Tulum Trip

May 8, 2022 In Travel

When did we go….

Why did we go…

we were looking for a warm getaway and had never been to Tulum before, although Robyn had

How did we get there…

5 and a half hour direct flight from Calgary to Cancun
we took Air Canada on the way down and Westjet on the way back
we took a shuttle from Cancun to our hotel at Tulum, which took two hours, and the traffic on the Tulum beach strip on Saturday night was insane

Where did we stay…

Sanara boutique hotel
Sanara means ‘it will heal’
located 5 km south of Tulum on the Atlantic ocean
onsite restaurant called The Real Coconut, which had excellent healthy choices of food and drink
yoga studio with a view out to the ocean, which was a fabulous spot to ‘namaste’
we had a one-bedroom that had two beds where the three of us slept and a beautiful outdoor courtyard with an old bathtub and a hammock
no beachside pool but a lovely beach area and a private plunge pool across the street that was part of our daily routine
the service was outstanding

Where did we eat…

The Real Coconut (onsite restaurant where we had numerous breakfasts, lunches, and dinners)
Aua de mar (lunch, wonderful chow, friendly service)
Gitano (dinner, funky vibe, excellent service, great food)
Negro Huitlacoxe (lunch, hole in the wall in the town of Tulum, very good chow)
Ilios (dinner, great ambiance, super pricey wine list, fun Greek plate smashing event, they gave us someone else’s higher-priced bill but luckily Robyn caught it, although this always leaves a sour taste in my mouth)
Matcha Mama (lunch, roadside stand with healthy smoothie bowls, and we also each enjoyed a very large coconut juice right off the tree)
Casa Malca (dinner, Pablo Escobar’s former mansion, excellent food and service, including a tour of the amazing grounds with the eclectic art collection of the owner Rio Malca who is a renowned New York art collector and gallery owner)
Molcajetes (lunch, roadside stand that our guide took us to after our ruins/cenote tour, excellent tacos)
Hartwood (dinner, great ambiance and vibe, exceptional food and service, one of my favorite meals of all time)
Rosa Negra (dinner, Latin cuisine, excellent service, and a party atmosphere, but the music was so loud we dined and headed out within an hour)

What did we do…

walked the beach, which was a great workout, and it was fun to check out the other resorts
did several yoga classes at our hotel’s yoga studio
did a couple of treatments at our spa that were decent but pricey
enjoyed the sunsets from a couple of third-floor open-air balconies at our resort
cruised the town of Tulum but there were not very many interesting stores in the section we perused
partook in Vedic Astrology and Sound Healing events at our hotel, which were both very interesting and unique
visited the Muyil Ruins and floated a canal (cenote) in the Sian Ka’an biosphere, which was built by the ancient Mayans for trade (our guide Sabino was very knowledgeable and friendly)
worked out at a cool outdoor facility called The Jungle Gym which had wooden and stone weights and machines
watched two Flames vs. Dallas Stars playoff games on my laptop as the bar we hoped to watch them in was filled with Americans wanting to watch the basketball playoffs
did lots of reading and relaxing

Background:

Tulum is on the Caribbean coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula in the province of Quintana Roo
in the Yucatec language, Tulum means ‘wall’ referring to the large barricade that surrounds the city
it is known for it’s beaches and the well-preserved ruins of an ancient Mayan port city
population of 50,000 people

What did we not do that is on the agenda for next time:

Final thoughts:

the weather was spectacular, with highs in the low 30s C (and a heat index as high as 40C) and lows around 26C
Tulum is becoming as popular as the other Mexican beach resorts and is soon to have an international airport

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