Top 5 unique experiences & sights in Tulum

A TRAVEL GUIDE TO TULUM, MEXICO [PART 2|4]

last updated: November 2023

What you need to know about Tulum is that it is so much more than a Mexican beach resort, an extension to Cancun and Playa del Carmen. If you’d wanted to, yes, you could have the same type of holiday in one of the many luxury resorts that adorn the endless sandy beach. However, I think that it’d be a shame to do just that when there is so much on offer here. 

In this post, you will find details on the top 5 experiences and sights in Tulum that made our trip memorable and unique. They are the perfect blend of nature, culture, wellness and visits to unique sights. And what is the perfect conclusion to a day filled with the excitement that only the discovery of a new place brings? A unique dining location and a scrumptious Mexican meal!

NO 1. Visit to Coba archaeological site & lunch at Coqui Coqui Coba

Coba archaeological site

The archaeological site of Coba is about an hour drive from Tulum town. Exploring the ancient Mayan settlement will guarantee a fun morning of climbing the famous pyramid and enjoying magnificent views over the jungle as well as long walks through jungly footpaths with magnificent ruins at every corner. The site is large, since Coba was one of the biggest and most powerful city states in the Yucatan Peninsula. Its former glory and development is still visible in the observatory, ball game courts and the Nohoch Mul pyramid.

The 42m / 138ft Nohoch Mul pyramid is one of the tallest pyramids that you can still climb, which my boyfriend and I did. I am by no means an athlete and found the ascend manageable. Midway through, I got tired, so I stopped, went to the side and sat on the steps for a bit. Then, I carried on, onwards and upwards! Once we got to the top, the views were glorious with the jungle extending as far as the eye can see. While the ascent was tiring, the descent was kind of scary… The 120 steps are steep, uneven and slippery. Many visitors resorted to going down the steps on their bottoms. I did it a bit more elegantly (!) and used my hands for a bit of security whereas my boyfriend just went down normally…

After the climb, we wanted to see more of the site but we were tired and hot. So, we hired one of the many rickshaws to take us to some of the other ruins. All in all, it was an exciting morning filled with fun and culture!

Coqui coqui resort

After we finished exploring the ancient site, we had lunch at the Coqui Coqui resort next to Coba lake. If you are not familiar with Coqui Coqui, it started as a perfumeria with fragrances from the Yucatan and Polynesia and it developed into a multi-faceted brand with resorts in Mexico and Bora Bora.

Coqui Coqui resort in Coba lake is quite literally an oasis in the dessert, beautifully blending with the natural environment on the lake shore. The buildings are reminiscent of the ruins that we just witnessed in the archaeological park but with impeccable interior design and subtly modern exterior detailing. Oh yes, and beautiful milky turquoise private pools! The lake in Coba is such an unassuming place for a resort like this to exist! Yet I dare you to go there and not be tempted to splurge on a couple of nights stay.

Anyway, our meal was fantastic -a sophisticated take on classic Mexican cuisine. Once we were done eating and admiring the beautiful view and décor, we visited the perfumeria and indulged our senses a bit more. The perfumes are exotic and delicious and despite the luxurious feel of the brand not ridiculously expensive. 

If after lunch you still have energy and don’t yearn for an afternoon by the pool or the beach then there are 3 cenotes nearby: Choo-Ha, Tamcach-Ha & Multún-Ha. We did not visit these.

Note: We arranged a private driver for Coba and Coqui Coqui (with hotel pick up and drop off and wait while in Coba and at lunch) through our hotel. It was completely stress free, convenient and… a bit expensive. Grabbing normal taxis should also do the trick if you are willing to wait a bit at each location.

NO 2. Visiting the world famous cenotes!

Visits to as many cenotes as you can master is a must while visiting Tulum. These were some of the most memorable traveling experiences I have ever had!

I have dedicated a whole blogpost on cenotes, so I will just keep it short and sweet and stop here. Make sure to read it!

NO 3. Bohemian chic evening in Azulik & Habitas

Tulum has quite an impressive selection of resorts and hotels whose architecture and interior design has been inspired by the Mayan culture and a bohemian lifestyle. Two resorts that stood out to me where Habitas which we stayed in for 3 nights and would undoubtedly recommend and Azulik which we visited for sunset coctails.

My recommendation for a perfect evening would be to head to Azulik for cocktails on the roof of Kin Toh and then have dinner on the beach at Habitas. 

Sunset cocktails in Kin Toh, Azulik

Head to Kin Toh in Azulik about an hour before sunset as it gets quite busy. The cocktail bar is like stepping into Tinkerbell and Peter Pan’s world, a complex bamboo structure with link bridges and nets connecting the different areas. Be patient as there are a lot of people taking photos as the surroundings and the views are stunning. Let’s face it, though, you will probably go wild on photos too!

After sunset, walk to Habitas (it’s less than a 15min walk) and navigate through the jungly, copal scented footpaths towards the beach.

Dinner at Moro, Habitas

The restaurant at Habitas is on the sand, just a couple of meters from the beach bar, the pool and the ocean. The ambience is summery and seductive. Take of your shoes and get a Moroccan style table where you can sit on the rug and look up at the open sky (there are normal tables too if you don’t fancy sitting on the floor)…

We had dinner three times in Habitas and we loved everything we tried from the menu. The thing that I won’t forget was the octopus (which I generally like) and the pork (which I only like in Mexico -I had some in Holbox and it was amazing there too). 

After dinner you can stroll down to the beach bar which stays open until quite late for yet another toast to marvellous Mexico! 

NO 4. Morning yoga & brunch

Tulum is a wellness oriented travel destination and you will find yoga being offered in many of the hotels. There are also several yoga studios in town too.

As I explain on my blogpost about Tulum accommodation, while in town, we stayed in hotel Jungle Keva and the owner, Kendra, is also a yoga instructor who organises daily yoga classes in the hotel. Jungle Keva is a stunning place so the class was great both in terms of quality of the teaching but also of the surroundings. Non-residents are welcome and on Sundays you can combine your yoga class with delicious brunch over the communal monasterial table which will give you an opportunity to exchange travel ideas with other fellow travellers or with Kendra herself. 

A few more restaurant options for Tulum town

If you are looking for other options in Tulum town, I would recommend dropping by Encanto Cantina in Tulum town. A beautiful courtyard and delicious Mexican food will complete your sensory experience in the most delightful way. Another little gem in town is Burrito Amor for some cheap and cheerful burritos in a funky environment. 

NO 5. Mayan inspired wellness ritual & some more coffee, cocktails or local delicacies

On the note of wellness, there are plenty of activities and events that are happening in Tulum. Soundbath and meditations sessions, Mayan rituals or other wellness classes are being held in many hotels, yoga studios or spas. They are not as frequent or omnipresent as yoga classes, so you may have to research a little bit more (just google it!). However, it is well worth the effort as it will be an experience to remember and one that you would not really do in the city on Monday evening after work, would you?  

If your experience is in the morning near the beach, then I would recommend popping to Raw Love, Matcha Mama or Coco Tulum for a coffee and healthy snack. If your experience is in the afternoon, then why don’t you get an early evening table in Hartwood, Arca, Gitano or Casa Jaguar (you will probably need a reservation during dinner time). As you may already know, Hartwood is THE restaurant to go in Tulum, however, I visited during Easter and it was shut -let me know how it was if you go!

That is all from me! Hope that you will agree that these experiences and sights in Tulum are truly unique! If you haven’t done so already, have a look at my complete itinerary of our 2-week trip to Tulum and Holbox.