A Week Spent in Tulum, Mexico

Just like that, my spring-fling with New York had come to an end. And even though I'm comforted by the fact that we'll find ourselves back there come winter, leaving such a captivating city has left me somewhat heartbroken. So what does one do to recover from a broken heart? Head to a tropical paradise of course.

With that, our next chapter would take us to the picture-perfect paradise that is Tulum, Mexico. When it came to planning this particular part of our travels, I wanted to choose an extra special location, after all, it would be where I would come to celebrate my 30th birthday.

It was the allure of passing the day lounging on white-sand beaches that drew me to this location, and the fact that it's the smaller and less-developed alternative to its well-known neighbours, Cancún and Playa del Carmen. Here I knew I would find the solitude that I was aching for after the two months spent living in the Big Smoke.

Having grown up within a costal town by the ocean, I felt a sense of home here. The sound of the crashing waves along the beach during sunrise and sunset rejuvenated me. Tulum Beach is occupied by boutique hotels, each hotel-front has created their very own oasis along the sand of sun lounges, daybeds and cabanas, all resting under shady palm trees.

We chose Be Tulum out of the pack, a hotel so amazing I feel it deserves it's own post (here).

When we found ourselves needing a break from the sun, we would head to Tulum Beach Road where there are countless roadside bar huts, serving everything from green juices to tequila shots (why not have both?). We made our way along this strip by grabbing a bike from our hotel and hitting the road. It was quite humid during our visit, so peddling made us work up a sweat, although it wasn't anything a cold coconut couldn't fix.

As if the options of swimming in the Caribbean Sea and our hotel pool(s) weren't enough, there were also numerous cenotes (natural swimming holes) dotted around the area. Closest to Tulum is the Grand Cenote which was a mere 5-minute drive away.

Indeed Tulum is the ideal place for relaxation and retreat, but as it turns out, it's also the ideal place to reflect and give your twenties a graceful goodbye wave — ready to immerse yourself into whatever may come next.