It’s our last full day in Tulum, and we start the morning relaxed–wrapped in cotton-soft robes, enjoying warm mugs of coffee and bite-sized pastries on the front porch–setting the pace for an indulgent day of doing almost nothing.
The beachfront is mostly quiet when we arrive, save for the murmur of conversation and the soft rumble of waves pulling toward and away from the shore. We pick a table on the restaurant’s outdoor deck, facing a copse of green-leafed palm trees whose slender stems lean toward the sunlight.
Breakfast is a light, colorful spread: kiwi, banana, and strawberry slices on a bed of blended açaí berries, pancakes, eggs cooked sunny side up, and a green coconut split in half—its water drained into a glass with ice.
As people start to arrive and fill up seating areas on the beach, we wrap up breakfast and walk toward one of the last unoccupied day beds facing the ocean.
Minutes stretch slowly into hours as we laze underneath the shade of our cozy cabana, walk along the sun-warmed shore, pass by the brightly colored resorts that line Tulum beach, and end our beach day cooling off in a shallow infinity pool.
***
I prefer to end a vacation like this, unhurried, and released from a to-do list of things that can seem (and sometimes are) both important and urgent. Tulum felt like the perfect place to unwind and appreciate the beauty of Mexico’s coast. I would return in a heartbeat.
***
Good To Know
- You don’t have to stay at a beachfront resort to enjoy the beach. Many of Tulum’s beachfront hotels offer paid access to the beach. Beach club access ranges from as low as $30 to as high as $100. This cost is often a minimum spend that can be used for food and drink.
- In October 2023 when we traveled, the closest airport to Tulum was Cancun International Airport (2hrs from Tulum), however, a new airport has just opened in Tulum: Felipe Carrillo Puerto International.
- Taxis in Tulum -particularly when shuttling between town and the hotel zone- are expensive. Consider renting a car if you anticipate frequent travel between Tulum Town/Tulum Hotel Zone.
- Food in the hotel zone is priced at a premium, and much more expensive than food in Tulum Town.
- In October there was very little rain and mostly warm sunshine! Although October is the rainy season, it is also a good time to visit to avoid crowds in the popular resort town.
Traveling Mexico is a monthly series chronicling my time in Mexico last November. I lived in Mexico City for one month, and it felt both restorative and exciting. Click the “subscribe” button to receive the next part of this series as soon as I hit publish.
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thank you for reading!
Same Footprints, Different Sands
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lovely recap! I was shocked to learn that the Tulum airport has opened. I didn’t know! Also interesting to know you stayed in Mexico City for a month!!! How was that?
Thank you my dear! yes it has. I feel like Tulum is about to get even more busy.
The month in Mexico was fantastic. I really enjoyed it. My favorite thing was just feeling like my days were longer because the pace just feels slower. Additionally, its a great base for traveling to the rest of Mexico, so enjoyed getting to visit places I hadn’t been to before like Tulum!