Riviera Maya: redescovering paradise, first part.

Welcome to my experience in the Mayan Riviera, a true paradise located in the south of Mexico. There is so much diversity of things to do, that you never stop exploring new places and living new adventures.

First, we must debunk myths: you should know that hotels in the "Mayan Riviera" are generally far away ftom places that are worth living and knowing. If you are not close to the main cities, you will depend on expensive taxis to move between the hotel and Tulum or Playa del Carmen, for example.

Tulum

Tulum is by far one of my favorite places in the Riviera Maya, but I have to warn that it is more of a destination for adults if the idea is to stay there.

How to get there? Easy. From the Cancun airport (when the Tulum airport opens it will be easier) there are several alternatives such as transfers that you can search for and schedule prior to your arrival in here.  The cheapest way to go is to take an ADO bus at the same airport. On its way to Tulum makes a stop for a 10-minute "stopover" in Playa del Carmen. If you decide to secure your ticket online in advance, it is very important to consider that many times entering the country is chaotic and it can take more than 1.5 hours to leave.

The bus leaves you in the center of Tulum in a little less than two hours, where you will have to take a taxi to your accommodation.

Where to stay? Tulum, being one of the most exclusive destinations in the Riviera Maya, is therefore one of the most expensive. Staying in a hotel on the beach (Zona Hotelera) is much more expensive than in Cancun and Playa del Carmen's All Inclusive...Do not expect to find a lot of All Inclusive hotels  in Tulum.

To explore where to stay, you have to know that there are several hotels and apartments or house rentals but the first thing I recommend you is to take a look at the map. The main road that runs through all of Tulum is the one that goes from Cancun to further south on the peninsula. The center is what you see around the road, highly built and populated. To get to the beach from the center, there are only two avenues: Avenida Cobá, which is the closest to the archaeological center in the north of the city, and Kukulkan Ave., a street located further south.

Accommodation places:

1) Hotel zone: the hotel zone is located on the beach on the Boca Paila Road. This road starts from the national park in the archaeological zone in the north, to the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve in the south. The hotels located at teh beach between Sian Ka'an and Kukulkan Ave. are those closest to restaurants and nightlife. As I indicated previously, this area is by far the most expensive to stay, but worth it you can afford it. You can easily get around by bike along the Boca Paila road. Here you can find and book the best hotels in this area. I recommend you use this link since it shows you the hotel´s daily prices so you can choose the best days to save some money.

2) Aldea Zama: located between the center and the beach, although closer to the center, is this neighborhood that has a series of accommodation offers, be it hotels, Airbnb or rentals, with restaurants and minimarkets in the area.

3) La Veleta: neighborhood also full of good quality accommodation, minimarkets and restaurants. It is very close to Aldea Zama but towards the south of Kukulkan Avenue.

4) Downtown: This area has the cheapest accommodation, but is the busiest throughout the day. Of course it is close to large supermarkets such as Súper Aki and Chedraui, both on Cobá Ave.

Wherever you choose to stay, I recommend you to check the best hotel deals here.

How to get around Tulum? The first and least recommended option is to take a taxi, not only because it is very expensive but because they do not respect rates, so it can cost you a lot of money, for example, to return to your accommodation from the Hotel Zone at night. There are three options that are the most common:

1) Rent a bike: Be careful that the distances are long, especially if you have to move between the Hotel Zone and other places. In addition, we must add the high temperatures all year round and the danger of riding on streets without much lighting at night and without bike lanes. You will find bike rentals everywhere but you can check some here.

2) Rent a motorcycle: there are 2 or 4 wheels. I recommend the 2-wheeled one since the 4-wheeled ones, in addition to being more expensive, fail a lot and are targetted by the police during their controls. There are plenty of rental sites but yo can check some in here.

3) Rent a car: this is my favorite option every time I go to Tulum since in addition to moving easily within the city, it allows you to get to know the surroundings. Car insurance is always more expensive than the lease itself. Make sure you check if your credit card includes this insurance and you will save. If you have this option, they ask for a higher warranty, but it is worth it. Most car rentals are on Av. Cobá but you can compare prices and rent in advance.

What to do in Tulum? 

The Beach: of course it is one of the most beautiful views in the city. The public beaches are located further north, closer to the archaeological zone, being a bit far away if you are staying anywhere other than right there. I recommend that you enter through any restaurant or bar that does not charge an entrance fee (like Delek, or Ahau) and you can settle in front of them, on the beach. You can also use its facilities. In most cases they do not charge for lounge chairs or minimum consumption, but you must consume on site. On the beach there are also beach clubs that operate during the day, with food, parties and pool, but either you have to pay for a lounge chair or there is a minimum consumption (examples: Taboo, Rosa Negra, Tantra, Mia, Vagalume and Bagatelle). If you want to go and pay,  I recommend you go from Thursday to Sunday. Going to these beach clubs' restaurants during the day does not give you the right to occupy one of their lounge chairs or use the rest of their facilities. Be careful with that.

Archaeological Zone: located on the north side of the center, it is a place that you have to go even once given the beautiful mix of Mayan history with the turquoise sea in the background. You can go on your own or book  a tour here.

Holistica: in La Veleta there is this center that is worth visiting. It is a free, very spiritual place, with various activities such as yoga and temazcal classes. It is immersed in the jungle, it has a hotel and a restaurant inside, where they mainly sell vegetarian or vegan food. What they have is also a rare commodity in Tulum: a very good Wi-Fi connection in their facilities.

Cenotes: If adventure is your thing, you can't miss going to live the experience of a cenote. They are ancient formations with underground water, used by the Maya for their rituals and sacrifices.

Tulum is a city that is on a complex system of ancient and natural underground water networks, so you cannot build anywhere nor make very tall buildings.

There are many cenotes near Tulum. You can go by your own (taxi, scooter or car) or book a tour. , and in my opinion, the most recommended are: Cenote Calavera, Gran Cenote, Cenote Corazón and Casa Tortuga. I suggest you look for them here to see which ones to choose since they range from very closed caves with underground rivers (the newest ones) to true natural pools (the oldest ones). What you do know is that you always have to be ready for adventure since you will be able to swim around catfish, bats, turtles and different species of birds. In general you can rent snorkel and life jackets on site. My favorite near Tulum is the Gran Cenote (the one in the photo), which has a mix of everything, one part open, another with caves and many native animals.

Laguna de Kaan Lum (Kaan Lum Lagoon) : Approximately 15 minutes by car from the center to the south, there is a wonderful lagoon, with turquoise waters and a cenote in the middle. You have to pay (in cash) a little more than 300 MX to enter but it is worth it. It is important not to carry or use tanning lotion or sunscreen so as not to contaminate its waters. One fact: if it has rained heavily, many times the bottom of the lagoon mixes with the water and it appears green. There is a kiosk where they sell beer, coconut water and things to eat on the go.

Tulum at Night: without a doubt, Tulum is famous for its nightlife, which is mainly concentrated in the Hotel Zone (although there are also some in the Center). There is a great diversity of restaurants, whether Mexican, Argentine, Greek, Italian and Mediterranean, which we recommend you reserve in advance to secure your table. Many of them with entertaining shows like Rosa Negra, Tantra and Bagatelle. And if it's more about places to dance, there are several bars like Gitano, some parties at Club Mia in Selina and the famous Full Moon parties at Papaya Playa Project. In January there are also massive electronic parties in the jungle like Tomorrowland.