AEO TULUM TRAVEL DIARY
Ben Ashby
Hola from Tulum, Mexico, where the ocean water is crystal clear, the sun is always shining and the food is amazing! After a quick plane ride, we landed in paradise, and Raphael, Fanny and I couldn’t wait to explore Tulum.
We stayed at Papaya Playa Project, a tropical themed hotel where each room was decorated uniquely with straw rooftops and its own personal space away from other guests. Rather than a typical resort where there are people everywhere you go, picture a place tucked away in a lush jungle just a hundred feet away from the ocean with nothing but the sound of the waves and a light breeze; a place where you can get away and be at peace with nature but still have great company when you need it.
We dropped our bags off in our room and grabbed dinner at the hotel restaurant. I cannot begin to tell you just how amazing the seafood was! To be honest, everything tasted amazing in Tulum! The food was fresh and had unique flavors unlike anything else. After a decadent dessert, we called it a night to get ready for the upcoming day.
We enjoyed breakfast and the beautiful scenery right at our hotel, taking advantage of the hammocks on the beach. The ocean front was decorated with hundreds of twisted palm trees, colorful cabanas and even some iguanas. Surrounded by palm trees, we couldn’t resist getting a few fresh coconuts and taking a dip in one of the pools.
After our swim, we headed to Gran Cenote which is an underwater cave. Tulum has over two hundred underwater caves. The caves are great for snorkeling and swimming, but we decided to just dip our feet in and enjoy the landscape.
Next up on our list was lunch at Posada Margherita. This place was located right on the beach and had quite a few beach chairs for relaxing in while you enjoy an appetizer or a cold drink. Once we filled up our stomachs with delicious food, we explored the area and found a cool little rooftop that overlooked the beach and had amazing views.
One of my favorite things about Tulum was all of the shopping right along the beach. We browsed the shops and ended up renting bicycles to get around town. After a long first day we decided to grab a quick dinner at Mateo’s Mexican Grill before getting some sleep for our next day of adventures.
The next morning, we headed to the city after breakfast and checked out some unique architecture scattered throughout downtown Tulum. One of my favorite things about this place is the beautiful things around each corner, which makes exploring another country feel exciting. After some fun in town, we headed back to our hotel to relax and take advantage of the day beds and swing set right on the beach.
We couldn’t leave Tulum without exploring the ocean, so we rented snorkeling gear and went for a dip. We wrapped up the day by watching the sunset and having dinner at Tabano. Worn out from a long day we went to our rooms to catch a great night’s sleep before heading home the next day.
Tulum, Mexico is destination I highly recommend. It’s full of tranquility and peace and is a place where you can relax one day then explore the surrounding beauty on another. If you could spend a week or even just a few days in Tulum, who would you bring with you? Let us know in the comments below!