As the beginning of March comes around every year, headlines like “Spring Breakers Take Mexico” start occupying on-line newspapers, as well as quite a few photos from the beach, bars, restaurants start overburdening your social media feeds. You might need found your self particularly questioning this yr: What’s this place called Tulum. Tulum is a Mexican city only an hour drive away from the college student Spring Break hotspot Cancun. This relatively newly discovered gem has turn out to be extremely popular for well-known people weekfinish get aways as well as many Spring Breakers. After drooling over pictures of <1 dollar tacos, turquoise water, underwater cave escapades and temples final year, my friends and I decided to choose Tulum as our Spring Break 2019 destination. (Shout out to Dominican Republic, the second runner up in our decision making process).
2 years after this trip, the experience I had in Tulum still feels surreal. One way to summarize the week is very high highs. Here is a list of places and activities that I 100% recommend.
Cenotes: Dos Ojos
A cenote is a naturally formed “underground” pool created when the roof of an underground cavern collapses. Tulum is known for its cenotes as they aren’t only a once in a lifetime experience but in addition an excellent photograph opportunity (although make positive your phone is water proof, considered one of my friends lost a phone due to the water damage). I particularly recommend the tour we went on by way of Dos Ojos; we have been greeted by a friendly staff and received to see cenotes for 30 dollars. The primary part of the tour includes a private tour with a guide the place you go into the cave with lifejackets, snorkels and and flashlights provided to you. The guide leads you to a cave where you make your way by way of the depths of the underground pool via swimming. Here is a poorly lighted photo that we took within the cave. Quick disclaimer: those who are scared of the dark or confined spaces may want to rethink the primary cenote called Monkey. Without the flashlights, no natural light has access into the cave. But, a claustrophobe myself I managed to survive!
The second cenote involved in the tour is an outdoors cenote with a height from which my friends performed backflip jumps into the perfect green-blue water. I can’t say my cannon ball jumps were as aesthetically pleasing…
2. The Mayan Temples
I know what you’re going to say: you went all the way to Tulum and didn’t go to Chichen Itza, one of many 7 wonders of the world. Well, we had a limited number of days and it was a close to 3 hour drive from our Airbnb. I do suggest that if you are staying longer than I did that you definitely make the trip! However, I did go to the second best option there may be: Coba. It was an entire completely different experience as it was 1) in the middle of the jungle (we rented bikes and made our way by the ruins singing at the top of our lungs on the bikes), 2) you’ll be able to really climb the biggest temple: Nohoch Mul, the highest pyramid within the Yucatan Peninsula. I’ll look blissful on the picture of us on the top of the temple; but, let me tell you I used to be definitely not pleased as I was making my way up given my minor panic attack because of my fear of heights). I’m so proud of myself for making it though, it was a breathtaking view!
3. Food, meals, meals…
Tulum shouldn’t be just immensely aesthetically pleasing; it is also a haven for wonderful eating places and bars. Oddly enough, top on your itinerary shouldn’t be one of the fancy restaurants which are a little high on the value range. The second you step foot on Tulum it is best to find yourself a mini avenue peddler “Marquesita” truck. Marquesitas are a special Mexican crepe/waffle with quite a lot of topping options together with Nutella, dulce de leche, peanut butter, bananas, or even cheese. You’ll see how delightful it is to munch on certainly one of these as a put up-drinking snack.
For the bars you will see that every bar has a signature day they are widespread for: Gitano for Thursday Casa Jaguar for Friday. Locally recommended for its passion fruit mojito was Batey, which me and my friends mispronounced the entire trip. Some beach/hotels which are highly advisable by different visitors of Tulum is Papaya Playa and Azulik; nonetheless, noticing the immense touristic interest in their hotel, they had increased their entrance payment to forty dollars after we went there. One place I recommend spending an entire day is Pablo Escobar’s mansion: great meals, great staff, great visuals and nice sea. It has access to the long beach strip, so while you’re there take a protracted walk within the beach through the sunset and watch the kite surfers.
