New to the site

[Susan&Mike]

Hi there, can't believe I found this site!! Very excited as we are planning our first trip to Tulum in Feb. We will be there 3 days then on to Cozumel for a week to finish getting scuba certified, then will return to Tulum for another 4 nights. We are just looking into places to stay so any ideas or rather places to avoid would be awesome. We want to stay up north closer to the Abyss Dive centre as we are also in to Kitesurfing which they offer, so are looking at options close to there. Thanks for any info.:)
I guess I should say that we are looking for a cabana type place but would like a private bathroom.

[AdGuy]

Welcome to the board! :) Your trip sounds wonderful and I'm sure you'll have a great time planning it...there's a wealth of information on this board (just use the Search function) and even more knowledge from the great posters. If you can't find the answer you're looking for, simply ask...I'm sure someone will make up something!! :D

Many of the participants have been to Cozumel (twice for us) and also are scuba fans (we both SSI-certified five years ago in the States but completed are certification dives near Isla Mujeres during black-flag weather). :eek: In addition, you'll find many explorers who love to discover unknown restaurants/bars, visit local attractions, investigate ruins, take tours, explore cenotes, and uncover small towns.

We'll be down in Tulum for eight days in a few weeks. We're big-time explorers (we get bored after a couple hours in the same spot) so we should have alot to report on when we return. In the meantime, don't lurk...participate!!

Again, welcome!!!

[Gale in KY]

Welcome!
There are several really rustic cabana type places on the northern part of the beach road..pretty much cabana huts in the sand with sand floors, a bed and not much else..I personally would love this, but it is much too rustic for alot of folks. The nicest of them all, IMHO, is La Vita E Bella..which are pretty upscale, as cabanas go. La Vita E Bella has a fantastic restaurant with lots of ambiance..and as luck would have it, they are right next door to Abyss Dive Shop! They are a bit pricey, but the cabanas are very very nice.

http://www.lavitaebella-tulum.com/

Just to the south of the split with Coba Rd, but still to the northern part of the beach road there are a few cabana places..Copal,Zahra,La Conchita,and more upscale Azulik are a few, but there are quite a few more, all within a mile or so of Coba Rd. At the end of this stretch would be Zamas, trendy cabanas and a great restaurant that is very popular. The cabanas are quite cute and comfortable, but this place gets crowded and noisy at times, so I am not sure if I would want to stay there. That would really be the only downfall to Zamas though.

Copal, Zahra, Azulik
http://www.ecotulum.com/newsite/index.html

You can also see more of Azulik here
http://www.locogringo.com/tulum/azulik.html?name=Azulik

La Conchita
http://www.differentworld.com/mexico/hotels/la_conchita/pages/entrance.htm

Zamas
http://www.locogringo.com/tulum/zamas.htm?name=Zamas%20Bungalows

La Conchita doesn't have a big stretch of beach, it is on a small cove..which I like for privacy..same with Zamas..but with all the activity you have planned, you probably won't find this a problem anyway.

My top picks if price is not a big issue would be La Vita E Bella (for location and nice cabanas on a GREAT stretch of beach), La Conchita (for really nice cabanas and quiet beach cove, little extras make this place very comfortable) and of course Azulik, for those wood bathtubs and great views from the small cliffs above the water.

If price is a concern, I would have to go with Copal, Zahra or maybe even the cabanas at Luna Maya, I am not sure if these have shared or private bath though.

https://www.lunamaya-tulum.com/

Hope this helps get you started on choosing a place..where ever you stay..you can't loose..the beaches and that beautiful water all along the coast of Tulum is amazing!

[Susan&Mike]

Thanks for the replies. Actually have checked out most of the ones suggested, but is nice to hear feedback on them. We have looked into La Vita e Bella which does sound nice but is pricey. The really only requirments we want are that it has its own private bath....hot water is always nice too...bbrrrr. Have downloaded a map of all the hotels so am slowly checking them out one by one. Will get back to my searching and will no doubt have a thousand more questions. Have been reading through the previous threads and looking at all your aweome pics. Can't stress again how awesome this forum is and how glad I stumbled upon it.