Posted: 12/14/20 | December 14th, 2020
Hell is a town called Tulum. enjoyed over by Mayan ruins and buttressed by the ocean, this is a place of pothole-filled streets, overpriced taxis, horrible traffic jams, and out-of-touch yuppies, celebrities, influencers, wannabe gurus, COVID deniers, and well-to-do folks seeking to “find themselves” in overpriced retreats, hotels, and bars.
It is a town where one can overhear tech deals, talk of the “the China flu,” Instagram algorithms, and an upcoming drum circle within the span of a few minutes.
I came here with very low expectations. I’d heard the stories from my friends, seen all those “influencers” on Instagram gushing profusely, read the articles, and talked to other travelers.
Tulum was an influencers paradise, which likely indicated it wasn’t mine.
But I wanted to see what all the hype was really about. maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. maybe I was just being a stubborn old goat.
Dehogy. Tulum was even worse than I had imagined.
A sleepy little town during my last check out in 2011, Tulum is now a mecca for jet-setting millennials, celebs, hippies, and spiritual types. It is a place where they come to do all the things they can do back home — but without the cost, in better weather, and with much more international people around.
It’s become another Bali or Goa: a relatively cheap retreat where a lot of people come to drop in, drop out, stay in their bubble, eat açaí bowls during the day, and party all night long. Here, in expensive beachside boutique hotels, they eat in Miami-style restaurants while listening to the current EDM music.
They aren’t in Tulum to experience Mexico. They come here for their little bubble.
I wanted to love Tulum. I kept thinking to myself, “What am I missing? What do they see that I don’t?”
Tulum isn’t all bad: the ruins, set above the beach, are immaculately preserved, there are lots of cenotes (sinkholes) to swim in nearby, the beach is genuinely world-class, and the food downtown — especially the taco stalls and seafood restaurants — are excellent.
And the design of those boutique hotels and restaurants, with their minimalist esthetic and use of wood, plants, and lights, is quite stunning. The “Tulum esthetic” as it is called is actually beautiful.
But the reason Tulum is hell is not because of that but because of the people.
There are just too numerous tourists behaving badly here, functioning as if they weren’t guests in someone else’s country. and it kept rubbing me the wrong way.
Travel is a privilege — and the people who come here don’t seem to appreciate that. a lot of are simply re-creating their own cultures rather than trying to delight in Mexican culture.
And, while I did delight in some of those bougie restaurants and beach bars, I don’t travel in buy to just re-create my life back home. I travel to experience a destination. I want to speak to locals who aren’t serving me food, eating a roadside taco stands and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and just trying to get a sense of life here.
Of course, not all travel has to be deep. often you just want a vacation. often you just want to jet off to a beach destination and drink from coconuts before going back to “the real world.”
I’m not irked by the ones that come to Tulum for that.
It’s the folks who are here long-term, feigning a deeper spiritual enlightenment and extolling the “magic” of this place, that seem hypocritical to me. They come to Tulum and pretend they are on some magical spiritual quest or here to work remote to delight in Mexico. but all they do is stick to their own Westernized bubble.
They then complain about the locals, crime (fueled by their own desire for drugs), and, in the same breath, lament things are changing — even as they’re ecstatic about a new airport and wonder where they can find a whole Foods–style grocery store. (Yes, in the expat group I joined, someone actually asked that question.)
It’s these folks, the ones who make up the majority of Tulum’s visitors, that made me hate Tulum. Especially, now, during COVID.
A lot of people come here because they know they can escape public health restrictions in their own country. In fact, a lot of the “COVID is a hoax” folks relocation here, bars are packed, and group events happen all the time. In fact, the week I arrived, Tulum had a festival called Art with Me, which became a superspreader event.
While I think there is a safe way to travel and am not in the “no movement ever” camp, I think it’s just incredibly reckless to pretend COVID doesn’t exist and go about your business. a lot of of my time was at my Airbnb, around downtown, eating at outdoor restaurants or stalls, and on the beach alone (the public beach is incredible). I got to delight in the best of Tulum away from the worst of it.
After all, the traveler is a guest in someone’s home and must treat that with respect. To fly to a place, attend events that increase the riskof COVID, act like it doesn’t exist, refuse to wear a mask, and leave the locals to deal with the consequences (or catch it and take it back home) is just a reprehensible thing to do.
***
Clearly, I’m not the yoga/burner/let’s talk about chakras kind of guy. and I have numerous pals who love Tulum and will go back over and over again. The “scene” in Tulum is simply not for me. There’s too much unsustainable development egged on by people who “care about the environment” but are all too pleased to stay in overpriced hotels that have to continuously run generators considering that the hotel zone has no infrastructure.
Years ago, I said I’d never return to Vietnam. Age and experience have shown me I was wrong to judge Vietnam so harshly on a first visit. Every place should have a second chance.
But, after seeing what Tulum has become, I doubt I’ll check out Tulum a third time. maybe if I become super-rich and can afford those bougie $800-a-night hotels or decide that, actually, drum circles really are for me.
So, dear traveler, if you’re like me and travel to learn about the country you are visiting, an extended check out to Tulum probably isn’t for you. There’s not much of Mexico to be found in the overpriced boutique hotels, expensive shops, retreat centers, or restaurants selling pizza, pad thai, açaí bowls, and juice cleanses.
Come for a quick trip to the sensational ruins, swim in a few cenotes, eat the terrific street food, dine at the hole in the wall local restaurants, delight in the amazing beach, and wander the downtown area.
Then leave and skip the rest with no regrets.
Because the rest is an unsustainable and overdeveloped hell hole of fake influencers, wannabe celebs, and people tearing down paradise.
And it’s not worth your time.
Book Your trip to Mexico: Logistical ideas and Tricks
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Use Skyscanner or Momondo to find a cheap flight. They are my two favorite search engines because they search web sites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. start with Skyscanner first though because they have the greatest reach!
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You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the greatest inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the least expensive rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.
If you do go to Tulum, stay at the Ginger Hotel. It’s a small hotel run by the sweetest family. I loved my stay there.
Don’t forget travel Insurance
Travel insurance will safeguard you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s extensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it numerous times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Safety Wing (for everyone below 70)
Insure My trip (for those over 70)
Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)
Looking for the best companies to save money With?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.
Want much more information on Mexico?
Be sure to check out our robust destination guide on Mexico for even much more planning tips!