3-Day Tulum Extended Weekend
Day 1 You'll See:
- Playa Paraiso
- Tulum Ruins
- Casa Jaguar
Day 2 You'll See:
- Xel-Ha
- Parque Dos Ojos
- Gran Cenote
- Oscar & Lalos Restaurant and Grill
Day 3 You'll See:
- Coqui Coqui Coba
- Explore Coba - Nohoch Mul Pyramid
Get ready for a 3-day adventure around Tulum you won’t soon forget! Tulum, located in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, is known for its amazing ruins, cenotes, and natural culture and scenery, so get ready for all the best it has to offer of each of those things!
Day 1
Playa Paraiso - Bienvenidos a Playa Paraiso, one of the best beaches in all of Tulum! Playa Paraiso may be a bit confusing to travelers who haven’t been here before, due to the fact that it is also a major local hotel and ‘beach club’ attraction. However, you do not have to lodge in the hotel or even become a member of any certain club to enjoy this beach. The ‘beach club’ simply means there are certain amenities on the beach that cost extra money, such as the chairs, cabanas, beds, massages, food, drink, etc. It is free, though, to bring your own towel and sit in the sand all day. You can even save extra by packing your own beachside picnic or alcoholic beverages.The beach itself is absolutely breathtaking, famous for its white sand and sparkling turquoise waters, a perfect intro to Tulum and to the Caribbean in general after your long flight! The wide beach sits just North of the Tulum Ruins, making your view even more exciting!
Tulum Ruins - It almost goes without saying, if you come to Tulum, you have to see the ruins! The Tulum Ruins are ‘one of the most popular Mayan archaeological sites along the Riviera Maya’, sitting atop a scenic cliff on the rocky coastline just south of downtown. The site gives way to several Templos and Castillos, each building and monument a great tribute to the pre-Colombian Mayans who called this place home as early as AD 564. The dramatic scenery of the seascape as the backdrop of these rustic ruins on the top of the cliffs makes you realize exactly why this spot is loosely translated into meaning ‘bluff facing the rising sun’. It is said that this is actually one of the only beachside Mayan civilization sites known in history! The walls of the Castillo you’ll see are 7.5 meters tall, utilized heavily during the Caste War. The wall is 3.5 meters wide and 400 meters long!
Casa Jaguar - Great food, excellent service, and breathtaking jungle scenery: that’s exactly what you will find when you visit Casa Jaguar, one of the most popular (and for a really good reason) eateries around Tulum. Casa Jaguar is literally a restaurant/bar within a garden, the concept of this eatery being to draw guests in closer to the natural environment of the state, in this case, the jungle! Find such things here as oven pizza, fresh local fish, local ingredient-filled salads, and even some of the finest cocktails in the state! Casa Jaguar brings the style and charm known around Tulum to your plate, each dish containing some of the freshest and most delicious Yucatan foods you’ll ever eat. Try the Tuna Tostada or Ceviche as you enjoy the ambiance of the inviting fire oven and classically beautiful rod iron doors, all of these small elements contrasting in the most pleasant way with the surrounding jungle scenery.
Day 2
Xel-Ha - We aren’t lying when we say that this attraction is one of the most exciting in all of Xel-ha-inlet Quintana Roo, a perfect itinerary-filler for groups looking for adventure outside of the ruins! Xel-Ha is an aquatic theme park located in the heart of the Riviera Maya that holds just as much fun as it does authentic cultural history. Xel-Ha translates into the Mayan phrase ‘where the water is born’, representing both the breathtaking beauty of the natural aquatic setting found here and the religious background of the Mayan people, who used the waters here for baptism purposes. Inside Xel-Ha you will find so many activities you’re going to want to do, you may want to come back tomorrow! Take a deep breath, because here comes the list of attractions you can take part in inside: snorkeling, river touring, cave exploring, cliff climbing, tret pachanga, zip lining, zip biking, kite flying, swimming with dolphins, grotto and mangrove discovery, jungle trailing, garden viewing, crossing the floating bridge, visiting the Melipanary, and last but not least, eating delicious food!
Parque Dos Ojos - Bienvenidos a la Parque Dos Ojos, one of the most highly visited cenotes in all of Quintana Roo. Parque Dos Ojos is located right off of Highway 307, just south of Playa del Carmen and just North of Tulum. Professionals oftentimes call Dos Ojos one of the world’s leading dive spots, due to its clear waters, phenomenal formations, and double dive opportunities. You can dive, snorkel, swim, dock, or just explore at Dos Ojos! In the entire park, you can also zip the Tirolesas, visit the Museum of the Ice Age, or even go see the Shrine of the Jaguar. There are guides, restaurants, taxi services, lockers, dive equipment, bike rentals, and even gift shopping found at Parque Dos Ojos for additional fees, as well as more cenotes to explore, such as El Pit, Nicte-Ha, and Motz-Sai-Ha. We suggest planning a few hours here, choosing one main cenote to explore, and maybe renting a bike afterward.
Gran Cenote - Gran Cenote, in particular, will show your group crystal clear waters in which you may swim, snorkel, or scuba through different cave systems in. It is considered to be a ‘big beautiful garden cenote’, a fresh, clear, and refreshing Tulum must-see. The water is a bit cooler here than you may expect, but the fish, bats and dark crevices are worth it! The outside rock wall to this pool will be blanketed in native vines and flowers, a great scenic trip to make down the small staircase from the top. This place is especially good for first-timers, providing a rope to hold on to as you explore as well as shallow spots for non-swimmers.There is a small admission fee and a snorkel gear fee if you’d like to use some, though you can always just bring your own goggles too! Directions, access, and parking are extremely easy here, and there is even an onsite corner store to find snacks, picnic goods, or refreshments at.
Oscar & Lalo Restaurant and Grill - You are most certainly going to want a hot and hearty meal after all that exploring and swimming, so we highly suggest you stop at Oscar & Lalo, a restaurant, bar, and grill that always draws in the crowds. This delicious eatery is located on Carretera Federal 307, in between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum. This spot has been serving up fantastic seafood, excellent Mexican, delicious handmade desserts, and fresh and unique cocktails with great hospitality since 1982’. The food is fresh and supported by local farmers, ranchers, and fishermen, making this an especially fresh and authentic eatery to visit. Some of the best things here are the simplest, such as the Mexican Salsa, made 4 times daily here to ensure freshness. The food, in general, is ‘incredibly versatile cuisine’, serving things such as ceviches, soup and salads, seafood, house specials, grill specials, and regional dishes. It is all beautiful and exotic, just like the decor!
Day 3
Coqui Coqui Coba - Coqui Coqui is a hotel, perfumery, and most importantly today, a highly popular local spa. This spa takes advantage of local floral scents to create perfumes and diffusible scent experiences, giving you both a highly sensory experience and a highly native experience. Each of the three different locations (Valladolid, Merida, and Coba) work to ‘enhance harmony between the mind and soul’, though they do this in different ways in each location. For example, here in Coba, you will smell the aromas of lime and menli, the local fragrances ‘reflecting the lush gardens of Coba’, though in Merida you will be greeted by the rich aroma of Tobacco. Each of the spas combine perfectly practiced techniques in massage therapy with their own intuitive touch, helping ‘renew and inspire’ you as a guest, the holistic approach to physical and mental well-being taking advantage of natural ingredient filled oils, lotions, and herbal blends.
Explore Coba -Coba is one of the least crowded yet most interesting archaeological sites to visit in all of Quintana Roo, a sprawling Mayan site that features some of the oldest and most untouched Mayan structures. The history of Coba goes all the way back to its initial building in 100 BC, though the height of its activity was seen from 400 to 1100 AD. It is unique in the fact that only a small percentage of the structures found on this site are restored, many of them not uncovered until the late 1920’s. The main pyramid here is Nohoch Mul, meaning Large Hill, totaling at 138 feet tall, or 42 meters. This is the highest in all of the Yucatan Peninsula, though there is a close second nearby by the name of Templo de la Iglesia. This, the Temple of the Church, gives guests the bonus of an incredible view of Lake Van Cantu!
