A Little Slice of Paradise at Ahau Tulum
Arriving at Ahau Tulum was pretty surreal.
After a long 2 hour drive from the Cancun airport, with a sleepy Evelyn in the back and two starving parents up front, we finally made it to our home along Tulum Beach for the next 5 days.
There we were, in the middle of our own little paradise. Ahau Tulum is a small boutique hotel, with only 24 rooms on the property, ranging from tiny 80 square foot bali huts to sprawling beachfront master suites. Itβs these various-sized palapas that make Ahau Tulum affordable atΒ just about any price range.
We opted for something in between – an ocean front junior suite with a large deck overlooking the beach and ocean. We kind of lucked out, because it was the last room available (aside from the bali huts) for the time weβd hoped to visit, and because we were visiting during the very lowest season, the nightly rates were within our reach.
At check-in we were greeted by Rafael, hipster glasses and all, who was the nicest guy.Β He showed us around the property as we made our way to our suite and explained the basics of our room before leaving us to ourselves. Later, any time we ran into him throughout our stay, he would be sure to say βhi baby Evelynβ in the sweetest voice. π
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Ahau Tulum is the only certified sustainable hotel in all of Tulum, and they take this commitment very seriously. For us this meant only being able to run air conditioning at night, filtered water dispensers in each room instead of plastic bottles, and furniture made entirely out of wood by local craftsmen.
Best of all, the resort sits in the midst of a completely natural setting, with the palapas built right in between the mature trees. There are no concrete sidewalks, only fine white sand paths that lead you throughout the small property. You can read more about Ahau Tulumβs sustainability efforts here.
One of the reasons we chose Ahau (aside from the gorgeous property) was for their on-site restaurant. This was important for us being that, having a baby, vacations can be unpredictable. We wanted to know we would always be able to get a quick bite to eat if Evelyn started getting hangry!
We loved how Ahauβs restaurant overlooked the beach and made for an equally nice setting for a simple cocktail, hearty breakfast, or a nice dinner. For a more informal breakfast or lunch, Raw Love Cafe, a vegan restaurant and smoothie bar, sits on the back of the property.
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Everyone we encountered from the staff was so amazing, and I have a feeling they would have literally done anything weβd asked. When our dinner plans fell through one night and Evelyn was too cranky to sit at a table, they were there to deliver room service within 20 minutes to our room. When we asked for a wine opener for a bottle weβd bought down the road, they insisted on delivering the bottle in an ice bucket to our room and opening the bottle for us.
Little things, I know, but the level of hospitality and attention to detail really made our stay feel that much more special.
Of course youβll want to venture out along the Boca Paila (the main road that runs along Tulum Beach) as well. There are plenty of restaurants and shops nearby within easy walking distance from the resort.
We didnβt bother to bring a stroller, and instead let Evelyn do a lot of her own walking (she seems to much prefer that anyway). Some of our favorites near the hotel: Canopia for breakfast, Gitano for cocktails and small plates, Las Bolas de Postre for ice cream, & Welove for a souvenir t-shirt.
Read our full guide to Tulum here!
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Evelyn wasnβt the only baby at Ahau Tulum either. On our first day, we saw another couple with a young baby, maybe only 4 or 5 months old, sleeping in a bassinet under a beach cabana. And Matt met another Californian whoβs baby girl Ava, just a couple months younger than Evelyn, felt equally cautious towards the sand and ocean.
Yes, after one day of trying to get Evelyn to play in the sand unsuccessfully, we decided not to force it, and instead played under the shade of the beach loungers whenever we visited theΒ ocean.
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If you are looking for a getaway that is not your stereotypical Mexico beach vacation, Ahau Tulum is it. Sure, you wonβt find quite the sameΒ conveniences of the massive all-inclusive resorts, but you will get to know the people and the surroundings so much more as you explore on foot.
Tulum has a much more authentic (albeit, still very tourist-driven) relaxed feel to it, and for that I look forward to visiting again someday.
Ready to book your stay at Ahau Tulum?Β I guaranteeΒ you won’t regret it!
i wanna gooooo!!!
Better start packing! If you don’t care about a tiny room, the bali huts are seriously affordable (like $72/nt during some months) and you get all the same amenities, service and are just as close to the beach as many of the other rooms.
Your pictures are utterly magnificent and I’m so jealous of this trip you posted! It’s definitely going on my list! Can I ask how you chose the vacation spot?
Thanks Danielle! We’d been wanting to do a beach vacation for awhile, but I didn’t want to just do the stereotypical resort thing. I’d seen a bunch of other travel bloggers writing about Tulum and couldn’t get over how beautiful it looked! We ended up splitting our time between Tulum and Playa del Carmen, so we got a little bit of both!
Tulum looks beautiful! I really wanted to stay in Tulum for our honeymoon, but my husband just did not want to commit to that long drive from the airport. We ended up just booking a hotel in Cancun instead, and booking a day trip to Tulum as a compromise lol. Maybe i’ll show him this post and convince him to do Tulum as an anniversary trip.
Yes! It would be the perfect anniversary trip. My husband Matt was really not feeling the driving in Mexico either…luckily I convinced him we’d be safe. π The road between Cancun and Tulum is a major highway so it’s really not too bad of a drive.
I LOVE that they run a sustainable operation! Whenever I travel it’s always the first thing I look for. It’s hard not to feel guilty about all our energy use as travelers, but this is just one more thing we can do to help reduce our carbon footprint! I’ll definitely be staying there if I ever make it to Tulum! π
Also how stinkin’ cute is your little baby Evelyn?!
Hi Jamie! Yeah, I think we’ll keep her. π
Oh my! This must be the most amazing place on earth!
Totally in love with your pictures and with this amazing idea for a getaway. Of course for me, it’s hardly a getaway since is in other side of the planet! But it’s something to add to my Bucket List π
Thanks for sharing your adventures with us π
Love from Portugal,
Joana