Tulum, Mexico

Be Aware! Every destination has it’s pros and cons. So did Tulum. But the good definitely outweighed the bad.

Pros:

1. The Beach: Literally Paradise
Prior to coming to Mexico, I had seen lots of photos of this beautiful place. It looked like paradise. We all do our research before booking a flight; so did I. I couldn’t wait to see for myself what Tulum had to offer. Driving from Cancun to Tulum was extremely therapeutic. The route was very scenic, very green, very beautiful. It almost feels like you are driving through a forest. And then finally, the seaside.The beaches! It was blue, transparent, clean. The sand was sparkling white, warm and perfect Tulum was paradise. It was total serenity. The wind, the sound of the waves, the fresh air, the turquoise blue waters. I was in heaven. I was in a postcard.

2. It’s Cheap: The Mexican Peso
The first thing my husband and I did after arriving to Cancun was exchange our American Dollars for Pesos. We exchanged $400 for about 3,500 MX. We had more than enough cash for the three days that we spent in Mexico and we ate a lot! Some of our excursions were paid for prior to arriving but we ended up buying tours for Chichen Itza while we were there and we still had plenty of money. We also bought souvenirs–which you have to watch out for some of the sellers, they can be very aggressive. But if you are wondering how much money you need to bring, you don’t need a lot if you are solo especially or if you are only staying for a few days.

3. The Food: Authentic!
My diet in Mexico was Chips, Guacamole, and Tacos. Only. Who else comes to Mexico to eat anything other than Mexican food?  My first meal was fish tacos. They were amazing! I ate these from my hotel so they were a bit pricey compared to the street tacos. And I have to tell you street tacos are seriously the best. My husband and I would wake up really early before heading out to an excursion just to eat the tacos on the street and they were only 90 pesos! Food from my hotel cost us around 200-450 pesos, a big difference! Another one of my favorites happens to be the coconut water from real coconuts. They were really sweet!

4. Beach Hotels: Unique
Two hours later after leaving Cancun, we were at our hotel: CoCo Tulum. I loved our little hut!

It was beautiful and seconds from the beach! The hotel was limited in what it had due to the fact that in Mexico, there are less resources. For example, we didn’t have an air conditioner so we had to use a fan. We also didn’t have a T.V.  which wasn’t that important to me from the beginning. We were not able to drink the tap water in Mexico so the hotel supplied us with bottled water for free.  My favorite part about staying at this hotel was not only was beautiful and intimate, but you could hear the sound of the ocean all day all night. It was any lover’s dream. We also had a few pieces of furniture aside from the bed. We had a wall mirror and a treasure chest. I didn’t really use the treasure chest which I’m assuming should have been used to store valuables, I did use the built in shelves for my clothes. I also loved that the hotel allowed us to leave our luggage in storage until the room was ready for us when we first arrived. Walking along the beach throughout the trip, we discovered other hotels were just as unique. Some had swings, couches outdoors, and the whole works; I even saw a pony on the beach! Coco Tulum also had a beach bar which is where I ordered my first set of tacos.

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5. Sunrise & Sunset
My absolute favorite part of Tulum was watching the sun rise in the morning in my white lace robe and watching the sunset in my beach cover up or swim suit. It was almost mandatory that these two things happen as part of my day. I mean hey, you only get one sunrise and one sunset per day and I did not want to miss them in Mexico. It was a constant reminder of how beautiful our world is and I needed the reminder.

6. Excursions: Ruins, Ruins, Ruins…
Going to the different excursions was probably one of my favorite moments. I loved Chichen Itza. Not only is it a World Wonder, but it’s just beautiful. We were in an organized tour when visiting the tourist site so we walked away having learned so much about the history of the monument. The Mayas who were advanced asonomers, created Chichen Itza as a physical calendar aligned with sun. It was designed with such perfection that in the late afternoon, the sun casts shadows depicting a serpent that slithers down the steps. I thought that was very interesting.

We also visited the Tulum ruins. Seeing the ruins reminded me so much of Rome for some reason. So many ruins, so much evidence of life in the past. Visiting the Tulum ruins was not originally part of our plans; it happened after our plans were interrupted. We originally planned to go to Chichen Itza but after waiting for several hours we were never picked up from the designated pick up location. We booked our tour through Viator online. *Commercial Break*–If you are ever thinking about booking a tour through Viator, be cautious. I thought they were legitimate because I previously have taken a tour with them and everything was fine. This time turned out to be a total fail.

Taking photos with the ruins was my favorite part of the day. It was supposed to rain, and since it was sunny I really took advantage of capturing the scenery. The ruins were amazing and I was constantly reminded of the importance of history. I feel very fortunate that I get to see history instead of read about it.

We also went to the Ik Kil Cenote. I thought I would be brave to dive into the Centoe until I got there. I was like no way! But it was so beautiful and I’ve never seen anything like it before–seriously, an underground water cave. A Cenote is an underground sink hole. They can be found all over Mexico and are really magical. If you don’t get in, at least take some pictures. I let my husband dive in, he needed a photographer anyway.

7. Medicine: No Prescription Needed!
After visiting ruins, most of our day was spent eating and hanging out. One day we decided to scroll on the outskirts of the beach to get a feel for Mexico outside of the touristy zone. We saw a plethora of pharmacies along the way. Finally, we decided to check one out. The prices for the medicine were unbelievable. We bought antibiotics for 90 pesos. I decided to purchase contraceptives for about 80 pesos. I’d come back to Mexico just for the drugs! On top of the cheap prices, you don’t need a prescription to buy them. It’s as simple as walking up to the counter and asking for what you want. The pharmacies are located all over the city and literally on every corner. If you are ever in Mexico, stock up on the drugs, you will thank yourself later.

8. Photo Opportunities Galore
Tulum is certainly one of those places that is super picturesque and not just on the beaches. All over Tulum, I came across signs, cars, bikes, and all sort of things I wanted to take a picture with. Everything gives you a piece of the culture and all you want to do it capture the moment. You need not to worry about taking pictures in Tulum. You almost have to delete old photos off your camera roll to make room for all the new ones!

The Cons:

1. The Mexican Hustle
Mexicans are hustlers! They beg you until they’ve gotten almost on their two knees for you to buy their products. Especially when buying souvenirs. It can be overwhelming. I experienced the hustling even when taking local taxi’s. They will try to overcharge you on top of pressure you to get in the car. You have to be very careful. And always remember, if the moment doesn’t feel right, go with your gut instinct. Don’t do whatever it is that doesn’t feel right. Safety is always number one regardless of whether you are traveling with friends or not.

2. Expensive: Beach Front Hotel NOT cheap.
Obviously, choosing accommodations that are on the beach isn’t cheap. But I think it is worth it to spend the extra money for the experience. I’ve always been the cheap traveler. Seriously–ask my husband. I am not all about the fancy living. But one day he convinced me that sometimes it is worth it to splurge on once in a lifetime opportunities. I eventually agreed. Be easy on yourself every once and a while and treat yourself. We did!

3. Weather: Rain & Humidity
I know, I know, how can the weather in Mexico be a bad thing? Two weeks leading up to this trip, I checked the weather daily. It was one of the first things I did in the morning. For the three days that we would be in Mexico it said it was going to rain, ALL three days. Think about it. Beach + Swimsuits + Rain. That didn’t quite add up to vacation to me. I was disappointed. I also wanted to be cute. I thought I’d actually straighten my hair for the trip. Until, I saw that the humidity would be 90 percent. I just couldn’t win. However, to my surprise, it didn’t rain during the day at all while I was in Mexico. It only rained at night, once we were tucked away in bed fast asleep–which if you ask me was pretty romantic. But Mexico does rain a lot especially in the summers during hurricane season. Although we went in February, the forecast still showed a chance of rain and for me that was a bad thing  because I really wanted to enjoy myself on the beach and at the excursions without the headache of the rain. The humidity can also be a bit of a deal breaker because you know–you’re sticky, your hair is frizzy, and the list goes on.

3. Not Enough Balance

Explore Other Towns.
Another con about Tulum is that it is so beautiful and so heavenly that you often get stuck in Tulum not wanting to explore towns around it. I think its imperative to go beyond the popular sites and really see how locals live.Sometimes that part of traveling and exploring gets lost because we want to check items off our bucket list. When visiting Chichen Itza, our bus took a route through other town that had some very crippling and dilapidated neighborhoods.We saw children running around barefoot and families hanging out clothes to dry. And while they where going about their lives just living, they seemed very happy. Seeing  the lifestyle did something to me. I became very sentimental. I was a little shook. I challenge you to go beyond the Eiffel Towers of the world and really explore.
 

Talk to the Locals.
Another part of exploring not only has to do with physically seeing other towns near Tulum, but also talking with the locals. My husband is very good at this! He is very much a people person.

Once we boarded the bus to head back to Tulum from Chichen Itza, my husband and I decided that the night was still young, so we should go to dinner and hang out late. We were given recommendations to have dinner at a restaurant called  My Way. It was dark and very windy. I was so afraid to walk on the beach because it weirdly sounded really loud; the wind was really whipping. We ordered our usual and just relaxed. Our waitress was the only one working that night so we watched him work tirelessly. After we finally finished our meals we decided to talk to him about Mexico and to be honest, my husband started the conversation. It turns out that the waiter used to live in South Carolina but after being caught speeding, he was sent back to Mexico. He had to leave his wife and daughter. His family is still in America but since his daughter does not speak Spanish, the mother wants them to stay in America. He felt he was only left with one decision and that was to divorce and start a new life in Mexico. It was such a touching story. We left him a $20 USD tip for being so kind to talk with us and for working so hard.

If Mexico has not been a place you’ve visited or even thought about, definitely give it a try! And of all places to go in Mexico, check out Tulum!