Pure shores: the 10 best beach hotels in Tulum

Places

Pure shores: the 10 best beach hotels in Tulum

Jump on the Riviera Maya’s sand-wagon for mezcal-laced stays, hippie-style healing or cosy couples' cocoons

Kate Weir

BY Kate Weir19 June 2023

What do beach hotels in Tulum have to offer now that the days of sharing mystical energies with small groups of like-minded hippies and shamans are long behind this popular Mexican holiday hotspot?

Well, even Tulum’s annual consumption of frozen margs can’t wash away the charms of what compelled the ancient Maya to erect their clifftop temples here, and what still draws sun-seekers to the Riviera: that glorious golden ribbon of palm-edged coast. So, load up on swimwear – we’ve rounded up the best hotels on Tulum’s blissful beach for capturing that old-as-time, toes-in-the-sand serenity.

OLAS TULUM

Sink that first sandy footprint into the private beach at Olas Tulum, a more southerly stay that offers the double-whammy scenic setting of surf-kissed white sand out front, and the mangroves, marshes and tropical forests of the Unesco-protected Sian Ka’an Biosphere as a sort of backyard.

In keeping, the hotel is also as green as can be, not only in look (there’s no tropical-modern-styled corner without a spray of palm fronds), but in attitude too: this was the first Platinum LEED-reviewed property in Mexico. It’s good news for the dolphins, manatees and big cats that live next door, and for you – because that nurturing energy of old Tulum pulses through here, with yoga sessions under coconut trees, massages to all-natural sea sounds, and even the chance to see baby turtles hatch on the beach (from May to October).

CASA MALCA

One of the restaurants at Casa Malca, a boutique beach hotel in Tulum with a chaotically chic sense of style, is called Head of a Mad Man – it’s a reference to a work by Michel Basquiat, but couldn’t be a more succinct opening salvo for a hotel that was once a hideout for Pablo Escobar and is now a curiouser-and-curiouser art-led hideaway.

Here you’ll discover giant light-bulbs dug into the sand, huge baroque frames around windows and Persian rugs covering courtyards, and highbrow Bart Simpson paintings in suites.

Art collector Lio Malca has scavenged his collection for works by Marina Abramovic, Basquiat, George Condo, Vik Muñiz, Kaws and many more, to ensure you never know quite what you’ll see next, but he’s also kept a little of that Escobar-ish decadence, with a grotto sequestered away under one of three pools and a lounge hung with multiple chandeliers.

NEST TULUM

Luxury hotel with thatched roof in front of a beach with palm trees and sunset

A boutique hotel on the beach, close enough to practically get a wake-up spritz of sea spray each morning, Nest Tulum is appropriately named – and enchanting enough to inspire a whole fairytale. Thatch is such a predominant style motif here you might think some giant quetzal had a hand in the design process, but it’s all a part of the earthy rustic offerings of this Gaia-respecting stay, alongside furnishings made by local carpenters and crocheted hammocks.

Energy is solar-powered, water is recycled onsite and guests are asked to sign the do-no-harm and leave-only-sandy-footprints Tulum Pledge before check-out.

And eco-sound excursions will only deepen your love for the leafy surrounds: hikes to seek out howler monkeys (you’ll hear them before you see them), riding a river that runs under Mayan ruins, and snorkelling in Sian Ka’ans coral reefs. Or feel as nurtured as a baby bird, with chakra harmonising and intention-setting ceremonies, and fresh mod-Caribbean meals.

ENCANTADA TULUM

Go with the vinyasa flow at the effortless Encantada, which really means the ‘nice to meet you’ its name translates to. Its palapa-thatched dwellings, hammock-strung balconies and veil-swathed beds are perhaps exactly what comes to mind when you picture a romantic break on the Riviera Maya, and recalls the early days of Tulum’s ascent, bolstered by free yoga and meditation sessions. Or perhaps a spot of sound healing and lunar and fire ceremonies for couples.

Days spent on the sand will probably provide the bulk of your serotonin boost here, but if you really want to lock down an uplift, book a five-day workshop of shamanic healing experiences or sign up for the culture lab with life drawing, photography and ceramics classes. By check-out, that ‘nice to meet you’ will be a mutual ‘very sorry to see you go’.

LA VALISE

Follow the waft of copal incense and you’ll end up at La Valise, which takes the Riviera Maya’s tropical rusticity and smooths out its edges. This stylish Tulum boutique hotel on the beach is backed by dense forest and interiors camouflaged into the surrounds using natural palapa thatching, and wicker and wood furnishings, but in sculptural shapes and arrangements straight from a Wallpaper* spread.

Laziness is encouraged here, with day-beds facing the neon-blue waters and hammocks strung hither and thither; and the spa only slows the pace, with its medicinal ceremonies and massages with native-herb-filled compresses. But, there’s yoga of all sorts and beach-cruiser bikes to borrow if you feel too slothful.

Whichever speed your day unfurls at, end it on the beach with pick-and-mix tacos and piña coladas.

HOTEL PANAMERA

When scoping out Tulum’s boutique beach hotels, you might start to think that maybe – maybe – they’ve gone a bit overboard on the woven palm fronds. We won’t lie, Hotel Panamera continues this trend, but throws in a few design intrigues – say the scarlet and white checkerboard pool tiles, minimalist rooms as beautifully staged as any white-wall gallery, and bold lemon, navy and pink stripes used to make neutrals pop throughout.

These all serve as a vibrant backdrop to buzzy hangs with rounds of watermelon margaritas, rum and mezcal shots; gatherings around the chef’s table every Thursday, and music from dawn till sundown and beyond. There’s also a beachfront co-working space, cinema screenings and a constantly refreshed arts programme, giving a cultured edge to coastal lounging.

SANARÁ TULUM

As beachside Riviera Maya sanctums go, Sanará Tulum might be the most dedicated to holistic wellness. The soothingly minimalist retreat’s name literally means ‘it will heal’, and if you ease your mind open enough you may very well find this to be true.

Give yourself over to the Sanará ‘way’, a path lined with healing crystals and scented with burning palo santo, with pit stops for chia parfaits, aloe and super-kale shots, and pizzas topped with vegan coconut cheese along the way (they’re tastier than they sound).

Days will pass in an introspective whirl of astrology readings, gong baths and biomagnetic therapy, among other Ayurvedic boosts. And if you’re worried that amounts to virtue signposts, fear not: you’ll not want for mezcal, mojitos or rum-sloshed ‘cocoladas’, and even the purest of vegans can enjoy an ice-cream or hot–fudge brownie.

ALDEA CANZUL

Honeymooners, you might have more specific needs – for example, you won’t want to share your slice of sand-dusted Caribbean Sea loveliness with anyone. You’ll want a private pool or alfresco shower so you can stay clothes- and care-free; and you might want an intimate massage or bespoke meal for two.

Aldea Canzul ticks off all these requirements with its handful of beachfront villas arranged along its own private stretch of sand. When you do leave your love nest it can be for exciting sessions of kitesurfing, temazcal steams, and aerial workouts, but the attentive concierge can help you to cocoon yourself away as needed. It’s all very romantic, but accommodating too to groups of friends and family, with these cosy-as-can-be crash-pads coming in larger sizes too.

OUR HABITAS TULUM

The Our Habitas hotel group have become a firm favourite with even the most capricious nomads for their urbane take on barefoot luxury and quasi-outdoor living.

Technically, at Our Habitas Tulum, you’ll be staying in a palapa-thatched hut, but with canvas-lined walls and tented frontages, bamboo-shielded alfresco showers and Moroccan-style outdoor lounges, you won’t feel hemmed in.

You might be in the Zona Hotelera, but this run of sandy coast is quieter, with a rocky buffer; protected from the go-wild ‘woo’ crowds, and attracting a cool-headed clientele, who might sink tequila shots, but happily spring out of bed the next day for dance-cardio, arts and crafts sessions, freediving, or voice-alchemy workshops (where you express yourself through song). Communal, colourful and chic as hell, Habitas like to refer to their properties as homes, and this certainly feels like one.

RADHOO TULUM

Strictly speaking, Radhoo isn’t a beach hotel (it’s a few steps away), but – trust us – it’s worth making that extended flip-flopped stroll to be immersed in Quintana Roo’s lush sea of jungle. Being slightly set back from the action – y’know, all that sunbathing and splashing about – makes this a breezy hangout spot, with no TVs or overt tech to interrupt sessions spent lounging in the nets strung up outside your room, or time spent coati-spotting.

It’s part of a family of stays that includes Encantada, La Valise and Nest, so if you really feel like you’re missing out on any beach fun then you’re welcome at all three; but for nature-lovers the green change of scene makes Radhoo a tempting alternative.

For more salty air and soft white sand, we’ve more Mexican stays with a beach in reach