Experience Tulum’s Off-Beat Charm: Tacos, Skeletons and Coco Locos

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On the southern end of Mexico’s sun-kissed Riviera Maya lies the magical little beach town of Tulum. We’ve already written about our love for Tulum, including how we rappelled into underwater caverns on an adventure tour and how we found our inner zen exploring the mangroves and ruins.

But Tulum is perhaps best known for its off-beat charm. A haven for expats far and wide, Tulum attracts those who follow their own path– artists, bohemians and even burned-out city folk. These Tulum newcomers aren’t seeking to change the local ways but instead to blend in– while adding their own updated twist.

In Tulum, you’ll find local taco joints selling tacos al pastor for a buck– and a transplanted New York chef cooking innovative dishes over an open flame. Mayan crafts sit side-by-side with local, up and coming designers. It’s a mix of old and new that somehow works perfectly, all under palm-fringed streets.

How do you best experience Tulum’s boho, off-beat spirit? Seek out both the authentic and the new to find the beloved quirkiness that is the heart of this tiny beach town.

 1. Hop a Bike on Tulum’s Beach Road

Many Tulum hotels provide free bikes to guests, otherwise rentals are easy to come by.

Biking Tulum’s lush beach road.

Sure you can grab a taxi to get around beach road, but it’s easier (and way more fun) to rent a bike. Your fellow cyclists will be everyone from aging hippies with waist-long ponytails to fresh-faced fashionistas in flowy beach dresses. Bike all the way to Tulum’s ruins, or head to Tulum’s pueblo (downtown) for a slice of local life.

2. Walk the Colorful Streets of Tulum’s Town

creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-SA ) flickr photo shared by joelmbenge

creative commons licensed ( BY-NC-ND ) flickr photo shared by bullcitydave

Batey’s sugar cane press machine (in Tulum’s town).

Batey’s bar and restaurant in Tulum’s town. Photo credit: Batey’s

A melon mojito at Batey’s restaurant in Tulum’s town.

We met a friendly vendor who modelled lucha libre masks. (Tulum town).

Get a taste of local life by exploring Tulum’s town. We loved walking the pueblo’s lively streets at night, shopping from the vendors lining the street and eating tacos (see #3 below). One of our favorite Tulum pueblo stops was Batey’s, a mojito restaurant and bar owned by a friendly Italian ex-pat. Batey’s is famous for its mojitos– made with fresh sugar cane, pressed in a converted VW bug/sugar press out front.

3. Do a Tulum Taco Crawl

We were starving after visiting the Tulum ruins– this stand on Tulum’s ruin grounds hit the spot with off-the-chart delicious tacos.

Tacos from the stand at the Tulum ruins

Beautiful, fresh limes are always served with your tacos at the Tulum ruins, natch.

The legendary al pastor tacos at Antojitos La Chiapaneca are a must. Photo credit (and taco recommendation)  courtesy of Jeremy Jones, of the fantastic travel blog Living the Dream

Taco envy. Photo Credit: Jeremy Jones of Living the Dream

One of the many different sauces offered at Antojitos La Chiapaneca, one of Tulum’s best restaurants.

Peek through Antojitos La Chiapaneca’s front arched window to see how the tacos are made.

If you haven’t heard, Tulum has good tacos. Insanely good tacos. The best tacos are sold on the street, in makeshift stands and open air restaurants with unreliable hours. You’ll want to try them all so we recommend a taco crawl. Head to Tulum’s downtown pueblo area, and start at our favorite taco spot, Antojitos La Chiapaneca. Order a taco al pastor (off the spit) and here’s the critical part, order just one.

If you can’t resist the deliciousness, you’ll end up overeating at the first taco joint, and your entire taco crawl will consist of a grand total of maybe two different stands.* So while our own taco crawl fail prevents us from providing you with a complete list of recommended taco stands, judging from the crowds of locals at each stand, I doubt you can go wrong.

*As a service to our readers, we hope to return to Tulum soon for the express purpose of reporting on this taco crawl.

4.  Enjoy Tulum’s Ridiculous Tropical Drinks

These drinks reminded me of a tropical version of Mr. Potato Head.

Confession: I love ridiculous, fruity drinks. The more over-the-top the better. So while lounging on our beach bed at the Ahau Tulum hotel, we asked for some fun tropical drinks. I think they nailed it.

There are so many welcoming places to stop for a cocktail along beach road. A couple of our picks for Tulum’s best restaurants and bars to grab a drink:

I loved the cozy jungle atmosphere at Tulum’s Casa Jaguar.

Gitano is the go-to spot in Tulum for sampling artisanal mezcal.

 5. Get a Janzu Water Massage in one of Tulum’s Cenotes

I didn’t personally get the Janzu water massage because I had no idea it existed until after I came back from Tulum (another reason to make a return visit). But I did chat with fellow Tulum-lover, Pepper, who raved about the experience.

[quote]a wonderful healing experience…I’m still processing some of it…it went deep into the delta stage of feeling unattached [/quote]

You’ve got to watch the video to see what the Janzu massage is all about because I’m not sure I can describe it beyond “spiritual body work.” To book your own Janzu massage, head to Cenote Encatado (look for the wooden sign right in the heart of beach road) and ask for Sol.

6. Tulum’s Best Shopping: La Llorona for Quirky, Beautifully Made, Artisan Goods and Souvenirs

The shopping in Tulum is fantastic, we wrote about our favorite Tulum zen shops here and our love for Mexican scrunchies here.

But the best shopping in all of Tulum is at La Llorona (I may have visited three times in one trip). La Llorona (translated as “the weeping woman”) aims to reflect the region’s diverse culture. Handicraft souvenirs called “artesanía” have a long history in Mexico, dating back to pre-conquest times, when artisans were part of the privileged class.

La Llorona stocks gorgeous, classic Mexican artesnia, including ceremonial objects, textiles, embroidery, rugs, jewelry and toys. The shop is huge, with an entire top floor dedicated to antiques and furniture. Here is just a sampling of the beautiful artisan items on offer:

I adored these cheeky Day of the Dead skeleton figurines.

We loved practically everything in La Llorna and spent ages browsing for Tulum souvenirs. The shop attendants are super friendly here and let you linger as long as you like.

I found this antique clock upstairs.

I loved these colorful embroidered earrings– a great Tulum souvenir.

Even the soaps were tempting.

I bought a similar embroidered bag on my last visit eight years ago and still use it– and get compliments every time. (bags from La Llorona, best shopping in Tulum),

These handmade bracelets make fun (and inexpensive) gifts and souvenirs from Tulum.

I loved these leather bookmarks at La Llorona, the best shopping in Tulum

Beautiful metal items too like these crosses (La Llorona, Tulum’s best shopping).

I so wanted to bring this guy home with me, he would be perfect for greeting guests in the foyer.

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Where to shop for handcrafted Mexican travel souvenirs (Tulum, Mexico)

handcrafted Mexican travel souvenirs from Tulum, Mexico

Have you been to Tulum? What are your favorite off-beat spots?

[box style=”rounded” border=”full”]Souvenir Finder Shopping Tip Sheet

What to Buy: Gorgeous handmade textiles and handbags are great Mexican souvenirs and make La Llorona my top pick for the best shopping in Tulum.
Where to Get it: La Llorona, at km 6 on Beach Road
What to Know: Head to Tulum’s town for delicious tacos [/box]

Thanks to the Riviera Maya Tourism Board and Ahau Tulum.

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