Tulum. Where to stay? Zona Hotelera vs Pueblo.
Bonus: 3 other less known locations at the end.
While choosing a place to stay you might of notice that Tulum doesn't provide even accommodation areas.
Zona Hotelera and Tulum Pueblo divide Tulum into two quite different experiences, and choosing the right one might be the most important decision you need to make coming to Tulum.
Let's break it down below:
1) Zona Hotelera
As I like to describe it - a beach zone with cute private hotels, rustic boutiques, and restaurants on it. A thin line on the map that never detaches from the shore and is fully dissociated from Pueblo by a thick jungle.
Whenever someone comes to Tulum for the first time I always recommend spending at least a couple of nights in this zone. It is Mayan magic wrapped in a jungle with a scent of Carribian sea and a taste of absolute freedom. It is what makes Tulum a top destination in Mexico.
Unlike your typical resort destinations, Zona Hotelera is free from massive Hotel chains. Forget the corporate atmosphere common to huge resorts and connect to nature on a spiritual level living in little bungalows a few meters away from the sea with its small waves stroking the sand.
But everything comes at a cost.
And the cost for a night in Zona Hotelera is quite stip. During nonseason, you are looking at USD 100+ per night and all the way to USD 1,000.00+ per night, with the average price being around $200-300 USD per night. During the season, especially the Christmas holidays, don't expect anything below $400-$700 per night with an average price exceeding USD 1,000.00 per night.
There are no all-inclusive hotels, nor any restrictions on where you can go or cannot go. Walk along the beach or bike by the road - every place will be happy to accommodate you either for drinks, food, or just a good time.
2) Tulum Pueblo.
A vibrant little town with cute exceptional bars and restaurants where tourists, hippies, and backpackers blend in a lively mix with local people.
It takes just 5-10 minutes by car to drive from Pueblo to the beach, or 40 minutes biking, which in my opinion, enjoyable ride and should be part of the "What to do in Tulum" list.
Considering Zona Hotelera prices, it is not surprising that Tulum Pueblo saw a massive spike in tourism and development for several years. It is a small town, but a town nonetheless, meaning it has life beside tourism with local people attending to their choirs.
You might not be in the first row in front of the ocean, but few elements might compensate for it:
Prices.
First and foremost, Pueblo offers accommodations on par with these found in Zona Hotelera at the 10th of the cost! Cost of food in restaurants, drinks, and most everything comes at a discount in Town
Nightlife (Non-Covid time).
Yes, Zona Hotelera offers occasional night events here in there. The famous "Full moon" party at Popay Playa Project is one example. Still, it doesn't come close to the diversity that Tulum's little town has to offer.
In Tulum Pueblo, you can start your night by having the best mojito in the world at Batey - I don't recognize mojitos in other places as “mojitos” anymore. Batey’s drinks are that good - enjoying live music in an energetic, friendly, and vibrant crowd under the stars shining on you. You can then head to the club across the road and dance your legs away till late into the night . In the end, you can wrap up the night at after-hours bars accompanied by Nicola Cruz's music, copal smells, and deem lights.
These are two main areas where it comes to visiting Tulum for the first time, but there are a few other formidable mentions:
3) Little villages on Coba road.
Tired of fellow adventurers? Or maybe what you are looking for is a complete union with the jungle. Then, little houses tucked away in the jungle far from the action is what you might be looking for.
Coba road, as already implied by the name, is a road to the pyramid ruins named Coba. It is about one hour - one hour and a half away from Tulum. Somewhere in the middle few small villages host complete union with the jungle. You might even hear jaguars roar somewhere in the distance.
Small advice: this is where future action of Tulum will move
4) Aldea Zama - Area right in the middle between Pueblo and Zona Hotelera. It doesn't have the Pueblo's vibrancy as the whole zone is built for foreigners to invest and own homes. Local people do not live here. Due to its foreigners' oriented nature, It's more expensive to live in Adea Zama than in pueblo, although still cheaper than Zona Hoteleria. Even taxis have special rates when it comes to this zone.
Overall, if you are coming to Tulum for the first time, I do not recommend Aldea Zama, as it won't give you the experience of True Tulum.
Aldea Zama is a good area to invest in or buy a jungle home.
5) La Veletta - new area behind Aldea Zama. As of today, it has few excellent properties, but the zone, in general, has little infrastructure and undeveloped roads. Do not stay here if you plan to bike and you do not own a car.
La Veletta has a bright future. It will have its own new road to the beach and all necessary infrastructure to make it a little town on itself. If you have ever been on the 5th avenue in Playa Del Carmen, then you might picture what La Veletta might become in the future.
All the points I made above make La Veletta a good place to invest in real estate with a big upside in the future. Think of it as investing in Playa 20 years ago. If you want to chat about investment in Tulum, contact me here.
To recap:
For a relatively small town, Tulum offers a wide variety of options to choose from when selecting a place to stay.
If you are on a budget, or the vibrancy of local life is what attracts you, Tulum Pueblo is your choice.
If you want to have a spiritual immersion right on the beachfront, with little but palms, sea, sacred fire rituals, cacao ceremonies, and ancient Mayan healing treatments, then Zona Hotelera is just for you.
If you want to surround yourself with nature only, chirping birds, roars or jaguars, and the rustle of palms consider small villas and houses on Coba road.
You have been to Tulum many times and looking for a home - Aldea Zama might be what you are looking for.
You plan to invest in Tulum and willing to wait a bit to see massive appreciation - La Velleta is your option.
Thank you for your time. For any questions related to Tulum, you can contact me using the form bellow.
Best regards,
Alex, your personal Tulum insider.