Tulum: The Sexiest Weekend Getaway of All Time

When I needed to find a place for a short and yet wildly romantic honeymoon that wouldn’t break my bank account just one spot came to mind—Tulum, Mexico. This sleepy village is simply the perfect option for a sexy weekend getaway, especially if you happen to live on the East coast of the United States.

You can find direct flights to Cancun from most major U.S airports and from there it is an easy drive to the haute hamlet on the sea.

Related: How to Go on Your Honeymoon for Free

Tulum has transformed over the past decade from the hippie chic beach town with free yoga and dollar tacos into a getaway for supermodels and the men who love to chase them.

Ruins, road trips and adventures complete a weekend in Tulum. (Photos: Jo Piazza)

That doesn’t mean Tulum has ceased to be delightful. It just means it is different, and more expensive. It still remains the perfect place to get away from it all, even just for a long weekend. This is a place where you can still run naked into the sea after dark and no one will be any the wiser. Even if you aren’t the kind of person who would run naked into the sea it’s always nice to know it could be a possibility.

Related: The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to Tulum, Mexico

The beaches of Tulum are pristine and never crowded. (Photo: Jo Piazza)

Where to stay: Tulum has many great options for lodging from simple, but chic beachside cabanas at Coco Tulum to the Euro-inspired Coqui Coqui, the luxury of the Jashita to the impossibly cool Papaya Playa Project. The truth is that I have never stayed in a bad hotel here. One of the most romantic options might just be Encantada, a modest boutique with ocean view rooms set amidst undisturbed jungle. The staff knows your name and your signature drink. There’s no pretension here, just a beautiful beachy vibe.

This really is one of the most romantic dinners you will ever have. (Photo: Jo Piazza)

Whether or not you check into Encantada, you will need to make a reservation for their “Romantic Dinner,” at a sweetheart table overlooking the ocean. Make a dinner date for after dark and indulge in their delicious menu of Mayan specialties. Not only will you feel like you’re the only couple on Earth as you dine by just candle and moonlight, but if you pay close enough attention you will definitely see a few shooting stars before dessert.

Where to lounge:

Spend your beach days grabbing drinks at the two extremely chic properties that haven’t met a reclaimed piece of barn wood or a mason jar they didn’t love, the Papaya Playa Project and Be Tulum. Some naysayers have compared the Be to the over-the-top spots in Miami’s South Beach, but the truth is that this luxury hotel still manages to maintain a distinctly Tulum vibe.

Grab some margaritas here and then soak in the Be Tulum’s infinity pool overlooking the fine white sand and turquoise water. (Photo: Jo Piazza)

The fresh mango in the cocktail offsets the copious amounts of Mezcal at the Papaya Playa Project. (Photo: Jo Piazza)

Get your day started early. The Papaya Playa Project offers invigorating daily yoga classes at 8:30 am at their spa palapa. Tai-Chi and Chi-Gong classes are also available on request. Once you’re all limbered up saunter to a palapita down by the pool and stay through to lunch.

The PPP beach club features a double decker bar overlooking the ocean that my husband described as “the kind of place Ricardo Montalban would want to hang out.” Resident DJs cycle in and out of the property and play throughout the day and the night. Make sure to check out their kite surfing classes offered by none other than Sian Macondo, one of the most famous Mexican kite-surfers.

Where to eat:

The pasta at Posada Margherita is rivaled only by Italian restaurants that are actually in Italy. It isn’t cheap, but it is delicious. You can usually just walk in. Make sure to arrive before sunset since the decor and view are some of the most photo-worthy snaps in town.

Nestled within the jungle, Casa Jaguar’s fresh seasonal menu changes daily, but their Ceviche Azteca and fresh scallops with Serrano peppers are not to be missed. Have the bartender make you a surprise cocktail from whatever fresh ingredients are behind the bar. Head over on a Thursday night for their dance party from 10 until 2 am.

Bikes are the very best way to get around the beach in Tulum. (Photo: Nick Aster)

The Hartwood is currently the most talked about restaurant in Tulum. They only accept cash (dollars or pesos), meals are cooked over an open flame, all ingredients are locally sourced and they only take reservations the day of between the hours of three and six pm in person with the hostess. Is it worth it? The food is certainly delicious, but this isn’t the kind of town where you should stand in a queue. If you happen to be walking by between the designated hours and they happen to have a table, stop by, but don’t bend over backwards for a table. That’s not what Tulum is all about.

Even the street signs give good advice in Tulum. (Photo: Jo Piazza)

What to do:

Spend at least one day of your trip getting out of town. Car rentals are cheap in this part of Mexico (as low as $30 a day) and for the cost of a single group tour to the ruins, you can easily rent a car for the whole weekend, which more than makes up for your $100 airport transfers alone.

Related: This Couple Took a 365-Day Honeymoon Around the World

I am partial to the ruins of Coba over the crowded structures on the beach cliffs of Tulum. About an hour’s drive from the beach, into a dense jungle these ancient Mayan structures aren’t just less populated, they’re more laid back, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with the pyramids.

Make sure to rent a bike at the ruins at Coba. It will run you about $6 and it is worth the cost. The dirt jungle paths are long and on a hot day the hike will drain you. Plus the furthest of the Coba ruins, the great pyramid, is the best of them all.

The stone temples climb high above the tops of the jungle trees. (Photo: Nick Aster)

Mix with the locals at a lunch stop in Valladolid. Strolling through the city’s central square will transport you to a small European town. This colonial city has retained a distinctly Spanish feel, but the restaurants lining the square are uniquely Mayan. Make sure to stop into the Chocolate Shop for a wide selection of chocolates from around the world and specifically from Mexico. Their dark chocolate bar mixed with corn chips may sound bizarre, but you will end up buying three of them to bring home.

The city’s Isabelline-Gothic church and convent were constructed in the 15th C. (Photo: Jo Piazza)

Diving into a cenote, a fresh water underground cavern, is a must-do in this part of the Yucatan peninsula, but you need to be picky about where you go. All of the tourists head to Dos Ojos, which is lovely, but packed with families of screaming children. A cenote is best enjoyed in relative isolation. Right in the center of Valladolid is a rare urban cenote, Zaci, a tropical swimming hole in the midst of a bustling city.

In the middle of a week day you may have Cenote Zaci all to yourselves. (Photo: Jo Piazza)

On your way back to Tulum make sure to visit the Agua Dulce Cenote in Yalcoba.

There are hardly any markings for the the property, which is simply a hole in the ground on a farm, but if you buy a proper map it will be easy for you to find. Upon arrival you’ll be greeted by a small group of farm workers lounging on the front porch of an empty event space. Pay just 100 pesos for admission to the cenote and follow one of the workers down a long dirt path to an innocuous hole in the ground amidst a field of dusty tan sheep. Descending the spiral staircase to the water is like visiting another world. The best part? You’ll likely have this natural wonder all to yourselves.

How to relax:

There are dozens of places to get a massage or Mayan Clay facial in Tulum. If you want a truly inexpensive couples massage, just stroll down the beach where locals offer massages for $30 a piece on tables set up in the sand.

If you truly want to indulge in a full day of relaxation in one of the most chic spas you will ever visit, make a stop at the Yaan Wellness Center and book one of their couples packages.

Your treatment will begin with the copal smoke therapy ritual to cleanse and purify energetic fields, a sweet honey and almond scrub followed by a nurturing chocolate wrap with and intention based massage incorporating rose quartz to attract love, wealth and happiness for the couple. End your day with an intuitive session with founder Bobby Klein. It is one of the best things you will ever do for yourself and your partner.

Be sure to check the Yaan calendar for dates of their Open Moon and Zodiac Temazcal Ceremonies hosted by a Mayan healer. The property also offers private Temazcales ceremonies for $75 USD per person.

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