Exploring Tulum: The Good, The Bad, and The Overpriced- What You Need to Know Before You Go

Written By Summer Williams
I kept getting ads to go to Tulum, so I did it. I had leftover airline credit on Delta, so I booked a flight even though, if I'm being honest, I've always been very iffy about going to Tulum. 
I feel like the place is run over by tourists, which sounds hypocritical because I am also a tourist. But it was more so run over by Americans. Especially during the pandemic, many people were running to Tulum, and there was a lot of feedback that things were overpriced all around due to the number of foreigners. And yeah, it low-key didn't feel like it would be my vibe, and now that I have spent a week, I am right. It was not my vibe. 

how to get from Tulum airport to downtown Tulum

Tulum has a new airport, right? It's relatively new. There are no bridges yet, so you’ll have to walk off the plane and physically walk into the airport ( which I like). There are also not many transportation options. The last time I was in Cancun, I remember taking that ADO bus from Cancun Airport to downtown Cancun, so I was pleasantly surprised that the bus was at Tulum airport, too. 
I link to how to get to Tulum downtown by ADO bus (because there are no Ubers) on my TikTok. 
It’s pretty easy. When you come out of arrivals at Tulum, look to your right. There, you’ll see an ADO Kiosk. Get your ticket there. It costs about $10 for a half-hour ride all the way to the downtown bus station. Some hotels also offer pick-up and drop-off, and there are car rentals at the airport, too.  

Where to stay

So, I got to Tulum on a Saturday. I checked into this lovely, adult-only hotel called Layla Boutique. It's a stunning place. The first thing I did was take a shower and just relax! I was horizontal for the entire day. It felt good. I honestly loved the shower. My favorite thing about Tulum was showering in Layla’s bathroom because of the stunning artwork on the wall. 
I had a 10/10 stay. Let me tell you something. If you go to Tulum when you're looking for an adult-only hotel downtown, NOT  in the hotel zone, Layla Tulum is the place. 
Did I mention the stunning rooftop pool? I can't brag about it enough—it was beautiful. If I went back to Tulum, of which the chances are ZERO, I would stay there again just to stay at Leila Tulum; that's how much I loved it. 
When I have extended stays, I stay in different parts of town. So, for my first few days, I stayed at Layla, and for the next leg, I stayed somewhere else. I stayed at an Airbnb about 9 minutes from the central downtown area because I wasn't trying to eat out every single day. Sometimes, it's nice to cook breakfast or make tea. 
So I stayed at a vacation rental and found an Airbnb called Jungle Luxe. It was a nice stay, but it was not at all what I imagined. Yeah, I guess I thought it was some real jungle, and it really wasn't. It was just trees around. 
The Airbnb was stunning regardless, I wish it was my apartment type of stunning. I barely wanted to leave. On my first night, I made myself some pasta and salad and topped it off with a bottle of wine. I could read, lay on the couch or the hammock, take multiple showers, wake up in the morning, make myself some tea, listen to the birds chirping, or read a book. I felt so relaxed.

Getting around Tulum

The primary way to get around is by taxi. When you leave the ADO station, a taxi stand is conveniently located in front. I recommend befriending one of the taxi drivers and exchanging numbers; it's a very Whatsapp-heavy country, so download Whatsapp before you go, and of course, be polite. Let them know where you will be staying, and they can move you around during your trip. 
That's what I did. I met a fantastic guy named Enrique, who was responsible for ensuring I got from point A to point B. If he wasn't available, he sent his friends to get me, which I really, really appreciated. 
I found Tulum challenging to navigate. After being there for a few days, I understood why people were renting bikes, Vespa, and ATVs. 
Based on my transportation challenges, I am very glad that I did not stay in the hotel zone.
 

Things to do in Tulum

  • The first thing I did on my trip was book a tour on Get Your Guide to see the Mayan ruins. I've always wanted to see the Mayan ruins. So, the Mayan ruins are located at the Tulum National Park. And it's quite a walk from where your tour company will park. We had to walk quite a bit to get there, and hopefully, your tour company has advanced tickets so you dont have to stand in the long line in that heat. There is a lot of construction going on, and armed guards will search for you when you walk into the park.  Remember, where we enter from is different from where you’ll be, so if you're on a tour, just stay with someone or something, and don't get lost. Okay!
I also got to see a cenote! Everyone goes to Mexico to see a cenote, and I was determined to see one this time because last year, on my birthday trip to Cancun, I planned on seeing one, but it didn't happen.
  • On the tour, I met two other guys living in Florida, and we became best buds after. At the Puerto Maya cenote, I was afraid it would only crowded, but it was not. The tour agency did a fantastic job getting us a relatively private cenote. We all had fun! Because I can't swim just yet, I rented a life jacket that was too big and didn't do what it was supposed to, but luckily, my friends carried me on their backs while they swam, so yay! It's important to mention that if you're ever going to be in a cenote, you should get some water shoes because we would be bumped and stubbed out so many times from the rocks in the water. 
  • My second night in Tulum was one of my best because of the guys I made friends with on tour. I went to this bar called Kana and saw this live band called ‘We Are Nobody’; they were phenomenal. The audience was wowed. I wish I had Grammys to give them because they were that incredible. Let me tell you something: if you go to Tulum, you need to go on their Instagram page and see where they're performing and experience them performing.  They were incredible, so incredible. I saw them twice in 4 days! I was there till almost two in the morning. I just wanted to hear them play. And I kept tipping. 
  • You’ll need to take off your shoes to get in here. It is called Sfer IK. You’ll need to take off your shoes. It’s an eclectic museum, and it's unlike anything you've ever experienced or seen before. That's how I'll put it. I don't know how else to explain it. But I do feel like while I was in awe of the decor, I also felt a little underwhelmed. I can't entirely explain how I felt. I think I expected to see more art, but at the same time, I was wowed by the design of the place. Let these photos help you decide if it's worth visiting. Also, because I know it's a heavily visited area, I chose to go later in the evening. It was the right call because, at some point, it was just me in the whole building, and I thoroughly enjoyed that; it was an experience for sure. 
    You pay $30 to get in and purchase tickets online. If you’re going to be there by yourself, you need to know that you can't use tripods or gimbles. I used this fantastic app called Lens Buddy to take photos of myself. 
  • If you're new here, you need to know that every time I'm on a solo trip, one thing I always do is book an Airbnb experience, and I highly recommend it!Especially if you’re a solo traveler like me, I recommend finding Airbnb experiences where a photographer will take photos of you. Yes, I have my trusted trip, but Vanessa, sometimes just getting the expertise of a local is helpful, so I did that. It cost me $189 (the most ridiculous price I’ve ever paid); also, back to my point about Tulum being overpriced, which was unfortunately not worth it. I was pretty disappointed. I could have done a better job because I take better photos of myself with Vanessa, my trusted tripod. 
  • A top destination and most instagrammable location that people always want to see in Tulum is Ven A la luz. Ven Alaluz is in a town hotel called Ahua. The major sculpture is by Daniel Popper, and it was even more magnificent in person. You do have to pay a small fee to get into the sculpture park where it is located. You will most likely also have to wait in line as other people are having whole photoshoots in front of the sculpture, too.
P.S. When I went to Ven a La Luz, I met up with another solo traveler, a Black lady from Atlanta. We hit it off instantly and went to this experimental dinner place in the hotel zone called Arca. You should check it out. But that's something I love so much about solo travel—you get to meet and connect with other people!! 
  • I went to the beach on a Friday. Thankfully, my Airbnb's concierge service got me into Gitano Hotel and Beach Club. It was a rough day for me emotionally. I had quite a lot going on; I was crying into my laptop on the beach in my private cabana, so I left less than an hour later.  So, unfortunately, I had to go all the way to Tulum. I could not enjoy the beach, but that's okay, I guess.My bathing suit was cute, though.
I wanted to do something I enjoyed for my last night because the previous day had been so emotional. So I looked up the band ‘We Are Nobody’ and found out where they were performing that night. I went to Encanto to hear their beautiful music again, and I loved it. Great cocktails and music—what more could I ask for?
The morning I was to leave, I prioritized visiting Casa Malca in the hotel zone, and I strongly recommend you do so, too. Casa Malca used to be owned by Pablo Escobar, and now it's a luxury hotel with exciting art. There's art all over the hotel, but there's a beautiful art installation that I wanted to see. But how? I decided to eat breakfast at the hotel so I can have unrestricted access to the grounds because they dont just let you wander in. The restaurant's name for breakfast is Philosophy. There is a fee of $35 to experience the a la carte breakfast menu, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!
After eating, I explored the hotel right on the beach. The main attraction for me was their lobby, the Casa Maca lobby, and just looking at these photos. It was stunning. I got as many pictures and videos as I could. Of course, Vanessa was with me to capture myself in this space.

Where to Eat

I don't have a lot of food recommendations; while I am a picky eater, my verdict is that most places seemed more focused on vibes than the actual quality of the food, but honorable mention to these places:
  • Raw love: great vibe, healthy plant-based food, enjoyed my immunity shots 
  • Bejuco: Mexican-Italian fusion place with phenomenal customer service, drinks, and decor
  • Philosphy in Casa Malca. It was a lovely breakfast experience
  • Encanto: great cocktails, fab live music
Lowkey, I couldn't wait to get to my Airbnb to cook my own meals. 

10 things I didn't like about Tulum

1. Transportation was ass! There are no Ubers, so most of my transportation was by taxi. I spent at least 80% of my budget on transportation. I took out about $400 from the ATM, and most of it went to taxis; the button has a complete breakdown of how much I spent in Tulum.
2. Folks do not like to negotiate on prices; it was jarring when people called 1000 pesos the price for random things, especially taxi drivers!
3. There were only a few meals that I thoroughly enjoyed. Many of the places I went to eat were primarily vibes and not great food. Twice, I walked out of restaurants because the food was so disappointing. I just ended up cooking my meals, but every cocktail I had was fire!
4. EVERYTHING was overpriced. Why did I go grocery shopping for 14 items, and the final cost was 150 US DOLLARS???? EXCUSE ME? I found things to be relatively pricey, which I mean, I guess. It's like citizens already know that half the people in Tulum are tourists, so why not charge them an arm and a leg? Hereafter, I'll give you a complete rundown of how much I spent in Tulum to help you on your own trip know how much to budget. 
5. This one is on me; I needed to prepare for the temperature/weather. I thought because it was April, it would be mild, no-the-fuck it wasn’t. I slathered my body in my Shiseido 60SPF sunscreen and had a hat. I was taking multiple showers and should have packed lighter clothes. I'm talking about taking showers whenever I step in and out of the house-type of weather. So pack that. 
6. As a solo traveler, I usually take advantage of Airbnb experiences to get my photos taken by a local; all the photoshoot packages for Tulum were fuckin ridiculous. Why did I pay damn near $200 to have the Valencia filter slapped on 25 photos? I deeply regret the experience.
7. The hotel zone, in my opinion, sucked. The road is also quite shit and narrow. I was staying closer to downtown Tulum, and the commute to the hotel zone was also arduous and ridiculously priced. I am, however, thrilled I did not stay there; I find that when I travel, I love to immerse myself in the culture and the people, and resort-type places are not my preference. Everyone in the hotel zone is being catered to as a tourist, and there was a particular type of vibe I did not like. I love that I stayed downtown; I could meet and talk to natives. Heck, I even learned some Mayan and could practice my Spanish, unlike the hotel zone, which felt like a USA-annex; I did not enjoy that. And I, really, really am glad I did not stay in the hotel zone. Unfortunately, I had to make a few trips in that direction, which was pricey, but I wanted to see as much Tulum as possible. 
8. The ATMs in the hotel zone were dispensing Dollars. What the hell, sir? While I understand why many American tourists stay there, it was NOT what I needed.
9. A taxi tried to charge me $100 to go from the hotel zone to the airport, fuck no. I live in Chicago, and I’m not paying those prices; I ended up on the ADO bus, which was a brilliant alternative.
10. T-mobile showed their ass because my service was atrocious, WHAT???? 
Cancun over Tulum. Period.
I also feel like maybe Tulum is where you come to with many people because, as a solo traveler, your reaction to Tulum was very ‘meh.’
And that was Tulum! 
Summer Williams
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