North South Photography by Crystal Masters




South to Tulum


This year we decided to travel south through Quintana Roo, Mexico instead of our usual route through Nayarit. I cashed in my air dollars with WestJet and booked out on February 10th. The winter cold, rain and that West coast grey had me craving some Southern Sol. Our 5.5 hour flight routed us through Toronto, over the United States and right into Cancun. Our dear friend Patrick met up with us there, he flew in from Mexico City. For the past few years we have made our migration to Guatemala together, enjoying the same lifestyle, foods and friends makes this traveling partner a gem.



Together my daughter Crystal, Patrick and I boarded a transit bus from the Cancun airport and two and a half hours later we were in Tulum, beautiful Tulum. A Russian friend, Masha, recommended El Zapote with host Marela in the centre of Tulum as a good place to stay to get ones bearings and make a plan for how to stay on the beaches of Tulum for a reasonable price. It takes some inside info which I would love to share with you as others did for me.
We worked out some good places to eat salad, get me a rich full bodied coffee, find fresh juices and got some rest from the travel day.
My other sweet daughter has spent some time in Tulum and sent me a most helpful list of resources for a place to stay on the beach, a couple good places to eat Dawnaesque style, where to rent bicycles and snorkels, her favorite Cinote to swim in and must see spots. Trusting her judgement we took a taxi to the beach to find Los Arricifes, (the reefs) Genevieve's first recommendation. After talking with Boni the manager and dropping a few names we arranged a beach front room for 650 pesos per night, with 2 comfy beds, hot shower and a hammock on the terrace. This we later learned was a super good deal as most places along the beach front start at 150usd in this season. If you stay longer, maybe a week or more, most places are willing to deal so don't be afraid to ask.
We moved out from Tulum central to the clean white coral sand beaches lapped by warm turquoise water. Wow is a good description.
The days ahead take us away from any remnants of home on Salt Spring, rain, cold grey...except of course the plumbing problem on the home front that found me in my Tulum paradise. But somehow here in the warmth of the sun and the beauty of nature, it didn't seem like such a big deal.







El Zapote accommodations with Marela in central Tulum ranges up to 500 pesos per night for 3 people (45usd) with kitchen.

www.elzapotetulum.com
She has other room scenarios depending on your needs for different prices.




El Zapote - Mayela




Canadian airline WestJet does NOT land in the USA for those of you that prefer not to!

Flight time 5.5 hours with a short layover in Toronto. A good deal is around 340 to 360 Cdn




WestJet - SunSet






Bus from Cancun airport to Tulum is 2.5 hours with a short stop in Playa del Carmen cost: 178 pesos or about 15 us dollars per person in 2013. Buy your own ticket from the ADO bus ticket booth and ask for the direct to Tulum or you may have to switch buses in Playa.




North South Photography by Crystal Masters - Patrick and Dawna






Los Arricifes: beachfront w. 2 beds for all three of us. cost: 650 pesos per night (59$ usd)




North South Photography by Crystal Masterts