Spending One Perfect Week in Tulum
If we have to name one place that has gained so much popularity so quickly in a short period of time, Tulum is probably the first city that comes to mind. After seeing some epic and jaw-droppingly beautiful photos all over the internet, it is finally our turn to pack up the bags and experience this social media sensation.
Flying to Cancun International Airport (CUN) from LAX was easy and painless. After watching 2 movies onboard and filling out the mandatory Mexico Tourist Card distributed by crew members, we landed and entered Mexico customs smoothly. From CUN, it’s another 2 hour drive to reach Tulum, which we have booked a private shuttle for 2000 pesos, tips not included (all costs mentioned in this blog are as of May 2022). We will be also sharing more Tulum travel tips and things to watch out for from our experience (click on link at the end of this blog), so read on if you’re planning to visit this place!
Tulum Hotel Zone | Tulum Beach
Tulum is consisted of 2 main areas: Tulum Hotel Zone (which is alongside the beach) and Tulum Town. We stayed in each area for a few days during our time here and though they are very different experiences, we truly enjoyed both.
Coco Tulum
During the first half of our stay, we checked in to an oceanfront cabin at Coco Tulum directly located on the beach, which is also known for its dreamy white swings facing the ocean.
Access to this beach club is free if you are a hotel guest, otherwise you can purchase a day pass for 50 USD per person which can be used toward food and beverages.
Ven a la Luz at Ahau Hotel
This giant sculpture named “Ven a la Luz” is probably the single most Instagrammed spot in Tulum, an iconic and famous art installation by a talented South African Artist - Daniel Popper.
According to Google Translation, “Ven a la Luz” means “come to the light” in Spanish. This 33 ft. tall woman sculpture opening her chest to all visitors with lush green plants inside is such an precise demonstration of the name, an amazing connection of human and nature.
Entrance fee to visit this sculpture is 3 USD/60 pesos per person.
Matcha Mama
Chances are you’ve probably seen this cute little café on Instagram before, this adorable smoothie and juice bar is famous for its tropical characteristics and of course, its tropical flavors.
We arrived right when they opened at 8am and ordered an Acai bowl with loaded berries (230 pesos), a super refreshing and healthy start of the day for sure.
Follow That Dream Sign
Road signs exist to provide directions, so does this one. But instead of pointing you to one specific direction only, it directs you to your dream. This non-traditional and inspiring sign is only few steps away from Matcha Mama, easily walkable and completely free to visit.
Casa Malca Hotel
As one of the most luxurious hotel in Tulum Hotel Zone, this resort was transformed from one of Pablo Escobar’s mansions and is well known for its stunning interior designs. One of the most photographed spot is their magnificent lobby with draping wedding dresses and swinging sofas.
Unfortunately if you are not a hotel guest, the photography rules of this iconic spot have become very strict in recent times and professional cameras are not allowed. We were lucky enough to be able to grab a few iPhone photos after our dinner reservation at one of the hotel’s restaurants called Philosophy.
Taking photos in the lobby is free, but in order to access the lobby area, dinner reservation is required and minimum spending is 2000 pesos per person, which we did receive a wonderful dinner experience in return.
SFER IK Museum at Azulik Hotel
Tulum is known for its incredible connections to nature in many aspects, and SFER IK is probably the most well-known representative in terms of architectures. The moment you enter this space, you will feel that intense bond between humanity and nature, as well as the totally zen vibes filled in every corner of this museum.
Entry fee is 200 pesos per person, you will have to remove your shoes to enter. You can take cellphone photos for as long and as many as you like, but if you want to shoot with a professional DSL camera, an extra fee of 2000 pesos (100 USD) will be charged.
Selina Tulum
A lot of hotels in the beach area have some picturesque and astonishing front entries, Selina Tulum is one of them. If you pass by and this wooden design catches your eyes, it is completely free to stop and snap a photo here.
Roc Luxe Tulum Hotel
Another hotel entry that has absolutely grabbed our attention is Roc Luxe Tulum, a perfect balance of architectural shield and encountering nature.
Mayan Ruins
Mayan culture is a significant part in the history of Tulum. During our visit here, we were able to visit 2 Mayan ruins that have been carefully preserved from time.
Chichen Itza
As one of the new 7 wonders in the world, there is no need to express how astonishing this place is. It’s about a 2-hour drive to reach Chicehn Itza from Tulum and there are many ways to get here (join a tour, take a bus or taxi, hire a private shuttle, etc.), we opted to rent a car in order to have maximum flexibility.
We left before 7am in the morning, the drive was actually smooth and easy, onsite parking was straight forward (80 pesos), and it was only a short line to get our tickets (533 pesos per person). Similar to many other places in Tulum, if you plan on bringing a professional camera or video taking devices like GoPro, be ready to be asked to pay more.
We won’t even try to cover the history and culture of this place, after hearing all the introductions and additional readings from other resources (there are tour guides you can hire onsite), we are certain what we know of this place is still so little compare to what it really has to offer.
We spent around 3 hours to tour this place. On top of the most famous and largest pyramid here - El Castillo (Temple of Kukulcán), there are actually so much more to see in the entire Chichen Itza site.
Tulum Archaeological Zone | Tulum Ruins
The second Mayan ruins we visited is Tulum Archaeological Zone, or more commonly referred as the Tulum Ruins. It’s a short drive from both Tulum Hotel Zone and Tulum Town to get here, and self parking is 100 pesos for the day at their official parking lot. From the parking lot, it’s another 10 minute walk to reach the ticket booth and site entry, after getting our tickets in a very short line (85 pesos per person, professional video devices at extra cost), we entered this archaeological site built along the coast of Caribbean Sea.
We’ve learned during our visit that this site was one of the last places built by Maya and also one of the best preserved coastal Mayan ruins nowadays. Though the ruins here may not seem to be as grand as Chichen Itza, to us it seemed to be a more friendly place to live.
We spent around 2 hours here and also stopped to check out several souvenir stores on our way out (stores here are definitely on the pricier end).
Cenotes
Before we decided to visit, we’ve never seen a cenote in person and were not even sure the correct pronunciation of it. Cenotes are such an incredible and unique type of natural formation here in Tulum and surrounding areas. and we were so glad to be able to visit a few of them.
Gran Cenote
Perhaps one of the most popular cenotes near Tulum Town, this cenote is known for its crystal clear water. The Cenote also has a large picnic area onsite, make it a perfect location to spend a whole day if desired.
Like any other cenotes here, you are required to shower first before entering the water. The ticket to enter is 500 pesos or 25 USD (yes they accept USD here), and the price includes rental of lockers, snorkeling gears, and lifejackets.
Aside from the main stairs that lead to the cenote, there is also a side staircase that lead to a smaller/more enclosed area. This side area is also accessible by swimming through a cave from the main site, no matter how you access here, we do highly recommend to check this side area out while you here.
Cenote Calavera
Another popular cenote in town is Cenote Calavera, known for its long wooden stairs down and a swing right above the water surface. Due to deep water body of this cenote, we would say the most common way to enter is not through the stairs, but instead a “free fall”.
The cenote is surrounded by lots of beach chairs, has a bar right onsite, and accompanied by some lively music. Though we didn’t feel this is a place that we would spend a whole day, it was definitely a fun and relaxed afternoon.
Entrance fee is 250 pesos per person, no equipment rental is included.
Suytun Cenote
Another social media sensation that we’ve seen so many times before our visit is Suytun Cenote, a large mostly enclosed cave with a platform built that leads you to the center of the entire space.
Suytun Cenote is actually 1.5 hours drive from Tulum, but it is conveniently located between Tulum and Chichen Itza. So on our way back from Chichen Itza, we didn’t hesitate at all to stop and check out this masterpiece.
This was the only cenote we visited that limited our time spent here, we were only given 1 hour to visit this place - probably due to its high demand of photo needs here. We did have to wait in line for about half an hour in order to take photos on the platform, and it seemed to us that most people were also here for the same exact purpose - that iconic Instagram photo.
Entrance fee is 150 pesos per person, rental for life jacket is included. Unfortunately our only photo together here was this blurry iPhone photo below.
Cenote Ik Kil
Though all cenotes are meant to be underground, Cenote Ik Kil is the steepest one we’ve seen. Located 50 fts (18 meters) below the ground, it is like a hidden pool from another world. The cenote is also known to have very deep water, and a high diving platform has been built to satisfy these with adventurous pursuits.
Cenote Ik Kil is located right next to Chichen Itza, makes it a perfect day trip stop if you’re in this area. Entrance fee is 150 pesos per person, rentals for life jackets and lockers are included.
Tulum Town
During the second half of our visit, we checked in at a hotel in Tulum Town. While beach access is now farther away, infrastructures are definitely much better compared to the beach area.
Zenses Wellness and Yoga Resort
We booked a room at this resort after being immediately attracted by their resort photos online. The resort is only a few minute walk from the main street with 11 individual and isolated cabins: a separate entrance to each room, tall tropical plants all around, private patio with hammock - couldn’t have asked for better privacy in any way.
The resort also has a beautiful breakfast and pool area, as well as a large second floor platform for daily free yoga lessons. A totally zen place to stay.
Shops and Restaurants
Another benefit of staying in town is the easy access to tons of shops and restaurants. During our last day in Tulum, we rented bikes from our hotel and rode around town, we simply parked the bikes on the street whenever we saw anything interesting, a unique souvenir store, a delicious looking restaurant, a fruit shop with all kinds of tropical flavors, or a street taco stop we’ve been thinking about trying before we even came here..
As our visit to Tulum came to an end, we also went shopping and brought home some memorable souvenirs - a forever reminder of this perfect week we spent in Tulum.
Adios Tulum - we definitely hope to see you again!
Other Blog Posts on Tulum:
To read more on our Tulum Travel Tips, click HERE.
To read more on our Tulum Food Tour, click HERE.
Hotel of Our Stay (Tulum Beach): Coco Tulum Zen Zone Hotel
Secluded cabin sits right on the beach, a private pathway leads to our own patio with a hammock and beach chairs, literally a few steps away from the ocean - this is definitely not the most luxurious kind of hotel experience (facility wise), but a stay with immersive connections to nature and bold Tulum vibes.
Central location, easy parking, friendly staff, tasty breakfasts. Room is on the smaller side and lights aren’t very bright (especially at night), but very steady Wi-Fi and efficient A/C - overall a satisfied stay.
Hotel of Our Stay (Tulum Town): Zenses Wellness and Yoga Resort
With only 11 cabins onsite, the hotel is totally Zen in many aspects: modern and spacious room, super private and lush patio, unique looking hammocks, gorgeous breakfast and pool area, free morning Yoga classes, etc.
This hotel is about 6-minute walk to main street, convenient location, stunning interior and more than enough space, functional Wi-Fi and very easy parking. If you’re looking to spend some peaceful times, there’s really not much we could complain about this place.