5 Day Tulum Itinerary/Engagement

This will be my favorite post I have written this far and as you can guess from the title it’s because your favorite stewardess (hopefully me) is engaged! But, before I get to that little story, I’d like to share with you guys a day-by-day itinerary of our five day Tulum vacation that led to my engagement because let’s face it, we don’t really know too much about this place besides from what we see on a model’s Instagram feed (and who doesn’t love a sappy love story?).

In this itinerary you’ll read about where we ate, where we stayed and what you should avoid if you plan on going. If you want to skip ahead to the engagement story, just scroll down to Day 4.

Day 1

First things first, currency. If you can, try to take pesos before heading to Tulum to avoid ATM fees. Lots of places were cash only. Our group of 4 decided to use one person’s credit card to take out one big lump of cash for everyone. It was cheaper than having each person take out cash and pay multiple foreign transaction fees. Tip: Take out more than you think you’ll need.

How we got around?

Car rental. Be aware, that although car rentals seem cheap, you’re required to purchase insurance through the rental companies, which comes out to almost $50 usd per day! You could also take the ADO bus from Cancun to Tulum, but renting a car was more convenient, especially since there isn’t any Uber or Lyft in this area.

So for those of you who aren’t aware, Tulum, along with most of the Mexican Peninsula, is experiencing a terrible sargassum issue, which means that staying on a beach side hotel wasn’t worth it. Not only is the sargassum an ecological issue, it also smells really bad. Like rotten eggs, to be exact. We opted out for an Airbnb close to the central part of Tulum area, where locals live. We found this Airbnb that offered chef services, so of course, we booked a few meals with them. We just had to pay for the groceries and a 20% service charge. The chef’s were restaurant owners and really exceeded our expectations. Here’s a little peek at us having fun by our Airbnb’s pool.

Before booking your own place, be sure to do a little research on the sargassum issue. Here’s one of the sources we used to find out which areas were affected: Sargassum Issue

Before heading to bed, we decided to take a stroll around the downtown area and had some much raved about tacos at Anotjitos la Chiapaneca. The el pastor meat was really good, but something was different about the cheese (not in a bad way, just different). Overall, they were good tacos and definitely worth checking out. We ended our night by checking out a famous mojito bar called El Batey. Be sure to head here before 10pm as it gets busy and has limited seating. The grapefruit mojito is a MUST and the live music is a plus.

Day 2

We woke up to a classic Mayan breakfast dish called, Huevos Motuleños which was prepared by one of our chefs. I recommend you go to a local restaurant and have it because it was just that good! This dish consisted of fried eggs, covered in tomato sauce, peas, chunks of ham and cheese, served over tortillas. (Give me a minute while I wipe the saliva off my mouth). After our hearty meal, we headed over to the Gran Cenote. This place was a whopping $10 USD per person, but spacious enough to hold groups of people. We enjoyed hanging out and seeing the baby turtles in their natural habitat. Definitely add this cenote on your list of cenotes to visit.

After a few hours of swimming (or doggy paddling, in my case) we went over to Coco Hotel in the coast of Tulum aka the Hamptons of Tulum. This is the street where everything looks straight out of a bohemian fairy tale. Coco had a really good octopus nachos dish that made the 15 minute drive worth it. Besides that, and the drinks, I wouldn’t recommend staying in any beach side hotels as the sargassum is bad and smelly.

On the way back home we stopped by the famous Azulik hotel and explored their inside gallery, where we had a mini photog.

On the way home, we stopped by a local ice cream shop called Helados y Neveria. Popsicles here were only a whopping $15 pesos (which is about $.75) and had the most delicious passion fruit juice called maracuyá. It was so good that we came here multiple times during our stay in Tulum. I can’t link this place because according to Google maps, it doesn’t exist.. but Google map, “Parque Tumben Ka” and you will see the neveria right next to it, on the corner. After popsicles, we stopped by Burrito Amor, which is a hyped up burrito place that looks like it belongs in West Hollywood or something, (if I sound bitter it’s because the burritos here were really good, but overpriced for their small size). I could’ve probably ate about 3 burritos here. If you come here, try the shrimp burrito. Or any really. They were all savory.

We ended this night with a lobster dinner at home and stayed in because we had to rest up for our 3am Chichen Itza tour.

Day 4: Engagement

My favorite day of this trip. My (now) fiance at the time, booked a private Chichen Itza tour through this company called Bushman. The tour included everything from transportation, meals and an amazing photographer. We woke up at 2am because our tour guide was picking us up at 3am, since it was a sunrise tour. Thankfully, I wasn’t my usual grumpy self (due to lack of sleep) and enjoyed the trip entirely. We started off by walking around the ruins and learning about their history. Side note: Did you know the famous pyramid in Chichen Itza is called the Kukulcan? Towards the end, as the sun was rising, our photographer asked us to take some photos in front of the Kukulcan. The other couple we were with took a photo first and then it was our turn. I think this is why I didn’t see it coming, it was all so casual and amongst friends. Also, remember the lack of sleep? That is when Steve, the love of my life, turned to me how he knew I was the one for him and then after a minute of making my heart melt with his words, he bent the knee (not like the Game of Thrones, but similar). All I could feel is my heart racing alongside his, both of our eyes teary and a huge lump in my throat that wouldn’t let me speak. Seeing the man of your dreams tell you heartfelt things at 6am really does something to a woman. Of course, I said yes to him and later found out that he had been planning this for months already. He, actually, had purchased the diamond for the ring 7 months prior to this trip. The rest of the tour felt magical after that.

The tour continued on by paying a visit to the city of Valladolid, where our tour guide took us to the BEST taco place I’ve ever been to in my life. The little taco place was a tortillería and was called Rosario’s so if anyone is ever around here, please have about 4 tacos for me. The owner, Rosario, can be seen making the little tacos fresh with his bare hands. Side note: the meat used in these tacos is marinated for 30+ hours before being served.

We, also, walked over to the convent of Valladolid and got to explore the inside and even had a little photoshoot. Future save the dates? Maybe.

After Valladolid, our amazing tour guide took us to a private Cenote called, “Xux-Ha.” This Cenote is private and family owned and had a cool dive step. Kind of small, compared to the other cenotes, but if you like to dive in head first, this one is for you.

Day 5

More cenotes! This time we went to one of the most popular cenotes, called Dos Ojos and even did a private tour inside one of them. I highly recommend doing a private tour of the underwater cenote. It really felt like a once in a lifetime experience snorkeling in the dark, with only flashlights. The tour ran for about $35 usd per person. The tour also includes snorkel gear and a bilingual guide.

After getting our daily dosage of cenotes, we went to El Camelo Jr for lunch. The ceviche was delicious and big enough for 4 people to share.

We decided to have a nice dinner in Tulum this evening and made a reservation (at least a week in advance) at the much raved about restaurant, Hartwood. The menu changes every time, so I can’t really recommend anything, but just know that it is overpriced and it’s cash only. They had the most delicious spicy maracuya drinks that incorporated mezcal very nicely. We tried to experience some of the Tulum nightlife after dinner, but it wasn’t what we were expecting. Gitano, a popular bar, was empty on a Saturday night. Papaya Playa, another popular beach nightclub, was charging almost $40 usd per person for an entrance fee. This was enough to send our full-belly selves back to our Airbnb and just chill. If you guys check out any of these places for yourselves, be sure to leave your experience in a comment below.

Day 6

No one wants to go back home once you’ve been catered meals by renowned chefs and drinking endless margaritas by the pool, but alas, it was time to go back to reality. In a way, I feel like I’m still on that vacation high because every time I look down at my left hand, I see the beautiful ring that my fiance designed for me. Also, any time we get in an argument, I just look at my ring and he gets a pass. Jk.. but really, look at this beauty!

Overall, this trip was one that I will remember and cherish forever. From the food we ate, the world wonders we explored, and the fairy tale engagement, none of it would’ve been the same without my fiance and our friends Owen and Frannie. Frannie, actually, helped come up with the itinerary and most of the foods we tried were places that she researched. She is a little foodie and has her own blog, Frannie Eats, so check her out!

Click here to see my Instagram highlight of Tulum.

Happy travels!

xoxo,

Stew