As I mentioned in my earlier Tulum post, I instantly fell in love with this crunchy, eco-chic, boutique beach town located just south of Cancun. When it came time to pick a destination for my Bachelorette party, I couldn’t shake visions of me and my besties sipping frozen beverages on Tulum’s picturesque beaches or dancing the night away in a jungle bar under the stars. And so, we were off to Tulum!
I saw a whole new side of Tulum on my Bachelorette. It’s ironic to think that the things I loved most about Tulum on our first visit, the ones that brought me back, didn’t make the itinerary for this trip and yet I fell even more in love with this free and fun loving destination.
Disclaimer, my two incredible Maids of Honor planned my Bachelorette so I had little control over the itinerary but I did request some down time to soak up the sun and get a little R&R. I’ve been to enough Bachelorettes with packed schedules and organized events, meals and outings from beginning to end to know that’s what I did not want for my own (no offense, of course!).
June 21, 2018 – Travel Day
My girlfriends and I descended upon Tulum from across the country, literally – Hawaii, Denver, Chicago and Charlotte. We attempted to coordinate travel times into Cancun International Airport but due to flight delays were forced to make the two-hour trip down to Tulum in two separate cars [$120 USD per car].
After everyone arrived and we finished exploring our house for the weekend, we walked along the beach to Posada Margherita for dinner. It was a beautiful night so we sat outside and watched the sun fade while enjoying Caprese Salads, fresh Al Pomodoro Fresco and crisp glasses of rose. Both the food and ambiance were as good as I remember from my last visit. I also noticed Pizza was added to the menu which I regretfully did not get to try but did note can be conveniently picked up to-go.
Everyone was tired from traveling so we laid low that night and hung at the house. While some of my friends distracted me with a few beverages out by the pool, a few of my thoughtful and generous Bridesmaids decorated the house befitting for a Bachelorette.
June 22, 2018 – Pool Party & Hartwood
The next morning, everyone woke up fresh and ready to explore. We first rented bikes from Mateo’s Mexican Grill [$10 USD for 24 hours], conveniently located just next door to our house, and rode south to Raw Love Cafe for breakfast. This vegan cafe is an instagrammers paradise boasting fresh juices, smoothies, bowls, and more.
After breakfast, we made our way down to the beach at Hotel Ahau Tulum and posted up for a few hours in the sun. Since we ordered drinks and food from the hotel restaurant, we were able to use their beach lounge chairs with no issues. Mid-afternoon we made our way back to the house and threw ourselves a little pool party complete with blow up unicorns and matching bathing suites. This was one of the highlights of my bachelorette!
For dinner that night we had reservations at Hartwood. [Note: Hartwood only accepts dinner reservations Wednesday-Saturday the month before your reservation date.] For all of the hype around Hartwood, I didn’t love it. Don’t get me wrong, I certainly didn’t dislike it but I didn’t find it all that different or significantly better than other restaurants in Tulum that I’ve tried.
After dinner, we walked over to Gitano which is “the place to be” in Tulum on Friday nights. This large jungle bar is open late, has a live DJ and delicious cocktails. What more do you need on a bachelorette?
June 23, 2018 – Beach Yoga and Papaya Playa Project
The following morning we had a private yoga session on the beach organized through our hotel with Ricardo Castro. He could tell we weren’t in tip top shape [if you know what I mean] and took it easy on us, thankfully! All the same, it was fun to get up early and get our blood flowing. After yoga we had breakfast at our hotel on the water then stuck around there on the beach for a few hours.
Around lunchtime we took our bikes down the beach once more to Coco Tulum Beach Club. We ordered drinks and a few appetizers to share while we swung on the swings over looking the beach and ocean.
Afterwards, we returned our bikes and cooled off at the pool before grabbing a casual dinner next door at Mateos Mexican Grill. We then made our way back to the house to get ready for the evening’s festivities and play some bachelorette games.
The party Saturday night in Tulum is at Papaya Playa Project. This club throws an epic party on the beach under the moon. The DJ spins next to a sand dance pit packed with barefoot partygoers and tables are situated stadium style in a colosseum type stone structure. Needless to say, we danced until the very early morning hours and it was one of my favorite nights ever.
June 24, 2018 – Salsa Band
I’m not going to lie, the following morning was rough. We mostly napped and laid by the pool, only leaving to grab lunch at Ziggy’s Beach Club where I promptly scarfed down some french fires. The rest of the day was pretty slow, a few of our crew left to catch flights home while the rest of us just relaxed by the pool or in the house.
That evening we grabbed drinks at Azulik, the treehouse hotel, then went to dinner at La Zebra Beach Restaurant and Bar. On Sunday’s they have a salsa band and offer free salsa dancing lessons. We went with the intention of trying but the caliber of the other dancers was overwhelming to a bunch of hungover amateurs so in the end we only watched and had just as good of a time.
We left early the next morning to head back to our separate corners of the US. It was honestly the best trip ever and everything I wanted in a bachelorette! I am so SO thankful for my friends and family who helped organize and travelled there to celebrate me. I already can’t wait for my next trip back to Tulum!!
xo
Kara
Accommodations & Country Specific Details
Stay: Casa Laura at Zamas
The house we stayed in for the bachelorette was incredible, such a great find by my maids of honor. It was spacious, clean, breezy and cutely decorated with tons of seating. It is located on the west side of the main beach road so not directly on the water but still has ocean views from the second floor.
The house is part of Zamas which is a hotel in Tulum that also offers individual rooms and beach bungalows. From what I understand, the hotel was great to work with. They setup transportation to/from the airport in Cancun, organized yoga on the beach and greeted us with complimentary cocktails when we arrived.
They are also located in the perfect spot along the beach. Most bars and restaurants are easily accessible by walking or biking and there are ton of options immediately near by. They have their own restaurant and are one of the only hotels in Tulum with a pool which is actually where we spent the majority of our time.
I can’t say enough nice things about our stay at Zamas and would definitely consider the renting the house again for a large trip with friends or family.
Transportation:
To Tulum: We flew into Cancun International Airport (CUN) and took a private car to Tulum that our hotel organized ($120 USD each way). There was some confusion here because I think we prepaid the hotel for the car service then also paid our driver cash when we arrived in Tulum. It’s not clear if we got in the wrong car or if the driver swindled us but the hotel was nice and gave us our deposit back. The trip down took about 1 hour and 45 mins.
Around Tulum: We walked, took taxis and rented bikes from Mateos ($10 USD for 24 hours) to get around the beach area.
Currency: Mexican Peso (MXN) but they also accept USD. I recommend bringing cash because most restaurants, cabs and activities on the beach are CASH ONLY. ATM fees are ridiculous, if you’re lucky enough to even find one that works! They have different ATM’s that distribute Pesos and USD so be mindful about which type of money you need.
Language: Spanish but had no problem finding english speakers.
Outlet Adapter: The standard voltage is 127 V. The standard frequency is 60 Hz. The power sockets that are used are of type A and B. They are the same as in the United States.
Passport/Visa Requirements: U.S. Passport valid at time of entry. No visa for visits under 180 days required.
Vaccinations/Medicines: N/A
Weather: We visited Tulum in June and I was a bit worried about the weather because it’s the beginning of rainy season there but we didn’t have any issues. It was hot and sunny our entire trip.
One thing I did notice different from my last trip was the amount of seaweed washed up on the beach. When Kevin and I went in 2017, the beaches were pristine and the water clear. This time around there was so much seaweed everywhere that you didn’t want to even get in the water. The resorts even looked like they were struggling to rake it off the beach fast enough.
KARA VALLARI 