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Hello my dreamers!
I hope you are having a great summer! As promised, here I am to talk about Tulum! To be honest, we stayed there much shorter than planned because the weather was not good. Therefore, I could not write this article as I would have liked but it allowed me to write the next and last article about this trip, to a completely different destination.
To read or reread my previous articles about my trip to Mexico in 2018, here they are:
And here is the summary of this article:
- Description of Tulum
- The ruins
- Gran Cenote
- Tulum restaurants
Description of Tulum
Compared to Cancún, Tulum is less “modern”, less Americanized, more rural, and more hippie I think. But you could see many heavenly hotels and restaurants by the sea. However, the beaches of Cancún are more beautiful in my opinion.
I found Tulum pretty with all the little lanterns everywhere at night and all the colors of the souvenir shops. At night, it’s very different from Cancún with all its nightclubs. But it’s as lively, with lots of people outside, lots of crowded bars and restaurants, with live music, and a relatively young and relaxed clientele.
There, you will not miss pharmacies or ATMs. I feel like that’s what I’ve seen the most there lol. However, what was annoying was that we found lots of empty ATMs or ATMs that only delivered USD (there were many of them).
The ruins
When in Tulum, it was the opportunity to visit the ruins! Unfortunately, we did not visit the ruins of Tulum, which offer a beautiful view of the sea from a hill, because something unexpected happened to us! But on the way to get there, more precisely on the side of the left sidewalk, we could see many red coatis in the forest!
At that time, entrance to the ruins of Cobá cost 70 pesos (about 3€) for a foreign adult (it is cheaper for locals). I’m sure I would have liked the ruins of Chichén Itzá more, but it was still nice. We were also able to cycle there. Besides, you have to be careful because some bikes in Mexico do not have brakes but apparently, you just have to pedal upside down to slow down. On the other hand, at the ruins of Cobá, you will have the opportunity to climb to the top of the highest Maya pyramid on the peninsula, called Nohoch Mul.
Gran Cenote
In Tulum, it was also the opportunity to go to a cenote! Due to our very short stay there, we only had time to go to one cenote. We chose the Gran Cenote a bit randomly on our way and it was a very good choice!
There was a free parking lot, the entrance ticket cost 200 pesos (about 9€) and any exit was final. The (cold) shower was mandatory from head to toe before entering the water of the cenote. You could rent a locker for 30 pesos (less than 2€) and confiscation of an identity document. A locker for two was sufficient as they were large. You could fit two large bags in it easily. You could also rent snorkeling gear and a life jacket.
There was a corner of the cenote, forbidden access, reserved for small turtles but we could still swim near them because they also moved where we were allowed to swim. Otherwise, the cenote is quite large as the name suggests and there are two places hidden behind the rocks. In conclusion, we were not disappointed, we had a good time there. It was big, beautiful and there were surprisingly few people! We were there around 3:00 p.m. and we spent enough time there (it closed at 4:45 p.m.).
Tulum Restaurants
- El Camello Jr.
On our first evening in Tulum, we had dinner at a restaurant called El Camello Jr. This restaurant seemed very popular because it was very busy and at you had to put your name on a waiting list at the entrance. The food is good but not extraordinary. But they make good milkshakes and large portions of food for reasonable prices. This is a restaurant to remember if you are hungry but have a small budget.
- Poc Na
On the beach, feet in the sand, I ate a good Mexican pizza. It was the first time I had eaten a pizza with pieces of avocado and cilantro, and it was very good! My sister enjoyed the fried shrimp fritters and we enjoyed our cocktails! If you’re interested in this restaurant, it’s a hotel restaurant called Poc Na.
- Coco
The hotel-restaurant-beach club named Coco is a place you will undoubtedly like. It is a hotel where you can stay in sublime white bungalows hidden among the trees, a few meters from the beach. It is decorated all in white, with beanbags on the terrace and deckchairs on the beach. But the best thing about this place is that you can sit at a table on a swing facing the sea! The restaurant is mainly composed of tables and chairs like a classic restaurant but it also has a row of 12 swings facing the ocean. It’s original, I really liked the concept. At the time, the menu included dishes ranging from 110 pesos (around €5) to 250 pesos (around €11). My chicken and shrimp skewers, accompanied by salad, were very good. On the other hand, when night fell, the waiters did not turn on the light so we understood that it was time to leave…lol.
- Mi Amor
At the end of our stay, we had lunch at the restaurant of the magnificent Mi Amor hotel, which I recommend. At the entrance, there is a small swimming pool right next to the dining room. There is also a beach club reserved for hotel guests, located high up with palm trees. The restaurant offers top-of-the-range cuisine. During my entire stay, it was the only place where I could eat refined gastronomy. The mixed ceviche with its thin slices of cucumber and fresh lemon juice was delicious. I also liked the small tortillas made of fish with, among other things, radish, avocado, and coriander. Also, the waiter we had was very friendly and the restrooms were wow. Incense, small scented, and individual towels to wipe your hands…It is definitely an address to remember in my opinion.
And you, have you ever been to Tulum? What did you do there?
Stay tuned, in the next and last part of my Mexico travelogue, I’m going to take you…to California! Yes yes, you will see… ˆˆ
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What do you think ?