No amount of time I could have spent at Tulum could have sufficed. There are just too many taco places to eat at, and cenotes to jump into! This is just the start of my list since I will definitely be back.

A few things to note before going to Tulum:

1. Tulum is broken up into two sections, the beach and the jungle. Both are unique, beautiful in fun in their own way! The beach is more trendy, accessible to the ocean and expensive. The town is more authentic, boho and cheaper! We stayed half and half at the beach and in the jungle and it was the perfect decision for us.
2. Take out pesos ahead of time in the USA! You need to go to the bank with 3 days notice. It will save you a lot of money in the long run, instead of getting ripped off by currency exchange places.
3. 3 main ways of transportation: bikes, taxis, and shuttles. We felt perfectly safe in all modes of transportation there.

Beach

Hotel: Coco Tulum

We had an incredibly unique experience staying at the Coco Tulum Hotel on the beach! We chose to stay in a private oceanfront cabana for 2 nights. Our room was an adorable hut with a palm tree growing through the bathroom floor! We had the most peaceful time waking up every morning to watch the sunrise. The staff was incredible, anything we needed they were able to help us with.

Activities:

Tulum Archaeological Site

The Tulum Archeological site brings you back to when Tulum served as a trading port for Mayans. It has a stunning temple and castle you have to check out. Don’t forget your bathing suits like we did since you can swim at the stunning beach below! We went at 11 AM and it was EXTREMELY crowded, I recommend going when it opens at 8 AM. Budget $65 pesos per person to get into the ruins.

Gran Cenote

This cenote was debatably the most beautiful from the surface out of all of the ones we visited in Tulum! We had an amazing time swimming around the caves to see the stunning stalagmites and stalactites. We didn’t snorkel, but it’s highly recommended. Budget $100 pesos per person to get into the Cenote.

Cenote Calavera

This is an off the beaten path cenote that is full of surprises! What made it so special was that it wasn’t crowded, and when the sun hits the water it turned a brilliant green. If you’re as adventurous as Austin you can jump into this small hole in the earth into the water. Budget $100 pesos per person to get into the Cenote.

Food:

Fresco’s

Adorable outdoor/indoor beach cafe to grab breakfast (or it’s open for dinner)! The cafe oozes extremely laid back vibes and has the freshest food. Recommend getting the healthy coconut pancakes! Budget $250 pesos for breakfast and a drink per person.

Ojo de Agua

Fruit heaven. We got the best acai bowl of the trip here! It also has an adorable atmosphere and like most restaurants is partly outside so you can still soak in sunshine. Budget $150-$300 pesos for breakfast per person.

Bars:

Mateo’s Mexican Grill

SUNSET BAR! Run to the rooftop deck to have a cold drink and watch the sunset over the jungle. Budget $120 pesos per drink.

I Scream Bar!

I only took videos, but this bar was SO fun! We went here the first night on a recommendation from the hotel and the atmosphere was perfect. The highlights for me were: live music, cheap tacos, and fresh drinks! Budget $130 pesos per drink.

Jungle

Airbnb: KA’A Penthouse

This Airbnb was absolutely stunning! For only $65 US dollars a night we stayed in a gorgeous apartment that had its own private rooftop pool where you could watch the sunset! It is in an up and coming neighborhood called La Veleta and was a 15-minute walk to the heart of the town. We really loved our stay here, but if you want to be closer to the action I would try to find an Airbnb in another neighborhood.

Activities:

Muyil Ruins

These ruins were PERFECT! We were essentially the only people there, so it was extremely peaceful. We took our time wandering around and learning about each temple that remained. We walked all the way to the back of the archeological site to a path through the Mangrove Forest. This path led us to a lookout point and the stunning Laguna de Muyil in the Sian Ka’an Biosphere (Mayan for “Where the sky is born”). Budget $95 pesos per person for the entry and path fee.

Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve

We were amazed at the turquoise color of the water once we got to Laguna de Muyil! We thought it was so beautiful that we ended up paying someone to take us on an hour boat ride across lagoons, through Mayan made channels to the Mangrove River. We floated down the mangrove river for 30 minutes, and it was the most incredible adventure of our trip hands down. Budget $600 pesos per person for the tour.

Cenote Escondido/Crystal

Wow this place was a hidden gem! We had the most relaxing last day in Tulum swimming around Cenote Escondido and Crystal. These are right across the street from one another, and you get access to both with the entry fee! Don’t bring your phone in the water like I did ;). Budget $120 pesos per person for access to both cenotes.

Food:

DelCielo

I had to pull this photo from my Instagram because I broke my phone in a cenote and lost most of the pictures from the last half of the trip (yikes)! This place was boho chic and the food was healthy and delicious. My favorite item we got was the Tropical Breeze juice (mango, pineapple, passionfruit, and papaya). It was so good I got it twice! Budget $250 pesos per person.

Burrito Amor

We absolutely adored this restaurant! It had great vegetarian options for me and meat options for Austin. We loved that the entire restaurant was outside, and it was the perfect place to chill after a long day of cenote adventures. Budget $150-$250 pesos per person.

Antojitos La Chiapaneca

Recommended to us by multiple locals, we knew we needed to check out Antojitos La Chiapaneca! Famous for its meat tacos Austin said they were the best tacos he’s ever had. It’s an awesome no-frills authentic spot, that you need to check out. Budget $50 pesos per person (this place is so cheap!).

Farm to Table

Lost all my photos of this place too, but if you’re staying in town it’s the perfect place for brunch! We went back into the courtyard with bright colored walls and it was idyllic. Second best acai bowl we had all trip here! Budget $250 pesos per person.