Mexico has long been a popular destination to visit, but in recent years the city of Tulum and its jungle aesthetic has taken the top spot over Cancun and Playa del Carmen. After traveling to Tulum and experiencing it firsthand, it’s easy to understand why so many people are drawn to the growing city.

For starters, it’s absolutely beautiful and there a ton of things to do and ways to take in all the culture. Before jumping in to hotel recommendations and things to do, here are 4 things that you should know before boarding your flight:

BRING CASH - I can’t stress this enough. Only some places accept cards and if they do, there’s normally a card fee. ATM machines are few and far between and they have a card and ATM machine fee. Mexico accepts U.S. dollars and will give you change in U.S. dollars or pesos. Always make sure to double check your change and know what the exchange rate is for that day because it fluctuates. (ex: $1 USD is 19 MXN pesos)
BE PREPARED FOR PRICEY TAXIS - You’re probably thinking “Mexico is cheap, I’ll be fine!” but think again. They know you’re a tourist so they hike the prices when it should be way cheaper for the distance. I stayed in Tulum Town and was charged up to $35 one way to beach road for a 3 mile ride, so just expect Uber prices and try to negotiate. One driver gave us a tip and said to tell drivers you only have say $20 and that’s a good way to get them to lower their rate! We tried that approach and it did work!
GET A NEGATIVE COVID TEST TO RETURN TO U.S. - Make sure to check with your airline, but with Delta you need a negative COVID test within 3 days of your flight + your vaccination card OR a negative COVID test within 1 day of your flight if you’re unvaccinated or don’t have proof of vaccination. There are COVID testing sites located up and down the streets of Tulum Town and the beach road so don’t worry about being able to find a test. I paid $30 USD and got my results emailed to me within 30 minutes for an antigen test.
LADIES: CHOOSE COMFORT OVER CUTE HEELS - A lot of the roads (especially on beach road) are either unpaved, have pot hotels, or are very muddy. So it’s best to ditch the heels when going to dinner if you’re going to be bar hopping and just wear sandals or cute sneakers.

Now to the fun part: where to stay and things to do. The two main areas people stay are either Tulum Town which is their city center and where all the locals also live and beach road (think of a strip full of resorts, clubs and restaurants). Tulum Town is where a lot of the activities are located (Mayan ruins, cenotes) and the beach road is where there’s easy access to the beach and nightlife.

HOTEL RECOMMENDATIONS

Aroma Tulum, located in the city center, is an excellent and inexpensive hotel to stay at. For three nights, my friend and I paid $150 each (total) and we had our own private pool. Breakfast is included (except Tuesdays) and bikes are available to rent for free.

THINGS TO DO

Visit the Mayan Ruins and learn all about the history. Go to Tulum Archaelogical Zone for information on tours, hours, and tickets. I highly recommend getting a tour guide instead of doing a self-guided tour. The tour guides are so knowledgeable and you’ll learn more than walking around on your own.

Admire the Coral Reef and swim with turtles, fish, sting rays and more on a snorkeling boat trip. There a tons of snorkeling companies to book with and I was able to add snorkeling as part of my Mayan Ruins tour. The beach access is a 15 minute walk (or short bike ride) from the ruins and boats to go snorkeling leave about every 30 minutes. On the boat ride to the snorkeling, you’ll get to see the ruins from a different angle which is really cool.

Jump into one of Tulum’s many cenotes. What’s a cenote? It’s basically a cave filled with water and Tulum has tons of different ones. You really can’t go wrong with which one you go to. Some are more open like a lake front and some are more closed off. I visited Gran Cenote ($15 USD/ 300 MXN) and had a blast. The water is a clear blue that’s different from clear ocean water. Life jackets are required and there are lifeguards on duty, so it’s very safe.

Go to Azulik Hotel’s SFER IK museum. It looks like something straight out of a movie and the price is only $10 USD. The museum was so peaceful to walk around and take photos, but also just to sit and hang out to take it all in.

Hit the streets and bar/club hop on beach road. I never would’ve guessed Tulum would have hookah spots and play trap music, but they did and I wasn’t mad 😂. On beach road, there’s a bunch of clubs, bars, and restaurants right next to each other that make it easy to bar hop. When we went out on Friday and Saturday night there were no cover charges and most places offered free “welcome shots” to try and get you to come inside. Majority of the spots on beach road close fairly early (1am) so you don’t have to worry about staying out until 4 am like you probably would in the states.

The next time you’re looking to book a trip to Mexico, I highly recommend choosing Tulum as your destination city. I felt very safe while I was there and wouldn’t hesitate to go back.

Leave a comment if you want to visit Tulum after reading this post! :)

Tulum: What to Know and Things to Do in Mexico’s Jungle Aesthetic City