Travel | soyumsofun

Tulum Travel Guide

Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Day 1: { The Travel Day }

Surprisingly not from Hell

When my boyfriend and I first booked our flights to Tulum, Mexico it was a no brainer to both of us that airfare was going to be the most expensive part of the trip. After New Years I began to avidly search for the cheapest and most direct flight I could find. I ended up finding a non-direct flight, on justly.com, that left from PHL at 8 am and got us to arrive at Cancun airport at 6 pm. Seemed all well & good for $400 instead of $650.

Fast forward to February when we tried to figure out some more logistics of the trip. Our once "cheap flight" ended up being a 12 hour travel day within the United States. Long story short, we woke up at 5 am to be on an 8 am flight that was bringing us from PHL to JFK (obviously, not Mexico). Next time, we will spend the extra bucks to save time ! Thankfully, even after a 5 am wakeup call and a 6 hour layover in New York we finally arrived at ZAMAS Hotel and Restaurant in Tulum at 8 pm (9 pm in US) ! Yawn . . . I mean Yay!

Being the foodie I am, I got pass the travel slump and was super pumped to order my first authentic meal at our hotel. After eating a large amount of snacks throughout the day I knew my body needed something nutritious. I ordered guacamole from the menu, accompanied by the crispiest chips. Plus a salad with beets, sliced almonds, goat cheese, radishes, and cabbage. So Yum.

The amazing yet confusing part about the boutique hotels in Tulum is that most, if not all of the hotels we chose to eat at had a separate name for their restaurant. (Thank you google and open table) I will be happy to provide these names at the end of the guide! After a late dinner, we headed back to our cute, yet very spacious room to unpack our bags.

Day 2: { First Full Day }

La Playa & Relaxation

MY MAIN ADVICE would be to wake up early and make the most out of each day! The first morning there I woke up at 5:45 am without an alarm (yikes). It was Nick's idea to head straight to the beach to watch the sunrise. The part I loved most about Tulum is that at any hour of the day you can find relaxation if you chose to do so, or you can find adventure. The perfect balance if you ask me!

Nick and I ventured about a half a mile south of our hotel. The best part about this morning walk was that the weather was already 75 degrees. Such a great thing to wake up to. After walking for about an hour, we back-tracked towards our hotel and Mateo's Restaurant and Bar. Mateo's was recommended to me by a friend because of the breakfast and amazing rooftop bar (pictured below). Conveniently enough it was also right across the street from ZAMAS!

We walked up to Mateo's because we knew it opened at 8 am. When we got there it was still not open and they wanted us to wait another 30 minutes (womp). My boyfriend and I are both the "hangry" type especially with drinking less water than usual and the extreme heat, so we passed on this wait but explored the empty bar anyway! The owners probably thought we were loco.

Since ZAMAS opened earlier than Mateo's we decided to take a raincheck on the pancakes at Mateo's and get food at Que Fresco! (this is the name of the restaurant located at ZAMAS Hotel).You can see the picture down below. The first breakfast in Tulum consisted of the Danny Burger for Nick, pretty much a traditional cheese burger, and avocado toast with goat cheese for me :) I enjoyed this combination SO much I even invested in goat cheese from Trader Joe's when I got back to school earlier this week. I can't forget the creamy yogurt parfait we shared with homemade granola.

Once we were fueled up we decided to explore further South so we rented bikes from Mateo's. For 24-hrs we got the bikes for $15 USD each; not bad for a 24-hr rental. Our first stop South was Coco Tulum which I had only seen in pictures for the swings at the beach bar (perfect insta pic). But when we got there the woman at the receptionist table told us it was a $25 minimum per person to relax on the beach. We opted out of this but still got to see the beach club anyway. The woman suggested we head to La Eufemia (because the drinks and prices were better there). Off on our bikes we went again!

When we got to Taqueria La Eufemia (La Eufemia for short) the gates were closed and a worker told us it did not open until 2 pm, at this point it was only 10:30 am. Feeling extra tired from the heat and lack of water, Nick and I were getting a wee bit frustrated. So I remembered a spot we had passed on the bike ride down called Ziggy's Beach Club which was also recommended to me as a fun place to day drink ! ! We parked our bikes and didn't pay much attention to the minimum at this point.

Here is why Nick and I liked Ziggy's Beach Club: the prices were reasonable, the service was AMAZING, the beach beds were so comfy, and the minimum was well-worth it for being there for 4 + hours. The minimum ended up being $30 USD per person / 1,000 pesos total.

All day long, we enjoyed yummy drinks (Pina Coladas and Beers) and a delicious shrimp quesadilla (pictured below).

We left around 4 pm because 1) we just went over our minimum (oops). 2) Nick's legs were burnt to a crisp and my forehead was dark as helllll! I think our total with tip that day ended up being $1,100 pesos. Once we got back to our hotel we set up our bikes and just relaxed until happy hour at Mateo's. We knew we wanted to watch the sunset at the rooftop bar so that was our main plan. We stayed at Mateo's all night and enjoyed the celery margarita . . . super spicy ! !

Day 3: { Second Full Day }

Good food, good mood

Once again we woke up early, so at this point we kind of just went with it and made the most of our days (which may or may not have contributed to the money we spent). Being that we were up before both Mateo's and ZAMAS opened we headed North, probably less than 1/4 mile on foot, and ended up at Tunich which was also recommended to me (for obvious reasons). The PRICES were perfect, the portions were BIG, and the FOOD was so healthy. I kid you not, you could add additional hemp seeds for protein to any smoothie or juice! Nick and I didn't want a huge breakfast so we each got coffee and shared the Baba Booey Smoothie (pictured below).

Tunich was so peaceful, especially since Nick pointed out a great seat in the back that was surrounded by trees (pictured below). It was open at 7 am which makes it a great spot for early risers, and did I mention they had the BEST iced coffee + dairy-free milk! I was SO happy to say the least. After our small bite, we decided it would be best to get a Moped to do some explorin' around Tulum. We took a taxi to IBike Tulum. We didn't know exactly where to tell the Taxi driver to go so he ended up getting a little lost. All good though, we made it!

IBike Tulum was a small little business geared towards tourist who wanted to rent bikes or scooters. However when we got there we did not know the cost of the scooter would be more than we planned. For a 24-hr rental, 1 scooter (for Nick and I), was $52 USD with a $295 Deposit (just in case you f up the bike or what not). Unfortunately, neither Nick or myself had $295 USD to just freely withdraw from our accounts. This meant the scooters were not ours. We decided to get the scooters another day when we had enough for BOTH payments on one card! This was a minor hiccup so we decided to just catch a taxi to the Grand Cenotes I had seen pictures of.

These Cenotes are located all over Tulum, but the Grand Cenote (C-No-Tay) were the only ones I had heard of previously. Definitely a must do in Tulum because it is simply amazing that these freshwater caves just formed in the middle of the city, and like I said they are everywhere! Our taxi driver actually recommended we see the cenote with the turtles. It would have been nice to have a moped to get here, but the taxi wasn't too bad because the ride ended up being about 10 minutes by car. Most taxi rides ranged from 70 pesos to 180 pesos (4 USD to 11 USD), with 140 being the price we payed from the cenotes back to Mateo's.

We decided to opt for a light lunch at Mateo's in order to save room for an early dinner at Macondo. Since we got burnt the day before we decided to skip the beach but still got to relax outside on the comfy hammocks! Macondo is the restaurant located at Nomade Hotel which was recommended to me by two people. It is a great spot for relaxation and AMAZING Mediterranean/Vegan eats. We got to Macondo around 4 pm and didn't have to make reservations. I was happy because we got seated quickly and hardly anyone was there. At 4 pm we were given the lunch menu. I ordered a Beet Burger that came with hummus and chips while Nick got a Pad Thai bowl with noodles, peanut sauce, broccoli, and he added Chicken! Very versatile menu. The beer was also really good.

My favorite part about this restaurant: The prices, the awesome moroccan decor & seating, the fresh food options, and the service!

After dinner we got to sit on their beach for a little and then took a taxi back home to get ready to go out. We decided to go to Mateo's again because we really couldn't get enough of the spicy celery margs from the night before ! We decided to go earlier than sunset to get a good spot on top looking right over the jungle. BEST EXPERIENCE by far. We stayed at Mateo's for about 5 hours because there was also live music that night downstairs. The best part about many of the restaurants in Tulum is that there were always live performances!

Day 4: { Third Full Day }

Another round at Ziggy's

I had previously made reservations at Gitano about a week before we got to Tulum. I made them at 7:30 pm this night so we would be forced to just stay in the sun all day . . . and that plan worked well. I woke up early again and did some yoga outside because it had been a couple days since I last got my body moving. I am not really one for working out intensively while on vacation but yoga definitely seemed to help me feel more relaxed. Once Nick and I were both ready to get the day started we headed to Tunich for a bigger breakfast than the day before.

What we ordered:

Garden Omelette with tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms

Avocado Toast (comes with two, thick slices of sprouted grain bread - the seeds in the bread were amazing!)

Continental Breakfast (for Nick) - Toast and Herb Butter with Jam plus fruit

Vitamin C Punch smoothie with oranges, papaya, & mango ++ hemp seeds for protein

Iced Coffee con almond milk

Total: $50 USD (very good for the amount and quality of food we got)

After that we planned to just hang at the hotel's pool until it got hotter out for prime tanning time! I figured we could pack a big bag for the day and stay outside at a beach club until our reservation. This was a little harder than we thought. We took a taxi South again towards Coco Tulum where we went the first day. We stepped on the beach for five minutes and realized we liked the vibes better at Ziggy's Beach. Coco Tulum was nice, but not as upbeat and lively as Ziggy's staff was.

Once we got to Ziggy's we found a beach bed and laid all our stuff down. We didn't have the same waiter as the first day but we both made it a point to say hi to him again because of how friendly he was! The best part about having a beach bed all was that we got to drink as much as we wanted and eat as much as we wanted with no time restriction. Basically we fulfilled our $30 minimum by ordering Corona's instead of cocktails ($3 USD) and splurging on delicious food (250 pesos). That day we had ceviche, which is a really authentic cold dip in South America with tons of fresh, yet raw seafood. Then around 4 pm we split a burger that had the most amazing cheese and truffle fries. I really did not expect such a great burger. Both of those meals were enough to keep us full until dinner. We spent most of the day in and out of the water and also walking along the beach! I highly recommend this, because the heat in Tulum can really have yah going crazy.

Thankfully, Ziggy's Beach Club had showers so I could change before dinner. I got ready while Nick assed out on a hammock. We got to Gitano an hour early because it was only a quarter of a mile South from Ziggy's. Nick ordered us both mescal mules as we waited in the "jungle seating." A little side note, Gitano had the most expensive cocktails yet ($15 USD), but they were delicious and pretty strong! Plus, I can't say no to a good moscow mule. Once we were seated Nick decided to just get a beer and I got a lighter dinner. I ordered the arugula salad plus tuna tartar. Both of these choices were super healthy and provided a good break from chips and guac. The dinner itself was very reasonably priced ($45 USD total). Thankfully, we didn't get charged for the first two drinks. . . hehe.

After dinner we explored the bar in the back of the restaurant. It was deep into the jungle. There was a musician performing but we didn't stay long to listen. Instead we found a cute, retro bar a few steps North called I Scream Bar; it was a great location for cheap beers, American music (Kanye West), and friendly staff! At one point the music turned off and the entire staff started chanting " I Scream Bar, I Scream Bar." I naturally started clapping. It was a great place to hangout and listen to good music before we took a taxi back to ZAMAS. This was definitely a hidden gem, and I even got to try their Banana Pie Vegan Ice Cream!

After a long day in the sun we checked out at around 11. Buenas Noches to me.

Day 5: { Last Full Day }

Got a moped

After being a little slumped over not getting a moped on Tuesday, Nick made it apparent that we were getting one to start our last day of adventure. I am sure glad we did! We waited until 9 am to get breakfast at Mateo's since we didn't earlier in the week. We ended up going all out, naturally. I got scrambled eggs and nick got an egg sandwich with all the works. We split the pancakes aka: hot cakes (pictured below). They were delicious! We killed some time after breakfast and did a little shopping down the street. Tulum has both a variety of cheap, authentic shops and expensive, high-end stores. So if you're looking to splurge on more than good food in Tulum, bring extra cash. I found a cute purse that ended up being $395 USD.

By 10 am we headed back to IBike. We got our moped and were ready to go! Nick was a pro at driving the moped, but I am a terrible back seat driver so I tried my best to play it cool (very difficult to keep my mouth shut). Now that we had the moped it was much easier for us to travel South without spending more money on cabs. Plus, we got to travel around at our leisure. I recommend also looking into the pricing for a full week rental because that could also save you time and money!

I was still dreaming about our dinner at Nomade the other night so I definitely wanted to spend my last day at their beach club. When Nick and I got there we spoke to a hostess, and they informed us that the minimum to stay on their beach for the day was $50 USD per person (very pricey). This was only on drinks, eating at the restaurant was a separate charge. We decided it was out of our budget. We would have easily gone back to Ziggy's but I wanted to change up the scene for the last day. We went to La Zebra which had an awesome bar in the back called The Mulberry Project we had seen earlier in the week.The minimum here was $28 USD per person, give or take. After staying in the sun for 4 + hours we went back to our hotel and relaxed.

We wanted to go out late that night to see the DJ performing at Casa Jaquar. We had heard great things about the nightlife there through people at The Mulberry Project. It seemed like a cool scene with good drinks and good music. We were sold. The DJ didn't end up performing until 11 pm. This was a great experience that I highly recommend! The coolest part about the set-up of this restaurant is that, like Gitano, it is completely hidden in the jungle. You can't even see the DJ from the main entrance.

Day 6: {Half-Day)

Mayan Ruins

Since we still had our moped we headed to the Mayan Ruins right when they opened (8 am). This is the best option to avoid the crowds of tourist! The tickets were $8 USD per person. The walk around the ruins was probably a total of 3 miles, which was a nice little workout. It was already 75 degrees and I forgot to bring water. Needless to say, I was very dehydrated. I really recommend visiting the ruins if you stay in Tulum. My favorite part about this low cost excursion was the breathtaking views from the top of cliff. After our adventure to the ruins, we returned our moped at IBike before 10 am (so we could get our $295 USD deposit back) and then taxied back to ZAMAS for our last breakfast . . . womp. Of course, I ended my trip with avocado toast and a mimosa.

Eats & Drinks

Nomade Hotel / Restaurant: Macondo* - great atmosphere, vegetarian/vegan eats, and $50 USD minimum per person for the beach

Casa Jaquar* - nightlife and great drinks

Posada Margarita - Italian food in Mexico - CASH ONLY

Gitano* - nightlife, great service, fresh food, and expensive cocktails

Ziggy's Beach Club* - best atmosphere, great service, and $30 USD minimum per person for their beach beds

Coco Tulum - relaxed and $25 USD minimum per person for the beach

Raw Love - small cafe in the jungle and great vegan eats

Matcha Mama* - off the main strip, down South, and amazing smoothie bowls

ZAMAS Hotel / Restaurant: Que Fresco* - best beach atmosphere, amazing staff, and great food choices!

Bejuco - new hotel with fresh food

La Zebra and The Mulberry Project - large restaurant, expensive, but great create your own cocktails