Let’s Have A Coco
One Last Fling in Tulum
SOME BACKGROUND
At the beginning of 2018 I was given two ultimatums; by the end of the year Molly wanted to have been to Mexico and gotten pregnant. This trip fulfilled the first of the two, and by early January we learned both had been accomplished.
We also learned just how much of a shame it was that we hadn't been before considering how far we'd traveled in previous trips to find remote beaches, and the relative ease with which we found beaches and escapes in Mexico. They were every bit as amazing as Thailand but accessible within a short budget flight (via Cancun).
TULUM TOWN
Upon arriving in Tulum, we were hungry (from our 2 hour drive from Cancun) and anxious to get the tacos flowing. The streets, partially unpaved and teeming with dogs, were otherwise quiet and orderly. The tiny shops and cafes hidden amongst hostels and small houses. The cafes tend to cater to both the expats, who have seemingly made a new life for themselves in-country looking for coffee, matcha, healthy-eating spots and locals looking for tacos and other traditional Mexican offerings.
COCO TULUM
The beaches of Tulum, a quick drive or bike ride from town currently boasts a mix of 5-star ultra high-end options and the rustic, quirky beachside huts that popularized the area amongst surfers and yoga-escapists since the 70s. To us, Coco Tulum fell squarely in the middle. We had a cool, concrete-like cave with wood and sticks that felt foraged from the beach, enough electricity to charge our cell phones and a (spotless) shared bathroom; everything we needed in our an amazing 2nd-story perch that felt straight out of Swiss Family Robinson.
The beachfront facilities were also everything we could want; sunny, minimal and comfortable. There's a newer half of the resort with refreshed amenities and full-service food and drink which made the few hours we actually spent seaside (and not exploring the region) super relaxing. It came as a recommendation to us, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend anyone to stay there.
THE BEACHES
Much has been made about the death of Tulum and the impact of global warming on the seaweed blooms now taking over the beaches, and maybe we're late to the party, but it still felt pretty alive to us. Maybe we didn’t see it at its worst, and going in November vs January also meant we didn’t see the highest of the party crowds which would have made everything that much more insufferable, but compared to the trash-covered (and now closed) Thai beaches or packed Greek beaches, these seemed great and pristine. The ghost resorts & roaming security were certainly unsettling, but the sunsets and tranquil waters made up for it.
THE FOOD
People talk about the beaches, but it was really the food that I fell in love with. Access to delicious drinks (coffee, juices, coconut concoctions) at every turn, and fresh tacos on each block made ours days a constant excuse to find something new. While most places catered to vegan and health-conscious tourists, my high school Spanish also helped me navigate my way to options when we left the beaten path and found a side-of-the-road taco spot (or followed Eater's recommendations).
Even the renowned Hartwood was very accommodating (although some options we had to go off menu for), but the meal of the trip went to Arca. After René Redzepi packed up the Noma jungle pop-up, his former chef de partie, Jose Luis Hinostroza stayed and opened Arca, which delivered on all accounts and was one of the top meals of my life. Like Gitano and Hartwood, the copal incense was constantly burning and the string lights and outdoor dining felt like a dream, but it was what they did with the moles and roasted vegetables (imagine pepper tartare) that truly were unforgettable. We basically had a tasting menu for the price of a big night out in Richmond, and biked home full, happy, and with our minds blown. The fact that we rode our rented bikes a mile down the pothole-laden dirt beach road, past the endless line of taxis and motor scooters, in pitch black-save for the bike lights we brought from home (pro tip) really felt like we’d just won a travel gold medal for that one. Other notable meals for me include Raw & Love, Safari, Charly’s Vegan Tacos and Los Tacos De Canasta and Molly would vouch for Chamicos, Taqueri Don Beto & Taqueria Honorio.
TULUM IN RUINS
The Tulum ruins were incredible. We didn’t opt for a tour, probably would have learned more than we did, but exploring them on our own felt so enlightening. We also saw tons of coati and iguana which made everything feel that much more exotic, even the touristy junk. The cliff-side setting was super impressive, and it was with it to take a few moments to swim as well. The tourists and selfies got overwhelming, but we successfully traversed the whole property. With the time, perhaps paying for one of the private boat rides to a secluded beach would have been worth it, but we grabbed drinks "para levar" and took off for our next excursion.
CENOTES
One of the magical elements of Tulum are the cenotes, deep sinkholes in the limestone, which fill with rain and groundwater. The water is colored aqua and you can see clear to the bottom, making them popular for snorkeling and scuba diving. They dot the roadside in that part of the country, and frequently are found in what feels like a random backyard. They also seemed to weed out those who'd spend their days in a beachside cabana, instagramming their feet.
TURTLE TIME
One of the additional benefits of having a car allowed us to build our own itinerary. Since trying to sea turtles (get it?) was on our agenda, the sheltered bay of Akumal was a destination for finding some. Once again, great travel tips told us to bring our own snorkel gear, and after walking confidently past everyone offering turtle tours, and paying our entrance fee for the nature preserve, we were on the beach. There were areas that we couldn't access without a tour guide, but after a few minutes of snorkeling around and following the huge throngs of people, we realized that turtles don't pay attention to buoys and we found a group of them. It was pretty amazing to watch them swim (and feed), by now used to the throngs surrounding them. The nature preserve had people kayaking nearby who kept folks from getting too close, and after a few minutes, they moved beyond the buoys where no one could follow. Maybe they actually knew what they were doing after all. Either way, it was an amazing way to spend an afternoon and led us to our second amazing destination of the day, straight out of a Corona commercial, Chamicos.
STREET SCENES
ONE FINAL MAYAN ADVENTURE
We had room in our trip for one final adventure, a roughly hour's drive West to Coba, a massive Mayan pyramid and ruins hidden amongst jungle. We paid a modest fee, and an even more modest fare to rent two random bikes for the morning and peddled our way through the forest, stopping every minutes to explore a different structures, including one of those ōllamaliztli courts, and one of the few pyramids you can still climb. After a steep climb to the top we had a few moments to reflect on all that we'd done on our trip and ponder our next life adventure; the second half of our 2019 goals. We only had a few moments as we still had to figure out how to get gas and get back to Cancun with our remaining pesos, and catch our flight back to the states. What we wouldn't know for months was that we would "have a Coco" of our own a year later and no matter how wistful we are, a trip to Mexico now feels worlds away again.
