The last time I was in Tulum, Mexico it was a sleepy, bohemian enclave with just a few places to shop or eat (outside of your hotel). You could easily snag a comfy cabana on the sand for around $50/night complete with beach beds and a mellow, laid back bar for drinks and eats.  Fast forward to the first day at my hotel, January 16, 2019:

Me (still in shock the next morning):  “What the heck happened to Tulum? Traffic jams, shops, restaurants, high prices and $100/day beach clubs?”

Manager of my hotel:  “Yeah… if it’s been a long while since you were here things have definitely changed.  It’s pretty crazy around here now.”

I had carefully planned my Riviera Maya pre-graduation journey with my 17 year old and had hyped the first part of our trip with stories of this amazing little quiet town “that you’re just going to LOVE”.  So I have to admit I started the three day Tulum part in sort of a grumpy mood. But after a delicious coffee made with roasted beans from Chiapas I realized that it was time to buck up and adjust my attitude.  After all… this was a trip that was all about creating amazing memories with my daughter, not a trip for dwelling in the past.

I chose Coco Hacienda Tulum for Mission Control based on its glowing reviews and its location.  At first I wasn’t sure that we had chosen the right spot – it is right in town, with all of the noisy traffic right outside of the entrance.  But once you enter this beautiful sanctuary you will find yourself in a place with kind people who are always eager to meet your needs, and a serenity that seems impossible. We were home.

Day one was spent walking around the hotel’s beautiful and lush grounds (it used to be a nursery) and leaning in to our jet lag.  My daughter, Ceci, took to the place right away, finding the quieter of the two pools to relax and create a watercolor painting based on something that had caught her eye.  As I relaxed on my poolside chaise, the neighbor’s cat, Ramses, jumped over the wall and snuggled up next to me as I dozed in and out. Yummy tacos and drinks were delivered to us poolside throughout the afternoon and we stayed right there until dark.

On day two we got up late-morning (ever try to rouse a teen?), grabbed two of their supplied bikes and set off for the famous Tulum ruins. We rode on the street, on the sidewalk, back on the street, (swerving to miss people, dogs and potholes) until we reached the entrance. After locking our bikes we wandered over to the kiosk and decided to hire a private guide so that we would get the full history of the ruins. I HIGHLY recommend doing this or else you probably won’t learn much about this fascinating archaeological site. 

This ancient walled city sits dramatically overlooking the beautiful blue Caribbean Sea.  When you hear the stories of what city life was like for the Maya, and as you scan the horizon and the grounds you can actually really start to picture it.  It’s absolutely gorgeous and a fabulous lesson about the Mayan culture and their stunning accomplishments.

We woke up on the third day to rain so we decided to hire a local guide to take us to one of the nearby cenotes.  The entire Yucatán Peninsula is famous for its cenotes – mysterious limestone sinkholes that are fed with underground rivers and rain. The word cenote comes from the Mayan word dzonot, which means ‘well’, and they were considered to be entrances to the underworld. These sinkholes were created over thousands of years due to soft porous limestone roofs eroding and collapsing which created entrances to these mysterious systems of passages and tunnels. 

We were taken to Dos Ojos Cenote which is one of the most famous in the area for good reason:  it is known to be at least 61 km wide and 118 m deep, making it perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving.  The first thing you’ll notice as you near the bottom of the wooden stairs is the intense, clear blue of the water which was ever-present throughout our swim. 

What is it like?  Imagine swimming through a spectacular underground landscape:  stalactites, stalagmites, roots descending from the roof down into the water, tiny fish, bats flying in front of you and streaks of light projecting down onto and through the crystal clear water.  Suddenly an island, complete with plants and rocks, appears mysteriously from the dark. The whole experience is magical.

All in all it was a fantastic mother-daughter trip and we would happily return to this destination for more exploring.  Here’s a short video of our time together…