Ah Tulum, officially Instagram’s new vacation hotspot.
Despite every corner of Tulum being totally worthy of the ‘gram, the magical beach town doesn’t feel cliche or spoilt in the slightest – in fact, quite the opposite. It still feels totally authentic, as though they almost invented the ‘Matcha’ ‘Avo Toast’ and ‘Acai Bowl’ trends right there. Every hotel or beach club has it’s own insta-vibe, and the beaches, ruins and cenotes (below ground caves of crystal clear lagoon pools) are all totally picture worthy. As you can imagine, I came away from our recent 2 day trip with a hard drive FULL of photos, so today I’m sharing a round up of some of my favourites, and where you should head if you want to make an instagram-worthy itinerary if you’re heading to Tulum any time soon.
El Pez, Tulum
The hotel where we stayed ticked all the rustic beach vibes boxes, and as well as a perfect chilled out beach complete with palm leaf umbrellas and crystal clear water, the restaurant is also the perfect spot for those foodie flat lay shots. Their smoothies including the ‘Cereal Killer’ taste just as great as they look, and the presentation of all of their dishes is a food instagrammers dream. I blogged all about our stay here in this blog post.
The Mayan Ruins
If incredible beach views and a brief history lesson about the ancient Mayan civilisation sounds like your dream combination, then head to the site of the Mayan Ruins just a 20 minute bike ride from the main Tulum area. The bike ride there itself is both enjoyable and totally photogenic, but the real treat lies within the protected parkland where you can see ruins of ancient settlements, as well as some fabulous unspoilt views of the rugged Mexican coastline.
Coco Tulum
A chilled out beach bar with a very photogenic bar area complete with white wash swings, get here early (before 11am) if you want to get the perfect shot before the bar fills with people. I can confirm the fruit smoothies here were amongst the best I’ve ever tried, oh and don’t forget your towel if you’re not a guest at their hotel, as they don’t offer them to visitors wishing to spend the day at the beach club.
Azulik Tulum
With it’s rickety wooden bridges, swings, walkways and ‘nests’ from which you can enjoy sunset views, Azulik is arguably the most instagrammable hotel in Tulum (although very pricey!!!). Their own Instagram feed rivals that of the very best travel bloggers and no doubt you’ve already spotted snaps of their bathtubs within the treehouse rooms on your Instagram feeds. Their beach bar serves incredibly delicious cuisine, the best guacamole I tasted in Tulum (prepared in a ceramic dish on your table) and when you order coconut water, they chop it down from the trees right before your eyes.
Raw Love & Matcha Mama
Two healthy cafes tucked away from the busy beach front, each serving superbly photogenic and healthy treats. The smoothie bowls at Raw Love are also available to takeaway in coconut bowls, while Matcha Mama serves Acai Berry smoothies in rustic jam jars, as well as Cold Brew coffees and plenty of Matcha inspired drinks. Head there early if you want a snap on the swings by the I Love Tulum So Matcha surf board!
La Zebra
A sister hotel to El Pez, we headed to La Zebra after hearing the myths of the ‘Mulberry Project’ cocktail bar – and boy was it worth the hype! Aside from the scrumptious cocktail creations, the food here was also divine, as was the scenery. Their busy area of beach was made up of sunbeds and tiki cabanas, as well as a giant swing which all made for perfect locations for that carefree #TulumVibes insta shot!
We were only in Tulum for 2 days and are already desperate to go back, so if you’ve got any recommendations to add then please let me know in the comments below! We have so much more to explore!
xoxo
