I Spent 6 Weeks in Tulum — Here’s What It Was Really Like

I’ve been to Tulum three or four times now, but my last trip looked completely different from the others.

Instead of coming for a few days of beaches, tacos and vacation mode, I booked a two-bedroom apartment in Aldea Zama from mid July through the end of August and stayed for six weeks.

I went down alone, worked remotely during the week and had different friends come stay with me throughout the summer. By the end of the trip, my boyfriend joined me before we continued on to Playa del Carmen, then finally back home to Switzerland.

So while I technically spent six weeks in Tulum, this wasn’t a six-week vacation.

I had meetings. I cooked dinner at home. I went to the gym. I did laundry. I ordered groceries. I tried to hit 10,000 steps walking around the neighborhood.

And somewhere between normal life and having one of the most fun summers I’ve had, Tulum started feeling less like somewhere I was visiting and more like somewhere I could actually imagine living.

Here’s what six weeks in Tulum was really like — including where I stayed, what it cost, getting around, working remotely, rainy season, the absolutely terrible sargassum situation and whether I’d do it all over again.

Where I Stayed: Aldea Zama

For the six weeks, I rented a two-bedroom, two-bathroom Airbnb at Amelia in Aldea Zama.

I paid $3,415 for the entire stay, which worked out to roughly $71 per night.

For a two-bedroom apartment where I could comfortably have friends come and stay, I was really happy with that — although keep in mind that I was visiting during Tulum’s off-season, so you shouldn’t assume you’ll find the same rate at other times of year.

The building itself was adorable.

We had a rooftop pool, gym and staff that I absolutely loved. Because it was low season, the property was also incredibly quiet. There were plenty of days when I had either the gym or rooftop pool completely to myself.

The apartment also came with two bicycles, which ended up being perfect for getting around Aldea Zama.

I’d absolutely stay there again.

Why I Loved Aldea Zama

The location ended up being one of my favorite things about the stay.

Aldea Zama sits between downtown Tulum and the beach zone, so I didn’t feel like I had to choose between the two.

I could walk around the neighborhood to restaurants and cafés, bike around easily, get downtown without much trouble and still reach the beach zone when we wanted to.

It was also far enough removed from Tulum’s nightlife that home still felt peaceful.

For a longer stay, a group of friends or even a family, I’d choose Aldea Zama again.

One thing that did surprise me was the number of closed businesses around the main Aldea Zama area. I don’t know whether that was simply because I was visiting during low season or the result of longer-term changes in the area, so I won’t pretend to know the reason. It was just something I noticed.

What Working Remotely From Tulum Was Like

Most weekdays weren’t spent hopping between cenotes and beach clubs.

I was working normal hours.

Having an actual apartment instead of a hotel room made a huge difference. I could make coffee every morning, cook meals, work from home and maintain something resembling my normal routine.

The Wi-Fi was generally fine, although not perfect.

There were areas of the apartment where the signal could be spotty, and when one of my friends visited and we were both working remotely, it became noticeably slower.

If I were booking another extended stay specifically for remote work, internet speed would be something I’d ask the host about before booking.

Otherwise, I loved the lifestyle.

I’d work, use the gym downstairs and try to get around 10,000 steps walking through Aldea Zama. We’d cook fairly often, but having restaurants nearby made it easy to go out whenever we felt like it.

There was also a matcha spot nearby that we’d sometimes walk to when I wanted to get out of the apartment.

Rappi Became My Best Friend

One thing I didn’t realize before staying longer in Mexico was just how convenient food and grocery delivery could be.

Tulum has Rappi, which essentially became our version of Instacart/Uber Eats.

We ordered groceries and restaurant food through it regularly.

We even discovered a smash burger through Rappi that was so good it became one of those completely random meals I still remember.

For a normal vacation, food delivery probably isn’t something I’d even think to mention. For six weeks of actually living somewhere while working, it was incredibly useful.

The Laundry Situation Was… Humid

Our apartment had a washing machine but no dryer.

Normally, not a big deal.

In Tulum humidity?

Different story.

Clothes could take forever to dry.

Eventually, I found a local laundry service that would pick everything up, wash it and bring it back the same day. It was inexpensive enough that we started using them for things like bedding and towels rather than fighting the humidity.

It’s one of those completely unglamorous details that doesn’t make it into many Tulum travel guides — but if you’re planning an extended stay, you will care.

Getting Around Tulum Was Easier Than I Expected

Before arriving, I’d pre-booked a shuttle van from Cancún Airport directly to the apartment.

Once I was in Tulum, transportation was surprisingly straightforward.

There was a taxi stand essentially around the corner from my building, and after being there for a while we ended up getting the direct contact information for a couple of drivers.

For shorter trips around Aldea Zama, I used the bikes that came with the apartment.

And for a few days, I rented a buggy.

The buggy was easily my favorite way to get around.

It was fun, gave us much more freedom and made getting between different parts of Tulum feel like part of the experience rather than just transportation.

If I went back, I’d absolutely rent one again.

About the Beach…

Here’s the part I wasn’t expecting.

I spent six weeks in Tulum and didn’t walk on the beach once.

Not once.

We were there during heavy sargassum season, and it was bad.

You didn’t need to actually reach the shoreline to know it was there. As soon as we started driving down the long road toward the beach zone, you could smell it.

And the smell was strong enough that I had very little interest in spending my days sitting beside it.

I did go to Tantra Beach Club, which I loved, but this simply wasn’t a beach-focused Tulum trip.

Did the Sargassum Ruin Tulum?

For me?

No.

But that’s because I wasn’t coming exclusively for a beach vacation.

If your dream Tulum trip consists of turquoise water and spending every day on the sand, I personally wouldn’t choose the same time of year I did.

The nice thing about staying at Amelia was that I had a rooftop pool at home.

I also became a big fan of the rooftop pool at Hunab at Motto. Great music, food and atmosphere meant we could still have that pool-day experience without needing the beach.

I had an incredible six weeks despite the sargassum.

But if the beach were my priority, I’d plan around it differently.

What July and August Weather Was Actually Like

July and August fall within Tulum’s wetter season, so I expected significantly more rain than we actually experienced.

We got lucky.

There were occasional morning showers, but most of the trip gave us plenty of sunshine.

The bigger issue was the humidity.

It was intense.

The other issue?

Mosquitoes.

Killer mosquitoes.

Bring repellent.

Lots of it.

My Favorite Weekly Night in Tulum

One of my favorite things I discovered during the entire six weeks wasn’t something I’d found on a “Best Things to Do in Tulum” list.

A guy who worked at my building and was around my age told me about a weekly event at Palma Centro.

I believe it happened on Tuesdays beginning around 7 p.m., and after going once, we kept going back.

There was a small cover charge, and earlier in the evening you could participate in free dance lessons.

Around the venue were more than ten food trucks plus stalls selling jewelry and other local goods. There was a huge bar area, music and eventually a completely packed dance floor.

As the night picked up, there would also be local performances, including a fire dance.

It was such a good mix of people.

Locals. Tourists. People traveling through Tulum.

Over different nights there, I met people from Mexico, Germany, Canada, Africa and elsewhere.

Taco Flako was one of the food spots we particularly liked there, but Palma became about much more than dinner.

It felt social in a way that some of Tulum’s more polished nightlife didn’t.

This was easily one of my THRILL experiences.

Because recurring events can change, verify Palma Centro’s current schedule before planning your night around it.

Eating Our Way Around Tulum

Six weeks gave me considerably more opportunities to eat than a normal vacation.

We had street tacos multiple times because I will never turn down good street tacos.

Alma Verde became my favorite brunch spot.

Il Bacaro was my favorite for Italian, and I liked both locations I visited.

We ate at Escama, went to Xibak for happy hour, had Tropi Tacos, grabbed food from Asian Bodega, and I loved the brunch and underwater-inspired aesthetic at Café Maya-Xel in Aldea Zama.

Then there were all of the places whose names I’ve already forgotten, tequila tastings while wandering around downtown and random meals ordered to the apartment.

Six weeks gave us enough food experiences that they deserve their own article rather than turning this one into a restaurant directory.

→ READ NEXT: Where I Actually Ate During 6 Weeks in Tulum

Cenote Casa Tortuga

I visited Cenote Casa Tortuga twice during this stay.

The first time, four friends were visiting, so we had the front desk arrange transportation for all of us.

We had a personal guide, snorkeled and jumped from some of the higher rocks into the water.

It could get busy, but I didn’t find it so overwhelmingly crowded that it ruined the experience. There were also places to grab food, which made it easy to spend a decent amount of time there.

I enjoyed it enough that when my boyfriend joined me toward the end of my stay, I went back with him.

That’s probably the easiest way for me to explain whether I thought it was worth doing.

Tulum Nightlife During Low Season

Low season did not mean empty bars.

Places could still get packed — and incredibly hot.

We went to Santino, M Tulum and several bars around downtown, including spots near Il Bacaro in La Veleta neighborhood.

The downtown nightlife crowd felt predominantly touristy compared with Palma Centro or La Veleta, which had more of a mix.

I wouldn’t say nightlife was the purpose of my stay, but with friends coming and going throughout the six weeks, there were definitely plenty of nights out.

Did I Feel Safe Traveling Solo in Tulum?

This is obviously personal, and my experience shouldn’t be interpreted as a guarantee of anyone else’s safety.

But I generally felt comfortable in Tulum as a woman traveling alone.

I actually met around five other women who were also traveling solo, including someone staying in my building and others I met through people staying at a hostel.

I was still cautious.

I stayed aware of my surroundings and didn’t make a habit of walking around alone at night. I used taxis when appropriate and followed the same basic precautions I would when traveling elsewhere.

I had one unusual experience during the trip that made me uncomfortable, but overall, I never felt like I couldn’t enjoy Tulum independently.

And the people I met locally were genuinely some of the friendliest I’ve encountered while traveling.

Was Tulum Expensive?

Yes and no.

The beach-club version of Tulum can absolutely be expensive.

Tantra wasn’t where I went when I wanted a cheap afternoon.

But everyday life in Tulum didn’t feel nearly as expensive as its reputation had led me to expect.

Our apartment was roughly $71 per night during the low season. Laundry service was inexpensive. We cooked at home, ate street tacos, ordered groceries and mixed nicer restaurants with casual meals.

How expensive Tulum feels is going to depend heavily on which version of Tulum you’re trying to experience.

You can spend a lot of money here.

You don’t necessarily have to.

Would I Spend Six Weeks in Tulum Again?

Yes.

And that’s probably what surprised me most.

I expected to enjoy Mexico.

I didn’t expect to leave imagining what it might be like to own property there someday.

I loved the food.

I loved the culture.

I loved how friendly people were.

I loved having friends cycle through the apartment and then having quieter stretches where I was working, going to the gym and living a relatively normal life.

And somehow I loved Tulum despite spending six weeks in one of Mexico’s most famous beach destinations without actually using the beach.

Would I choose July and August again if my goal were a classic Tulum beach vacation?

No.

Would I stay in Aldea Zama again?

Absolutely.

Would I rent the buggy again?

Immediately.

Would you find me back at Palma Centro on Tuesday night?

Probably.

Six weeks was enough time for Tulum to stop feeling like somewhere I needed to race around checking things off a list.

And I think that’s exactly why I ended up loving it so much.

Xx Sylvia