for its relaxed beachy coastal scene, azure water, sugar white sand, and tropical beach paradise vibe. This little gem of a town is packed with fantastic places to stay, eat, drink and explore.
For accommodation, its not hard to find a quiet, relaxed, intimate hotel with friendly staff who speak a smattering of English. Most hotels offer lush garden pools, lovely restaurants featuring local cuisine and a coastal boho styled communal lounge area. The beachy elegant simplicity of Nest Tulum is highly recommended! Their interiors are luxurious and filled with locally sourced furnishings (photo: Instagram @themissinglinka)
The pueblo (village) has many hipster cafes, restaurants and shops. Head for the Beach Road South zone, oozing a jungle boho vibe with yoga studios, vegan restaurants, coastal interior design shops and funky tropical cafes. For breakfast, be adventurous! You can't miss with the tropical porridge and a kombutcha, or a smoothie with coconut chia pudding and local fruit. Oh, and Mexican roast coffee, of course! Highly recommend Matcha Mama. (photo: Instagram - @leamllecoquette)
In the evenings hunt out the mezcal cocktail, or swill ridiculously fresh margaritas. Para comer (to eat) y favourite is carne asada, fish tacos, ceviche, grilled corn on the cob and a myriad of other taste sensations. Then join the fiesta and salsa dance until dawn with the eclectic mix of locals, transplanted hippie expats and tourists. (photo: Instatgram @aseaoflove)
The next day you'll wake up to the sound of birds and you can start off with a dawn swim. (photo: Instagram - @worldtrav.el)
Now you're ready to head off for a visit to the majestic Mayan ruins. The Tulum ruins are 3 km away from the village and you can get there by a bike rented in the pueblo, or by car too.
Don’t forget to pack your swimwear and Binalong Beach & CO towel! Once you see the lovely rustic beach by the 12-meter tall cliffs of Tulum, you won't be able to resist a dip, especially on a hot, humid day. One interesting fact is that Tulum was one of the very few walled cities built by the Mayan people. The design is such that the ocean was meant to protect the settlement, so the walls are only on three sides of the site.
Viva Mexico!