This trip to Tulum was for a wedding, which I was a plus 1 and I was so grateful for it. Tulum had been on my list but with the lack of reviews and all inclusives I was unsure how it would be. I knew that it had its jungle vibes and it was famous for their bohemian style and their gym but I was unsure of what it would be like. The wedding I was attending was going to be on one of the last days we were there so it gave us some time to explore. We were able to see the main area of Tulum, the cenotes, and the more local area.
To get to Tulum, I took a direct flight from Hartford to Cancun for about $250 which I was suprised about. I didnt realize Hartford had nonstop flights to Cancun. Once in Cancun, we each paid $20 to a taxi to take us to the hotel. At first, I was skeptical about taking a taxi to the hotel, however after talking to the driver, unless they work for a company they cant get into the airport area and they take safety seriously. From Cancun to Tulum it is about a two hour drive, the driver was nice enough to firstly stop somewhere for us to eat and then to stop at the sign that is above. He even offered to take pictures for us.
The Naala hotel we stay in was about 15 minute ride outside of the touristy part of Tulum but it was a short drive from local spots including the cenotes. The hotel offered regular rooms and apartment like rooms. We stayed in an apartment, which was nice because we had 5 of us and we went to the local grocery store and stocked up.
The apartment was 2 bedrooms with 2 baths, two outdoor areas, a kitchen, and sitting area. The pool was on the top floor where there was plenty of space to lounge. There was a bar and an area to sit that was covered if you didnt want to eat by the pool or if you wanted some space away. If you didnt want to eat at the hotel or cook, there was several restaurants within a 5 minute walk and if you wanted to venture out more there was more restuarants a 15 minute walk away, where more bars and lounges were located.
One of the local areas we went to was Viola Tulum, it had a bohemain vibe and some live music. They offered tables with chairs or low tables with cushions, which we opted for. The menu wasnt big but everything looked delicious, the best part was that everything reasonably priced. I believe that there was about 10 of us at breakfast and with drinks and food our bill was roughly $100 USD.
I think one of the best parts of visiting Mexico is that it doesn’t break the bank. I think the most expensive meals we had were when we were in the more touristy part of Tulum but everything else was similar to the breakfast place. The other part of Tulum that was amazing was swimming in the Cenotes.
A cenote in techincal terms in a nautral sinkhole in which the ceiling of the cave is open, however as you see in the picture that is not always the case. In Tulum, there are many cenotes and this is one of the ones we saw. This area was at Caleta Tankah, an area that holds about four cenotes. The others ones we visited were closer to the techinical defintion of a cenote, I just didn’t have my phone. Seeing these cenotes were jaw dropping, to see the beauty that can come from a cave.
We visited Gran Cenote as well outside of the Tankah area. The great thing about these areas is that it was $15 for the day and you can spend hours there just swimming about. A lot of them have activites that can be done as well. In one of them you could swing from a rope or zipline. Also since its a natural sinkhole, there are times you will see fish or turtles just hanging around.
Tulum is definitely one of the places you could visit over and over and not get tired of the area. There is so much culture and authenticity in one town. The best thing is that it is also an hour from Playa Del Carmen and 2 hours from Cozumel or Chichen Itza and day tours can be done if you wanted. Tulum fits the needs of all different types of travellers.
Wanderlust & bust 
Leave a comment