Travel Guide: Tulum
While I would not call myself a Tulum expert by any means, I recently went on a week long trip to Tulum and figured I would share my experience, tips, and tricks as a Tulum first-timer. As a solo traveler and female (although by no means a newbie to solo traveling), I always like to do my research once I have booked my flight. Specifically for Tulum, there are a lot of what I would consider “scams” to watch out for. Traveling on a budget is not for the faint hearted, but I found Tulum a pleasant and plausible experience as long as I avoided the all too common pitfalls. If you are visiting Tulum for the first time, I hope these tips and tricks are helpful for your journey! :)
Tulum 101
For ease of writing this post: Tulum is the most incredibly beautiful town on the Caribbean in Mexico. Roughly a 2hr drive from Cancun, the resort town is the most bohemian nexus between ocean and jungle. Tulum is roughly divided into two main areas: the hotel zone and the downtown area. They are separated by a 10-15min drive, but you can relatively easily access them both without much strife. The hotel zone is defined by impressively stunning and pricey hotels with beachfront access. The downtown area has shops, restaurants, and places to stay that offer plenty for those who want to save some cash.
Getting to Tulum: MyDayTrip is the Ultimate Travel Hack
To get to Tulum you must fly into Cancun International Airport. Warning: customs can be a long journey and was a very slow process due to understaffing and lots of flyers. This was relatively surprising considering I arrived during the “slow season” in August.
From there, there are the notorious lines of men offering to give you rides or point you in the right direction for your shuttle to the next destination. As an introvert, I had absolutely no problem with my headphones in ignoring this line of people (however, many note that they have called prey to these scams). What I would like to emphasize here is the cost of transportation.
Please do not pay $100-$300 to drive 1hr and 40 min to Tulum from Cancun. I booked my shuttle through Mydaytrip.com. At first, I can admit I was a little hesitant. The cost was $36 one way for a shared shuttle with pick up at Terminal 3 in the airport and drop off at a local grocery store in Tulum. The grocery store happened to be a 10 min walk from the place I was staying at (they also offer drop off’s to the hotel zone). The pickup location was confusing because it claims that the shuttle picks you up from a restaurant in Terminal 3 although that restaurant is inside of the terminal. Thus, I fully prepared for the reality that there could very well be no driver picking me up to get me to Tulum.
However, I could not recommend Mydaytrip.com enough. The driver called my phone when he arrived at the airport and picked me up from the terminal I arrived at. He spoke fluent English, was beyond kind, and I ended up being the only one on the shuttle for the time I booked it for. The company makes three trips back and forth between Cancun and Tulum daily and provides numerous pick up options for morning, midday, and evening. The cost was remarkably less expensive than any alternative. The driver even dropped me off at my hotel because I was the only one on the shuttle. Considering the closest alternative I could find was a 3hr bus or a $200 shuttle - please use this as an affordable way to travel between Cancun and Tulum.
Transportation in Tulum: Get the Bike
My strategy for enjoying Tulum was that of adventure + relaxation. Thus, when deciding on transportation I tried to follow my strategy to a T. I have no regrets. I rented a motorbike for half the time I was here and the other half of the time relied on my legs for travel. The motorbike gave me lots of freedom to explore Tulum and get my bearings in town. Because of the prevalence of motorbikes in Tulum, cars are used to making space for the bikes on the road. I never felt unsafe and really enjoyed the freedom to see the sights I wanted to. The cost was $500mxn a day (or $30) and I probably paid more than I needed to considering I picked a place across the street from the apartment I was staying at (for convenience).
The process was simple, I exchanged my ID as a deposit and took the bike without much delay. Upon return, I filled up the tank, paid the cost for the days I had the bike, and was returned my ID.
The motorbike allowed me to go downtown as often as I wanted, travel along the entire hotel zone, and feel more familiar with the city faster. On the days where I didn’t have the motorbike, I felt less pressured to constantly be adventuring and allowed myself to relax around the pool and walk to get groceries, food, or anything else I needed. I saw numerous people who opted for standard bikes instead of motorbikes, which also would have been sufficient. But given the heat and humidity, I did not regret my purchase at all.
Tulum Recommendations: So Much to See So Much to Do
Everyone’s travel styles are different, so please forgive me if my recommendations don’t serve you. However, I can say these were the highlights of my trip.
Azulik Uh May
(40 min outside of Tulum)
This stunning architectural space is one of the most incredible places I have been. The space is intended to reconnect you with your spiritual + creative energy while reconnecting you to the elements. No shoes are allowed to be warn and you truly get the experience of being in awe of nature and its capabilities.
The entrance fee was $400mxn (or $23). There are no bags allowed inside unless they are small, no tripods for taking photos (although photos are allowed inside), and you can stay for as long as you want.
I do not even feel like these photos do the venue justice. It was truly an incredible experience that I cannot recommend more.
Tulum Ruins
The Tulum ruins are truly stunning. Perched on the coastline above the Caribbean, anyone who enjoys history will enjoy this experience. The only special thing to note about this experience is the sheer complexity of entering. There are two different locations in which you must pay.
First, you have to pay at the entrance to the national park. In order to avoid getting scammed and paying for a tour (unless you want one), I recommend walking towards the park until they ask you for your wristband. At that point they will direct you a stone’s throw away to purchase the actual wristband for entrance into the national park. They accept cards and Mexican Pesos and the entrance fee is only $70mxn ($4) per person (children are free).
Once you bypass the entrance to the park, you then have to pay in order to see the actual ruins. You walk about 10 min before you approach the entrance where you pay for the second entrance to the main attraction.
However, once you make it to the ruins, they do not disappoint. Given the little information I knew about the entrance, it was not too complicated to figure out although it was easy to tell lots of people were frustrated with the experience.
The Hotel Zone
If you decide to stay downtown, taking a bike down the hotel zone is an absolute must. This is where you will find all the instagrammable spots on both sides of the road and cute boutiques. I decided to do my drive down the Hotel Zone scavenger hunt style, trying to find a bunch of photo locations I had compiled as I made my way down the coast. While unfortunately the “love is the frequency of magic” sign had been taken down, I still found it to be a fun way to see all the cool spots along the road.
Casa Malca: Pablo Escobar’s Mansion
Finally, for the crown jewel of my trip - Casa Malca. As a die hard Narcos fan, I literally couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see where Pablo spent his vacations. Now a hotel, visitors are still allowed to enter for two purposes. Option one is a beach day pass, which costs an insane $3,000mxn ($175) $100 usd of which are yours to spend on food and drinks when inside. Option two is just the restaurants which cost the $100 usd minimum for you to spend inside.
In pain that my Pablo Escobar dreams cost as much as Pablo Escobar’s lifestyle, I opted for the cheaper version trying to get as many photos as I could while inside. If you have the money to spend, the day pass is probably the most worth your money. However, I felt the constant feeling of surveillance as there are at least 3 people asking you where you are going and if you need anything your entire time there. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the day pass with that kind of supervision over my every move - but to each their own!
Experience wise - all I can say is WOW. This place is absolutely stunning and did not disappoint. The food was good and I was stuffed by the time I spent my $100. But the architecture, art, and setting was truly something. It met all my grandiose expectations for Pablo. While I wish there wasn’t such a barrier to entry and the awkward “you are not rich enough to actually be here” vibes, I can’t say I regret going.
