Tulum Travel Guide: Part 1 - The Rose Tinted Glasses

Ohh, Tulum!! You have my heart! It’s the perfect place to re-set and unwind so it’s no wonder so many people (including celebrities) are frequenting this gem. Tulum is home to the Mayan ruins, beautiful blue waters, and some of the chicest boutique hotels and restaurants. It is a foodies dream and a bloggers paradise (except for the spotty wifi). I have compiled some tips for traveling to Tulum, so I hope you enjoy part 1 of this Tulum Travel Guide.

Getting To Tulum:

Tulum is located about an hour and a half from the Cancun International Airport on the Yucatan Peninsula in the state of Quintana Roo. You can get a cab or rent a vehicle to get from the airport to Tulum. We chose to hire a shuttle transfer and DID NOT regret it one bit. It was extremely hassle-free and stress-free. The cost of the transfer usually covers the trip to and from the airport.

There are tons of options for shuttle transfers and it can be a bit overwhelming when you walk outside the airport and see all of them. I recommend checking with your hotel to see if they offer a transfer or have any that they work with. We used USA Transfers and they were great. For four of us, it was about $200 USD which included transfer to and from the airport.

Getting Around Tulum:

Tulum is made up of the town center and the hotel zone. The town center is where all the locals live while the hotel zone is a beach road between the ocean and the jungle. The hotel zone houses all the resorts and restaurants. Tulum Free Maps offers a great map that shows you where EVERYTHING in Tulum is located.

There are a few ways to get up and down the strip. Most of the hotels offer bikes that you can check out or rent and taxis are always available to take you where you need to go. As for us, we chose to either walk or ride bikes unless we were going on a tour or the opposite end of the strip. You hear so many stereotypes about going to Mexico and never leaving the resort but everyone in Tulum is so friendly so we never once felt threatened. Just make sure to take a flashlight with you if you are walking around at night. It gets pretty dark in Tulum since it is somewhat off the grid.

If you feel more comfortable taking a cab, the average cost to go down the strip was about 100 pesos for four of us. Of course, the money exchange rates are always changing so be sure to check the current rates when you go.

Chris & I Under The Disco Ball At Gitanos

Currency:

The main form of currency in Tulum is Mexican Pesos. Most places take USD and credit cards but the credit card machines do tend to go down due to spotty service so be sure to take PLENTY of cash.

You can always exchange currency at your local bank before you leave on your trip but make sure you do it a month in advance. If you are last-minute people like us, there is a currency exchange booth before you leave the airport. Just be aware that the exchange rate at the airport is not the same as the actual exchange rate. They are tacking in fees so you do lose a little bit of money.

Another option is visiting the local supermarket in Tulum. After you check in to your hotel, get a cab and head to the Super Chedraui. The local supermarket has an ATM that you can withdraw pesos from. While you are there be sure to check out the bakery to see the huge selection of daily made pastries and stock up on anything else you may need.

Best Time to Visit Tulum:

The best time to travel to Tulum definitely depends on what you are looking to get out of your stay.

Peak season: Ranges from December-April. The weather is warm with less humidity since the rainy hurricane season has passed. Peak Season brings higher prices for accommodations, lots of cool festivals and larger crowds. The traffic and the beaches are much more congested at this time.

Summer Season: Ranges from May-August. The weather is much warmer due to the humidity from the “rainy season.” We have visited Tulum twice in late August and have experienced maybe two showers. The summer season has cheaper accommodations and fewer crowds. Another perk to this time of year is it is also turtle nesting season. If you choose to go in the summer months, I would recommend going a little sooner than late August because some of the restaurants begin closing down for low/hurricane season.

Low Season: Ranges from September to October and starts to pick back up in November. This is the hurricane season, some of the hotels and restaurants actually shut down for these months to do renovations.

Regardless of the time of year, TULUM IS ALWAYS A GOOD IDEA!

Quick Tip: Bring bug spray or some form of mosquito repellent. We used a mosquito repellent bracelet and it worked fantastically.