Where to Stay in Tulum With Kids

Coming to Tulum is a trip your family will remember forever. Thankfully we know the best places you can stay in Tulum with kids. Whether you prefer a hotel on the beach or an Airbnb in town, your favorite vacation sitters will help you choose the best place. The great thing about Tulum is that most places are kid friendly!

Hotel Options

La Zebra offers world class service and you will have an amazing view of the beach. Some rooms offer the option of a plunge pool which is amazing if you have younger kiddos who are still learning to swim. It also helps them to still be able to swim, even when the sun is at its peak, because they are in the shade.

La Zebra also has a larger pool that is around 2ft deep and is a great place to play games.

Next to the open restaurant is a play area with swings and a teeter-totter, giant connect 4, and monkey bars!

Ana y Jose

Ana y Jose is wonderful and offers something most hotels don’t. Hotel suits with 2 rooms and a living room and TV. It also offers a combination of one bedroom rooms and private houses. Some of their places also have private pools.

Airbnb’s in Town/Aldea Zama

Tulum offers a wide range of options for airbnbs! We highly recommend reaching out to Justine, an Airbnb Superhost that can help you find exactly what you are looking for. She specializes in luxury condos that allow your family to have a private area all to yourself all while enjoying the pool and the magical beauty of Tulum.

Contact us for more local tips!

Best places for dinner in Tulum town (locals insights)

We love tulum, the beaches, the cenotes and of course the food! Tulum has world famous restaurants that you’ll find on every blog but our goal is to give you local insights to find restaurants that will blow your mind.

This time around we will be focusing on Tulum town.

Mestixa 

Wow wow wow the food at Mestixa. The first time I went there I talked about it non stop for days. They are self described as “an Asian and Mexican street food concept” and the combination will leave you wanting more. My personal favorite was the shrimp plate but my recommendation is to order a few dishes and share them. That way you get the enjoy the full experience. They also have great cocktails. Located right in Satelite it is a great place to go to get the same quality as the hotel zone but without all the traffic.

Cetli

Cetli is known for its amazing authentic Mexican food. Walking in is like walking into a Mexican grandmas house. The atmosphere makes you feel right at home and you will remember the food forever. To start off, we recommend the mole tasting plate. Mole is as traditional as Mexican gets. They offer mole made from chocolate, almond, and more!

They also have an appetizer plate with different types of jam and cheese served in a tiny corn husk. Again this is the type of place where you want to order lots of dishes to share. And the salads. Wow the salads. One of the most refreshing dishes I’ve had the pleasure of tasting. My personal recommendation is the chile relleno. This is a dish typically reserved for Christmas time but here we get the luxury of having it year round. It is a green pepper stuffed with beef and topped in a cream based sauce. 

Shopping for Essentials in Tulum

The magic of Tulum is it’s small quaint nature. But sometimes that quaintness makes it harder to find the things you need. Here we will breakdown the best tips for shopping for essentials in Tulum.

There are two main parts of Tulum- the town center and the hotel zone. In the town center you will find more variety and larger chain stores, as well as amazing locally owned shops. In the hotel zone you will find more boutiques and luxury items.

If you are staying at a private house or would like to buy some more toys and supplies for your kiddos a trip into town is our best recommendation.

Here we will provide options in Town. Your best options to get these products is to hail a cab or call on Tomato. A delivery service here in Tulum that will deliver for a small fee.

Town

Big Store

The Chedraui is our chain grocery store here in Tulum. It is where you will be able to find everything ranging from diapers and soccer balls to cous cous and imported wines. Since the store tailors so much to tourists and expats you’ll be able to find similar products to the ones you find at home. The other super market Super Aki is not as well stocked. If possible try to go to the Chedraui in the morning/early afternoon. After 6pm many people get off work and the store becomes very crowded and can add extra stress to your vacation.

The Chedraui also has multiple ATMs available for all sorts of different banks (HSBC, BBVA, Santander etc).

Local Shops

Our favorite local shop to buy products is Co Con. Amor. They have a great selection of products that use 0 plastic. Co Con. Amor prides itself on being one of the most sustainable places in Tulum and also a delicious vegetarian/vegan restaurant. Here you’ll be able to get your bamboo toothbrushes, peanut butter, organic shampoo and conditioners, and more!

Driving around town you will notice little shops that say “Abbarrotes.” These are mom and pop shops that sell the essentials and basics! Rice, beans, some fruits and veggies. They are an amazing way to stimulate the local economy.

In the case you find yourself in a pinch there are many pharmacies and other smaller stores that opened in the Hotel zone.

Fun Tour with the Family in Tulum

One of the things we love the most about living in Tulum is the ability to find authentic adventure experiences that the whole family will love.

Just 10 minutes outside of Tulum town there is a spectacular private property called Tankah Pueblo. Here you will be able to zipline, canoe, cliff jump, and most importantly have a delicious authentic Mayan meal prepared by the community that lives on the property.

Ziplines

You will start the day on 3 different ziplines that will allow you to explore the entirety of a zipline the size of a football field. If you’re lucky you’ll spot some turtles as you glide over crystal clear waters.

Ziplining in Tulum

Canoe

After your zip-lining adventure, you will hope into canoes and row along the peaceful waters. You’ll take a quick detour to explore the jungle canopy growing overhead before canoeing past “bird island” and then getting back to shore.

Cenotes

The first cenote you will visit will blow your mind. You’ll be able to spot some bats living in the cave, and for the brave of heart is the adventure of a lifetime. You’ll use the zip line that is set up over the cave to zip above the water and let go and fall into the refreshing waters below.

The second cenote is crystal clear and has lily pads abound. It is a fantastic place to snorkel. It also has a smaller cliff that you can get your adrenaline pumping on.

The Meal

O wow the meal you will have! It is in my top 5 favorite meals I’ve ever eaten and I’m sure you’ll feel the same. Fall off the bone chicken, pork marinated and cooked overnight, perfectly prepared rice and beans, and freshly handmade tortillas will be a meal to remember. You can accompany this delicacy with a delicious salsa. Spicy and non spicy versions available.

Booking

To book your tour we recommend one of the fantastic guides at Adventure Tour Center.

SCUBA Diving Cenotes in Tulum

Tulum is known for spectacular things, the food, the culture, the beautiful beaches but there is one thing where Tulum shines above the rest of the world and that is SCUBA diving in cenotes.

Cenotes are the entrances to the underground river system. The ancient Mayans believed that these were the entrances to the underworld. The rivers are made up of fresh water that stay at 77 degrees, no matter what the outside temperate. They are fantastic places to explore year round. Of course you can snorkel through these magical freshwater caverns but to get the full experience we highly recommend going SCUBA diving!

There are a few options that allow everyone from beginners to pros to get the most out of a scuba diving trip.

Beginner

So you’ve made it to Tulum and want to try your hand at a new skill, go out of your comfort zone, or even check something off of your bucket list. Amazing!

The best place to start is a Discover scuba dive. Here you will learn the basics and dive right in ( get it haha) to the experience.

If you absolutely love the experience, you can sign up to do your Open Water Course. With this you will be able to Scuba dive in wonderful places all over the world. Your Discover Scuba dive counts as your Day 1 of your open water course and so you just need to do the last 2 days and you will be a certified diver. That is after you take a 1 hour open book test. You can dive in magical places like Dos Ojos and Tajmaha,

Intermediate

The way to gain access to the mindblowingly incredible deep dives in Tulum is to do your advanced course. Over the course of 2 days you’ll gain experience in completing 5 adventure dives including a deep dive to 30m/99ft. Under water navigation and 3 more adventure dives in various areas.

We love diving with Adventure Tour Center and they are ready to take you exploring in a world unlike any you have seen before!

Contact us for more details about spectacular cenote diving!