Tulum is a beautiful place of adventure located on the Yucatan Peninsula; filled with cenotes, history, coral reefs, white sand beaches, amazing vegan food, Mayan ruins, and warm crystal clear ocean water.
Tulum has a beach town vibe mixed with Mexican culture and bohemian design. Recently, with everyone traveling to this warm sunny place of culture that is Tulum I bet you want to as well! You may be asking yourself: Is Tulum worth visiting? Is Tulum safe for tourists? Is Tulum expensive?
After coming back bronzed, relaxed and a little broke, I feel that this post contains information I definitely wish I would have known before going (that I feel like no one talks about) that will help you plan and prepare for your Tulum adventure.
Table of Contents
Things to know before visiting Tulum:
HELPFUL APPS TO DOWNLOAD BEFORE YOU GO:
Google Translate: Mexico’s first language is obviously Spanish, but although some are able to speak English, it is always best to be prepared and be able to communicate- so download this beforehand!
Google Maps: there are many places being built and developed within this area so it may be heard to find the exact address or area of your place- Google Maps is the best way to find it
TULUM TRAVEL WARNINGS (COVID TRAVEL)
Traveling during a pandemic is never encouraged, but as vaccines and the requirement for negative testing before entering countries increase, it makes traveling a little bit safer. The US and Mexico are both requiring a negative C-19 test before entering or leaving both countries.
Mexico regulations include: masks, temperature and hand sanitizer being required before entering establishments or any form of transportation. However, most activities are outdoors and have automatic social distancing in place, so swimming in the ocean should be worry free.
PLEASE follow all safety measures by avoiding crowds, wearing masks, or just wait to travel until everything is over and use this post as a great inspiration for planning your trip in the future!
YOU CANNOT FLY DIRECTLY INTO TULUM
Tulum does not have its own airport, however the nearby international airport of Cancun is a short 1hr and 45 minute journey away. The best and easiest way to get to & from Tulum is by the public ADO bus which costs between $11-15USD (pesos required).
These buses are air conditioned, play tv shows aloud and have bathrooms so they are pretty comfortable; plus you don’t have to worry about driving on Mexican roads when you first get there. Other options are grabbing a local shared van, grabbing a taxi (more expensive- if you have multiple people you can always split this, or renting a car to get to Tulum.
IT’S MORE EXPENSIVE THAN YOU THINK
Since Tulum has become so popular in the recent years, the prices are high and the opportunities to make money from tourism has skyrocketed. While in Tulum, you will want to see and do the many amazing things Tulum has to offer: visiting to the Mayan ruins, hitting the instagrammable spots, eating and drinking at nice/popular restaurants, swimming in the blue cenotes, snorkeling with stingrays, lounging at the beach clubs, etc- which will all eventually add up so budget accordingly!
- The high season (December- April) is the most expensive season and also the season with the best weather, so many tourists are wanting to escape to the sunny weather in Tulum that occur during those months (and also the time I visited Tulum). Since many people are traveling during this time, prices rise!
- The low, rainy season: (May to October) the lowest prices and also the worst weather season aka hurricanes and tropical storms.
- The shoulder season: (November) reasonable prices and decent weather and the best time to make a trip to Mexico
Be prepared to pay for everything: cenotes, bringing cameras, most beaches, going to the bathroom (at cenotes), and even water at restaurants. I don’t want to steer you away but I just want to warn you! Also, I know that tourism obviously helps the economy and that is so good because let’s be real, in Mexico they surely aren’t paid that well, but as a girl in her 20’s that is currently bartending and just getting into digital marketing.. I felt finessed for everything I had lol THE POLICE EVEN HUSTLED MONEY OUT OF US.
Mexico can be a cheap place (a conversion rate of $1USD= 18 pesos), but it definitely matters what part of town you are in and how local/popular the places you are eating/drinking at are.
THERE ARE TWO PARTS OF TULUM: BEACH ($$$) & DOWNTOWN ($)
There are 3 main roads in Tulum, one that heads into downtown, the other leads to the free beaches, and the last one leading down the coast towards the beach clubs and Sian Kaan.
The beach is the “influencey” part of town, where all the places you see all over instagram are, all the poppin beach clubs, pricey boutiques, and expensive food and drinks (ex. meals from 200-3000 pesos). Since there is only one road into this part of town, there is often traffic, especially on the weekends.
Downtown is a lot cheaper (foods, drinks, shopping), has free beaches, many street food vendors and souvenir stores. This is deemed the “quieter” part because most of the happening stuff is towards the beaches (since thats where the money is), BUT we had so much fun at the hookah lounges and bars in Downtown! It is much more of a chill local vibe and you’re getting the same kind of food and drinks anyway. Downtown will be the cheapest area to stay in.
Obviously treat yourself, but just be aware that those $10-$15 drinks and meals add up quick.
DON’T EXCHANGE AT THE AIRPORT IF YOU DON’T HAVE TOO
Unless you are like me and did not prepare at all and get pesos from you bank ahead of time: I wouldn’t exchange at the airport. You will get better exchange rates at Money Exchange Jorge when you get into town, especially if you bring your passport, they will give you and an extra 10 pesos for every dollar.
However, if you don’t have any pesos in hand I would either exchange a little bit of cash or hit an ATM as most ADO stations (and most places in general) only take cash. Citibank had the best exchange rate that I saw!
ALWAYS CARRY THAT CASH MONEY
Although the more touristy destinations will take cards, a 5% upcharge is often included. Most of the local places are cash only and it will be much easier and financially friendly to carry around pesos.
USD is accepted, but you won’t be getting the best exchange rates; with some restaurants exchanging at 17.30 pesos to a dollar vs 18.50-18.90pesos at the exchange.
THE BILLS CAN GET MESSY
One of the reasons it is much easier to bring pesos around is if you plan to go out to dinner/drinks with friends because they can only split bills, but not separate it by who gets what. By bringing cash you don’t risk overpaying for more than you get and get the most for your pesos!
GET A MOPED
Although you see everyone riding bicycles in Tulum, it is so much easier and faster to get to where you need to go with a moped- especially if you plan on going to the Ruins, beaches near the beach clubs or extra activities. Plus if you’re traveling with someone, you can split the cost of the moped which comes to about $15 per person ($30 a day) vs $10 a day for a bike. Unlike America, you can weave in and out of cars to save time and avoid traffic.
PS: Some scooter rentals will want to keep your passport while you are renting so just be prepared.
However, if you do have the time and want to be more budget-savvy: biking or walking is a good option..you might just get to where you want in 1-2 hours (depending on where you stay and where you want to go).
NO FLUSHING TOILET PAPER
Like some of the foreign countries I have been too (Asia and Central America), in Mexico you cannot flush the toilet paper because their septic tanks cannot handle it. There was only rare occasions where there wasn’t toilet paper so just keep a little tissue pouch on hand just in case.
KEEP THE TINY IMMIGRATION FORM OR YOU WILL BE CHARGED
The tiny little immigration form you get when arriving is SUPER IMPORTANT! If you do not have it with you when you are boarding your flight they will make you go to the immigration office where you will get charged a good $33 to get a new form (that was free to begin with) so make sure you put it somewhere safe.
SEAWEED BEACHES?
Although the white sand beaches are super beautiful, it isn’t always everything you’re seeing on Instagram. Yes, the beaches are gorgeous but during some seasons, you have to pass through seaweed or sargassum (with plastic waste entangled within). Please do your part and pick up trash if you see any, especially on the beach (even if it’s just for 5 minutes)! #5minutebeachcleanup
What to Know About Sargassum Seaweed in Mexico
I hope these tips are useful things to know before you plan on taking a trip to Tulum & let me know which one you thought was the most useful!
