When I come home after a sea voyage, it usually doesn’t take that long for me to get wanderlust again. After returning from my assignment in the Aegean in February, I traveled to California for the wedding of one of my best buddies, Bryan. During my stay, I also traveled to parts of Central America, including a short trip to Tulum in Mexico. In this blog I tell you about my experience in the jungle.
My journey started with the flight from Los Angeles to Cancun. After a short stay in on of the greatest the tourist hotspots in Mexico, I wanted to visit the more relaxed region of Tulum. Over the years Tulum has developed into one of the top destinations on Yucatán Peninsula, with countless cozy cafés, restaurants and bars in the jungle that have direct access to the wonderful Caribbean beach. The city is about 100 miles south of Cancun, the easiest way to get there is by rental car, taxi or shuttle, as you have to change several times by bus. If you visit Tulum the first time like me, this can be very confusing. If you decide to take a taxi or shuttle, make sure you agree on the price with the driver in advance, because they charge tourist more than local people.
When you arrive in Tulum, the best thing to do is to get a bike if your hotel or hostel does not already offer it, because then you can easily reach all the places. The choice of accommodations is huge. I chose the Azulik right at the beginning of the hotel zone. The resort has an incredibly relaxed ambience with dreamy cabanas, all of them have a beautiful view of the sea. The entire facility was built almost exclusively from natural building materials and just visiting this place is worth an experience. Upon arrival, you will be guided through the hotel complex by personal servants, the so-called “Angels”, because it is very easy to get lost here, especially at night. In addition, you can participate in a kind of “cleansing” in which you are welcomed with sounds and aromatherapy, in the style of the Maya, so that you can relax immediately after arrival.
I spent the first evening in the “Gitano”. At night, the restaurant turns into a chilled lounge with an exceptional cocktail bar. Here you can join your friends in one of the seating areas, surrounded by plants and palm trees. In addition to the cocktails, you can also have small tasty snacks before going on one of the dance floors with your own DJ. Most of the time, they play dance / electro that matches the jungle, which makes it very easy to adapt to society. Connection can also be found very quickly here. The people of Tulum are all very open-minded, friendly and helpful. The bar isn’t the cheapest, but it’s one of the best in town.
The next morning I was gently awakened by the sound of the sea in my cabana in the Azulik and after breakfast I began to explore various places in Tulum. My first destination was the Hotel Casa Malca, about five miles away, a villa that belonged to one of the greatest drug lords in the 90s and served as a hiding place: Pablo Escobar. Before the villa was renovated into a luxury hotel by the gallery owner Malca, it stood empty for years because it was confiscated by the Mexican government after the death of Escobar. The hotel complex has several pools, a steam bath and a walk-in rooftop. Inside the villa there is an interesting, almost bizarre exhibition which I had subconsciously associated with the former drug lord. The hotel complex is located directly on the snow-white Caribbean beach with a turquoise-blue sea, where you can relax with some tacos and guacamole.
After my stay I went on to the next spot, the “Matcha Mama” bar. As the name suggests, here you get everything your Matcha heart desires, from delicious cereal bowls to milkshakes and ice cream. After a short refreshment I visited to the famous “Jungle Gym”, a gym which is located right on the beach. According to Men’s Health, the facility is one of the best gyms in the world. Unfortunately the studio was already closed, since it was after 5:00 p.m., but training outside was still possible.
After a short training session I continued riding to the “Raw Love” Cafe, a vegan restaurant in the “Ahau Hotel”. After you have passed the impressive craft at the entrance of the restaurant, you can visit a small exhibition with oversized dream catchers. I spent the second evening in my hotel because there were also excellent opportunities to enjoy the nightlife. In the evening there was a party in one of the “nests”, which could only be reached by a suspension bridge. With cocktails, relaxed music and nice company you could admire the sunset from there. The next morning I went back to the airport, I would have loved to stay longer afterwards
My entire stay in Tulum was one unique experience for me. It is very easy to relax and escape the stress of everyday life . Three days is definitely not enough to see all the places; as I said I wish I could have stayed longer and I will come back for sure! In my opinion, Tulum is one of the most beautiful places in the world.