Tulum Travel Guide: A Detailed Review

No one:

Haters: Tulum is the new Miami. Tulum is overrated. Tulum is overhyped. I’m never going to Tulum…

It seems that any time a lot of Black people start traveling to the same place, it suddenly becomes unworthy of going. That in itself is a post for another day. 

I feel like Tulum became a popular travel destination in 2020 since it was one of the few places open to international travelers. Because of that, I also joined the wave and traveled to Tulum in October 2020 to celebrate my 25th birthday. Because we were amid a pandemic, my boyfriend and I were very cautious and tried to stay away from as many people as possible while still exploring as much as we could. We were there for seven days, but I think the perfect amount of time to spend in Tulum is 3-5 days.

Although it’s been a few years since I’ve been, if you’ve been wondering if Tulum is a place to visit simply for aesthetics, if the food is good, or what the difference is between Tulum town and Tulum beach, then check out my honest, detailed review below.

How to Get to Tulum

Tulum is about an hour away from Cancun airport. At the time of writing this, Tulum doesn’t currently have an airport, but one is scheduled to open in 2023 due to its giant tourism boost in the last couple of years.

You can take a bus or rent a car. We rented a car.

Tulum Town vs Tulum Beach

Tulum Beach is legit. It is one very narrow street filled with hotels, restaurants, clothing stores, and beach clubs. Most of the places you see on Instagram are 90% in Tulum Beach, which is essentially the main tourist area. If you want to go to Tulum mainly for aesthetics or wish to be within walking distance of the beach, I recommend looking for a hotel in the Tulum Beach area.

Then there’s Tulum Town, which is the rest of the city. Tulum Town is great if you’re looking for luxury on a budget. Most Airbnbs are located in Tulum Town, and some of the best cheap eats are also in this area. We stayed in Tulum Town and absolutely loved it.

Car Rental vs. Bikes & Taxis

We got a rental car because I don’t do heat and bikes hurt my butt lol. Just make sure to strategize what you really want to do because you may not need one. Tulum is really small, legit just two areas: the town part and the beach part. I liked having a rental car because we didn’t have to worry about calling or paying for taxis. But we would’ve been just fine without getting a rental car.

Cash vs. Card

Pull out cash! Unless it’s one of the touristy restaurants they only take cash (American & pesos). The easy way to remember the conversion is $5 = 100 pesos so if it’s 430 pesos that’s about $20 (multiply the first number in pesos by five).

Things to Do

If you’re going to Tulum, the number one thing to do is explore the cenotes! Unfortunately for us, it rained a lot when we visited. There was even a mini hurricane one night, so we didn’t get to ATV or zipline, but honestly, you can do that anywhere in the world.

Gran cenote: 5/5 

This was our favorite part of the entire trip. We liked it so much that we went twice. If you love swimming, you’ll really enjoy being here. It is great for just chilling inside the water, good for pictures, and pretty social when people are around. The one con was that the staff was kind of rude. They don’t accept ripped money, even the smallest of rips.

Cenote Calavera: 3.5/5 

Cenote Calavera is for the more adventurous thrill-seekers. It’s a giant hole in the ground & underneath, you can see bats hanging & flying around. There weren’t a lot of bats, but I also didn’t have my glasses on, so that could be why I wasn’t that scared, lol. This cenote isn’t a chill-and-swim-around type of cenote. We were there for maybe an hour. A lot of people came here to take pictures & then dipped 🤦🏾‍♀️

Mayan ruins: 3.5/5 

We mainly went there because my boyfriend wanted to. It looks fantastic, and the beach by it is gorgeous. Make sure to pack a towel and a big water bottle because it’s hot. 

Playa paraíso: 3/5 

From various travels in Mexico, beaches in Mexico aren’t the prettiest because of all the seaweed on the shore. The sand was filthy, but we went after a hurricane, so that may be why. The water was gorgeous, though. If you’re trying to spend time at the beach, I recommend going to a beach club since they clean up the seaweed onshore.

Places to Eat

My boyfriend and I don’t drink so good food is a must wherever we go. Tulum is hands down one of the best cities we’ve had food. We ate GOOD! The restaurant we ate at the first night was disgusting, but every place we ate after was outstanding. Besides Rosa Negra & Taboo (sister restaurants), we ate in Tulum town, not Tulum beach. Also, be aware that every restaurant charges for water.

La Consentida: 0/5

It was right across from our Airbnb & the only thing still open when we finally arrived.

Burrito Amor: 4/5

Burrito Amor is a pretty popular spot among influencers and bloggers. We got breakfast burritos from here, and they hit the spot.

Rosa Negra: 5/5

We came here for my birthday dinner, and we had such a wonderful time. The food was also delicious.

La Hydra by Gigi: 4.5/5

Get the lasagna! The only reason for not giving it five stars is that the portions were small.

Mi Rinconcito Colombiano: 4/5

There’s only one Colombian restaurant in Tulum, right across from the big grocery store. Make sure to get some jugo de lulu in leche!

Encanto: 10/10 

Encanto is the one place you must eat in Tulum! It’s a hole in the wall, but the restaurant opens up to a jungle garden vibe once you walk out back. Super private and secluded. Also, the food is superb.

El Pescador: 4/5

a lowkey chill spot

Pook chuuk: 3/5 

The food was delicious, but when we went, they only had two burger options and fries available. The ambiance is more grungy.

Taboo: 4/5 

People eat at Taboo mainly for the ambiance and party vibe. The menu is quite limited if you don’t drink or eat pork. I recommend their sister restaurant, Rosa Negra, for better food.

Overall experience: 3.8/5 

Because it rained for most of our trip, it halted two days out of the five we had; we didn’t get to explore the beach part or beach clubs as much as we’d liked. But what I liked most about Tulum? The ambiance of every restaurant was breathtaking, especially at night. 

Would I revisit Tulum? Probably not, lol, but I think it’s worth visiting at least once.