Curator’s statement
Welcome to Tulum, a vacation destination in south-eastern Mexico, on the beautiful Yucatan Peninsula. This guide is for those wanting to bring friends together to relax, celebrate and have adventure. I was the birthday girl and wanted to get away, connect with my girlfriends, travel and see the historical sights. Tulum has many options for vacation travel ranging from land and sea excursions. And it was also easy to get to for friends located throughout the US via a direct flight into Cancun.
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Where to stay in Tulum
Kimpton Aluna Resort Tulum
A boutique resort in downtown Tulum, with boho-inspired interiors, a rooftop restaurant and centerpiece pool.
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Things to do in Tulum
We started our adventure straight away, bright and early the next morning after our arrival.
I had made a reservation in advance for the five of us to get a cenotes tour. Cenotes (pronounced se-note-ay) are naturally formed underground water pools. The local Tulum area is built on top of many underground caves.
I booked an experienced local guide that cares and protects the cenotes in the area. We could bike from each unique location. I recommend wearing a swimsuit and water shoes and bringing a hat, towel, water and an extra set of dry clothes as well as a waterproof phone case. Our group had a wonderful time and we all would recommend this experience to anyone traveling to Tulum.
While traveling, I like to keep up on my gym routine and I was excited to visit the Tulum Jungle Gym, “A Real Life Flintstone Gym”. Our group of four visited the town location and enjoyed all the weights and took in the natural open air aesthetic. The hour we spent was great and not busy at all. Do note that there is an entrance fee and a towel rental fee (100% goes to Help Tulum Dogs). I recommend you bring cash (pesos) with you as credit card readers might not work at times in the area.
We walked next door for a quick coffee break and then decided on walking east along the main Avenida keeping our eyes out for a local restaurant for lunch. It was delicious.
One of the reasons I wanted to go to Tulum was for the historical ruins. We visited Coba. These Mayan Ruins date back to 350 BCE. The large area contains many free-standing carved stone slabs and is about 30 miles from Tulum. Bring water and your walking shoes as you can spend hours walking through the area or you can pay to rent bikes and cover the area quicker.
A girls beach vacation wouldn’t be a vacation without relaxing on the beach or by the pool. We had the best beach message while looking out on to the beautiful blue ocean. Relaxing and catching up with life long and new found friends was such a joy and I will remember this trip for years to come.
Places to eat & drink in Tulum
Here are some fun dining recommendations:
Batey Mojito and Guarapo Bar for breakfast and light bites. There is live music every night.
Matcha Mama Pueblo for delicious smoothies and bowls and the tropical vacation vibes.
Ki'Bok Coffee - Enjoy the open air outdoor cafe's iced coffee and baked goods among the locals. Staff is friendly, but I recommend bringing pesos as there might not be a working credit card reader.
Las Margaritas Tulum - Breakfast, lunch or dinner - great margaritas! We went for lunch and were served quickly and everyone's meal was delicious.
![Advisor - Yvonne McVay](https://media.foratravel.com/image/upload/v1711120616/contentful-migration/advisors/image/b3680cc1e8e7-YM2.jpg)
Travel Advisor
Yvonne McVay
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For more travel tips, check out Fora Advisor Kayla Zimmerman guide, Foodie's Guide to Adventure in Tulum.
This guide is part of our ongoing series on travel to Tulum.