Hi friends!

Sorry that I’ve been MIA — there’s been so much going on but that should not be an excuse. We all have busy schedules, right?

Well, I started a new job and it’s really exciting. And I’m doing more of what I enjoy doing – which is marketing and communications. It’s crazy how things eventually always fall into place. You just need to have faith, stay optimistic, and ride the storm.

So, why Tulum? Have you guys seen the photos of this beautiful town on Instagram and Pinterest? I know I have and knew immediately that Tulum needed to be added to my bucket list.

There are a few details that I’d like to note before getting into the highlights of the trip. I planned my trip in September for my fiances birthday and had a few disappointments — nothing major that I would say made a drastic impact on my overall experience but it was not ideal. Let me explain.

So, September is one of the rainiest months in Tulum, including June and October; but we took a chance anyway. Why? Well, we’re spontaneous that’s why! Not exactly — I just really wanted to visit Tulum.

So, it rained almost every day BUT not all day. Hurricane season also brought a lot of seaweed to the shores of the beaches. It was pretty upsetting to see such gorgeous oceans with so much seaweed washed up on the shore. You may be able to see some of it in my picture above. The workers at our hotel did an absolutely amazing job at cleaning up the seaweed every single morning.

So you may be wondering if we let that ruin our trip? Absolutely not.

Another thing to note is there are no direct flights to Tulum. You’ll arrive in Cancun and will either have to drive or take a bus which will take you roughly 2 hours. The drive is not bad at all since you’re on one straight road for miles. We rented a car and I HIGHLY recommend it because you’re in charge of your trip. We explored, got lost (not as fun), and were not subjected to staying at our hotel. It was really great.

I’m a simple girl when it comes to hotels. As long as it has a comfy bed, clean sheets, and clean water – I’m pretty sure I’ll survive. I much rather spend my money on activities and food. Besides, how much time do you really spend in your room while on vacation?

We booked a bungalow at Hotel Poc Na. It’s affordable, in a great location, breakfast, WIFI and parking is free, and the rooms are clean. The service was great too. They were very attentive to our needs when we relaxed on the beach.

Day #1

Tulum is a vibrant and colorful town. The locals are happy and laidback and the tourists are just as happy. If you’re into health and wellness – Tulum is for you. It is filled with yoga spots, animal-friendly shops, vegan restaurants and they think green.

Our room wasn’t ready since we arrived at our hotel a little early, so we decided to check out the vicinity and grab a bite to eat. We made our way to the hotel’s restaurant and ordered drinks and tacos. These tacos had to be some of the best tacos I’ve ever had. The tortillas were made out of cheese, yes, that’s right, cheese, fried cheese to be exact. Mouthwatering and absolutely delectable.

I think it’s safe to say that my first authentic Mexican meal in Tulum set the bar really high, I mean incredibly high.

Afterward, we went back to our room, changed and spent the afternoon by the beach.

For dinner, we dined at Casa Jaguar and I wasn’t impressed.
Maybe it was those damn, delicious tacos I had for lunch or the fact that I was getting attacked by mosquitoes the entire time, but the food AND the service just didn’t do it for me. If you decide to go, please bring repellent — you’ll thank me later.

The ambiance was nice though, very bohemian chic.
Upbeat music. Dim lighting. Plants and flowers everywhere you turn. You’ll feel as though you’re eating in the middle of a jungle.

Apparently, my fiance was feeling adventurous that night because he ordered a cocktail topped with dried crickets. He ate a cricket and I didn’t kiss him till he brushed his teeth.

I’d like to consider myself pretty venturesome but that, I could not do.

After we ate, we decided to explore the town and walk off our dinner. We stumbled across Bolas De Postre, also know as I Scream Bar — a hip and cute bar/ice cream parlor. I saw the words ‘vegan ice cream’ and I knew I had to give it a try. Also, when you walk past the bar, they yell “I Scream Bar,” then the entire place starts yelling the same thing! It’s fun but a little weird at the same time. I’m assuming this is done to liven up the place, but the bartenders take their shirts off and start dancing on top of the bar. Warning — they are not in good shape, so it’s a bit awkward, yet funny. I’m not sure how the vibes are during the day but this is how they were at night.

Anyway, the vegan ice cream is delicious, you will not be disappointed.
So, remember I mentioned earlier about the town is super green? Well, they reuse recycled materials such as beer bottles and car visors! The beer bottles were converted into shot glasses and ice cream glasses, and the car visors were reused as menus — BRILLIANT.

Day #2

Our second day in Tulum was very eventful. A little too eventful if you ask me. We did a lot and it was exhausting.

We woke up early and headed downstairs for breakfast. Then, we took a 30-minute drive to the Mayan Ruins. It was pretty and there is definitely a lot to learn about Mexico’s history. Again, bring sunblock, a hat, and repellent. There is barely any shade and it can get very hot.

We paid a tour guide to show us around and teach us about the archaeological sites for 600 pesos which is equivalent to $30 USD.

The tour is a great guide to Mayan culture and how a Mayan city was built.

After our tour, we visited Aktun Chen — one of Mexico’s natural parks. The park has many different activities, such as zip-lining, caves, cenotes and an animal sanctuary filled with deer, monkeys, parrots, and boars. It was a beautiful sight to see the deer and interesting to see how the boars lived amongst each other.

Then, we took a dip in one of Tulum’s cenotes — a natural cave filled with fresh water. The water was a little chilly but definitely pretty and nice to swim in once your body got adjusted to the temperature.

Day #3

After such an action-packed afternoon the day before, on day three, we decided to take it easy and relax.

In the morning, we went for a jog on the beach. Next, we had a healthy breakfast at our hotel, followed by a relaxing morning laying on our beach chairs.

The weather was perfect. There was not a cloud in the sky. So, we decided to take advantage of this marvelous opportunity and order some nachos with fresh guacamole, pina colada’s and soak in some sun for the rest of the day.

Now, that’s what I call a good afternoon.

For dinner, we drove back into town and settled for a Thai restaurant. It was late and every other restaurant was about to close for the night. I say “settled” because I’m not one to eat American food in Spain or Thai food in Mexico. I was in Mexico so I wanted to eat MEXICAN food.

But you can’t always get what you want.

I ordered spring rolls with pad thai. The food was good, but nothing special.

Day #4

Our last day in Tulum. Also known as a dark day. I may be dramatic but who wants to go home after spending days in paradise? Not I.

I needed to drift my mind away from thoughts of going home and relax a little before our red-eye flight back home, so I began my day with a yoga session on the beach. It was great. The beach was empty and there must have been an angel admiring my yoga moves (as seen in the photo).

Following yoga, a very nice gentleman approached us for a massage and guess what? I caved in. Sue me. I’m on the last day of my vacation.

After feeling 100 times more relaxed, we went back to our room, showered and got dressed for lunch.

Prior to all my trips, I conduct some research and compile a to-do list/itinerary. It’s a list of activities, a day to do absolutely nothing but relax, restaurants to try, etc. and Charly’s Vegan Tacos was on my list. I was not leaving Tulum without trying Charly’s vegan tacos. Nope, not happening.

Every bite of each taco was undeniably gratifying and left me yearning more.

Thank you, Charly for that meal and thank you for promoting compassion and non-violence to animals through your plant-based Mexican cuisine. We need more people like you in this world.

We ended the night celebrating my fiances’ birthday with wine, dinner, and dessert at El Asadero — an authentic Mexican restaurant. Not my ideal restaurant but it was for his birthday, not mine.

And there you have it, folks. Four days in Tulum. Was it enough? Ehh I’d say an extra day would have been perfect but I’m not complaining.

I hope this blog post gave you some helpful tips and ideas on what to do, and what not to do on your trip to this lovely town.

Adios Tulum, until next time!