That was the question we were asking ourselves this Winter. We had a 3-day weekend to work with and were looking for someplace warm, relaxing, and culturally enveloping so that it felt like we were experiencing something amazing away from home.
If we had more time, we would have loved to go to Europe or Japan or somewhere 7-8 hours. Since we only had 3-day window to work with, it meant we couldn’t fly more than 5 hours.
From New York, that doesn’t live too many options.
We considered: Miami, the Caribbean, and Napa Valley.
Miami is too congested, and definitely not a unique culture or experience. The Caribbean, aside from St. Barts is nothing new to us (and the former is crazy expensive), and Napa is simply too far away for a 3-day trip (6-hour flight + 2 hours in the car).
So we settled on Tulum but didn’t know what to expect or why.
Part of the reason Tulum is such a sought-after destination is that its an area of Mexico that isn’t overrun (yet) with gringos, thanks mainly to the fact that it’s about 2 hours from a major airport.
To get to Tulum, you need to fly into CUN (Cancun), then take a taxi to get there.
Delta Seats
Fly With Points
I found a great award flight from JFK to CUN for just 30,000 miles in business class on Delta.
I didn’t have any Delta points, so I transferred from my American Express card 60,000 points (to cover 2 tickets), and boom, I’m flying First Class to Tulum for free!
Tulum’s weather is beautiful. To put this 10-day weather forecast into perspective, we’re going to be having a major blizzard here in New York this coming Wednesday, and it’s so cold outside right now that I could barely feel my fingers when walking to my car. Basically, Tulum is heaven on Earth compared to East Coast winters.
Tulum’s rainiest months are June, September, and October. It is often said that the 3-month stretch between October and December is the best time to visit because hurricane season has finally ended and the weather is warm, but not stiflingly hot as can often be the case in Mexico.
The 3 months between January and March have the most tourist activity, so do your best to avoid those months if you do not want to be overrun by Americans.
Unlike most areas of Mexico, there is actually Uber in Cancun. They only have UberX, no black cars or SUVs, but the prices are fantastic.
Using the fare calculator, for a 2-hour ride to Tulum, it should clock in around $40, which is $60 cheaper than a one-way SUV ride with Cancun Airport Transportation.
Beware though, at the airport, the other drivers to do not like Uber and you should expect to have to fight your way to find your car.
If you care more about convenience, I’d go with a private SUV. We ended up reserving a roundtrip in a Suburban which cost $300, which we booked through our hotel.
USA Transfers has 5-stars on Yelp and is our recommendation.
2(x)ist Ibiza trunks
Orlebar Brown Pool Party Bulldog,
J.Crew short sleeve henley
#Snapshorts custom swimtrunks by Orlebar Brown,
OB t-shirt
The property just went through a beautiful restoration and now has 40 rooms (from an original 8).
The best way to describe the vibe is modern meets shabby chic. The bungalows are all perched along the beach and are whitewashed concrete boxes with huge sliding windows as your entrance.
Each room has gorgeous pieces of art that bring a lot of color and excitement to the interiors. There are shabby chic armoires, arm-chairs and couches spread throughout the room (which make for a great setting for shooting photos).
The hotel is curated by NYC gallerist Lio Malca.
There is also no room service, but one day we asked Manuel, the waiter from the beach to deliver some coconuts to our room, and he gladly obliged. So if you’re the type who likes having snacks on hand, I would recommend stopping by one of the few markets in town during the day to grab some supplies.
There is also no room service, but one day we asked Manuel, the waiter from the beach to deliver some coconuts to our room, and he gladly obliged. So if you’re the type who likes having snacks on hand, I would recommend stopping by one of the few markets in town during the day to grab some supplies.
We never dined at the restaurant Philosophy for dinner but did enjoy beach-side lunch. Our favorites included the hamburger (which was easily comparable if not better than some of the best burgers in New York), and salad with
steamed shrimp.
What we loved about this hotel is how close you are to the beach, and that’s really what makes Tulum so wonderful.
The sand was some of the softest we’ve ever experienced
The proximity to the beach, plus the tranquility of the surroundings makes Casa Malca and Tulum an excellent opportunity to refresh and renew your body.
Casa Malca does not have a spa or any sort of wellness or fitness program, which is fine by us, but for some people hoping for yoga, you need to head down to one of the other eco-resorts to take this in.
I was fine doing my own sun salutations in the waves, and didn’t miss the organized yoga session at all.
We definitely plan to return to Tulum, and can’t wait for our next visit to Casa Malca.
Thanks again to Manuel who helped us expand our Spanish knowledge and for excellent service and hospitality.
Be Tulum also has a lively beach scene. They play the most popular house/good vibes music and is definitely the best choice for someone looking for an Ibiza-like experience in Tulum.
Back in 2010, Tulum wasn’t much to look at. Only a handful of hotels and restaurants, and almost 2 hours from the nearest airport. The success of Hartwood is what has made Tulum into what it is today.
The restaurant has no electricity and everything on the menu is either mashed, grilled, pounded or otherwise prepared by hand.
The best (and easiest) way to get a table is to show up at 5pm and wait in line for them to open at 530. We did this twice, and were among a group of 20 or so people, and everyone was able to get seated.
We tried visiting one night at 7pm and were turned away. They stop seating people around 9pm, so if you want to eat here, get here at 5pm.
The menu changes daily based on the latest harvest. We had a fish filet, fresh tomato salad (that was the best tomatoes we’ve ever eaten), empanadas with pork, and an angus steak.
To finish things off, we had peanut milk + mezcal for dessert. It was amazing, and we came back trying to buy more, but sadly they were out.
We ended up eating at Hartwood two out of our three nights and can’t wait to go back for more.
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