Dreaming of Tulum, a rough itinerary

I have been planning my trip to Tulum in fits and starts since last year. My then partner and I were just about to buy tickets for a week’s vacation in June when COVID hit. Ever optimistic, we talked of pushing it back to July or August maybe, but as we all know, it was not meant to be.

Mexico has been open to tourists (by air) throughout most of the pandemic but I, personally, have not felt like it was ethically responsible to travel internationally during this time. Now, however, I will be vaccinated within the next 6 weeks and I have tickets booked for a solo trip over 5 days at the end of March.

I spent most of yesterday immersing myself in Spanish Duolingo, reading books that take place in Mexico (“Gods of Jade and Shadow” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, highly recommend!), listening to travel podcasts about Tulum, and drinking Corona. I made lots of tedious phone calls (which of my credit cards includes rental car insurance? What about no foreign transaction fees? Will my Verizon phone plan work in Mexico without purchasing an international plan? etc.) but I now feel more prepared for this trip than any I’ve taken before!

I am not huge on following a schedule while traveling, or planning out everything I’m going to do. Usually I just book my accommodations and maybe 1 or 2 adventures, then look around for recommendations and add them all to a Google My Maps and follow my whim of the day. But since this is my first time out of the US since September 2019, and my first time truly solo– without even an acquaintance to meet up with at some point– I decided to plan out my rough itinerary, which I’m happy to share here!

Saturday: Arrive in the afternoon, get a SIM card, and take the bus to my hostel (I splurged on a private room for the first first time because COVID, and also you can’t beat Mexico’s prices). After I unpack, maybe have a drink at the bar, I want to take advantage of the free bike rentals at the hostel and explore Tulum!

Sunday: Rent a car if I don’t end up doing it the first day (I originally budgeted around $150 for this and was trying to count only the days I really needed one to cut costs down, but it turns out that rentals are as cheap as $35 for 5 days!). Then, early in the morning I’ll head out to Casa Tortuga and Dos Ojos cenotes on the way to Xel-ha, an all-inclusive natural water park. It’s only $125 for all you can eat, drink (including open bar), and snorkel, plus you get an extra optional activity– I chose SNUBA, a cross between snorkeling and scuba diving I hadn’t even heard of before. The park also has ziplines, cenotes, a waterslide, and more. It may be a little touristy but it sounds like a lot of bang for your buck, it has great reviews, and I just want to jump off a cliff into the ocean, alright?

Monday: Check out of the first hostel and head to Cozumel where I plan to rent a scooter for the day thanks to this fun blog post. I’m going to spend the riding around the island stopping at beaches and bars. I also saw a surf school I want to check out though I don’t know if it’ll be the right season in March, and I’m also budgeting for a jetski rental if it looks fun. Afterwards, check into the new hostel and maybe check out the pool.

Tuesday: Drive to Coba Ruins. You can climb to the top! I plan to get there super early to beat the crowds. It’s also next to Choo-ha and Tankach-Ha cenotes which I plan to visit. Spend the rest of the day in Tulum, maybe check out the ruins there if I haven’t already (it’s only 2 miles from the hostel!).

Wednesday: My last full day, saving the best for last. Driving out early to see Chichen Itza, one of the 7 wonders of the world (as of 2000)! It is near Ik Kil cenote which I plan to visit as well.

Thursday: My flight leaves in the afternoon! I’ll probably return the rental car and try to sneak in at least one more delicious meal.

Sprinkled into all those days will be all the amazing food recommendations I have been collecting over the past year. You better believe I have a reminder set in my phone to make una reserva at Hartwood as soon as they start accepting them, a month in advance. I am no Instagram Influencer by any stretch of the imagination, but I’m still hoping to go to Raw Love and Kin Toh– the restaurant at Azulik– two places you’ve probably seen hundreds of iconic pictures from. I can’t wait for all the ceviche and tacos and Mayan cuisine. One of my favorite strategies (and just a way to stay excited about my trip) is to practice my Spanish by reading menus in advance so at least I’ll know that I’m ordering correctly if my 1.5 years of practicing Spanish proves to fail me in other ways.

They say the anticipation of the trip can bring just as much, if not more joy than when you actually take it. Dreaming about my days in Tulum have been getting me through some really hard weeks.

Vaccines, herd immunity, and spring break can’t come soon enough. I still plan to wear a mask and social distance as much as possible. I know that the vaccine is not 100% and we do not yet have all the data on the risk of vaccinated people carrying COVID, but all my plans so far have been made in pencil with fully refundable bookings should something come up before then. Considering all the people I’ve seen flocking to Tulum and Cancun throughout the pandemic, I feel at this time that my precautions are reasonable, but of course plans could change a moments notice. Either way, it gives me something beautiful to look forward to in the mean time.