Tulum

Tulum is a very special place, still (amazingly) unspoiled by American tourism. The sand feels a little bit finer under your feet and it's a little bit whiter here due to less traffic and pollution.  Most of the resorts are eco-friendly, rustic, bungalow-type style and have a hippie, artesanal, organic, raw, yoga, meditative, wholesome, new-age, laidback, topless (or bottomless as I shockingly saw this time) feel to them!  

There are no all-inclusive resorts here, and this is definitely not on my list of "most frugal" places to go, unless you stay downtown in a hostel and eat at Aguachiles everyday, but where's the fun in that when there is a whole strip of cool and trendy restaurants and bars to try on the beach?  There are some very over-priced glorified camping places marketed as luxury eco-chic "bikini bootcamps", which I avoid at all costs.

How to Get Here:

45 min. from Playa del Carmen: take colectivo van from Calle 2 and 20 Ave.

Vans leave every 5 min. - $40 pesos fare

Where to Stay:

When I commented to my friend that it was a little out of my "frugal" budget, she convinced me to stay at this place with only 4 letters: "YOLO".  I said, "This must translate into AHAU in Mayan!"

AHAU TULUM

www.ahautulum.com

Bungalows - $900 pesos per night with fan and private bathroom

I woke up with the sound of the ocean and it was the first thing I saw, which felt amazing, then behind my hut was this raw/organic food kitchen and the "chef" was a very nice hippie Argentinian guy who prepared me a passion fruit/mango/pineapple/banana/probiotic/moringa flower shake for breakfast.  

Here is my bungalow facing the ocean and I can honestly say that life never felt this great before.

The main restaurant here serves delicious fish tacos - $140

If you want luxury:

Coqui-Coqui Hotel is very "sexy-sexy" for celebrity sitings and check out their boutique for artesanal perfumes, candles, massage oil, clothing, accessories - all homemade in Mexico.

Most unusual item:  tobacco perfume.  I ended up splurging on a perfume called "coco coco" because I wanted to smell like the beach!

Where to Eat:

Los Aguachiles

Downtown centro
Here you can eat frugally, healthy tacos are 20-30 pesos each

"Agua chidos" - lettuce tacos with ceviche

Oriental rice with watercress and prawns

JAGUAR - located right across the street from Ahau 

Organic, wholesome, hippie restaurant

Expensive option but as my friend says: "YOLO!" (you only live once).  

130 pesos for exotic fresh fruit cocktails such as hibiscus flower with basil, tamarind with coconut and lime or mango with mint.

170 pesos for brick oven pizza with shrimp

Best Ice Cream:  

Panna e Cioccolato
Artesanal ice cream, located downtown centro. 

Try their unique flavors such as cinnamon, chocolate with chile or corn!

Best Beach

Playa Azul - Hotel and Beach Club
If you just want to come for the day this is the best option as they provide a palapa for free as long as you consume.  Don't be deterred by hotel entrances, all of the hotels allow you to come in and try their restaurants even if you are not a guest.
(*may be closed in low season)

Mango, apple and cherry tomato ceviche

How to Get Around:

It's not cheap to get around in Tulum.  If you go by taxi, they will charge you 80-100 pesos to get from downtown to the hotel zone.  Rent a bicycle for 100 pesos a day or a moped for 300 pesos a day from the downtown area.  If you are lucky, you may catch the employee van that goes from the hotel zone to downtown every hour for 10 pesos.