
How To Visit Tulum With Your Baby
Written by James Kicinski-McCoy
Photography by Photography by Matt and Stevi Savage
Itching to hop the boarder and escape to the beautiful paradise that is Tulum, Mexico? Well take a number folks, so are we. Of course, it’s easier said that done, right? Tulum is out of the country, there are passports involved, and what about the kids? We could drop them off at grandma’s house for a week while we’re out galavanting the sandy beaches or we could bring them along and create some beautiful family memories. Photographers and owners of Avery House, Matt and Stevi Savage did just that, with their 20-month-old son Rhodes in tow, and are here to tell us how. Click through our useful guide below to copycat this trip.
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"We decided to take our trip just two weeks before we left and Rhodes didn’t have a passport yet, so that was first on our list. I made an appointment online with the passport agency and booked our flight before we went. When you want an expedited passport you must show proof of travel, so I printed out our tickets and took them with us, along with his application and a copy of his birth certificate. Both parents must be present with valid passports when applying for a minor, so both Matt and I made the trek downtown to the office."
Here is the website Stevi used to make an appointment in Chicago for passports.
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"You just never know if you might get pulled over or get into a wreck, so I would definitely recommend getting IDPs. They are about $30 per person (passport photo included) and we got ours at our local AAA in Chicago. There is no test, you just have to show them your valid driver’s license and they’ll issue one to you. They are good for one year in other countries, too."
For more information visit AAA.
- "Mexico does not require any vaccinations, and since we weren’t going to be inland, there is no risk of contracting malaria from mosquito bites, so we didn’t do any. Of course, it's best to check with your local physician and consider his or her advice on suggested vaccinations before traveling."
- "Our most important things we packed were our cameras (Fuji x100s with leather cover and strap, GoPro with waterproof housing, and iPhone 5), our ENO hammock and Slap Straps (we could hang it anywhere), and solar charger (great for charging our phones while camping). Next time we will definitely bring the ukelele and harmonica for some entertainment while hanging out at our tent in the mornings and evenings."
- "Rhodes was still drinking 2 bottles during the day, so I decided to bring enough milk for him the entire week, since I didn’t feel comfortable buying milk in Mexico. I packed 16 Organic Valley 8oz. whole milk cartons in our suitcase and had no problems going through customs with them. They don’t have to be refrigerated and the first day we were there we bought a small cooler, a bunch of 50-cent plastic disposable bottles and chilled a couple each day for him. We threw the bottle away after each use (I know, such a waste!) but we didn’t want to risk cleaning them out with water from the sink. We also packed a few cans of coconut milk, a can opener and some granola, mixed the granola straight into the can and we all shared that for a snack mid-day if we were hungry. We packed lots of Kind Bars, EPIC Bison Bars, Snap Pea Crisps, dried fruit, and flax crackers along with individual packets of almond butter that we mixed with bananas for Rhodes. I also brought two cartons of refried beans, which I never used, thinking that if Rhodes was being picky I could ask a restaurant to heat them up for us for him to eat. Luckily, he loved the food everywhere we went so we had no problem getting him to eat."
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"Sunscreen is a must! If you can plan your day to be under some shade between 10:30-2:30, that is definitely best because the sun is so strong and you are bound to get burned if you are out too long. We used this sunscreen and loved it.
Beware of this sunscreen/bug spray combo. It dripped into our eyes once we got in the water or started sweating and it burned so bad! I could barely open my eyes for 30 minutes and Rhodes cried."
- "Camping in the jungle means there are lots of mosquitos, but we applied and re-applied our bug spray throughout the day and weren’t too bothered by it. Rhodes didn’t get any bites at all. We used this natural bug spray and loved it. It smelled pleasant and not like bug spray at all!"
- "Lavender oil and pure aloe vera gel, which we brought from home, were life savers for us. We mixed them together each night after our showers and rubbed it on our arms, backs, legs, and faces to take out the heat from our skin from being in the sun. We also packed oil of oregano, thieves oil, and peppermint oil in case we got sick. Thankfully we never had to use them."
- "Don’t forget a flashlight or a headlamp. There are no street lights, so it gets extremely dark at night. We hung our headlamps inside of our tent to use at night and we used the flashlight on our phones for walking down the streets and on the beach."
- "Pesos are good to have. Most places accept American dollars but it is much easier and more respectable by the locals to use pesos. Plus you get your exact change back when you use pesos rather than when you use dollars."
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Turquesa
"We camped here for 4 nights in a tent in the jungle. We booked it through AirBnB and it was $40/night, breakfast included for two people (Rhodes was free). The tent was already prepared for us when we arrived with a king sized mattress, sheets and pillows. Turquesa has two outdoor showers and men’s and women’s restrooms, shared by everyone staying on the property. There are about 10 camp sites with tents that are already set up and about 10 camp sites that are empty where you can bring your own tent. Turquesa has a restaurant and bar that is open to the public and has great ratings on trip advisor. The lovers that run it opened it up in December of 2013. They moved to Tulum from Italy and worked in other restaurants and taquerias before buying the property and opening Turquesa."
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Piedra Escondida
"We stayed here the last 3 nights. The property is very small with only 4 huts, each one having a top and bottom room, so 8 rooms total. The restaurant and main office are in a separate building off to the side and there may also be some rooms for rent in the upstairs of that building, not sure. We didn’t book our room in advance, we just stumbled across the property one of the first days we were in Tulum and asked what their rate was. It was only $200/night and they ended up having vacancy later in the week so we booked it and thought it would be a nice change from camping. We loved our whole experience there but for us, we missed Turquesa and being so close to nature, seeing the birds swoop through the jungle, watching the crabs dig their holes in the ground and the simplicity of sleeping in a tent with no lights and no internet."
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Day 1: Morning
"We traveled non-stop from Chicago to Cancun. Since Rhodes was a lap child, we only needed two tickets. $385 each. We didn’t book a rental car in advance, which we would recommend because you can easily get one when you arrive. Plus, we heard from friends that they had hidden fees when they booked online. We paid $340 for 7 days of a mid-sized car rental plus insurance and a car seat. We booked with National because there was no line at their counter when we arrived at the airport."
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Day 1: Afternoon
"We drove from Cancun to Tulum, which took about an hour and a half. Rhodes napped in the car, so that was perfect. We arrived at Turquesa and checked into our tent. The staff showed us around the property and we hung our hammock and just relaxed and settled in before walking over to the beach, which was across the street. We didn’t pack beach towels or beach toys because we prefer to travel light, it’s more enjoyable for us to have less stuff. At the beach we played in the waves, took pictures of Rhodes walking in the sand and just sat and watched the water. Turquesa is right across from the Hip Hotel that has easy beach access. You can rent covered beds right on the water for $10/day and order food and drinks from its restaurant. They also have lots of shady palm trees on their property, if you need to duck in out of the sun for a while."
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Day 1: Evening
"Restaurants open for dinner at 6 p.m., so after showering we drove through Tulum to pick a place to eat. We noticed the line for Hartwood was not too long at around 5:15, so we decided to try and wait it out. We took turns standing in line for about 45 minutes, switching off with Rhodes walking up and down the street to see the different shops because he was pretty restless. We brought our Ergo Carrier (instead of a stroller) so it was easy to keep him close, especially with the narrow, busy road and cars zooming by. Sadly, we missed the cut off by only one party for the first round of seating at Hartwood and made the call to get out of line and grab a pizza down the street. This was the first moment we realized how important it was to make decisions based on what was best for Rhodes and not what we wanted to do in order for our trip to be a success. The pizza spot we chose instead was perfect for dining with kids, so we were happy we made that choice."
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Day 2: Morning
"A breakfast of coffee (Mexican or regular), yogurt, toast, and jam was included with our stay at Turquesa. They have a full menu, so you can add eggs or other things to your order if you’d like. It was delicious and we spent our morning letting Rhodes explore the property and making a grocery list. We set aside some time to go to the grocery store, which was about a 10 minute drive (not walkable) from Turquesa. We picked up things like bananas, avocados, oranges, juice boxes, chips, and other snacks, large bottles of water, a mini cooler, ice, a life jacket, and some beer. On our way back from the grocery store Rhodes napped in the car, so we drove around Old Tulum and killed some time exploring in the car and enjoying the AC!"
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Day 2: Afternoon
"We spent a few hours playing at the beach. The life jacket we got for Rhodes made it so much easier to hold him in the water by the straps and grab him quickly if he fell down from a wave. Sunscreen made his body so slippery and hard to hold, so I was glad we had it. It also helped protect him from the sun. He wore a hat most of the time and also had a rash guard that we put on him if we felt he was getting too much sun. We kept our load light when we headed to the beach so we could easily walk to a different spot down the shore if we wanted. For lunch we shared a plate of nachos from the Hip Hotel for $10."
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Day 2: Evening
"We walked around the market and had fun looking at all the handmade goods like jewelry, hammocks, blankets, baskets, and other touristy things. We had dinner at Mateo’s, which is right by the market. There were lots of large family groups at the restaurant, so it's a great spot if you have kids! We had tacos, which weren’t that great, so I wouldn’t recommend getting those. In the evenings, Rhodes was ready to crash by 7 or 7:30 p.m. and since we were sleeping in a tent with no electricity or Wi-Fi, Matt and I just sat outside our tent in the hammock, drinking beer, and looking at the stars. We were both in bed by 9:30 at the latest, which is how it goes I guess when you travel with kids. We definitely didn’t get to experience the nightlife in Tulum for this reason, but there did seem to be a lot of live music and good late night energy."
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Day 3: Morning
"The sun rose around 5:30 and when you’re sleeping in a tent there’s no escaping the sun and early morning jungle noises. Breakfast started around 7:30, so we relaxed around our tent, reading and letting Rhodes play in the rocks, which he was perfectly content with. After breakfast we went to a small cenote only half a mile down the road from Turquesa near the entrance to the Sian Ka'an Biosphere. It was about $3 per person to enter and a man that spoke no English took our money and showed us down the path to the entrance. There was no one there that morning and it was so beautiful! The clearest water and such a private, remote feeling to be there with it all to ourselves, other than a few iguanas who showed up to hang with us."
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Day 3: Afternoon
"We had lunch at Papaya Playa, which has such a cool vibe with shaded, stadium-like seating built right into the rocks that overlook the ocean. We relaxed there for a while with drinks and let Rhodes roam and explore the terrain around the property. Afterward, we let Rhodes nap in the car while we drove around and explored, which was the best place for him to sleep since it was hot in the tent mid-day. We enjoyed the downtime, too."
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Day 3: Evening
"We laid low and stayed at Turquesa for dinner. They have great Mexican food, fun music, the nicest staff who became our friends, and a great view of the stars looking up through the giant palm trees. Afterward we put Rhodes in the carrier and walked along the beach in the dark and enjoyed the cool ocean air, letting the sound of the waves lull him to sleep while we talked and held hands."
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Day 4: Morning
"After breakfast, I had an hour-long massage at Turquesa’s outdoor spa area. Matt took Rhodes to the beach and let him play (best dad award!)"
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Day 4: Afternoon
"I met Matt and Rhodes at the beach and we rented a beach bed from the Hip Hotel and camped out there the rest of the afternoon with snacks and ordered cocktails from the bar. Amazingly, Rhodes was so worn out from his morning on the beach that he fell asleep on the bed and napped there for about an hour. We dozed off a little, too."
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Day 4: Evening
"After showering and relaxing in the hammocks at Turquesa, we drove over to Old Tulum (about 15-20 minutes from Turquesa) and walked around the square, letting Rhodes play on the play ground. There were a lot of shops to explore and we came across a brand new restaurant, Encanto Cantina, that had just opened only one night before. It had a really modern style, which was a stark contrast to the other restaurants in Old Tulum. We ordered only drinks, no food, and killed some time enjoying the atmosphere there before driving back to Turquesa. There were so many other restaurants that we would have loved to have stopped at if we were kid-free, but we were all feeling pretty tired from our day at the beach, so we kept it simple and just ordered dinner at Turquesa again."
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Day 5: Morning
"We packed up our tent before breakfast and then drove to Playa Del Carmen to catch the morning ferry over to Cozumel for a little day trip. We chose to sit inside the ferry because there was air conditioning. Even though the views were nice outside, we were so glad we made that choice! Rhodes was so excited to be on a boat and stood on my lap to see out the window. It was a 45-minute boat ride and toward the very end Rhodes got sea sick and threw up on daddy. Poor guy! But as soon as we stepped off the boat he was fine and back to normal. The ferry ride was $10/adult and $6/child. There are two ferry companies that have boats that leave every hour, on the hour, so it’s easy to catch a ride."
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Day 5: Afternoon
"We spent a little time walking around Cozumel before we made a plan to take a taxi around the island. We asked the cab driver for a recommendation on a good place to hang out for the afternoon and he mentioned 'Mr. Sanchos.' so that’s where we went and it was perfect! A great restaurant and bar with something on the menu for everyone, swimming pools, beach beds, and a water park in the ocean with trampolines, rafts, and bouncy slides, snorkeling gear, and so much more for everyone in the family to enjoy. We cabbed back to the ferry early evening. The cab ride was about $15 one way for the 3 of us. We caught the 6:00 ferry back to Playa Del Carmen and then drove back to Tulum."
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Day 5: Evening
"We checked in to our new hotel at Piedra Escondida. We ordered food from its restaurant, which was delivered right to our doorstep where we relaxed in the hammock. Our porch faced the ocean and we were just steps away from it so we loved listening to the waves, which we couldn’t really hear while we were staying at Turquesa. We walked to the water and looked at stars before Rhodes fell asleep inside our room. We ordered more drinks and laid out in the hammock for a few hours."
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Day 6: Morning
"A small breakfast was also included at Piedra Escondida so after that we hopped in the car and drove to Dos Ojos Cenote, which was about 25-30 minutes away. It was $10 per person to enter. We snorkeled in the first eye first, while we watched divers come in and out of the water. The Dos Ojos (two eyes) are caves that are connected and you can snorkel or dive from one to the other. It is completely dark, so you have to have flashlights and a guide with you, but it is so amazing to see! Because we had Rhodes, we couldn’t swim between the two caves, but we walked over to the second eye after about an hour, and it was full of bats (not scary, just beautiful!) and we waded in the shallow water and took turns snorkeling around. There was a community area with hammocks where we hung out and had a picnic lunch."
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Day 6: Afternoon
"After Dos Ojos we drove straight to a beach called Xcacal that a friend had recommended to us. There is no sign off the highway for it, just a little dirt road that could easily be missed if you weren’t looking for it. When you arrive they ask for a $2 donation per person. Xcacal is actually a protected turtle sanctuary that is off limits after 4 p.m. because the turtles migrate to the beach from the jungle to lay their eggs. So cool! There are no structures or vendors on the beach, so you have to come prepared with water and snacks. You can grab sticks and palm leaves to build a fort for shade and while we were there the water was so incredibly calm that we could easily walk out in chest deep water while holding Rhodes. He loved being in the water. After Matt built our fort, he grabbed a few dried coconut halves that were laying on the beach and Rhodes played them as drums with sticks for at least an hour while Matt and I took turns snorkeling around the reef. The North part of the beach was so secluded and we hardly saw any other people while we were there—perfect for some nude sunbathing."
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Day 6: Evening
"We were so tired from our day of adventuring that we just sat by the water at our hotel and let Rhodes dig in the sand while we ate dinner. We all crashed early."
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Day 7: Morning
"Piedra Escondida has a private beach with great shaded lounge chairs and a box of sand toys for the kids. We drank coffee on the beach and slowly enjoyed breakfast, Facetimed with family, and caught up on some emails."
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Day 7: Afternoon
"Since this was our last day and we loved the Xcacal beach so much we decided to spend the afternoon there again. Xcacal beach also has a cenote, which is about a 10-minute hike through the jungle away from the beach, so we decided to explore that since we ran out of time the day before. We built another fort and wasted the day away doing absolutely nothing on the beach! Couldn’t have been more perfect."
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Day 7: Evening
"Oddly enough, we had two friend couples that were in Tulum while we were there, so we met them both at Papaya Playa for dinner and while we were there watched an amazing storm roll in over the ocean. We hung out so long that Rhodes fell asleep in the carrier. Piedra Escondida was only about a 5-10 minute walk and on our way back we took our time, listening to some of the live music along the way. Of course, after we put Rhodes down we enjoyed our last night in the hammock on our porch, listening to the ocean, reflecting on our trip, and dreaming about our next one."
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Day 8: Morning
"We left around 7:30 a.m. to drive back to Cancun for our 12:00 p.m. flight back home. Rhodes did great on the flight and spent most of his time on the plane watching all of the videos on our phones that we took during the week! We were home in snowy Chicago that evening by 4 p.m."
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