Hi! Lindsay here! It’s been a hot minute since we posted about any trips. It’s not that we haven’t been taking any, we just made the decision to stop posting about them here. Why? Well, in short, we have no idea. We love traveling and we love sharing our travels. So we are definitely going to start posting here more!
In the Spring my boyfriend and I took our annual vacation. Last year was a whirlwind non stop 2 weeks in Europe. Multiple countries, hours on planes and buses, and not a whole lot of just relaxing. Don’t get me wrong, it was wonderful and I loved every minute of it, but in my mind there are 2 types of vacations. The get up every morning bright and early and explore until your feet have blisters, and then the type where you leisurely role out of bed, walk down to the beach, and plop yourself down on a beach chair for the next 8 hours. This year, I wanted more of the relax on the beach type.
After much deliberation, we decided to go to Tulum.
Very quickly after we arrived, we realized that all of the beaches around us (and around most of the coast) were covered in smelly seaweed and algae. My dream of laying on a beach for a week vanished in an instant. Was it disappointing? 150% BUT, it forced us to do research and find other things to do.
We stayed at an Air BnB that was right outside of downtown. A short bike ride and we were right on the main strip where there are a million restaurants and shops. Our Air BnB came with 2 bikes which we used every.single.day. Everyone rides bikes in Mexico and it is such an easy way to get around. You get everywhere much faster and aren’t on your feet nearly as much. You just lock your bike up when you want to move on foot and come back to it when you are ready!
You always have to keep an eye out for these little guys. They are everywhere. Some of them are massive as well.
Although I said the beaches were a no go, we were still able to find plenty of places to swim. Mexico is filled with cenotes which are like underground swimming holes (definitely not the technical definition). Most of them cost a couple of dollars but you get to swim in the bluest clear water. They get crowded so try and get their early but they are a great way to spend the day.
We decided to take a day trip to Chichen Itza spontaneously. Everyone kept warning us “get there early in the day or you will melt into a liquid and die.” How could it really get THAT hot? HA. We arrived around 12 in the afternoon and it was well over 100 degrees with very little shade around. So yes, you will melt into a liquid and evaporate if you don’t drink lots of water and wear a hat. I highly recommend a visit though. You cannot climb it but it is still very cool to see.
Our favorite part of the day was anytime we were hungry and got to eat. We eat Mexican food so much at home that being in the land of Mexican food for a week was a dream. Seriously. We eat tacos 3 times a week sometimes. As with any country, some of the places we tried were fantastic and some other places weren’t so good. I will say eat at as many taco stands as you can. They are cheap, authentic and delicious. And any cart you pass that sells churros? You need to get some. Expect that if you are going to eat right downtown or you plan to eat along the main beach road, you are going to be paying more for your food. These spots (especially the beach road) are SO SO touristy. With that comes overpriced things. Don’t get me wrong, they are still good, but if you are trying to eat on a budget, you may want to look a little bit off the beaten path.
Overall, we did have a good time. Would we go back? Mmmm, if I’m honest, probably not. There is absolutely nothing wrong with Tulum or Mexico. The country is beautiful and we are totally open to exploring other areas of Mexico. I will say, most of the images and curated photos you see of Tulum online are from the expensive resorts on the main beach strip. You can go into these resorts if you plan to go to the bar, just keep in mind that a drink will cost you way more than it should. Some resorts will even let you use their beach for the day but again, they make you spend a minimum amount on food and drinks and it is not usually cheap.
I will leave you with this image of a cute, sneaky and pesky little racoon. We took a day trip to Cozumel to have the beach day we so wanted. Wild raccoons. All over the beach. They leave you alone only until you have food. Then you will have a hard time getting rid of them. This little guy took a shrimp right out of my taco!
We really enjoy taking a trip down memory lane and writing these posts and we hope you guys enjoy them to!
Happy travels!