I’ve had Tulum on my list of places to visit for some time now, and we managed to find some reasonably priced flights to Mexico at the start of the year. We thought we’d go somewhere a bit special to celebrate our engagement, and to relax before the wedding planning commenced!
Tulum is on the Caribbean side of Mexico, which means it’s absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. It’s the first place I’ve been that actually looked straight out of a travel magazine… we both couldn’t believe that somewhere could hold so much beauty.
We flew to Cancun, and then got a car from there down to Tulum. It wasn’t a bad drive but it did take an hour and a half, so we stocked up on water beforehand! It went quick, and it was a good chance to see more of Mexico.
The main beach area of Tulum feels very tucked away and well preserved, with restaurants setting up shop on sandy floors, the kitchens often propped up in little vans or the occasional Airstream. I loved the jungle vibes, it just felt so hidden and peaceful.
Our hotel, Coco Tulum, was made up of eco-cabanas. Little huts that only had a bed and a private bathroom (although some of the rooms have shared bathrooms), and a small balcony/outdoor seating area and hammock. Very basic, but oh so cute.
We were just steps from the most mesmerising beach I’ve ever seen. Incredible deep turquoise waters and the purest white sand. The hotel staff kept the beach immaculate, and there always loungers and hammocks free to relax in.
Coco Tulum was a delight – the restaurants were all incredible, we loved the beach restaurant for tacos and cold beers.
Juanita Diavola made delicious pizza, and the best French Toast I’ve ever eaten. It was too easy to head here for breakfast before a big morning walk.
I would say, if you’re not okay with creepy crawlies, maybe a cabana isn’t for you. There were a lot of ants and lizards in our room, although we did have a mosquito net to pull around at night.
They didn’t bother me at all, but it’s something to think about if you’re not good with insects!
I didn’t really prepare a list of places I wanted to see in Tulum, I gathered that we would stumble across restaurants as we explored – and I was right. We didn’t have a bad meal in Tulum, and the main beach road is lined with interesting places to eat and drink.
We stayed away from the hotel restaurants and instead tried out most of the smaller, more interesting restaurants, which seemed to work for us.
A few highlights included;
Ukami; Even just thinking about this place has me all heart-eyed, it was divine! Japanese with a Mexican twist… does it get better than that? The passionfruit margaritas were the best I’ve had, and the shrimp tacos and sushi were 10/10. I think this was our favourite place of the trip!
Posada Margherita; Everyone recommended here, and it was right next to our hotel so we ended up going a couple of times for drinks. I thought the food was good, but nothing mind-blowing. My favourite part was taking our drinks to the beach and sitting in the swing seats.
Safari; Another foodie favourite, Safari have an open pit fire in the garden and an Airstream cooking up delicious tacos and fries. I loved the vibe here, and the cocktails were lovely too.
The beach was one of the highlights for me, we spent hours in the waves as they were huge and so much fun! The water was a gorgeous temperature, and it just looked so perfect and crystal clear.
Jordan lost his sunglasses in the water though, so leave them behind if you’re heading in to the crazy waves. So much fun!
We did a lot of walking up and down the beach road and the beach, stumbling across little restaurants and shops.
We also went to the Ruins which was worth it for the animals we saw – a little racoon-type guy and the biggest lizard ever! We walked here which probably wasn’t the best idea because we were exhausted by the time we arrived, so hire bikes if you’re looking to go!
So many people recommended Hartwood to us, and we managed to get a table very easily. I’d heard it was hard to reserve, with several people telling me to line up at lunchtime to get a dinner booking for 6pm. A few tales of sitting next to celebrities too!
In the end, I emailed in the morning one day and asked for a booking that night and they replied saying it was confirmed, so I would try that approach – it was effortless, all in all.
The restaurant itself has a great vibe, so it’s worth visiting. We loved the cocktails and the staff were lovely, and the menu was so varied and delicious.
Tulum really is a magical place, it feels very tucked away and untouched in so many ways. I think because the main beach road is quiet, and we went after the popular Christmas season, it was so relaxing and beautiful.
It’s a perfect Honeymoon destination, but it’s the kind of place that you can tailor to you. We wanted relaxing, with tacos and margaritas and swimming and photo opportunities, and that’s exactly what we got!
Have you got Tulum on your travel bucket list?