After checking out of what I think has to be the best all-inclusive resort in Mexico for kids, we made a quick jog down to Akumal Beach, halfway between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum.
Akumal Beach is gorgeous, and other people know it, too. It wasn’t too crowded, but it was popular! We met up with our friends from Live Deliberately (Discover Share Inspire), and Golden Fuel Systems (They convert diesel vehicles to run on Veggie Oil), and we had a fantastic day in the sun and sand!
Some of the group was able to snorkel into the deep and see some swimming turtles. We weren’t quite that lucky…
But how can you not consider yourself lucky when you are playing on white sands, with happy kids, and wonderful friends?
Tulum, itself, has a darling little ocean-side road with hotels and restaurants (photo below). We decided to go cheap after our expense in the All-Include resort in Playa del Carmen, so we found ourselves in a great little hotel literally just down the street from the Tulum Pyramids, Andrea’s Tulum Hotel. We only paid $500 pesos, which was much less than the places on the beach strip as well as the bare-threads hotels across the street that made me shiver in my sandals. (One word of warning, however…Andrea’s little restaurant was ridiculously expensive. We paid $120 pesos ($10-ish US) for a plate of “nachos”. Cheese, 12 chips, and some jalapenos. Ouch!)
The next morning we woke up bright and early and joined up with our friends to see the Tulum Pyramids. We were seriously tempted to get a guide, but not everyone wanted to chip in for the high cost–so we skipped it. I was a bit bummed, but had to remind myself it is tough to do a tour with kids…you have to move slower, you hear way too much info to take in, and then you are stuck on their time schedule.
Tulum was hopping with tourists. Ugh.
Giant iguanas were everywhere.
While the Tulum pyramids didn’t impress like Uxmal and Edzna Pyramids, you have to admit that the Maya certainly could pick a location. This is the view from the cliff-side where the Pyramids sit.
We walked down to the beach in another spot, and Jared was able to spot some workers handling some baby turtles.
After leaving the pyramids and walking back to our hotel we ran across some Valadores, Maya Pole Flyers, doing their “traditional” pole flying for visitors. One must wonder how “traditional” it must be, if it is now a show for tourists. But nevertheless, we enjoyed it. 
The men climb to the top of a very high pole with ropes connected to the top. They then sit on the top and turn the top open platform in circles to wind the rope appropriately. After tying themselves on they start playing music, lean backwards and fall upside down, suspended by the ropes. the entire top slowly rotates, leaving the pole flyers flying in circles as they slowly wind closer and closer to the ground.
Really, you just ought to see it to understand it. Here’s a video I took:
The next day we went to a small, quiet beach very close to the Tulum beach hotel strip. The sand was so powdery and fine…like flour!
We set up our beach canopy that we take everywhere (to hide our red-head fair skin from the sun), and relaxed while the kids had a great time! We had to avert our eyes on a few occasions to avoid seeing some nude sunbathers, as well as an old European Man stripping in direct view. Otherwise? Wow…what a perfect beach!
Tulum…you are our favorite beach place on the Eastern Mexican Coast. A bit hippie (which we like), a little bit groovy, and just plain beautiful.
Instituto Chac-Mool Spanish School has a program for kids who want to have fun and learn some Spanish at the same time. They have a year round adult program too. Our family loves the Tulum area!
We studied the Maya Pole Flyers in my Music of Mexico class because of the music that accompanies their “dance.” Fun to see on video!