TULUM TRAVEL GUIDE 2018
The obsession is real!!! As you all know I went to Tulum last year for the first time (check out that blog post here) and I LOVED IT so much that I decided to go back this year for my birthday and LET ME TELL YOU... I thought I had seen a lot last year but this year we went HAM SANDWICHES and saw everything!!! So here is my updated Tulum Travel Guide 2018, fasten your seat beats and get ready for take off...
- BEACH CLUBS/HOTELS -
Tulum beach road is basically made up of a bunch of stunning hotels that line the shore with their individual style. These ones were my ultimate faves and let us in to take photos and go to their beach club.
Habitas $$$
This ended up being my all time fave place to hang-out! We went one late afternoon for a drink and decided we wanted to come back the next day because the service, view and just amazingness of this place. It blew our minds. It's got a secret little entrance door which makes it less populated with people, (which I love) and you can come in and have a drink or food here whenever you like, you do not need to be a guest at the hotel (AMAZING). If you want to hang out for the day and use the pool and beach chairs and whatnot, there is a minimum spend of $50 per person, but quite honestly, it's worth it and you would spend that anyway on food and drinks if you were planning to hang out all day. MUST GO PLACE.
Nômade $$$
Same as Habitas - here you can go in and out as you please and they are totally fine with you taking photos and video footage around their property which is a bonus for us Bloggers who have to hide the camera all the time when security comes round (you know, you know). Food and drinks here are to die for, obviously on the pricier side but again, worth every penny. The atmosphere alone will make you wanna stay forever. Same deal with the beach here - $50 minimum spend per person but after a few cocktails and tacos you hit that target pretty quick,. You can swing in hammocks, hang out on their boudoir loungers or bake in the sun - the options are endless but I suggest arriving early to grab a good spot.
Azulik $$$
Now this one was tricky! This come in as second for me on my fave hotels but they defo don't make it easy for you. We first rocked up after the beach, looking Beach Glam *you know* and weren't greeted overly nicely but were allowed in the shop and art gallery only for the privacy of the guests. Because I was wearing a bikini top, we weren't allowed in the hotel, which, fair enough, I get it... But we went in anyway! Hahaha rebel with a cause! Honestly, once your in, no-one really bothers you and you can potter around until you hit one of the restaurants. We ended up in the Sushi Restaurant where they were fine with my bikini top and, alas, it was my birthday so we decided to stay for dinner. THIS PLACE WAS MAGIC, expensive but magic! I have never seen such an incredible hotel in my life, I felt like a bird in a bird cage (in a good way, if that's possible). They had nets overhanging in the air, infinity pools with a DJ, roofs of dreams and the food was to die for. I'd say we spent around $65 each on food and cocktails, which I was okay with and YOLO!
CoCo Tulum $$
We first found Coco Tulum last year and were obsessed with it! It was only right to go back on our first stop back in Tulum. Last year they had a minimum spend but this year, they had taken it away which you can imagine was incredibly exciting news for us! This place is a Instagrammers dream. Super white, with swings and poofs. I had a whale of the time in the shower and ate all the Ceviche I could fit in my tum tum. Still LOVE this place and defo worth a visit.
CoCo Limited $$
The sister hotel of Coco Tulum - we stumbled across this gorgeous place down the road from Coco Tulum. Its basically the same but the relaxed version. No DJ or loud music and you have your own beds with umbrellas on beach with THE BEST SERVICE on the entire trip. This was my birthday day and they treated us like magic, so attentive and even gave me a birthday Tequila shot. WIN
Kai $$
This beach club was down the other side of the beach road towards the ruins and we decided we wanted to try out something different for the day, so we headed this way. We found this beautiful little spot tucked in just next to where all the boat tours go out and it was a total GEM! The minimum spend was 100 pesos, which is about $5, which we were not mad at, considering we had been balling for the rest of the week. The food wasn't the cheapest though, I guess that's where they get you but we had the yummiest smoothies and slept like babies on the beach all day. For a change up, this is high recommended.
Ahau $$
This was the first beach club we hit up when we first arrived and p.s. we just drove up and down the road on the scooter and just randomly picked out places which worked majorly in our favor. We popped ourselves in some hammocks, ordered some Coconuts and all the foods and lived our dreams. Not ridiculously expensive, not cheap! There are lots of pups on this beach which are super friendly and kept us company, so if you are a dog lover this one's for you.
- ADVENTURES -
We were so lucky to go on probably one of the most amazing tours I have ever done in my life thanks to the amazing guys at Koox Adventures. We organized it quick and easy, they gave us a bunch of excursions we could choose from and the next day we were off. I chose the Aktun Chac Mool Tour where we trekked through the jungle, took part in a Mayan ceremony, rappelled down into a dry cave (INCREDIBLE) and explored around for over an hour and a half, went to a underground STUNNNNNNINGGG cenote, ate with the Mayan locals and then climbed to the top of a wooden tower to enjoy the sunset! The tour was lead by @chucho who we adored and we honestly all felt like family after it was done as we had gone through so much together. I highly recommend taking one day of your trip and spending it with these guys, you won't regret it. (I will be doing a separate post on this trip with a video so keep your eyes peeled.)
Coba
Okay sooooo we rented a scooter and decided to be BOLD and drive an hour and half to Coba at 40miles an hour hahaha! Honestly it was so much fun, MAKE SURE YOU GET GAS before you leave as there is nothing en route. You will be driving through a sea of butterflies which was insane but incredible. We drove through the little town of Coba and head to Multum-Ha cenote which was another underground wonder in the middle of no-where with next to no people but us! We hung out here for over an hour and then headed back to town to check out the Mayan ruins. I suggest getting a little tour guide on a bike to take you around the ruins or you will be walking for years in the heat AND they know everything so its an incredible history lesson. We climbed the top of the massive Mayan temple without dying and then headed to feast at a local little spot that was actually some of the best food we had the whole trip.
- EATS -
Tunich $
This place was a gorgeous little jungle paradise with yummy Breakfast food from Acai Bowls to Huevos Rancheros, nice and cheap so it won't break the bank and you will have a nice full tummy for a full day of activities.
Raw Love $$
This year we noticed that Tulum had become super Vegan/Raw/All the things which honestly I was not mad at. The last thing I want is a bloated tummy on the beach and with places like this on the menu I was very happy. Like the name, everything here is raw with a variety of bowls and grains. It was sooooo delicious, I would have gone back 100 times. A little more pricey but worth it.
Del Cielo $$
This breakfast spot is in Downtown Tulum and was fancier then the rest of the breakfast spots you will find in the area. The food is great and they have their own signature dishes which are a must-try. If you are staying in town, check this spot out before you head down to the beach. Also it's cheaper cause it's not in the Hotel Beach Zone, so it's a no brainer.
Ya'll, all we did was eat breakfast, can you tell? Honestly, it was our main meal of the day and the breakfast spots stood out the most to us. This place was a BANGER. Literally ordered the whole menu and every item was insane. This spot was no grain and no dairy so left you feeling clean and fresh. Not quite vegan, thank God, still gotta have my eggies!!! It's within the Real Coconut hotel, so it's a little pricier but the views and food are undeniable. This is a MUST try.
Prieto $$
Snack time! Also located in Downtown Tulum. This is a yummy frozen yogurt spot that serve ALL the types of coffee along with Matcha, which was amazing! We came here after our Coba trip and feasted on a large fro-yo with all the toppings on the Earth. This place is basically LA prices - around $10 for a large portion with all the toppings but in the heat and craving a Matcha fro-yo, YOLO again.
This honestly was one of my favorite meals of the whole trip! AGAIN VEGAN, I dunno, somehow we just kept stumbling into them. These were some of the best non-meat Tacos I have ever eaten with the choice of all the sauces. We also had this baked plantain with some creamy amazing sauce that I could have eaten one gallon of, so get that.
Guess what? VEGAN! lol. Listen, listen, listen though we came back clean, half the size and glowing so we must have been doing something right?! This spot is a great dinner option in Downtown Tulum. The food and service here was phenomenal with delicious Mezcal beverages on top. There is nothing bad you can order on the menu, so I suggest you shut your eyes, wave your finger around and point - that's what your getting. YUM.
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Thank you so much for reading my new TULUM TRAVEL GUIDE 2018! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to DM me on instagram here:- @london_ellis and I will get back to you ASAP. Tulum is MAGICAL and I suggest for everyone to go there at one point or another in their life time. Whether you're traveling alone, as couple or with mates, there is something for everyone.
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