Cabana Living in Tulum, Mexico

Drive approximately two hours south from the Cancun Airport on a single highway and you will arrive in the small laid-back Mexican city of Tulum. The drive to Tulum is a piece of cake - with the exception of a few surprising Topes (speed bumps)!

Forget your all-inclusive mega resort...you won't find any kiddie-pools, buffets, or drunk spring breakers here.  With a yoga flare, Tulum consists of small thatched roof cabanas dotting the coastline and boutique restaurants serving fresh fish that were caught the same day.

Local chefs can be seen fishing at sunset, so if you enjoy fish tacos - this is the place to be. In addition to the abundance of fresh fish and pico de gallo, visitors will find specialty restaurants that serve Argentinian and believe it or not...Italian food.  Be sure to visit the open air restaurants located on the jungle side adjacent to all the hotels. There, local chefs will whip up amazing cuisine in front of you using only fresh local ingredients. You won't find a better atmosphere than being smack in the middle of the jungle having candles as the main source of light.

Some refer to it as the Cancun 50 years ago. You won't find any high-rise hotels, only small hotels and cabanas with eco-friendly standards. I'm sure many have seen the famous Corona beach commercial, well, it was actually filmed in Tulum. So you can imagine the white powdery sand and ultra blue waters.

Tulum combines the ultimate beach vacation with a lot of Latin American culture and history. The only Mayan ruins on the Mexican Caribbean coast are located in Tulum.  For a small entrance fee, visitors can tour these thousands year old ruins. Be sure to pack beach gear because after walking through the ruins in 85+ degree weather you will need to take a dip at the beach there to cool off.

Just beyond the zona hotelera (or hotel zone) is the biosphere reserve of Sian Ka'an. Visitors can drive through the biosphere or arrange a tour to see unique wildlife in this preserved national park.

Tulum is a great alternative for people who want to escape the tourist crowd in Cancun or Playa Del Carmen. Only in Tulum you will be able to experience a true "beach front" room, open the door to your cabana and step onto the beach. That's my idea for experiencing the Caribbean.