The Ultimate Escape to Tulum
From the Porter & Sail editorial team.
Perfect beaches, jungle ruins, hidden swim holes, hip boutiques, cozy mezcalerias… numerous are the allures of Tulum. Here’s our 3 day itinerary.
First thing on every agenda, of course, is to drink in the relaxing blue ocean view — but then turn and face inwards, to the deep green heart of Tulum’s true magic. You’ll soon learn why this place is one of Mexico’s most mindful and magical destinations.
Day 1: Exploring along Tulum Beach
3PM: Maresias
You’ve arrived! Decompress with an ocean view and a seafood spread at Maresias, the airy, beachside raw bar at Be Tulum. Dig your toes in the sand while sipping a local craft beer and snacking on peppery gazpacho and zesty tiradito, a Peruvian raw fish dish made with sashimi slices of freshly caught salmon and tuna.
7.30PM: Hartwood
Time to break out those reservations you made months in advance for Hartwood, Tulum’s legendary jungle-side eatery. It’s one of the hippest spots in town and for good reason. With the stars as a roof and an electric blender as his only industrial kitchen convenience, chef Eric Werner captures the essence of the Mayan ecosystem by sustainably sourcing ingredients from nearby farms and markets.
The menu changes regularly, and no two nights feature the same plates. Regardless, expect to savor the bounty of the Yucatan in dishes like doughy papaya empanadas, jack tuna ceviche and succulent agave pork belly.
10.00PM: Gitano
For a late-night soiree, head to verdant mezcal bar, Gitano. You’ll find over 50 varietals of the agave spirit, sourced straight from the motherland in Oaxaca. Don’t miss the most popular drink, ‘Jungle Fever,’ a cocktail made with a fiery mix of Mezcal, chili, lime and cilantro. The later you stay, the more likely you’ll witness Gitano transform into a dance party.
Day 2: Ancient Mayan Ruins and Rituals
08.00AM: Tulum Art Club
It’s culture day. Leave Tulum Beach to stop in to Tulum Art Club as soon as this cafe-gallery hybrid opens. It’s the perfect way to fuel up ahead of a visit to Coba ruins.
Order a latte or fresh-pressed juice and pick from dishes like avocado toast and chia pudding with fresh green apple slices. While you wait, browse the paintings, photographs and graphic works lining the gallery walls. Most are by produced through the studio’s artists-in-residence program.
10.00AM: Coba Ruins
Fill your portable water bottle and don your athletic gear for the Coba Ruins, about an hour northwest of Tulum. By arriving early, you’ll beat the crowds to this popular Mayan archeological site. The ruin, a relic of the most powerful Mayan civilization in northeastern Yucatan, and home to the tallest pyramid in Quintana Roo, stretches over 26 square miles. It’s acclaimed for having the largest network of sacbés, ceremonial limestone causeways that once connected Coba to nearby cities in the ancient Mayan world.
12.00PM: Coqui Coqui Perfumeria & Chocolates
Before departing Coba, stop by Coqui Coqui Perfumerie & Chocolates to purchase a perfect Yucatan Peninsula memento. We love their unisex line of bath oils, room scents, beeswax candles and fragrances, all capturing tropical scents of the region. The woody and earthy maderas and lavender- and chamomile-noted lavman are crowd favorites.
2.00PM: Macondo
Back in Tulum, land at Macondo — Nômade Hotel’s holistic vegan and vegetarian eatery. Take a seat at the family-style wooden table for a light lunch of jicama sushi rolls, baked almond falafel, and a zucchini noodle salad made creamy from macadamia truffle oil.
4.00PM: Yäan Wellness Spa
You kept it light, because the next stop is Yäan Wellness Spa. Skip the standard massages and expand your wellness pursuits with Pre-Hispanic-inspired treatments like the Mayan Renaissance, a 90-minute cleansing and rhythmic massage with a Mayan rose petal, basil and rosemary herbal oil.
8.00PM: Arca
Continue the good vibes on Tulum’s jungle side at Arca, where fragrant copal resin swirls throughout tables set beneath an open-air canopied frame. Savor wood-fired dishes and micro-seasonal small plates like house made pulque sourdough bread, cured egg yolk roasted pepper tartare, and spicy grilled octopus with adobo peppers and lentil purée. Wash it down with the ‘Mayami Nice cocktail,’ a gin-based drink made with Xtabentún, a made-in-Mexico anise liqueur.
10.00PM: Casa Jaguar
After dinner, order a tipple at Casa Jaguar, a swanky, candle-lit bar. Enjoy a lively setting and tropical cocktails like the habanero-spiced ‘Copal Mezcal,’ or ‘Guava Sour,’ made sweet and spicy with rum, guava and passionfruit. Before you leave, ask for the bar’s Spotify playlist — it’s a doozie.
Day 3: Avant-Garde Art and a Secret Fish Shack
10.00AM: Raw Love Cafe
Begin your day with a superfood start at Raw Love Cafe. Known for serving the most nutritious breakfast on the beach, select from an array of healthy options — acai bowls, wheatgrass shots, and chocolatey cacao and vanilla smoothies — to enjoy as you sway on the most coveted perch: a nautical rope swing.
12.00PM: Cenote Manati
While the beach beckons, there’s other scintillating swimming to explore, too. Discover your first cenote — freshwater sinkholes once used by the ancient Mayans for ceremonial rituals — at Cenote Manatí. Located nearby on Highway 307, take a refreshing dip in a series of seven crystal clear freshwater pools connected by a waterway shaded with mangroves. Spend your afternoon sunbathing, or try kayaking from cenote to cenote to further enjoy these warm mineral waters.
2.00PM: Chamico’s
After a few hours at the cenote, find a seafood feast in peaceful Soliman Bay, a hidden gem to most Tulum travelers. It’s home to Chamico’s, where you’ll admire the bay’s cerulean waters from your picnic-table perch.
Chamico, for who the eponymous eatery is named, is likely busy on the grill, frying fresh lobster tail and crispy whole fish. While you wait, order ceviche with leche de tigre sauce.
4.00PM: Lolita Lolita
Work off lunch with a stroll down Tulum’s beach road. Your first stop should be Lolita Lolita. Browse the palapa-roofed apothecary’s line of hand pressed avocado and mamay seed body oils, aloe vera salves, and rosemary and honey shampoo, all derived from generations of Mexican family recipes and potions.
8.00PM: Cetli
After a few hours back at your hotel soaking up sand, sun and warm ocean breezes — hell, you booked here for a reason, enjoy it — find your final feast at Cetli. Away from the boho-beach clubs and pulsing nightlife of the pueblo, this charming restaurant serves the best mole in town.
Take the extra time to try the different mole varieties, ordering your favorite to slather your entrée. While your food is prepared, wander through the restaurant to admire the decor which doubles as an antique gallery. You might just find your favorite memento hidden among the Day of the Dead displays.
10.00PM: Pasito Tun Tun
You can’t leave Tulum without a hearty dose of mezcal. No spot does it better than Pasito Tun Tun. Tequila’s cooler cousin, mezcal is created from a traditional method of fermenting the ‘heart’ of the agave plant.
Choose from over 40 different varieties, offered straight or in creative smoky concoctions. Wrap up your trip sipping your tipple under strings of bulb lights and swinging palms. Like everything in Tulum, it can be a tranquilizing moment under the stars or vibrant party that lasts until dawn.
From the Porter & Sail editorial team.
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