This time last year, I decided to take a solo trip to Tulum to refresh and renew my way into the new year. I booked a trip to Tulum, Mexico and a stay at Altar Tulum and at the last minute my ex whom I’d recently reconnected with, decided to come. Y’all we broke up again on the plane ride home but I really enjoyed my stay and the reflection I achieved in the jungles and beaches of Tulum. I vowed, if I could, I’d visit Tulum every January to ease my way into every New Year. Tulum has become super popular over the years but I’ve been going since before it had main roads. My first trip out of the country was to Playa Del Carmen Mexico, a few miles away. I loved the rustic feel of that small town, with one road of shops and restaurants. When I heard of Tulum, I went the first chance I could and it’s been one of those places I always visit and never tire of. I think it’s nature and the peacefulness that I crave. I feel very centered in the jungle amongst lush vegetation and my most serene self on the beach, walking the sands of the ocean. I think it’s one of the reason’s why I moved to Miami from New York City. I was seeking peace and the vitamin D from the sun didn’t hurt either. To ease into 2025, I decided to book a stay at a sister Airbnb, Liana Tulum in the little town of La Veleta.
LA VELETA TULUM MEXICO
La Veleta is a small up and coming neighborhood in Tulum Mexico about a 15 minute drive from Tulum beaches that’s home to a lot of English speaking expats. This town has super easy access to some of Tulums major attractions like Cenote Cristal and Cenote Escondido (beautiful underground water caves and sinkholes). Calle 7 Sur is a block away from both Altar Tulum, where I stayed last year, and Liana Tulum where I stayed during this trip and houses tons of super cute cafe’s, hookah lounges, boutiques, a wine store, food street vendors and everything else you can need. There are numerous taxis up and down the streets of La Veleta making it super easy to get around. We could easily hail a cab to Tulum Beach main strip for about 600 pesos ($30 USD). I have actually never stayed on the famous Tulum strip on the beach. I always find it to be a little to rowdy, loud and expensive for me and would rather stay in the jungle instead and make my way to the beach via taxi every other day. I took about $700 (14,400 pesos) out of the ATM once arriving in Cancun and that lasted the entire trip with a lot left over. We opted to fly into Cancun to avoid a layover but the Tulum Mexico airport has finally opened and now you can flight directly into Tulum instead of flying into Cancun and taking a car the hour and a half to Tulum. Our Airbnb host arranged the airport pickup and drop off for us for about $200 round trip which was paid at the initial pickup.
WHERE TO STAY, EAT & PLAY
Terreo Studio owns both Altar Tulum and Liana Tulum Airbnbs. They also own several other breathtaking Airbnbs in the area for rent. The service is amazing and the attention to detail is impeccable. I absolutely love the design of their properties as well. I definitely prefer Altar Tulum over Liana Tulum because it’s a little more spacious and southern facing for stunning light all day. But my recent stay at Liana Tulum was very relaxing. I felt as though I was up in a beautiful tree house with the birds chirping every morning. I really enjoyed the clean peaceful vibes and lighting a copal incense and hanging out on the rooftop terrace with a foot in the pool and a glass of white wine provided by the team.
When it comes to eats my favorite was Vaiven for breakfast. The French toast, huevos rancheros and dirty chai tea with oat milk were my daily breakfast favorites. I could seriously eat there every day of my life. I had cravings for this place after I tried it the last day of my previous trip. We managed to eat here every day and I don’t regret it. The service is great and the food healthy, fresh and filling. For a delicious oven pizza, head to Boccanera Pizzeria and get the pepperoni pizza. This was the best pepperoni pizza I’ve ever had. Yes, it was that good. They have seating downstairs and upstairs and it’s a lovely for a date night. For the best beachside tacos, head to Chiringuito Tulum. We spent a day at their beach club and it was nothing but amazing vibes. The Steak Tacos with mushrooms were incredible and the guacamole on point.
I honestly am out of my clubbing phase so when it comes to playing, just give me a good beach clubs with a good vibe. We tried to go to a beach club I visited last year but it was fully booked, so we walked down to Chiringuito Tulum and it was absolutely perfect. It wasn’t a scene and had a super chill vibe and we managed to get 2 beds right on the beach. They played soft music and the service was wonderful. The beach was also practically empty. And as stated above the food was out of this world. I’d actually recommend Chiringuito Tulum if you’re looking to stay in a more rustic yet calm oasis on Tulum Beach proper. I’d also recommend checking out some nearby by cenotes if you’ve never been as well as the Tulum Ruins for a fun activity.
DRESSING THE PART
Tulum’s weather is very similar to Miami. In fact, the flight is a little over an hour away to Cancun! The humidity is a lot higher though especially in the jungle. It’s cooler in the mornings and blazing hot by mid afternoon. So I suggest packing plenty of hats and sunglasses. I took my current hat favorites from Corazon and Shop Nikki Beach. I packed a few short flowing dresses that don’t cling to my body, sturdy sandals because there are a lot of dirt roads in Tulum and light makeup in the form of tinted SPF. Trust me you cannot wear a full face in Tulum because it will not last, no matter what kind of primer you have. For my travel look, I went with a pair of trousers and a light blazer being that most planes are cold and I don’t like being cold. I’ve made sure to link all of my Tulum outfits including bags on my shop.LTK account. You can follow me here to shop everything I post on YouTube and Instagram.
THE NEW YEAR 2025
Although I have so much happening and so many changes in my life right now, I’m glad that I took time to get away and get into a new environment where I could rest and be inspired. Tulum always inspires me. I feel more connected to myself after just a few days of laying around and just being. Of course, I couldn’t shut off completely because I’m currently in the final stages of closing on a brand new house in Miami Beach and that alone is pretty stressful but I’m grateful. I feel that by starting the year off calm and easy and putting myself and my mental health first, I’ve set myself up for the most incredible year of my life and I’m happy to take you all along for the ride.
Take good care and thanks for reading
Monroe
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