Tulum, Mexico, is like the jungle version of New York City in terms of activity, nightlife, and restaurants.
Tulum is one of the best places to do a workcation because you can spend the day working and then spend the nights exploring the restaurants and nightlife. The best part is that everything is within walking distance.
The restaurants go above and beyond for the presentations and entertainment. The beach clubs are full of activities, delicious drinks, and dancing. You can celebrate any occasion here. And if you’re someone like me who enjoys sparklers and celebrating their birthday every night of a vacation, it’s welcome here.
When remote working, you’re not confined to a coworking space in Tulum because plenty of the restaurants, beach clubs, and coffee shops have adequate wifi.
Keep reading for all of my recommendations for:
- Where to stay
- Where to eat
- What to do
- Where to go out
- What to wear
- Where to work
Where to stay
An important distinction to make is the difference between staying on Tulum Beach and in Tulum Town.
There are many beautiful Airbnbs and Hotels located in Tulum Town. Staying in Tulum Town will be cheaper but it’s further from the beach and you’ll need to take a taxi, rent a motorbike, or take a bike to get around. Just be aware that if you are planning to spend the majority of your time at the beach clubs and restaurants on Tulum Beach, you’ll pay more for transportation. I only stayed for one night in Tulum Town but didn’t leave the Airbnb much.
I recommend staying at Tulum Beach to get the most out of your workcation. Most of the hotels on the beach are walkable to many restaurants, beach clubs, and coffee shops. When you’re doing a workcation, it’s best to stay in the middle of the action so you don’t have to spend too much time worrying about transportation.
I recommend staying at Selina hotels because they have a coworking space. In Tulum, they have two locations: Tulum Beach and Tulum Downtown.
Where to eat
With the exception of a few lunch places, most of the restaurants I went to in Tulum had party vibes, and you could stay there all night. I recommend saying it’s your birthday at every place you go for additional sparklers!
In no particular order, here are ten places to get dinner and lunch in Tulum:
1. Ilios
This Greek Restaurant is perfect if you want to throw plates, wave napkins & sparklers, and dance on tables. I loved Ilios. The first night we stumbled on this restaurant after eating dinner at another. We sat at the bar and got a drink because the vibe was magnetic. Moments after sitting down, they gave us sparklers. We visited a second time to eat Greek cuisine and got to smash plates into a treasure chest.
2. RosaNegra Restaurant
If you have to go to one restaurant, I recommend Rosa Negra! This place is like a dinner-dance party with a great DJ and everyone getting up to dance on the tables and chairs. There’s also a specific song that once it plays, everyone in the restaurant will get a sparkler. The Latin American cuisine was just as amazing as the presentation.
3. Mamazzita
This place took Mexican Cuisine to another level. If you love to watch performances, this “Exotic Mexican Dining Experience” is an unforgettable experience. The first performer acted a story of what I understood as a traditional Mexican warrior. He used horns, masks, quick movements, and a smoke machine. Then there was a live singer. The workers encouraged everyone to dance salsa and get up on the stage area. In terms of Mexican Cuisine, I was looking for a place with Cochinita Tacos because I learned that the meat is traditionally roasted underground for 9 hours.
4. Taboo Restaurant
Like its beach club, Taboo’s restaurant is gorgeous and bohemian. I don’t remember any performances here. The Mediterranean meal was delicious. Memorably, the drinks all glowed or had some form of presentation.
5. Chambao Tulum
Chambo Kobe & Steakhouse has a chic and fun environment with hookah and a DJ. They also have the Bad Decisions Make Better Stories Tulum neon sign.
The guitarist was very entertaining. After his performance, the servers encouraged everyone to dance. Before you know it you’ll be twirled around at the center of the restaurant.
6. IT Tulum
IT Tulum is an Italian restaurant that is just as fun during the day as at night. By day, it is a chill lunch eatery with people dipping into the Cenote. By evening, it turns into a nice sit-down dinner. And by night, into night club lounge vibe.
7. La Malinche Tulum
This cute Mexican bar & grill is perfect for a quick lunch or late-night snack. They have hammocks and benches to accompany the chill vibe. They serve tacos and coconut water in the coconut. La Malinche is perfect if you’re at the beach and want to grab a quick bite.
8. Funky Geisha
The Funky Geisha is a bohemian paradise! The Asian-inspired cuisine is delicious. Be prepared to sit on pillows.
9. Raw Love
Raw Love is a Plant-Based Cafe. They have Acai Bowls, Smoothies, and other fresh foods. There are plenty of tables and hammocks to get work done here.
10. Ahau Beach Grill
Ahau is a great spot for lunch right on the beach. They serve authentic Latin American Cuisine.
What to do
Spend the day at Beach Clubs
RosaNegra Beach Club: So good we went back twice! Spend the day eating sushi, dancing, and drinking gorgeous drinks. Your work break will be doing some line dancing on the beach.
Taboo Beach Club: Taboo feels a bit more upscale. There are more cabanas.
Ahau Beach Club: While walking along the beach, we walked into this place. They had delicious fish tacos here.
Mia Beach Club & Restaurant – Guests at the Selina have access to private beach lounges. So I didn’t go down to the actual beach club that much.
Check out the Cenotes
These two places were easily accessible:
IT Tulum: Take a dip during the day. Enjoy the glow at night.
Happy Coffee: Their cenote is like a jungle. You have to walk towards the back to the deck and through the grassy area to enjoy the cenote.
Other Experiences
Azulik Sunset Experience: Azulik is a stunning place. When you get to the top of the terrace, you get a view overlooking the jungle and the ocean. Drinks and small bites were provided. We got there about 30 minutes before opening to claim our spot in line since it is first come, first serve. You can’t make a reservation here. There is also a Japanese-Mexican restaurant that we would have loved to reserve.
Tulum Jungle Gym: “A Real Flintstone Gym.” All of the equipment at this gym is made from natural materials. I didn’t do a workout here but walked past people getting their sweat on.
Where to go out
MIA/SELINA: Go here for house music.
Vagalume: Perfect for dancing under the stars in the open air.
Bonbonniere Tulum: This place is just a typical nightclub vibe with tables, hookah, and drinks.
There’s another location that we went to in Tulum but I can’t find the name of this place anywhere. It’s next to Ilios Greek.
What to wear
During the day
Bikinis and beachwear. I also would have brought a wicker tote beach bag. I used a regular canvas tote, but it wasn’t ideal to carry around my laptop, chargers, sunscreen, and other beach essentials in such a tight space. Also, wicker is very beachy.
At night
If I could change one thing about my trip, I would have worn more white outfits. However, bright, tropical colors are also great. Many groups came in matching white outfits to celebrate birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties, etc.
Can I work remotely in Tulum?
Yes! Working remotely in Tulum is surprisingly easy. There are many coworking spaces to cater to digital nomads, and almost every restaurant and beach club has wifi. Half the people I met working remotely in Tulum didn’t even book a coworking space for themselves because they didn’t need it.
Is the Internet stable in Tulum?
It depends on where you are. If you work from a coworking space, yes. But if you try to sit and work directly on the beach, expect it to be spotty depending on where you go. I found that I had to do some of my work offline and reconnect to wifi later. I also almost always ensured I was in the coworking space to take meetings.
Where to work
Coworking Spaces
Selina Cowork: This coworking space ensured had fast wifi. I took meetings with ease. I booked a hot desk for $70 for the entire week. I also used the meeting phone booth for about an hour.
The Digital Jungle: I didn’t work from here, but it’s a popular coworking space in Tulum Town.
Beach Clubs
Most of the beach clubs had wifi and some wifi extended to the beach chairs. However, some don’t have outlets so make sure to come with your laptop charged or a battery pack, like this one on Amazon.
RosaNegra Beach Club: Good wifi and seating. Your work break will include dancing and a dip in the pool or the Caribbean Sea. The only downside was the lack of outlets. Since this beach club was moderately close to Selina, I walked along the beach to charge my laptop and take meetings at the Selina Coworking space.
Taboo Beach Club: Taboo had good wifi. The seating wasn’t as apt for people needing to work but we managed.
Restaurants
Mia Restaurant: Since I stayed at the Selina Hotel, I ate breakfast and started my workday here almost every morning. There is good wifi, adequate seating, and outlets. The wifi extends to the pool too.
IT Tulum: Came here one afternoon for lunch. I don’t recall needing to charge my laptop but the wifi worked well.
Don’t walk, run to book your remote work trip to Tulum! Rarely do I ever want to go back places because there is so much to see in the world but I will go back to Tulum.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out if you need help planning your next workcation in Tulum.
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