The Eroding Paradise of Tulum, Mexico

My partner and I first arrived in Tulum in the winter of 2001. We went for a yoga workshop but quickly tired of hanging around Americans reading Vogue magazines and getting facials when class wasn't in session. We grew weary of the Enya-heavy new age music that filled the dining room of Maya Tulum, the location of choice for most yoga retreats in the area. We wanted to feel like we were in Mexico for god's sake, not some ex-pat camp for pampered Americans. We sensed that if we cut loose and began to explore, there was an amazing world out there.

So we moved from the spacious but sterile bungalow at Maya Tulum and down the "hotel zone" road to a crazy gorgeous little property called Cabanas Copal.

What a difference a half a mile made. Complete heaven. Our adorable casita sat right on the a cliff overlooking the pristine azure water. Two nights a week there was a temezcal, mexican steam, to take. Morning yoga classes were free. The guests were a wonderful mix of Europeans, South Americans, Mexicans, and Americans. And the beach was clothing optional so we could body surf in the nude. Magnifico!

Next door to Copal we found a place to rent funky one-speed bicycles. Each morning we rode down to Maya Tulum to take the yoga classes we'd already paid for. But rather than stay for the American-lite spa buffet breakfast, we'd bicycle a half hour along a trail into the town of Tulum and go to any number of little Mexican spots for huevos and cafe. Don Cafeo became a favorite for authentic food.

Then we would tool around the pueblo which has its own irresistable charm. Little bodegas and cafes cluster the streets. A juice and liquado shop stands near the bank in the middle of town for Mexican milkshakes. We'd get our liquados in plastic bags rather than cups to be able to sit from them as we road the bike trail back to the ocean.

Quick Tips:

Back at the water, there are countless wonders, mostly accessible by bike or taxi. You can also rent a car from Ana Y Jose, a restaurant/inn on the hotel road or in the town of Tulum itself, but usually we just biked. We rode one day up to the end of the road where the Tulum Ruins began (about 4 miles). Spectacular ruins overlooking the sea. It gets crowded with tour buses though so it's best to arrive at 8:30am when they open, or at 4:30pm before they close.

Another day, we bicycled the other direction to a cenote (water hole) down towards Ana y Jose. There are so many holes to swim and expore in the area, you simply ask anyone "where's your favorite cenote" and they'll say. Personally, I like best the cool meditative shade of either Gran Cenote or Dos Ojos Cenote, but most folks would prefer to rent a car to get there, since each is about 7 miles away along busy highway with little shoulder. Some cenotes have an entrance fee, some are free.

Our favorite spot to eat each day was Zamas along the beach next door to Maya Tulum. Great grilled fish with rice and beans, green salads with a large variety of vegetables, perfect flan with toasted coconut and grated orange peel on top.

Zamas also has fabulous music most nights. We would walk down the beach road about 7:30pm and hear the wafting strains of afro-cuban, merengue, or world beat. The waiters would be dancing by the kitchen waiting for their orders. The stars would be burning in the night sky. The ocean would be roaring. What could be better?

Best Way To Get Around:

Just avoid the worst, primarily American hangouts and you'll be fine (Maya Tulum, Azulik, and the Mezzanine, a kind of fake Sunset-strip bar/hotel for example).

On the other hand, Cabanas Copal is great, so are the little cabanas that are part of the property of Zamas. Or the ones at Las Conchitas nearby. There are countless other lovely, reasonably priced spots, but these are the only ones we've tried.

Tulum is experiencing a huge influx of development which, already in the 5 years since we first started going with the elevator-music yoga trip, has changed the face of the area dramatically.

Go soon before the idyllic tranquility of this Mexican paradise is no more...

We spent two weeks in Tulum looking for fabulous, inexpensive Mexican food. Our desires were not completely fulfilled until we found El Tacoqueto. In general, Tulum (both the pueblo and the road along the ocean where the lodging is) has okay, but expensive (catering to tourists), meals.

Then, on the final two days of our trip, we discovered the bliss of El Tacoqueto. Once we adjusted to the bright orange walls and decor, we relaxed and enjoyed everything about it (a little like eating inside of a large Mexican tangerine).

This is the spot where the locals eat for fantastic food. The chicken mole was the best I'd ever had outside of Oxaca where it originates. Spicy, rich, vaguely sweet, and chocolatey, but not too much. There were so many layers of subtlety to the sauce I could have eaten an entire bowl just over rice. But the chicken was also well-cooked and so tender it was falling off the bone.

My partner had chile rellenos which were equally divine. The cheese was fresh and gooey, the sauce spicy and delicious. The salsa and chips at this spot are also fantastic, the salsa being so supremely hot it scorched our lips. We were happy! The sopa Azteca, Mexican tortilla soup, was also perfect. We get it in every Mexican restaurant we can since we find the soups are a good litmus test of the kitchen. We'd never found better sopa Azteca than at El Tacoqueto.

Also, be sure to try the flan...rich, creamy, and not over sweet.

The whole meal came out a mere $8 each which would have probably not even gotten us the bowl of soup in the Tulum hotel zone along the ocean. Plus you get the pleasure of being around the locals, not just the tourists.

And great rockin' salsa and merengue music.
A terrific place to check out at the edge of Tulum town and feel like you're in the real Mexico.

Zahra's is a good spot on the mostly overpriced Hotel Zone road that runs along the Tulum ocean front. It's not fancy, just a handful of tables with umbrellas to protect you from the sun. Not much of a view except for the road with its taxis pedestrians and bicycles going by, which alone can be fun to watch.

The food was delicious and the waiters were very kind.

We enjoyed stopping there for breakfast. Good oatmeal or egg dishes, like huevos rancheros. Lunch and dinner were even better. They have a special appetizer you have to request that's not on the menu, hollowed-out tomatoes filled with avocado and shrimp. Delicious. Also the ceviche was tasty and fresh.

The sopa Azteca was especially good, with bits of avocado and shredded chicken in it. Great fish dishes. We had lunch one day of grilled salmon with rice and beans that tasted as if it had just been caught. Wonderful freshly-made crunchy chips and spicy pico de gallo salsa. The flan was also especially wonderful, frosted with cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Zahra's and Zamas, farther down the stretch towards Maya Tulum, in my opinion, have the best food on the Hotel Zone road for the money.

We just found this place very strange. In theory, we were supposed to like it. Big beautiful palapa with a straw roof, and absolutely spectacular vistas of the ocean. An open, airy comfortable feeling right on the water. What could be more perfect?

But it felt like the place was just trying too hard to cater to the American yoga students who mostly go there. I suppose I shouldn't fault it for knowing its customer base and trying to be ultimate yoga destination. But it was annoying to be in Mexico yet feel like we were trapped in a new age cliche. If you love the idea of many skinny white Americans running around in designer yoga clothes and talking rudely to the waiters, you may feel right at home.

There is a breakfast buffet for about $10 that has eggs (scrambled plain or with cheese), pancakes, waffles (sometimes, or french toast), warm and cold cereals, fruit salad, tea, or coffee. At lunch there is also a buffet with one or two Mexican dishes like cheese enchiladas or chile rellenos as well as a salad bar. Everything was very mild and "dumbed-down," sort of "lite-Mexican" food. We had to ask the waiters to bring hot sauce out from the kitchen; they said no one ever asked for it!

The music probably amused us the most. A loop of bad new age elevator music (Windham Hill, you know the Cds that have creative names like "Joy" and "Serenity") played really loud to help you relax.

When we left after a couple of days to start eating in the town of Tulum at local places (like Don Caffeo) which served authentic Mexican cuisine, plus flamenco guitar or salsa, we were overjoyed. We didn't care if we lost the gorgeous view of the ocean. Being in the genuine Mexico we love made us feel very relaxed indeed!

This spot is a real find. If you don't want to come back from traveling in Mexico with 5 pounds gained from piles of chips and cheese, have a few of your meals here. Good salads, juices, liquados, teas, and coffee. The vegetables and fruits have been purified of every residue of pesticide so it was a wonderful place to eat without any fear of health risk. Every day we had carrot, celery, apple, and ginger juice with a little bit of limon. They also had great liquados (Mexican milkshakes) made with milk, strawberries, payaya and banana with a bit of vanilla flavoring.

It was a delight to find a healthy place in increasingly touristy Tulum that was both reasonably priced and as health-conscious as what we were accustomed to in California. We loved the quiet, sweet ambience, and the down-to-earth atmosphere. The waitstaff were adorable too. Definitely the spot to go to if you are in need of a health fix!

Okay, this spot is the bomb. We loved it. We found it on one of our final days in Tulum, otherwise we would have probably gone many, many times.

They have the most perfectly cooked, super-fresh seafood made 10 different ways that tastes as if it was just pulled off the boat a mile away. Try any of their grilled fish made with garlic. Or made "veracruzana," with onions, garlic, olives, and green peppers. All served with perfect Mexican rice and beans.

You can also get these delicious sandwiches where the grilled fish is piled on a chewy bread with a sharp dressing. Great chips too. Good music. Cold beers or ice tea.

It's a pretty funky small place, but clean and very safe to eat at. We became friends with the owner from our first visit; this is just the kind of local spot we wanted to support and give our money to. It's the real deal.