Tulum 101: Logistical Tips
If you’re visiting Tulum, or if you’ve found yourself calling Tulum home (like I did unexpectedly), this post is for you. It’s a few things I learned while living in Mexico for a good part of the pandemic - how to navigate the place and some tips. For more about my experience in Tulum and how I got there, check out my Emily in Tulum post.
ABOUT TULUM
According to my observations, there are 6 main areas or sections that make up Tulum. I think most people who visit briefly only really spend time at the beach in the Hotel Zone (Zona Hotelera), but if you have some time I recommend seeing the rest of Tulum.
Zona Hotelera. This is the strip of hotels, beach clubs, restaurants, and bars that line the beach. It starts at the circle where you have an option to go left (Parque Nacional) or right, into the Zona Hotelera. There is one, two-lane road that takes you from one end to the other - one very bumpy, pothole stricken, dirt road, although parts have slowly been paved since I arrived in Tulum in October. If you have dinner plans you will want to give yourself plenty of time to get down there. Nighttime or weekend (beach) traffic will be bumper to bumper, so if you have to get to one end I’d plan to go early and pack everything you need to take you from day to night. I usually aim to get down there before noon and stay late until the nighttime traffic dies down.
If you find yourself in a taxi and you are sitting in traffic for way too long, it may be faster or more enjoyable to walk. However, the northern portion of the road (Habitas / Papaya Playa / Azulik) doesn’t have a connecting beach. If you are headed south and you get to Amansala Resort, past the thin strip of road where to the left is just water, then you can get out and walk. Depending on how far your destination is (Be Tulum, Nomade, and Casa Malca are a good walk but Selina, Arca, Rosa Negra, and Hartwood aren’t terribly far, ~20-30 mins), if your other option is bumper to bumper traffic on a weekend evening, I’m just letting you know that this is doable. I’d highly suggest walking on the beach vs. the road. There aren’t sidewalks or lighting so it could be dangerous.
Playa Paraiso and Parque National. Most people who visit Tulum only explore the Zona Hotelera part of the beach. However, there are two halves to the beach road and they both start at the circle/intersection where you have a choice to go left (Parque National) or right (Zona Hotelera) when traveling from the town to the beach. Parque National is the strip of beach road that is the northern half of the beach in Tulum. You have to pass through a gate to get there, but you shouldn’t have any issues or need to pay. It’s the public side so you can go to the beach without paying a crazy cover at a beach club. It’s more local and laid back and there are restaurants and a few hotels to check out as well (Mezzanine, Ikal, Gitano beach club, etc.)
Aldea Zama. This is the residential community with a few restaurants (Chacabar, Safari, Pitted Date) and a small grocery store (Fresh Market) at the one end. Apartments are hit or miss with WiFi, so I would read reviews before booking anything if you plan to work remotely. I lived alone in Aldea Zama for three months and although it’s very quiet and dark at night I never felt unsafe. There are a ton of apartment complexes for Airbnb options.
Centro/Pueblo. As the name suggests, this is the “town.” It’s pretty commercialized, with a mix of stores and restaurants. Living in town will have the most reliable WiFi. I stayed in an Airbnb (Una Luna) and my WiFi never cut out even during/after a hurricane, which is common in Tulum in October/November. There are a bunch of cute restaurants worth checking out (Burrito Amor, Raw Love, Verdant, Humo, Matcha Mama, La Hoja Verde, Bonita Burger, etc.)
La Valeta. I haven’t spent too much time here, other than at friends’ Airbnbs and going to Holistika. It’s a neighborhood that isn’t all paved and there is very little light at night. Unlike Aldea Zama, it’s a mix of some newer homes or villas and local residences. It has been around a lot longer than Aldea Zama and has better infrastructure (sewer, electricity) and is more reliable for WiFi.
Sian Ka’an. This is the biosphere reserve at the southern end of Tulum. You can access it at the very end of the beach road, but I wouldn’t recommend this on a scooter or bicycle. The road is terrible. Another way to see Sian Ka’an is by driving through town and taking the highway toward the Muyil Ruins. I’ve done both and the time I drove through the town I did a tour with my friends where we swam/floated through the Mayan canals. It was an amazing out on (and in) the water. Read more about that here in my post on What to See & Do in Tulum. There is a fishing village at the very end of Sian Ka’an that I’d like to get to: Boca Paila.
PESOS/USD
USD is accepted some places, but you will need pesos. I always go to the HSBC or Santander ATM in town or the Chedraui (grocery store between the beach and town). There are ATMs by the beach, but often they are out of service or they can be emptied from everyone on the weekends by Sunday night. Also, a few ATMs by the beach only dispense USD. I learned this very late one night after I thought I took out $2,000 MXN… yikes. ALWAYS check to make sure you’re taking out pesos. The ATM should clearly say “pesos” not “US dollars” on it.
I also heard of TulumPay.com, which is a delivery service where you can have pesos delivered to your door via a Courier. I haven’t tried this, but apparently it’s legit and a real life saver.
TRANSPORTATION
From Cancun Airport to Tulum: The ride is about 2 hours and there are taxis or shuttles that will take you from the airport to Tulum. I would HIGHLY recommend booking this ahead of time through your hotel or online. It is chaos walking out of the airport into a sea of taxi drivers. Booking on eTransfers is super easy and you can get a roundtrip service for less than $200 USD. I’ve also heard that Happy Shuttle is a great option. There is an ADO bus that is only $15 USD one way.
Taxis: If you are only going to be here for a few days I would just plan to take taxis. Always ask how much the taxi will be before you get in, and you can try to negotiate for 50 or 100 pesos less. Taxis are usually $200-400 MXN, but it really depends on how far you are going. Get the number of the taxi driver if you liked them (you will need to download WhatsApp). It will come in handy if you are somewhere other than the beach or town where there aren’t taxis driving by to easily hail.
Scooters: Most people who are here for a while rent cars or scooters. There is so much to see and do in Tulum and outside (cenotes, ruins, Sian Ka’an, etc.) and either may be worth it if you will be here for a while. There are like 4 main roads in Tulum and they are all straight, not complicated to navigate, just have a ton of potholes. Originally I wanted to get a bicycle so that I could get some exercise in everyday, but there are so many potholes and not much light at night, so I finally got my own scooter.
Renting a Car: I don’t know much about renting cars since I haven’t been part of the process, but as a passenger I would say this - don’t rent an expensive/nice car. My guy friends rented a VW Passat and by the end of their trip they had lost their front bumper and one hub cap. Although they definitely had fun with it... they had it stocked with a full bar, complete with an ice bucket, shot glasses, wine bottles, and tequila, I still blame the Tulum roads.
Here are some other guides I put together:
OTHER
Food Shopping. The main grocery store (between the beach and town) is Chedraui. Note that alcohol is not sold before 9am daily or after 7pm on Sundays. I’m not sure if this is due to COVID or always the case in Tulum. Plan accordingly. There’s also a Super Aki in town. The small convenient store in Aldea Zama is called Fresh Market and they also have all of the essentials.
Mosquitos. They are pretty terrible in Tulum, but it is the jungle after all. I’d recommend picking up some mosquito repellant and ointment for bug bites at Organic Beauty Shop La Madre Tierra in town.
Electrolit Suero Rehidratante. This is the Mexican version of Pedialyte. Everyone drinks this stuff for hangovers, food poisoning, etc. You can pick it up at any grocery store or pharmacy and it comes in a ton of flavors.
Tomato.mx. This app is the Tulum food delivery service equivalent to Uber Eats / Seamless in NYC or Rappi in Mexico City and South America.
A quick note on parasites: I’m not going to spend a ton of time on this, because you probably don’t want to know, and if you do - I have a lot more info that I can share in another post. Anyway, TMI, but a few weeks before coming down here I found out from a holistic doctor that I may have parasites (from years ago - that may be causing my gluten/dairy/sucrose intolerances) - long story. You can pick up parasites from drinking contaminated water, walking on contaminated soil, from any food that hasn’t been properly washed or fully cooked (thank you, sushi), etc. They are apparently super common and a lot of people have them without knowing. I have been doing a ton of research on this topic and will just leave you with a note of caution - you can get them from anywhere around the world so just make sure you don’t ingest the water in Mexico (while brushing your teeth, swimming in the ocean, showering, etc.) and if you buy groceries do your best to really wash any fruit and veg. I take full advantage of walking barefoot when I can, so if I catch anything from that, I’ve accepted it. I did ask a friend of mine who lives in Mexico about what they do here to prevent them and he said every 6 months they take a pill for 3 days from the pharmacy (Daxon is one brand) - it’s standard and everyone does it here, although it doesn’t kill every type of parasite. I say all of this, because I’ve been searching for answers about my health for years now, and never thought to test for parasites. Just something to keep in mind if you feel sick after traveling, or if you’re like me and have tried everything and still don’t have answers - most Western doctors don’t consider/test for this.
PHRASES
You don’t need to speak Spanish to get by in Tulum, but here are a few phrases that I’ve found helpful:
Hola = Hello
Gracias / Muchas gracias = Thank you / Thank you very much
Por favor = Please
Buenos dias = Good morning
Buenas tardes = Good afternoon
Good day (like “have a good day”) = Buen dia
Buenas noches = Goodnight
Mucho Gusto = Nice to meet you
Nos vemos pronto = See you soon
Donde esta el bano? = Where is the bathroom?
Tienes…? = Do you have….?
I am looking for… = Busco…
Puedo ordenar…? = Can I order...?
Sin = Without
Gluten free / with corn = Sin gluten, con maiz
Cuantos pesos? = How many pesos?
Cuanto cuesta? = How much does it cost?
La Cuenta = The check / the bill
xx Em
