The 4 Areas Of Tulum Explained

Traveling to a city where you've never been can be a little overwhelming. One of the hardest things is understanding the layout of the city. And you've got to figure out where to stay, where to eat, and what parts of town are cool. So today we are going to try to help you understand the different areas of Tulum. We have stayed in the 4 major areas. A local may not lay out their city this way and it's likely broken down in much smaller sections than this, but after visiting 4 times I think this system is helpful to understanding the way Tulum is laid out.

You may also like:
- 10 Most Instagrammable Spots In Tulum
- 11 Fabulous Beach Clubs In Tulum
- 8 Things You Must Do In Tulum

Tulum Town- Tulum doesn't really have a downtown but if it did this is what it would be, and this is where most of the locals live. It's about 10 minutes to the beach and has a totally different feel than the other parts of Tulum. There is one main road that goes through town and the street is lined with vendors who sell everything from hammocks to clothes to jewelry and many other random things. There are also a lot of restaurants that have amazing food but aren't as expensive and fancy as the restaurants in the beach zone. This is a great area to stay in if you want to appreciate the local culture and save some dollars. Staying here is significantly less expensive than staying by the beach. This is the Airbnb we stayed in on two of our trips. We love Tulum town, but if this is your first time in Mexico and you are concerned about safety at all- this might not be the place for you. Watch our video here if you want to know if we think Tulum is safe or not.

The Beach Zone- This area is what made me fall in love with Tulum. You drive down this two lane road and see people riding bikes through this bohemian jungle and through that jungle on one side is the ocean. Truly magical. This road is lined with boutique hotels, restaurants, shops, etc. If you want to wake up and see the ocean, this is where you stay. There are a few reasons you may not want to stay here like you have a large group you are traveling with or you are on a budget. There are a few options that aren't too expensive but you'll have to sacrifice air conditioning. We stayed in Coco Tulum in 2017 and loved it! We had a little bungalow right on the beach and could open our door and see the ocean, and we did have air conditioning. When we stayed there it was the most affordable option for hotels by the beach and had a/c. You can't beat waking up ocean, but with the seaweed problems Tulum you may reconsider staying beach side. We have a video coming soon that talks about the seaweed problem in Tulum.

Aldea Zama- This is where we stayed on our latest trip in May 2019, and we really enjoyed our time here. Aldea Zama is between the beach zone and the town. This isn't an actual gated community but AZ is its own thing. It's like a little village in the middle of Tulum, and it is a newer development. There is still quite a bit of construction going on but that wasn't a problem for us. There are lots of Airbnbs in this part of town and there are a few hotels. Aldea Zama also has it's own restaurants and shops, and this area is very walkable and bikeable.

We loved the Airbnb we stayed in this trip, and it is pictured here in all the photos in this post. The amenities and the decor were next level, and the host was nice and attentive. There was even a small cenote right behind our Airbnb! There was also a pool that was shared with other guests and an outdoor grill and kitchen area. The kitchen was fully stocked with everything we needed to make a meal. We highly recommend checking this place out. Aldea Zama would be great for people who don't want to sacrifice amenities and are more concerned about safety. Our Airbnb had it's own private security and a lot of the places here had their own security as well.

You can see a video tour of our Airbnb and more of our Tulum trip in this video! Just click play to watch right here on the blog post.

Outside of Tulum/Akumal- I wasn't sure if I was going to include this in a post about the areas of Tulum since this is not a part of Tulum. I decided to include it because there are several places that are advertised as being in Tulum but aren't. If you want an all inclusive resort experience, this is where you'll want to go. There are only a few resorts inside of Tulum and they are very expensive. There are also more Airbnbs on the beach in Akumal. In Tulum proper there aren't any Airbnbs right on the beach. All of the Airbnbs in Tulum proper are in town or Aldea Zama. The first time I went to "Tulum" I stayed in this area and was pretty disappointed that we weren't really in Tulum, but we were actually 20-25 mins away. Honestly, Tulum isn't the kind of place where you want to do all-inclusive. There are way too many amazing places to see in Tulum that limiting yourself to a resort is total waste. If you want to do the all inclusive thing, save some money and do one in Cancun.

I know all of the areas in Tulum sound appealing and they each have something special to offer. So naturally you need to visit at least 3 times to try them all! If I was a millionaire, I would chose to stay on the beach BUT I'm not and we really truly enjoyed staying in both Aldea Zama and in town. When you are in Tulum, you can't choose wrong because you are never far from the beach.

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Tulum Travel Guide: 13 Gluten-Free Friendly Restaurants

Our time in Tulum was full of delicious meals and to be honest, you almost can't go wrong with food there. But since I have celiac disease, we have tried many of the more gluten free friendly restaurants and figured we would share them with you.  Not all of these places have gluten free substitutions (i.e. gluten free pasta or gf bread), but they have food that doesn't contain gluten. But again, keep in mind that if you are eating in Tulum, you're almost always eating well!

You might also like:
- The 10 Most Instagrammable Spots In Tulum
- 11 Fabulous Beach Clubs In Tulum
- 8 Things You Must Do In Tulum

1. Juanita Diavola / This is a part of Coco Tulum which is where we stayed in Tulum in 2017, and it's one the best beach clubs there too. So since you are already there, go grab you some mango chia seed pudding. They have other gluten free options as well like your basics eggs, bacon, fruit, etc. We also ate dinner here one night and I had risotto which was delicious. This is a pizzeria but they have several options beside the risotto- fish + steak.


2. La Malquerida / This was the first place we ate after arriving to Tulum on this last trip, and it was within walking distance of our Airbnb. I had grilled fish with rice and it was the perfect first meal of the trip. You can't beat eating fresh fish when you are staying at the beach!

And bonus- get a photo in their cute swings.

3. Ki-bok / Forget eating gluten-free for a minute. You need to go there to have the greatest cocktail I've ever had in my life. They have a mint frozen cocktail that is made with gin but I asked them to sub it for vodka (I loathe gin). I ordered two because it was so good. My mom who doesn't drink anything but wine even drank two. We also recreated that recipe here.

I digress- this is a cute coffee shop during the day and up stairs they do have an outdoor after night thing. We ate dinner there one night and had breakfast twice (once this trip + once last trip). They have great coffee and your basic eggs/omelettes/sausage/bacon/fruit/avocado.

4. El Pez / We've eaten here at total of 6 times over 2 trips, so needless to say we love it. I have mostly eaten breakfast here but we did eat dinner here. I usually get either an omelet or scrabbled eggs with avocado and fresh fruit and either sausage or bacon. They also have other seasonal options that are really great. For dinner I usually get fresh fish and it has never disappointed. The service here is next level. I really can't recommend it enough. 

5. DelCielo / We ate breakfast here and it really has a cute atmosphere. I loved the decor! They have a lot of healthy options- fruit, juices, and smoothies. We shared a fruit plate and I had gluten free pancakes. Any place with gluten free pancakes is win in my book! They also have great coffee- so another win. 

6. Tunich / This is another cute spot on the beach side of town. They have lots of juices and smoothie options and great coffee too. I've been there on the last 2 trips. One time I had an omelette and another time an açaí bowl. Their menu does change and was a little different from our last trip. 

7. Raw Love / This is my favorite place to grab a snack in Tulum because they have several gluten free healthy dessert options. If you are vegan/vegetarian, they have options for you too! They serve juices, smoothies, golden milk, and coffee. I've had several different baked goods there over the years and they are always delicious! I have visited this place all 3 times I've been to Tulum. It's right on the beach and they have hammocks. It's a great place to chill. 

8. Hartwood / I've eaten here every time I've been to Tulum (3 trips so far), and it does not disappoint. The servers are helpful in letting you know what's gluten free and what isn't. I always get fish and a variety of side dishes like sweet potato, jicama salad, and yucca. All were delicious :) They also have a corn ice cream that's really good, even though that sounds weird. 

9. El Vegetariano / This restaurant was right across the street from our Airbnb. We ate here twice on our last trip. They have gluten free dessert options and I ate a quesadilla made with corn tortillas. The people who run this place are very nice and accommodating to gluten free needs. 

10. Nomade / We ate breakfast and late lunch here. This made our beach club must visit list and it will not disappoint. The decor was exceptional. They do a breakfast buffet and there were several gluten free options. I wish I would have taken better notes on what I actually ate here but I remember being satisfied and happy with my choices. 

11. The Real Coconut / Their entire menu is gluten/grain/dairy/refined sugar free. They have gluten free pancakes (insert praise hands), chia seed bowls, eggs, yogurt, avocado toast, bread, etc. I mean this is the gluten free motherload. We only ate here for breakfast but after looking at their lunch and dinner menu, I wish we could have fit that in as well. The restaurant is right on the beach so it has an excellent view + the decor is nice as well. It's a part of Sanara Hotel which looks beautiful. 

12. La Estanica Jujena / You have to go here for the decor alone. They also have gluten free pancakes which if you haven't figured out, makes this place a win for me. They offer the usuals too- eggs/omlettes, bacon, etc, coffee, juices, fruit, etc. 

13. Habitas / We had the best meal on our entire trip this year here. We had a smorgasbord of food- moro rice (a curry rice dish), fish tacos, elote, and an arugula salad that were incredible. This also made it on our best beach clubs in Tulum list- go check out the blog post to see more photos and see why. So yeah, you should go here.

Here are a few things you can look for at any restaurant while in Tulum to play it safe:

Eggs/Omelettes / Every place that serves breakfast has some sort of egg option. And I've never had an egg dish that wasn't delicious.

Grilled Fish / You are on the coast so use this chance to eat as much fresh seafood as you can!

Flan / This is a naturally gluten-free dessert and it's so good. If you've ever had creme brule, it's similar to that.

Guacamole / We have tried guacamole at almost every place we've eaten at in Tulum. TATA Tulum has the best. They make it table side and it's insanely delicious. Just make sure you check about how the chips are made. The good thing is that most places don't have a lot of gluten-y options, so for the most part you won't run into cross contamination problems.

Elote / Mexican Street Corn is a delicious side that you have to try at least once while actually in Mexico. My favorite experience was when we bought some on the road to Valladolid.

Chilaquiles / Again, check how the tortillas are made, but you should be safe ordering chilaquiles. And they are everywhere in so many different versions. Savannah ate this at almost every breakfast.

Ice Cream / Ice Cream anywhere in Tulum is an easy dessert that you don't have to worry about. And bonus- this place made it onto our 10 Most Instragrammanble spots in Tulum list.

Fresh Fruit / The fruit in Tulum is as sweet as their desserts, so if you see someone selling it on the side of the road- do yourself a favor and get some. Make sure you get the yellow mangoes. They are truly nature's candy.

Coffee + Matcha + Acai Bowls / There are little places all over Tulum serving acai bowls, but Matcha Mama also serves Matcha. I'm pretty sure no one else in Tulum does this! Neither of us really like Matcha but I did get a great iced coffee here. Plus you can grab yourself a very popular IG photo while you're here!

This list is just the tip of the iceberg for gluten free friendly food in Tulum. Really the types of cuisine you will find in Tulum tend to be pretty gluten-free friendly, and most servers are gluten aware. So basically you can't go wrong eating in Tulum. And don't hesitate to ask for a gluten free menu and/or ask your server what gluten free options there are.

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DIY: Boho Tulum Inspired Macrame Swing

Well you guys... this post has been a long time coming. I made these swings AND took all the videos and photos for a DIY blog post back in August (2017). And I kept meaning to post about it but then it was winter and I thought- who would need to make a macrame swing in for their backyard in the middle of winter? So here we are! This may be the longest I've procrastinated doing a post.

(This was a pic from the day I finished making these. See? It was FALL.)

photo by Chelsea Rochelle Photography

These swings were inspired by our trip Tulum last summer. Everywhere you go there are swings and hammocks. EVERYWHERE. And you'll also find swings as chairs at bars. We had to mimmick the lounge-y-ness of Tulum in our own backyard. We want it to be an oasis!

For more backyard inspiration check out these posts:
- DIY Stock Tank Pool: Everything You Need To Know
- DIY: Faux Cement Tile For Under $200
- 2 Hour DIY Copper and Wood Coffee Cart

For this project, you will need:
- 2"x8"x6' piece of wood
- Rope
- Hammock Hanging Kit
- Sealant
- 3/4 inch Spade Bit
- Drill

This DIY has a lot of steps, so I went ahead and created a video about how to make one of these swings yourself!

Or if you'd like to read the instructions, see the steps below!

STEP 1 // PREPARE THE SWING SEAT.

First, measure your wood to 24 inches, you can make your swing seats as wide or narrow as you’d like, but 24 inches seems to be pretty universal for adults and children.

Cut the wood with a miter saw. If you don’t have a saw you can ask your hardware store to cut it for you.

Next you’ll want to sand all the edges.

Measure one inch from each edge on the corners and mark an ‘X’ where the two intersect.

Take your drill with a 3/4” spade bit attached and drill holes on each corner using the X as your location for starting.

Next I sealed the wood with a Matte Finish. You can paint or stain your seats first if you want to.

STEP 2 // CREATE THE MACRAME PIECES.

Now it’s time to measure your rope. Each swing needs 6 pieces of string in this length. I measured about 260” for 4 of the pieces and the other two I measured about 150”.

(You’ll want to make sure that you string does not stretch. Mine had a little stretch and it made it a little more complicated when attaching the seat. This nylon rope would be best, but if you string stretches a little, it’s not the end of the world.)

This is the kit I bought to hang the swings. You will need this before you start as the carabiners in here will be the base of the actual swing. We are going to take the carabiner that came in your hanging kit and attach the ropes to it. You should have 2 carabiners per swing.

Fold the short piece of rope in half and then put the loop in the middle through the front of the carabiner. Then reach through the loop from the back of the rope and pull the front strings through the loop. Repeat this three times on each carabiner.

For the longer outside pieces you will want to fold the rope where the inside piece is about 75” long. This will make the outside pieces way longer than the rest, but this is what you want.

Now each carbabiner should have 6 pieces of rope hanging down. We are going to use the outside two pieces to create the macrame design.

We are using one simple knot over and over again. 

First take the piece of rope that is furthest left and place it over the other ropes creating a ‘4’ shape.

Place the rope that is furthest right over the left string and then under the middle ropes and then through the loop of the ‘4’. Then pull both ropes to tighten the knot all the way to the top.

You will repeat this same knot over and over again until you reach the length you need. The design will start twisting and it’s okay- that’s exactly what you want.

Before you get to the end you will want to know how long your macrame pieces should be. To figure this out you will need to measure from the place you will be hanging your swings to the ground. You will also need to know how high off of the ground you want the swings to sit. Subtract this number from the other and you will have an idea of how long your macrame pieces will need to be. Make sure to keep in mind that you also need to consider the length of the carabiner in that number. 

When you get about 8 inches away from the length you need, stop tying knots and split the ropes into two groups. Braid each group with a regular three strand braid and then tie a knot or two at the end of each. You want to make sure these knots do not fit through the holes in the wood.

STEP 3 // ATTACH THE SEAT AND MACRAME PIECES.
Now it's time to attach the rope to the seat. I wrapped the ends of each rope section with tape so it could more easily fit through the holes.

Once you get the ropes through, tie a knot right on each rope right under the wood. (If you rope has stretch like mine did, you'll want to tie the knot a little loose so you can stretch the swing out a little. You can do this by installing your swing and then sitting on it. It will not un-stretch out so once you've fully sat on it and stretched it out you can adjust measurements accordingly and move to the next steps.) Once you are certain your measurements are right, tie the knot really tight. You may even want to tie two knots.

Next you'll tie the two ropes on each side together. This would be easiest with another person to hold the rope down while you tie the knots really tight.

To make it seem a little nicer we are going to grab a scrap piece of rope to finish. Start by grabbing all the ropes and adding the scrap piece of rope. Make sure that the end of the rope is further up that the knot. Loop the scrap piece upward and grab both of the pieces together. Then start wrapping loose section around all of the ropes. There should always be an end hanging out at the top and a loop hanging out at the bottom.

I wrapped this around about 6 times but you can make it as long or short as you'd like. Once it's as long as you want, take the end of the section you've been wrapping and put it through the loop at the bottom. Then grab both ends and pull. The loop will be pulled up into the wrapped section. Cut the top end off and you should have a pretty neat finish. Trim the ropes to all the same length if you'd like.

STEP 4 // HANG THE SWING UP.

Measure the distance between the holes on each side of your seat to know how far away to hang the hooks from each other. Measure this out wherever you are hanging your swing. Check your packaging to see what size drill bit you need. Drill holes where you have marked. Install the hooks by hand. I used a screwdriver to help twist the hooks in. Once the hooks are in, attach the carabiners to the hooks and you are done!

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Tulum, Mexico Travel Guide: 10 Most Instagrammable Spots

Let's be real for a second. If you are an influencer or simply an Instagram user who curates their feed, you likely view your world through an Instagram lens. It's kind of an eye rolling thing but it's a way of life now. Savannah and I often make a mental note and sometimes a real note if we see a place that would be a great place to take a picture. We prefer locations that are multi dimensional (i.e not a mural to stand in front of) and that have color and texture. The great thing about Tulum is that is all photogenic.

You may also be interested in:
- 11 Fabulous Beach Clubs In Tulum
- 8 Things You Must Do In Tulum
- Where To Eat In Tulum

**A friendly note about photo taking etiquette- you'll notice that a lot of the places we recommend are businesses of some sort. Please keep that in mind. I'm sure it goes without saying, but if you are going to take pictures in a restaurant or cafe- please buy something and be as respectful as possible. With that said, if you are visiting Tulum here are 10 of the places we found most IG worthy.

10. Nicte-Ha Cenote // If you read our last post about Tulum you will remember that we found out about this cenote from one of our servers. He told us there were flowers in the water so we nixed our plans for other popular cenotes to go here. It was peaceful and not crowded- we were literally the only people there the whole time we stayed. There were tons of beautiful fish and the water was crystal clear.

9. Tata Tulum // Beach side swings + pool with an ocean view + colorful animals floats = Instagrammable. Oh and they have a beach side hammock as well.

8. Estancia Jujeña // As I'm sure you know by now, we love all things boho. But we love that Estancia was a little different from the majorly boho Tulum vibes. This restaurant has more of a colorful shabby chic old world thing going for it. All the different colors, textures, and plants make it the perfect place to snap a picture. Also, they have beautiful colorful plates and cups that make a nice addition to your pictures.

7. Sugar Shack at Mateo's // Most of Tulum is muted colors which we do love, but Sugar Shack is a break from the norm with it's brightly colored exterior. These bright colors and ice cream comes make for a great set up for an IG picture.

6. Coco Tulum // This is where we stayed on our trip last year and we did not struggle to find IG worthy backgrounds here. They have an all white bar on the beach with swings which makes it a great place for a picture. They also have hammocks and jungle views that are picture worthy as well.

5. Anastasia Tulum // This is an Airbnb so you'll have to stay there in order to enjoy this Instagram delight. Our pictures from here always perform so well on our Instagram account and Airbnb reposted one from last year. That picture was one of the top 10 most liked pictures on Airbnb's entire account. Airbnb has also asked to repost another picture from this years trip. This place is IG gold. Never stayed in an Airbnb before? Click here for $40 off your first stay!

4. El Pez // This is one of our Tulum favorites. We visited twice this trip and 3 or 4 times on our last visit. The outdoor patio looks onto the ocean and it's decor is beachy + boho. They also have dishes worthy of an IG picture. Their inside is gorgeous as well.

3. Matcha Mama // This might be the most Instagrammed spot in Tulum, well at least this year. We actually couldn't take the picture we came to take because another woman was there having a full on photo shoot. I also feel like the workers expect it at this point.

2. Habitas Tulum // That first picture speaks for itself. The two palm trees with the hammock against the backdrop of the turquoise ocean- begging to be featured on Instagram. They have black hammocks everywhere which is different than the normal white hammocks you see the most in Tulum and I love the way they look against the sand. Also, the pool with the ocean view. All of these are perfect backdrops for Instagram.

1. Nomade Tulum // Every nook and cranny here is photo worthy. They have the nest (second picture) which is settled right in the jungle. Then there is the restaurant- swoon. Basically, I want to redecorate our entire home to look more like this. Who needs real chairs? We'll be sitting on poufs from now on! We have a huge picnic table outside and I told Savannah that we need to cut the legs short and just put poufs all around it. The other bonus of Nomade is that there were other people snapping pictures so we didn't feel like "those people."

Like we said before, all of Tulum is so beautiful and decorated to perfection, so this list could go on an on. We hope this helps you figure out where you want to go on your trip to Tulum!

xo, Savannah

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