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✨ Tulum Dreamscape: Our 25th Anniversary Getaway
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items Believe it or not, after 25 years of marriage, my husband and I had never been on a vacation of more than just a few days just the two of us…and all of those were fairly local (within 6 hours of home). So, we felt our 25th anniversary required someth...
Map
Sections
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🌿 Places & Activities: Adventure & Relaxation in Tulum
🏡 How We Got There & Where We Stayed: Planes, Cars & Paradise
👗 Travel In Style: What I Wore (and Carried) in Tulum
👜 Essentials & Extras: What Kept Us Comfortable
🌿 Places & Activities: Adventure & Relaxation in Tulum
Mayan ruins, cenotes, chilling with monkeys, and more—this was the ultimate mix of exploration and laid-back beach days. ALL the pictures in this section are actually from our trip! Enjoy!
Visiting Tulum Ruins was stop #1 on the first full day of our trip and it did not disappoint! It was amazing to learn more about the history in this stunningly beautiful spot overlooking the sea!
Tulum Ruins
Also on day 1, we visited the Yax Muul Cenote. An underground cave variety, it was stunning. We had an amazing guide, Jose, and he did a great job leading us through the underground wonderland. Getting the opportunity to repel into the last cave was ...
Yax Muul Cave Cenotes Expedition
We ate at Palma Central twice. We went their first with some expat friends of ours that now live in Tulum. We loved it so much, we ate there again on our final night in Tulum! It's a food truck park with dining area and playground. Options…just to na...
PALMA CENTRAL
Of course we had to visit Chichen Itza! There was no way I was going to be that close to a New 7 Wonder of the World and not visit. I definitely do not regret the experience!!
Chichen Itza
A gorgeous cenote that we visited on our day trip to Chichen Itza! It was a very different type of cenote from Yax Muul and stunning in its own right! So beautiful!
XCAJUM CENOTE
We spent our 25th anniversary swimming in the sea at Paradise Beach! It was beautiful and we shared a lunch of shrimp tacos and steak nachos at the beach bar. They were delicious!
Playa Paraiso (Paradise Beach)
This is where we ate on our anniversary evening. My hubby enjoyed a delicious burger and fries (he doesn't get too adventurous when it comes to food 😂) and I had the best burrito of my life!! It had chicken, zucchini and pesto! YUM!
BURGERITO
Of the three ruin sites that we visited, Coba was actually our favorite. It was the least ‘commercialized’ and we felt more immersed in the nature here. We loved it!
Cobá Ruins Tour
We visited AZULIK Uh May on our way back from Coba Ruins. I don't even know how to describe this place. It must be experienced to be believed. Gorgeous!! The ONLY disappointment here was that it was raining while we were there and they had some of th...
AZULIK Uh May
Yes, monkeys, but so much more! We visited this sanctuary on our last full day in Mexico (and my husband's birthday). They have so many different animals there and we got to have encounters with a monkey, a snake and beautiful Macaws. Katy, our guide...
Akumal Monkey Sanctuary
🏡 How We Got There & Where We Stayed: Planes, Cars & Paradise
From touchdown to checkout, every detail of our stay was part of the adventure!
Coba II Aldea Zama: A modern, tranquil Airbnb nestled between the jungle and the beach—our private retreat for a week of unforgettable memories. We are HUGE Airbnb fans as my husband isn't big on relying on eating out all the time when we are on vaca...
Condo in Tulum
We used credit card points to purchase our tickets from Sioux Falls, SD to Tulum, Mexico. The whole flight for both of us cost a whopping $94!
American Airlines
This was my first time renting a car outside the country and I was honestly a little nervous about it. In my research, I did read more than a few car rental horror stories, especially in Mexico. But, our experience with Hertz was great! We got a litt...
Hertz Car Rental
United Airlines got us home. Again, had credit card points to use and this leg was FREE! The hubby had a great time watching our progress home on the in-seat screen. 😊
United Airlines
We flew into the NEW Tulum airport. It opened only about 4 or 5 months before our trip! Still about a 40 minute drive to Tulum central, but way more convenient and a beautiful airport!
Tulum Airport (TQO) | Felipe Carrillo Puerto Airport
👗 Travel In Style: What I Wore (and Carried) in Tulum
Packing light but staying stylish! My carefully curated capsule wardrobe featured breezy dresses, chic swimsuits, and comfy adventure-ready outfits—perfect for exploring Tulum. I had a color scheme of navy, olive and white to help with making the pie...
I am strictly a carry on only traveler…even when I went on a two-week trip to Europe, it was this back and a backpack! I LOVE this carry on bag!!
SwissGear Sion 21-Inch Expandable Carry-On
I have a SwissGear backpack that has gone with me on EVERY trip for over a decade - for work or pleasure. I couldn't find the exact one I have (again…had it for over a decade), but this one is super similar! Mine has held up so well and you can reall...
SWISSGEAR Laptop Backpack
I got this backpack/purse specifically for this trip, but I fell in love with it so hard I couldn't help but using it before and every day after the trip! 🥰 It is SO CUTE and I love the multiple ways to carry it – backpack straps, a cute and colorfu...
Leather Backpack/Purse
I wore this dress for our anniversary dinner evening. The pictures do NOT do it justice. It was so cute, yet super comfy! The hubby was fond of it, too! 🥰
Off The Shoulder Split Beach Maxi Dress
Another pretty dress for an evening out. My husbands 49th birthday also took place during our trip and this dress was for that evening celebration.
Boho Flowy Wrap Maxi Dress
These quickly became my new FAVORITE pair of jeans…at home and in Mexico! Love the raw edge detail. They fit great and are super comfy!
Sidefeel Women's High Waisted Raw Hem Jeans
I got these in navy! Super fun, airy and cute!
Boho High Waisted Cargo Pants with Pockets
A good pair of leggings…always a must! I had a couple and loved this pair!
High Waist Leggings with Pockets
This pair of pants was flowy and fun!
Wide Leg Palazzo Pants with Pockets
I LOVED the texture on this button down…so unique!! This and my other button down in olive were so versatile and great for protecting for the hot Mexican sun!
Long Sleeve Button Down Shirt
Again, another super versatile button down with a unique texture!!
Button Down Long Sleeve Shirt
This was the perfect flowy maxi skirt!
Flowy Boho Maxi Skirt Elastic with Pockets
I had four different tanks from the same brand…all with different necklines, which was fun!
Square Neck Ribbed Tank
Cute tank #2
Crewneck Ribbed Tank
Cute tank #3
V Neck Ribbed Tank
Cute Tank #4
Button Ribbed Tank
One can't go to Mexico without a swimsuit! This one was my favorite!
One Piece Swimsuit
A nice, lightweight top.
Loose Fitted Crewneck Top
This knitted coverup was adorable! Loved it for our beach day!
Crochet Coverup
I knew we would be doing a lot of walking on this trip and I wanted something I could wear with dresses or pants…whatever. These fit the bill and were super comfortable. I walked MILES at both Chichen Itza and Coba Ruins in these sandles. I wore thes...
Arch Support Sandals
These were my travel day shoes! Currently one of my favorite pairs right now…so much so that I'll probably order another pair when these wear out!
Slip On Loafers
I like to keep things simple when it comes to jewelry. I got this necklace for the trip and love it!
S.Leaf Diamond Pendant Necklace for Women
This hat was great for protecting from the sun!!
Sun Hat with Ponytail Hole…
This was super cute under my olive button up!
Backless Twist Back Cami
I actually got this hat as a gift for earning volunteer of the year at a local animal shelter. The staff there knew of an upcoming trip to Mexico and thought this hat would be perfect! They were right! I loved it!
Coolibar UPF 50+ Peyton Fedora
👜 Essentials & Extras: What Kept Us Comfortable
From sun protection to bug defense, these must-have supplies made our Tulum adventure stress-free. Reef-safe sunscreen, quick-dry beach towels, and mosquito repellent were just a few of the essentials that kept us comfortable while exploring ruins, c...
These Turkish quick-dry towels were perfect for the beach. They are lightweight, non-bulky and absorbent!
Oversized Turkish Bath Towels
Reef-safe sunscreen is a must in Tulum and this tin sunscreen was super travel friendly!!
Badger SPF 50 Reef Safe Mineral Sunscreen
So…I was worried about mosquitos after all I read about Tulum…and I went prepared. But, we got lucky. For whatever reason, they we virtually non-existent while we were there. But the locals shared that this was unusual, so still sharing some of my fa...
Murphy's Naturals Mosquito Repellent Balm
Helps relieve the itch. Again, travel friendly!
Murphy’s Naturals Insect Bite Relief Balm
I was planning to use these on our rooftop patio…but again, we lucked out and didn't need them. I actually left them behind with a holder for future guests who might not be so lucky!
Murphy’s Naturals Mosquito Repellent Sticks
Just a cute holder for the repellent incense sticks. They are thicker than the average incense sticks, so a regular holder will not work.
Murphy's Naturals Ceramic Incense Stick Holder
I told you I was prepared! 😂 I had these, too, and we DID use these the day we went to Coba Ruins. That was the only place that the mosquitoes did seem to come out and these wipes did the trick!
Natrapel Tick & Insect Repellent Wipes