Lauren & Ryan
Explore Tulum
Mayan Ruins
These Mayan Ruins built in the late thirteenth century are situated on a 40-foot cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Go early in the morning to avoid the heat and crowds. Bring a swimsuit – after visiting the ruins, you can walk down to the adjacent public beach for a dip. It's about a 20 min taxi ride from the main strip of Tulum Beach.
Cenotes
A cenote is a natural pit, or sinkhole, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath. The water is crystal clear and many are located in underground caves. You can snorkel through the caves and see amazing formations of stalagmites and stalactites. There are a ton you can visit, but here are a few recommendations: Gran Cenote, Dos Ojos, Casa Tortuga, Sac Actun.
Xcaret Adventure Parks
Xcaret has a number of adventure/eco-parks around the Riviera Maya. They have a lot to offer in one spot (tubing, zip-lining, snorkeling, etc.). Good for adults and most also have plenty of kid friendly activities. The website linked below will take you to the main website, but this blog did a good job of highlighting a few and what they have to offer: http://travelwithbender.com/travel-blog/mexico/which-mexican-adventure-park-are-you
Jungle Maya Excursion
This tour is a lot of fun. You can do it with or without the trip to the Mayan Ruins. The tour at the park includes rappelling into a cenote, zip-lining, swimming, and snorkeling in the Sac Actun system which is the longest underground river with amazing rock formations. Check out the details in the link below.
AlltourNative Experiences
Same company that runs the Jungle Maya Excursion, which we've had a great experience with. They have several other tours and parks. If you're looking to go a little further out of Tulum they have tours to Chichen Itza, Coba, etc. They also have other parks for snorkeling, exploring cenotes or riding ATVs.
Mayan Clay Spa
Massages, Mayan clay treatments, body wraps, exfoliations or the full three hour bathhouse experience!
Yaan Wellness Energy Healing Spa
Massages, Mexican Therapies, Body Treatments, Energy Healing & Soaking Baths.
Riviera Maya Golf Club
One of the top courses in Mexico - about 30 minutes from the Tulum beach area.
Restaurants
A few of our favorite restaurants: Raw Love - Breakfast (Acai Bowls) Matcha Mama - Cute coffee, matcha, smoothie bowl bar The Real Coconut - Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner (great view - gluten/grain/dairy free) Ziggy's - Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner Casa Violeta - Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner Casa Jaguar - Dinner, local artisanal cuisine - make a reservation by email casajaguartulum@gmail.com ARCA - Dinner, "fire to table" micro-seasonal menu - make a reservation on their website www.arcatulum.com Hartwood - Dinner, new menu every day depending on what's fresh and local. Make a reservation by email: reservations@hartwoodtulum.com Gitano - Modern Mexican, you can make a reservation on OpenTable Tseen-Ja - Japanese/Sushi w/ THE BEST VIBE - also on OpenTable Posada Margherita - Great Italian food (doesn't take reservations)
Drinks
I Scream Bar - Our favorite bar! Great vibe, tacos and live music Clan-Destino - Tie for our favorite bar! Jungle bar built around a cenote, great vibe, drinks & cheeseburgers. You can swim in the cenote - so wear your swimsuit! Mur Mur - Good mezcal cocktails Coco Tulum - Fun hotel beach bar Taboo Beach Club Most of the restaurants mentioned also have a great atmosphere for grabbing a drink (Gitano, Arca, Casa Jaguar, Ziggy's, Casa Banana, etc.)