TULUM TRAVEL GUIDE. Where to go, traveling during covid? What you need to know.
I am sure you have seen your favorite artist or blogger visit Tulum. The place is packed with celebrities of all kinds! Other than the fact that Mexico is one of the few destinations you can visit from the US during this pandemic, Tulum has so much to offer!
If you google it or look it up on Pinterest, there a tone of blog posts on how to find the perfect Instagram picture places in Tulum, I will attach a couple I really liked here, and I will attach them because this blog isn't about how to find the most crowded places, and take the same pictures that the 20,000 other people before you have taken, no hate here tho! nothing wrong with wanting that.
If you don't know what I mean, I am talking about the pictures at the Raw Love sculpture, the I love you so matcha sign, the Follow your dreams street sign or the Casa Malca sofa swing. Those are all cute pictures, but here I am going to give you an idea of the side of Tulum that will allow you to adventure into the culture.
BLOG RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PERFECT IG PICTURES:
◦Live Like it's the weekend-Tulum guide.
◦Tour de Lust- Instagrammable Tulum guide.
DO I NEED COVID TEST?
As of Right now, you do not need an RCP test to arrive in Mexico, You DO need it to come back into the US. It is super easy to get it done, simply at your arrival, speak to the hotel personal, they will help you schedule a Covid test, that will come to your hotel on your last day and give you the results just in time for your flight. It couldn't get any easier. Do keep in mind that the test can vary in price between 40- 100 USD per person.
I do recommend checking prior to traveling, rules change all the time!
WHERE NOT TO STAY?
I have read so many reviews about Azulik, many are great but all or most of them belong to the restaurant visitors which I've heard is worth visiting, but paying $600 to $6000 per night to stay, is not justified, especially if you have to share bathrooms with other guests. Also if you hope to take pictures, the hotel has a strict policy against photography and they will give you a substantial fine somewhere around 5000 USD if you decide to break the rules.
WHERE TO STAY:
Tulum is seriously packed with great hotels, it really depends on your needs and wants and obviously on your budget, In my case, I didn't have a huge interest in getting super instagramy during this trip. We decided to stay outside the loud and crowded part of Tulum for the most part.
Our hotel is called Mereva, and it is the cutest little hotel, I am still obsessed with the room we got, it had its own little pool that faced the ocean, I can not wait to be back!
SIGHTSEEING WORTH VISITING:
Chichén Itzá
Valladolid
Cenotes
Tulum Ruins
No doubt one of the most impressive portions of my visit was Chichén Itzá, at first I was not sure if we were gonna go so I did not plan for it until the very last minute. Fabian, the receptionist at our hotel was so kind to help us get on a tour literally the night before we went, and we had the time of our lives!
Tulum is known for its beautiful cenotes, there are hundreds of them! Most of the photos you see online are only just a few, and you will only find the same ones, those are usually super crowded, ask the locals about the cenotes that are in reach from where you are staying.
We went to the cenote that was literally across from our hotel, it was so closed that I walked the streets barefoot, we had heard stories about Panchito, the crocodile that lives in the Cenote, that has swum the waters with the visitors for years and has never attacked anyone. We wanted to see Panchito, who actually is PanchitA, with our own eyes. There are 2 other crocodiles in the cenote! I can not explain what happened to me that day, I have never felt so amazing in my life, I need to write a blog post about my first experience diving because there is so much I want to share. for now, I have to say, it was worth it! and you should try it too!
EAT CHURROS!
I am going to tell you, I have had churros of multiple cultures, around the world, but Mexican churros, the real deal, damn! I would go back just for the churros! We had what I think are the best churros on earth, from a hotel called Alea, just a two-minute walk from where we stayed, they were SO GOOD that we went back every single night!
EAT STREET TACOS!
We had tacos all over the place, I mean restaurants, hotels, and the little kiosks around downtown Tulum, the best ones, no doubt were the ones we bought at the street, they took forever to be cooked but, they were so delicious, I am dying to go back and eat street tacos all day long!
MISCELLANEOUS TIPS
◦ Right before I left Tulum, they placed a new rule that only two passengers can ride in the same cab, so if you are in Tulum with more than two people, call and make sure.
◦ Ask Locals what to see, where to eat, they know best!
◦ Do not get tangled up talking to people at the stands from the airport, it is really hard to say no once they have captured your attention and they are usually affiliated to a hotel so they are trying to sell you timeshares, do not get fooled.
◦ When visiting Chichén Itzá do not buy from the stands that are placed outside and inside, chances of getting scammed are high!
◦ Leave the last day for relaxation, do all your running around the first few days, and then make sure you relax the last day, take a walk by the beach, see the sunrise and the sunset, go back for churros... you get it ;)
◦ Bargain! you can always get a cheaper price.
I hope you find this blog post useful! and if you are reading it because you are going to Tulum, I hope you have the best time ever!
Love,
Juls.