A Guide To Tulum, Mexico | The Basics

Tulum, Mexico is quite beautiful and there is plenty to do between Tulum and Cancun since both are very touristy locations. What the city lacks in infrastructure, it makes up for in beauty and excitement. Many of the roads are bad, a lot of the taxis will attempt to overcharge, and there’s a major seaweed problem, but if you know how to avoid those things by sticking to pre-planned, pre-paid tours and excursions, knowing how to get around and where to eat, then you could absolutely have an enjoyable vacation here.

Getting There

To get to Tulum, you’re going to fly into Cancun International Airport, which is about an hour and a half away from Tulum. You’ll need to take a taxi or arrange a private transfer through a site like Viator to get from Cancun to Tulum. When you exit the airport, there are many companies and drivers waiting to escort travelers, so if you don’t arrange one ahead of time, there are still on-site options to choose from.

Getting Around

Taxis are the best way to get around Tulum. The ease with which you catch a taxi depends on where you’re staying. If you’re at a hotel or resort, they will likely be able to call a taxi for you.

In Aldea Zama, it was pretty difficult to catch a taxi. Once we found a couple taxi drivers that would come to that area, we saved their numbers and texted them when we needed to get around.

If you happen to be within walking distance of Super Aki, the main grocery store, there is also a taxi stand where drivers are usually waiting to transport travelers.

Currency

The official currency of Tulum is Mexican pesos. One USD is about 19MXN. Many places like restaurants will accept card payments, but it’s always best to have cash when traveling internationally. Should you need to get cash out of the bank while in Tulum, there is also a bank at Super Aki, the grocery store I mentioned earlier. There are three or four machines you can use to withdraw money in MXN for your convenience. Although you can use USD, it is more cost friendly to use MXN.

Communication

Most everyone speaks Spanish here, so I would recommend knowing at least a few basic phrases. You will find that like most places with heavy tourism, locals that interact often with tourists speak English. If you have trouble understanding, I would suggest downloading a translation app that allows a person to speak into the phone and transcribes what they say. Some translation apps also allow you to take photos so that you can interpret written language like signs and menus. Tools like these really come in handy for visiting a place where you don’t speak the native language.

Accommodations

We stayed in an Airbnb in Aldea Zama, which is a relatively new part of Tulum. Unless things have changed since I visited in 2021, this area does not show up on GPS. Having said that, I don’t recommend staying in Aldea Zama unless you’re great with directions and able to communicate them to taxi drivers who are not familiar with the area.

Even with the minor complication of having to communicate where we were staying, I will say that Aldea Zama is actually a nice area and more budget friendly than staying on the beach. It was a recommended area for those traveling as a family, especially with kids, because it is closer to a residential area and much quieter than staying on or near the strip. There are even a few shops within walking distance where you can eat or make purchases as needed.

Food & Drink

In Tulum, you’ll find that there are beach clubs with food like Ziggy’s, modern restaurants with various cuisines on the strip like Juanita Diavola, and more traditional restaurants off the beaten path like Cetli. Where you go depends on what kind of vibe you’re looking for. Need help deciding? Read more here.