Travel
Tulum Holiday Photo Diary #2
So from the beautiful Casa Violeta, we moved slightly north up the coast to the equally stunning but very different Cabanas La Luna. Brightly-painted cabanas with multi-coloured hammocks and wooden decks nestled amongst palm trees meant the simple act of eating breakfast every morning on our private deck was a treat.
We missed the food and restaurant from Casa Violeta (La Luna‘s felt a bit more resort-y and the menu was a bit tired) but the set-up of La Luna couldn’t be beaten. You can probably tell an abundance of hammocks went down well too!
Scroll down to the bottom for recommendations and tips on where to eat, what to do and everything in between….
So as promised, I’ve compiled a list of our favourite places we discovered while out there. I loved stumbling across people’s personal hints and tips for Tulum before I went so hopefully this will help others in the future. I’d love to hear any of your Tulum suggestions too if anyone has any to add.
Sleeping
Casa Violeta – Mellow, beautiful, cool. Ticks all the boxes
Cabanas La Luna – Multi-coloured, castaway dream
Hemingway – We went for dinner here (see eating below) and the cabanas looked really nice. The stretch of beach isn’t quite as dreamy as other places but a good option.
Uno – Really sweet eco huts and camping right on the beach. Lit by candlelight at night and heard good things about the food, juices and yoga.
Eating
Hartwood – You might have to wait over an hour for a table at this ridiculosuly popular haunt but who cares when you have a freshly-made fruit cocktail in hand. And the delicious food definitely lives up to the hype. Make sure to check out the buzzing open-plan kitchen at the back laden with fresh ingredients too. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Posada Margherita – Who knew Italian food in Mexico would be so good. Balmy beach setting, fresh pasta and great cocktails.
El Tabano – Mexican home cooking with a menu written entirely on two enormous blackboards and a fun bar for before and after dinner.
Casa Jaguar – Asian-inspired food in intimate, romantic jungle setting. Experimental cocktails come in massive stone tumblers too which is always fun. Apparently good for breakfast too.
Hemingway – a bit of a secret gem. There’s only 4 or 5 tables in this super sweet restaurant on the beach. Really small, fresh Italian menu that they can basically adapt to suit you.
All the Rest
The ruins | Get there early to avoid the bus loads of tourists from Cancun that descend around 9.30. A.M which turns the whole experience into a bit of a theme park. We got there at 9 but 8 would have been better.
Cenotes | We didn’t end up doing one as we loved hanging on the beach so much with our books but next time I’ll be sure to check one out.
Shopping | Tulum town has lots of little shops with all the usual suspects; dream-catchers, pottery, embroidered dresses and textiles. Haggling is o.k and expected so definitely don’t just go with the first price offered but equally bear in mind that Tulum isn’t super cheap. There are also some smaller shops around Mateo’s on the beach road.
Papaya Playa or Zamas for late nights drinks, live music and beach parties.
Tulum, you were everything we hoped you would be. Already looking forward to our next meeting…
All photos by myself and James Wright