Travel Tuesday: Tulum, Mexico

In keeping with the spring break theme, this Travel Tuesday’s feature is Tulum, Mexico and its surrounding areas. If you’ve picked up any travel magazine or read any travel website lately, you’ve probably noticed that Tulum is getting a lot of attention recently as a food, nature, and luxury resort destination.

Tulum is located in Riviera Maya in the Quintana Roo territory of Mexico. Situated about an hour and a half south of Cancun, Tulum is perfect for those looking for a more “adult” (aka calm) spring break getaway. There is plenty to see in and around Tulum (within 30 minutes), including sparkling white sand beaches, ancient Mayan ruins, and natural swimming holes. Unlike Cancun, the beaches aren’t stacked with high-rise flashy resorts. You’ll find more secluded, boutique hotels.

I visited Tulum in March 2012 and had a phenomenal trip. The natural beauty of the area is breathtaking and we enjoyed the serenity of the beaches.

What to Do

Tulum Ruins:
This is one of the main tourist destinations in Tulum, but it’s an absolute must-do. It’s the archeological site of a Mayan city, and it’s built on a cliff overlooking the ocean so the views will take your breath away. You can also see the Voladores de Papantla, which are men who perform a traditional Mayan routine where they spin down from the top of a high pole (kind of like a may pole).

Gran Cenote (natural swimming hole):
Gran Cenote is about 10 minutes from the Tulum ruins and it was one of my favorite things we did. A cenote is basically a natural hole in the ground that caved in to expose natural underground water. Cenotes are known for having the purest, cleanest water, so they make you shower before going in if you’re wearing sunscreen, lotion, etc. The water is fresh water and it’s crystal clear. You can swim, snorkel, or scuba in the pool. There are caves you can swim through and there are little fish and turtles but nothing that will bite ya. It was the most peaceful, serene thing I’ve ever experienced.

Coba Ruins:
These are a little further (about 45 mins from Tulum), but another neat sight to see. It’s another Mayan archeological site but it’s in a huge national park. You can rent bikes for $2 (which is what we did) and bike around the park and through the ruins. There is also a large pyramid that you can climb to the top of. (You can’t climb any ruins at Tulum or the famous Chichen Itza ruins).

Snorkel with sea turtles at Playa Akumal:
This beach about 20 minutes from Tulum is known as Turtle Beach. We went snorkeling here because I wanted to see sea turtles and it was the best snorkeling experience of my life. You can rent snorkeling equipment and snorkel close to shore, but we went out with a guide ($10 per person) who supplied equipment and took us on a boat ride farther out. We got to swim beside huge sea turtles and it was amazing. We saw about 6 total, and 3 of them were bigger than me. It’s amazing to watch them swim underwater because they’re so graceful and it looks like they’re flying. We also saw schools of tropical fish and even a few stingrays.

Where to Stay

We stayed at Al Cielo, a boutique hotel with 4 suites and 4 villas, about 20 minutes from Tulum in Xpu-Há. All of the buildings have thatched roofs and dark wood beams, giving it a natural feel. The resort is beachfront, so all we had to do was step out our door to enjoy pristine white sand and bright turquoise water. Guests can take advantage of the cabanas and lounge chairs set up on the beach.

The hotel has also gotten high regards for their culinary program, headed up by renowned chef Francisco Morales Tress. Each morning, we had fresh fruit and breakfast pastries in the open air cafe, and each night we dined on the beach on dishes such as paella, piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese, fresh shrimp, and marinated crab salad. My absolute favorite thing we ate was the ceviche of white fish, shrimp, and octopus. We literally ordered it every day on the beach as an afternoon snack served to us in our cabana. It was so fresh and flavorful, and served with homemade tortilla chips.

I would highly recommend Al Cielo to anyone looking for a quiet place to stay with great service and even better food, and Tulum for a beautiful beach vacation that can be as relaxing or as activity-filled as you want it to be.

(Keep in mind most of the prices on these linked sites are in pesos, so things aren’t expensive as you might think at first! For example, right now 100 Mexican pesos is about $6.50.)

Travel Tuesday: Best Restaurants in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach

Orange Beach, Alabama

Breaking news: Alabama has a coast with beaches. You would be surprised at how many people don’t know this and have actually said to me, “Wait, Alabama has a coast?” I knew Alabama had beaches, but never thought much about them growing up (I grew up in NC), but once I moved down here I realized we actually have some pretty beautiful beaches.

The 50 miles of Alabama shoreline butt up to Florida’s Emerald Coast, which as you know, has some of the most beautiful beaches (Destin, anyone?). But since we’re right next to it, we get those same beauty benefits. With white sand and blue-green water, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are definitely worth a visit. And with spring break coming up, it’s the perfect excuse to book a trip to the Gulf Coast.

I went to Orange Beach again just recently and decided it was about time I made a list of the best beach eats down there. Orange Beach and Gulf Shores are right next to each other, so I’m including places at both.

Best Fried Seafood
Mikee’s in Gulf Shores has the best fried shrimp in the area. They are served to you steaming hot from the fryer (I know this because of the temperature, duh, but also because our waiter told us it would take a little longer since they fry them fresh). I appreciate this. I would much rather wait a few more minutes (and honestly it doesn’t take long at all) then eat soggy shrimp that has been sitting out for a while. The breading at Mikee’s is also perfect. It full coats the shrimp but isn’t overwhelmingly heavy. I hate when the breading is crumbly and falling off the shrimp or too heavy. Mikee’s is not like that. AND you can do all-you-can-eat fried shrimp, catfish, or whitefish and it’s only like $3 more than the regular platter.

Pro Tip: Ask for a side of the tartar sauce. It’s by request only since it’s homemade.

Best Sushi and Best Happy Hour
Cosmo’s in Orange Beach is a fabulous restaurant for sushi and/or a nice dinner of steak or seafood. We went for sushi and ordered some appetizers as well. For appetizers, the Firecracker Shrimp is a must. The shrimp are fried and tossed in a spicy remoulade sauce. We also had the crab cakes with a roasted yellow pepper aoili and remoulade. Also delicious. For sushi, we got a Philly Roll, Shrimp Roll, and Volcano Roll. The Shrimp and Philly Rolls were extremely fresh tasting and also the perfect bite size (I hate huge sushi pieces). But the Volcano Roll is what steals the show. Topped with a spicy krab salad, the roll comes out looking unlike anything you’ve ever seen. But once you pull a piece off, you have a warm, flavorful roll filled with tuna, red pepper, and asparagus. The krab salad is what makes it though. It was so, so good. I literally crave it every day now.

Pro Tip: Go for happy hour. Certain appetizers and sushi rolls are $5, and it’s $1 off all other sushi rolls.

Best Bushwacker and Royal Red Shrimp
One of the most popular places down on the Gulf coast is the Florabama, the bar that sits on the Florida-Alabama line. It’s a dive bar, but they have the best Bushwackers on the coast and some damn good Royal Red Shrimp. You’re probably wondering what both of these things are if you’re not from the area. A Bushwacker is basically an alcoholic milkshake commonly made with Kahlua, Creme de Cacao, rum, and cream of coconut. They are awesome, and Florabama makes them the way they should be – thick, cold, and strong.

Royal Red Shrimp are a type of shrimp only found 100 miles off the coast of Orange Beach. They were originally considered bycatch, but then someone tasted them and realized they were delicious. Their skin has a bright red color and they have a texture and sweet taste similar to that of lobster. Florabama offers them steamed and tossed in Cajun seasoning with melted butter to dip them in. They are phenomenal, and are cheaper, better, and easier to eat than one of the more famous place to get Royal Reds — King Neptune’s (who serves them with the heads on for $8 more meaning you get less shrimp since it’s done by weight).

Pro Tip: Go during the day, especially if you’re with the family. Things can get a little rowdy at night, and they charge a cash-only cover on certain nights.

Best Dessert
If you listen to one thing I tell you, make it to go get the Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie from Original Oyster House in Gulf Shores. It. Is. Out. Of. This. World. We ate it more times than we should have in one weekend. It isn’t dense like some peanut butter pies; it has a light and airy texture with the perfect combination of sweet peanut buttery filling and an Oreo crust. Get it topped with whipped cream and thank me later.

Pro Tip: One slice is big enough for two people to share. Trust me, it’s huge.

Best Breakfast
If you love a good donut in the morning, you have to check out City Donut in Orange Beach. They have a huge selection of donut flavors and you can tell they are all made fresh. We ordered a half a dozen and tried a variety of cream filled, cake, and old-fashioned donuts. The Bavarian Cream and Red Velvet were my favorite. (Disclaimer: there are obviously places to get heartier breakfasts in the area, but I just love donuts.)

Pro Tip: Go early. They often sell out of the most popular donut flavors since they make them fresh each morning.

Now take these recommendations and get a drink in your hand and your toes in the sand!