Tulum in 48 hours, aka, Instagram Heaven

A good friend enthusiastically turned to me when I told him I was going to Tulum, and said, “Tulum!? It’s Instagram heaven!” and truly, he couldn’t have been more correct. But before you set foot on the beautiful streets of Tulum, you’ll need an itinerary. So here is what to eat, drink and do ,and where to stay for 48-72 hours in Tulum, Mexico.

Stay at Villa Las Estrellas

After extensive multi day research with a map and reviews from the internet, I landed with Villa Las Estrellas and couldn’t have been happier. I was solving for a central location along Tulum Beach, safe, walking friendly, flexible booking, and ocean-front… all at a reasonable cost. While I did find them on a third party booking website, I was able to get a better cost booking directly through the hotel. While it isn’t the fanciest website, don’t be alarmed - the front desk is extremely friendly, the property is safe, and the views are fantastic.

Villa Las Estrellas is the best 4 star hotel and location for the most reasonable price I could find.

I was able to get in touch with the hotel to book via WhatApp (pro tip: most hotels and restaurants are much more responsive via WhatsApp than email, social media, or phone in my experience). We booked an ocean front room that came with a hammock and balcony facing the ocean. The hotel only has a few rooms, so book in advance!

Transportation: I came from another hotel in Cancun, and used the front desk (thanks Whatsapp, a few weeks in advance) to reserve round trip transportation with a discount. Be sure to negotiate the cost in advance. After sticking around Tulum for a few days, I learned of a local taxi company with more reasonable rates to get around town (email me if you need their contact info!)

Do

If you’re staying at Villa Las Estrellas, you have to spend a day at the beach club. It is next to Bagatelle, but with a much chiller vibe. There are beautiful hammocks and lounge chairs and a restaurant that can bring drinks, snacks, or even something heartier from their full menu (but who really wants to eat a giant meal while in a bathing suit?)

If you want a wild party vibe, spend another afternoon at Taboo Beach Club for a wild time. There are DJs, sparklers, shots and bottle service.

Be warned: it’s easy to spend a lot of money here, so be sure to ask in advance how much your drinks/bottle/order is. If I could do it again, I’d stay for a few drinks, but have a game plan with the group before arriving. It’s definitely an experience, but I left feeling like we got ripped off, so be careful!

Of course, no trip to Tulum is complete without visiting the cenotes. We made friends with a group of women who went to a very instagram friendly cenote the day before, but ran into a classic “instagram v. reality” issue where everyone was there for pictures, not to swim in the water. [Side note: their photos were gorgeous, but probably not worth the very long taxi ride and lack of swimming to get there.]

We asked our local driver for a recommendation of a cenote that was close to the hotel, and not “touristy”.

We went to Cabanas & Cenote Yaxchen which was exactly what we were looking for: a short drive south of the hotel, not crowded, and beautiful water we could swim and jump into.

Cenote Yaxchen was a great way to spend the afternoon, but its not the most photo friendly spot. If you’re looking for the cenotes you see on Instagram, go early in the morning, and book a tour that takes you to multiple spots. A lot of them are not super close to Tulum, so be prepared for a drive.

When I go back, I could spend days visiting cenotes and I’d go early in the morning to avoid crowds.

Finally, spend a morning slowly wandering the main street of Tulum, capturing pictures and enjoying the jungle vibe and dirt road.

I loved the walk from our hotel to Matcha Mama. There are a few noteworthy stops before you get there including….

Ahau Tulum

There is almost always a line here, but “work smarter, not harder” and just take a picture with the crowd included… who cares? You’re in Tulum, you don’t have time to wait in line all day.

Matcha Mama

Matcha Mama: I was on a mission to find this adorable spot, and loved it. There’s delicious coffee and smoothie bowls, and swings to sit in while you enjoy your late breakfast. It’s instagram friendly from all angles.

Mur Mur

Stop here for a drink and enjoy the atmosphere.  The cocktails are closer to big city prices, but it’s fun to support local and sit on the swings as you people watch along Tulum’s main road.

Eat at Raw Love

Breakfast is my favorite meal, and Raw Love was on my radar for weeks. It is in the jungle on the sand, and the ingredients are super fresh. There are also colorful hammocks and wooden tables and chairs.

I came back here twice: once for breakfast and once for a late lunch. Both times the meals were incredible.

IT Tulum

This hotel and restaurant is across from Villa Les Estrellas and has a really cool bar that serves coffee in the morning and drinks in the afternoon.

I didn’t have time for a meal here, but there is a restaurant and a cenote so you can dine and swim next to crystal clear water (and sneak in another cenote to check off your list)

Gitano

I love everything about this restaurant. The jungle vibes, the dim lighting, the abandoned bar amongst the vines feel of the bar, the black and white tiles, the chandeliers, the candle lights… I could go on.

I love this bar in Gitano which feels like a mansion abandoned in the jungle.

You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu at Gitano, the drinks or food are all fantastic.

Rosa Negra

This restaurant is a party, be prepared. The food is great but the ambiance is an unforgettable vibe. There are sparklers, live music, and dancing on chairs and tables. This is not your average meal but its an experience and I loved every second of it.