Tulum, MX. 2018

It’s official, I’ve crossed Tulum off of my travel “Bucket List” (Hawaii and Bali still remain…)! And Tulum is just as beautiful and magical as I knew it would be. All of Tulum’s society (cafes, hotels, shops etc.) takes place right on/off of a single main road, and the town couldn’t be more authentic and charming.

My friends and I stayed at a private villa, Casa Chic, and if you are looking for a villa, I highly recommend it! The 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom private waterfront villa was totally breathtaking. A full pool and deck on top, and private beach access with multiple beach beds down below. Also, given the house was two stories, it never felt too crowded… you wouldn’t have known 10 people were staying there!

The best part about the house was that it came with a private chef who cooked us the most glorious meals! I can sum up the cuisine of Tulum in one word: ceviche. Ceviche was a staple at every meal (both in the house and out at restaurants), and the fresh shrimp, octopus, and white fish soaked in lime and citrus flavors was absolutely incredible everywhere we went.

 

For breakfast each morning a delicious fruit platter was set out and eggs cooked to our liking had us full and ready for the day. Oh, and before I forget, our kitchen came with a blender and it’s safe to say it got a TON of use. Margaritas, anyone?!

Hotspots:

Be Tulum: The first place I went to in Tulum. It only took about 5 seconds to realize that Be Tulum is the nicest/fanciest spot in the town. Keleigh and I arrived in time for a day party, and even though the security tried to turn us down for not being on the guest list, we were able to finagle ourselves an invite 😉 For sure grab a day bed and spend the day relaxing (or partying next to the DJ).

Food-wise the menu is amazing. It was here that I had my first ceviche of the trip, and Keleigh and I treated ourselves to a ceviche/taco feast. I had food-FOMO when the guys at the bed next to us ordered all of the salads… they looked like a dream! Specifically the cucumber cashew one!

We went to Be Tulum for dinner one night, too, with the whole crew! Order the whole fish, lobster, and short rib, and all of the veggie options! When the lobster and whole fish came out we were in AWE of the spread!

In asking for spa referrals, everyone told us to go to Ya’an Wellness… the spa at Be Tulum! The treatments are my dream, and I will absolutely be back for them. My crew and I participated in a shaman healing ritual one night, and it was by far the most special moment of the trip. Sitting in a pitch black cave filled with fire and heat, surrounded by your best friends, forgiving and setting intentions for the year… I have no words to describe how special this was.

Hotel Viento de Mar: My friends and I stumbled upon this beachside hotel when we were out for a walk. Just a couple hundred yards away from our place, the hotel is super casual and offers a full menu of tacos and margaritas. Notable menu items: any of the tacos, guacamole, and mixed ceviche.

Wellness:

Matcha Mama: MY LITERAL OBSESSION. Vegan and gluten-free everything! Smoothies, coconut based matcha ice-cream, latte’s, raw bites, acai bowls, and more!! The cafe is tiny and just steps off of the main road, and between it’s ambiance, hammocks, and swinging seats, you will instantly be transported to your happy place. To my New Yorker’s, it should come as no surprise that the owner of Matcha Mama is the man behind Chalk Point Kitchen, one of my favorite restaurants in New York City!

I ordered the Mamacita Smoothie and altered it a bit! Almond Milk, Matcha, Almond Butter, Banana, NO mango, Add Blueberries. Creamy and filling… just how I like it! I also ordered a coconut milk matcha latte. The matcha latte’s I had here at MM and at Raw Love tasted SO fresh. You could tell there was no added sugar and the coconut milk came straight from the coconut! To round out my order, I tried the matcha ice cream! Coconut milk based, I tried both the classic matcha and matcha with passion fruit. Both were incredible! 

Just look at this place! How fricken adorable!!

Raw Love: Prior to coming to Tulum, all of my friends in the wellness-sphere told me I HAD to go to Raw Love. Vegans, this is the place for you. Set just off the main road, Raw Love feels like an oasis in the middle of the jungle, and is surrounded by calming centers and yoga spots.

Everything on the menu is gluten-free and vegan, and the menu has anything and everything- from coconut milk latte’s and the most INSANELY delicious raw bites, to acai bowls and superfood healing remedies and shots. The photo below is a bowl of raw cookies- coconut macarons, cacao bites, and goji berry bites. AMAZING. Even my gluten-eating, non-vegan friends agreed! Go to Raw Love for lunch, too. The salads are full of greens and a dream.

Nightlife recs:
1. Be Tulum (had cool day parties)
2. Papaya Playa Project
3. Casa Jaguar- for sure THE SPOT of Tulum. Start with dinner and stay for the DJ!

What’s cool about Tulum is that you can visit the city literally ten times in a year and have ten totally different experiences. Given I was with a bunch of friends at a private villa, we stuck around the house for a lot of the trip. On my next trip I want to take advantage of the amazing wellness opportunities in Tulum. Yoga studios are everywhere and all of the cafe’s are so cute and have menus that are SCREAMING my name.

A few places I didn’t get to go to but hear I must try next time!

1. Coco Hotel
2. The Real Coconut- organic, GF, DF, grain-free EVERYTHING
3. Charlie’s Vegan Tacos
4. Papaya Playa Project- hotel- was told to go here for multiple things throughout the day/night.

OH! And before I sign off… BRING BUG SPRAY. I got EATEN alive. I’m still scratching and I’ve been home for almost a week now!