Is Tulum Overrated?

Once upon a time, Tulum was nothing more than a few rustic bungalows without electricity or Wi-Fi, all peeking out of dense jungle onto an impossibly perfect beach. That beach is still there, and so is much of the jungle, but Tulum is no longer the unplugged secret it once was. These days, Tulum hotel's come flush with everything from all-day electricity and air-conditioning to pools and beach clubs — all wrapped in a package that touts both extreme indulgence and new-age wellness mantras. That rapid transformation took less than a decade to accomplish.

While the beaches and hotels in Tulum are picture perfect — and the food is exceptional — it's impossible to ignore the "look at me" vibe here. That's especially true when you combine Tulum's original wellness bent with today's Instagram-focused good-vibes-only, "Goop"-influenced wellness trends. Everything seems meant to be documented and shared. You'll be fighting crowds of influencers (real and aspiring) to get a picture in front of the various art installations in town — notably the monumental wood-and-rope sculpture of a woman created by Daniel Popper, "Ven a La Luz" (it's found in front of Ahau Tulum). The same goes for the beach at the Tulum Ruins, and at the Tulum Ruins themselves. You'll be dodging selfie sticks, tourists aping trendy poses they've seen on Instagram, and the like. Dreamcatchers make so very many appearances. In fact, all around town, it can feel like people are trying to capitalize on their Tulum vacation to become an influencer.


All of this posing and posturing reaches fever pitch during peak season, which starts at Christmas and runs straight into the New Year. This is when you'll find huge crowds descending on Tulum. As one hotel manager put it to me, the demographic is something of a mix between Ibiza clubber and wealthy Burning Man devotee, with a dash of Coachella Instagrammer thrown in the mix. To be fair, you'll get a bit of that vibe year round, though things are much calmer and less pretentious in the low season. Want a pro tip? Visit in the early weeks of December to enjoy that amazing Tulum winter weather and spare yourself the see-and-be-seen set.

As Tulum's Hotel Zone has continued to fill with restaurants, bars, cafes, shops, and hotels, it's unsurprisingly lost its away-from-it-all atmosphere. That starts with the traffic. As of late 2019, the entire road through the Hotel Zone was being dug up to install water and electricity infrastructure. While those improvements are welcome for the local community, it makes Tulum's Hotel Zone a dusty, traffic-clogged nightmare. To be fair, the main road through this part of town is nothing more than a narrow strip anyway, and is never free of cars, buses, tourist vans, bikes, and pedestrians -- even when construction isn't happening.


By and large, you won't find the rowdy Cancun and Playa del Carmen beach club scenes in Tulum. However, that too is starting to change. For starters, almost any hotel along the beach offers prime "beach club" seating. At these, you'll be responsible for a fairly hefty minimum consumption bill to score a lounger. Generally, you can expect light lounge music and upbeat vibes. However, as of late 2019, louder full-blown beach clubs have started opening up along the beach — most notably, Taboo. You can hear Taboo before you see it — electro-pop remixes blare all afternoon until around sunset, and the loungers are full of tourists chugging Champagne and margaritas. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that Taboo will be the last of its kind in Tulum.

When you first start researching your Tulum trip, one thing will become immediately clear: It's expensive. And while beach destinations that appeal to upscale and luxury travelers are rarely bargains, the price of hotels in Tulum can feel incredibly high relative to what you're getting.


Don't get me wrong: The independently-owned ethos of Tulum's hotel scene is admirable. And many of those hotels are packed with incredibly cute boutique style. However, frills are generally few — you'll (usually) get air-conditioning and Wi-Fi, a small terrace, and maybe an outdoor shower, but otherwise there's not much extra to add value to your several-hundred-dollar-a-night price tag. Some hotels eschew this: Rooms are packed with perks at La Valise and the actual away-from-it-all setting is stunning; The Beach Tulum has private loungers and plunge pools (or rooftop whirlpools) for all of its rooms; and the overall vibe at some hotels can justify the cost. But you'd find similar hotels for less than half the price in beach towns in Oaxaca or Baja California.


Food doesn't come cheaply either. Meals at restaurants like Arca and Hartwood can easily cost $75 per person for just two courses and one drink each — and the bill can certainly go much higher. You can find a few seriously touristy shops selling typical Mexican souvenirs, but it's the luxe home goods and clothing stores that you'll likely have your eye on most. The boutiques in Tulum are packed with beautiful handmade threads, but you'll be paying NYC price tags for almost everything. You'll also need to contend with the long and expensive drive to get here — even a rental car in the Riviera Maya isn't a bargain, and on the ground you'll find scant and expensive parking in Tulum's Hotel Zone.

The answer is: Yes and no. If you're looking for the undiscovered gem of yore and expecting Mexico's typical traveler bargains, you will be sorely disappointed. If you want to drop a few grand on eating well, posting up on a pretty beach, enjoying some Burner-style partying, and diving into the world of fresh-pressed juices and social media-ready wellness, then Tulum could definitely be for you. And travelers seeking only a few of those things can certainly pick and choose to what extent they indulge in Tulum's more look-at-me side.


I have to admit that I was a hater — the Tulum I'd seen on social media was one where the universe of privilege provided detoxifying green juices and wide-brimmed floppy hats embroidered with beach puns, all in service of reconnecting with your true self through expensive yoga led by "Goop"-loving wellness gurus. In other words, it was my nightmare come to life. And while all of those elements are certainly alive and well in Tulum, it's entirely possible to enjoy the amazing food, beautiful beach, and cute hotels for what they are. And that, really, is what a beach vacation is all about.

It's hard to argue with excellent on-site food (complimentary breakfasts are particularly wonderful), dedicated beach seating, attractive bohemian decor, and private plunge pools. The Beach Tulum is smack in the middle of the action in Tulum — within an easy walk of Hartwood and Arca — and stays incredibly quiet at night.


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• 14 Things to Know Before Going on a Tulum Vacation 
• Tulum vs. Playa del Carmen: Which Beach Vacation is Right for You?