Tulum beach and jungle
Mexico · Winter 2024

Tulum

"It's somehow both the most Instagrammed and the most genuinely magical place I've been. Don't let the hype stop you."

The Itinerary

Six days between the jungle and the sea.

Day 1 — Arrival
Morning
  • Fly into Cancún, take the ADO bus or shared shuttle south — 2 hours
  • Arrive at your hotel on the beach road, drop everything, get in the ocean immediately
Afternoon
  • Matcha Mama for an açaí bowl and cold brew to properly wake up
  • Walk the beach road from top to bottom to get your bearings
Evening
  • Hartwood for dinner — book weeks in advance, worth the effort
  • The wood-fire grill and Caribbean fish is unlike anything you've had
Day 2 — Beach Day
Morning
  • Batata Cafe for a local breakfast of eggs and fresh juice — cheap and great
  • Early morning swim before the beach clubs set up
Afternoon
  • Mia Beach Club for a low-key afternoon — sun beds, cold drinks, easy vibe
  • Or Tantra Tulum for the more intimate, bohemian energy
Evening
  • El Camello Jr for the best tacos of your life — street food, cash only, incredible
  • Papaya Playa Project for a bonfire beach party if it's a full moon night
Day 3 — Cenote Day
Morning
  • Ki Bok coffee before an early start — the cenotes are magical before crowds
  • Gran Cenote or Dos Ojos — arrive before 9am, bring your own snorkel
Afternoon
  • Holistika wellness market for browsing healing crystals, cacao, and local art
  • Aura Tulum boutique for chic Tulum-made clothing that isn't trashy
Evening
  • Gitano for dinner — the whole operation is beautiful, food is excellent
  • Gitano Jungle bar after dinner — cocktails under the jungle canopy, fire performers
Day 4 — Ruins Day
Morning
  • Tulum Ruins at opening (8am) before the tour groups arrive — you'll basically be alone
  • The clifftop Maya ruins over the Caribbean are genuinely remarkable
Afternoon
  • Taboo Beach Club for lunch and an afternoon — good food, good energy, great service
  • The Caribbean water here is the clearest in Mexico, go in
Evening
  • Matoma for dinner — beautiful open-air jungle restaurant, excellent cocktail menu
  • Casa Jaguar for late-night dancing if the DJ lineup looks good
Day 5 — Jungle Day
Morning
  • Visit Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve — organized tour, sea kayaking through jungle channels
  • Bring sunscreen, water, and a complete willingness to get very wet
Afternoon
  • Tulum Artisan Market for handwoven textiles, pottery, and local crafts
  • Matcha Mama again for a smoothie — it becomes an addiction
Evening
  • Papaya Playa Project beach party — this is a full-moon ritual, plan around it
  • Fire dancers, live DJ, barefoot dancing in the sand until the sun comes up
Day 6 — Last Day
Morning
  • One last cenote swim at sunrise — Cenote Calavera if you want the adventure
  • Ki Bok for a proper sit-down coffee and journaling hour
Afternoon
  • Final browse at Holistika market, pick up something meaningful
  • Check out, but leave your bags and take one last swim
Evening
  • El Camello Jr one more time — tacos are $2 each and make the perfect last meal
  • Shuttle back to Cancún, already googling flights back
Where to Stay, Eat & Play

My favorite spots.

Hotels
Azulik
$$$$
A collection of treehouse villas woven into the jungle above the sea with no Wi-Fi, no electricity, hammock beds, and private ocean-view terraces. Completely surreal.
"I've stayed in a lot of beautiful hotels. Nothing has compared to waking up at Azulik with the jungle literally growing through your room."
azulik.com →
Nomade Tulum
$$$
Bohemian beach hotel with yoga pavilions, crystal-clear water views, a beach club that's always buzzing, and spiritual retreat programming throughout the year.
"The breakfast here is one of the best hotel breakfasts I've had anywhere. Eat it slowly on the beach. Take your time."
nomadetulum.com →
Papaya Playa Project
$$$
Beach hotel and full-moon party venue in one. Eco-chic bungalows, a buzzing beach restaurant, and the most famous beach party in Tulum happening right outside your door.
"Book a room and skip the entrance fee to the full moon party. Stay up until sunrise on the beach. Life-defining."
papayaplayaproject.com →
Restaurants
Hartwood
$$$
Open-air restaurant with no electricity — everything cooked on a wood-fire grill using market-fresh local ingredients. One of the most extraordinary meals in Mexico.
"Book this before you book your flight. Seriously. No walk-ins, no phones, just James Beard-level food in the jungle."
hartwoodtulum.com →
Gitano
$$$
Gorgeous jungle garden restaurant with excellent Mexican-inspired cuisine, a full mezcal bar, and a vibe that transitions seamlessly from romantic dinner to dance floor.
"The mezcal margarita here changed my relationship with mezcal. Order two. You'll thank me later."
gitano.com →
El Camello Jr
$
Legendary taco truck in Tulum town — shrimp, fish, and crab tacos for $2 each, served from a tiny counter, always a line, completely worth every second of waiting.
"Best food in Tulum and the cheapest. No contest. I went three times in six days. Zero regrets."
Tulum Town →
Matoma
$$$
Sleek open-air restaurant with an inventive menu, beautiful cocktails, and that Tulum mix of jungle setting and cool-crowd energy that somehow never gets old.
"The ceviche and the cocktail menu. That's the review. Start there and work your way through everything."
Tulum Beach Road →
Beach Clubs
Taboo Beach Club
$$$
Tulum's most polished beach club experience — white daybeds, a pool, great food, attentive service, and DJs that build from chill to peak over the course of the day.
"The minimum spend is worth it. You get good food, good service, and the best spot on the beach. Easy math."
taboo.com.mx →
Mia Beach Club
$$
More affordable and laid-back than the flashier clubs. Good snorkeling off the beach, decent food, and a crowd that's there to actually swim rather than pose.
"Go here on a weekday for the chill version of Tulum. It's the beach without the performance of the beach."
Tulum Beach →
Tantra Tulum
$$
Intimate, spiritual-themed beach club with fewer crowds, slower energy, and a focus on healthy food and natural materials. Very Tulum in the best original sense.
"Feels like what Tulum was before it became Tulum. If you want that original magic, find your way here."
Tulum Beach →
Nightlife
Gitano Jungle
$$$
Open-air jungle nightclub and mezcal bar that starts as dinner and ends as one of the most memorable nights you've ever had. Fire performers, incredible cocktails, everyone dancing.
"Danced barefoot in the jungle under fairy lights until 2am. This is exactly what Tulum should feel like."
gitano.com →
Casa Jaguar
$$
A beloved Tulum institution in a jungle garden setting. Mezcal cocktails, good DJs, an earthy crowd, and the kind of late night that feels completely different from anywhere else.
"The most authentically Tulum of all the nightlife options. Goes late, gets interesting, always worth it."
Tulum Beach Road →
Papaya Playa Parties
$$
Full moon parties and Saturday nights on the beach at Papaya Playa Project. Fire dancers, world-class DJs, barefoot dancing, sunrise swims. Tulum's most iconic night out.
"Stay at the hotel and you skip the line and entrance fee. Plan your whole trip around whichever full moon falls during your visit."
papayaplayaproject.com →
Coffee
Matcha Mama
$$
Plant-based café on the beach road known for its signature matcha lattes, açaí bowls, and cold-pressed juices. Very Tulum, somehow not annoying about it.
"My morning obsession the entire trip. The matcha with coconut milk and a bowl of granola is genuinely perfect."
Tulum Beach Road →
Batata Cafe
$
Tiny local café in Tulum town with excellent Mexican drip coffee, fresh fruit plates, and eggs made a hundred ways. Where the locals actually eat breakfast.
"Best deal in Tulum. Breakfast for $5, coffee for $2, everyone is warm and kind. Go here first."
Tulum Town →
Ki Bok
$$
Specialty coffee shop in a beautiful garden setting with single-origin Mexican beans, carefully made pour-overs, and a quiet terrace perfect for journaling or slow mornings.
"The pour-over of the Oaxacan single-origin changed how I think about Mexican coffee. Go slow, taste everything."
Tulum Beach Road →
Shopping
Tulum Artisan Market
$
Open-air market with local artisans selling handwoven textiles, ceramics, jewelry, crystals, and Mayan-inspired crafts. Cash only, bargaining friendly, genuinely local.
"This is where you find the real souvenirs. Not the tourist trap stuff. Real craft from real people. Take your time."
Tulum Town →
Aura Tulum
$$$
Curated boutique on the beach road selling locally designed resort wear, jewelry, and art that captures the Tulum aesthetic without the fast-fashion version of it.
"Bought a hand-embroidered dress I wear constantly. Very expensive, very worth it, zero regrets."
Tulum Beach Road →
Holistika Wellness Market
$$
Spiritual wellness market at a beautiful eco-hotel in the jungle — cacao, crystals, local honey, healing herbs, ceramics, and handmade goods from across Mexico.
"Very much the Tulum experience in a single market. Bought cacao and a crystal I didn't need and felt completely at peace about it."
Tulum Jungle Zone →