Tulum/Playa del Carmen Trip

January 9, 2023 In Travel

When did we go….

Why did we go…

we decided last minute that we wanted to have another warm winter vacation and we couldn’t find anything suitable in Costa Rica or Hawaii so we headed back to Mexico
we enjoyed the Tulum beach strip earlier in the year and enjoyed our prior trip to Playa del Carmen for a friend’s wedding a few years ago
we were joined by our daughter Robyn and her friend Saskia (otherwise known as daughter 2.0)

How did we get there…

6 hour direct flight from Calgary to Cancun and the same on the return with Westjet
2 hour drive from the airport to our hotel in Tulum (the beach drive from the town of Tulum can take 30-45 minutes)
1 hour drive from our hotel in Tulum to Playa del Carmen, but we took an all-day tour to see some other sights, which took 8 hours
1 hour from our hotel in Playa del Carmen to the Cancun airport

Where did we stay…

Tulum:

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 (sometimes four) of us slept and an outdoor patio with two chairs and a sitting hammock that had an ocean view
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 and it was sad to leave these people behind but we will be back

Playa del Carmen:

Grand Hyatt
we had two rooms for us, and the gals, and both had ocean views
several onsite restaurants, fitness facility, lap pool, spa, pool/lounge chairs overlooking the ocean
centrally located two blocks from Fifth Avenue

Where did we eat…

Tulum:

The Real Coconut (breakfasts/lunches/dinners, beachside restaurant/bar at our Sanara hotel, exceptional healthy food, great service, amazing ocean/beach views, wonderful New Years Eve traditional Mayan dinner accompanied by lovely ancestral music)
Hartwood (dinner, very popular spot, different menu every day, excellent food, great service)
Ziggy’s (lunch, beach club setting on the ocean, excellent Mexican food, great service from Julio)
Posada Margherita (lunch, met the owner who started the restaurant 21 years ago, excellent Italian cuisine in a cool boutique hotel setting)
Casa Banana (dinner, fun vibe with some interesting people watching, great service, excellent food)
Casa Violeta (dinner, great Italian food, good service, nice ambiance)

Las Coloradas:

Playa del Carmen:

restaurants at our hotel (all were very good food)
Fresco Habito (lunch, super healthy cuisine in a Cantina type setting a block from our hotel)
Zenzi’s Beach Club (dinner, beach setting, decent food, fun ambiance, live music)
Oh lala (dinner, quaint place just off the beaten track with amazing food, service and ambiance)
Birria (lunch, unique Mexican hole in the wall, very tasty food)
Trujillo’s (dinner, sat on upper patio, fun vibe, great food)
Axiota (dinner, authentic Mexican chow, nice chat with the owner Javiar, fun server named Joshua)

What did we do…

Tulum:

yoga at the onsite beachside studio
boogie boarding (good consistent flow of decent sized but not dangerous waves)
walked the beach which is very nice with soft sand and cool boutique hotels and bars along the whole beach
checked out the cool boutique stores along the beach strip (some very upscale items)
watched the sunrise (over the ocean) and sunsets (over the jungle) from our hotel
road bikes along the beach strip
checked out the cool entrance at Roc Luxe hotel
spin class with Saskia on a platform overlooking the ocean at Alma Ride
hung out at our private beach area reading and people watching
on our last day we departed with a guide who toured us to Valloidad (nice breakfast at Rua Café, town walk), Suytan Cenote, and Las Coloardas (pink/orange salt infused lakes were very cool)

Playa del Carmen:

enjoyed our hotel amenities (spa, fitness facility, lap pool, oceanside pool, reading)
did a couple of spin classes at our hotel through Rola
enjoyed the hydrotherapy at the Cenote spa in our hotel (lap pool for swimming, cenote warm pool & relaxation area, sauna, steam, hot and cold pools, and showers)
cruised the shops on Fifth Avenue (very touristy, so nothing exciting)
enjoyed rooftop drinks at the Thompson Hotel, Be Playa, and IT Hotel (traditional before dinner outing)
had some beverages at Chela de Playa brew pub
performed some karaoke at the Dirty Martini bar to Bryan Adams Summer of ‘69
rode the hotel bike around downtown Playa

Background…

Tulum:

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

Playa del Carmen:

coastal resort town along the Yucatan Peninsula’s Riviera Maya strip of Caribbean shoreline
located in the state of Quintana Roo
known for its palm-lined beaches and coral reefs
Quinta Avenida (Fifth Street) pedestrian thoroughfare runs parallel to the beach with blocks of shops, restaurants, and nightspots
population of 300,000 people

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

Tulum:

Playa del Carmen:

Final thoughts…

the weather was beautiful, with highs of 30 and lows of 20
the Tulum beach strip (oceanside and the road) are fun areas to hang out, dine, and people watch, despite the insane traffic
Tulum is becoming as popular as the other Mexican beach resorts and is soon to have an international airport in 2024

Travel