As previously described, the beaches of Tulum are beaches in the protected area and private (hotel beaches).

Private beaches of Tulum

There is no access to them. Driving into the territory of private beaches you see solid fences on both sides, which are interrupted by stores, small parking lots. The fences are not ugly, but natural style fences made of bamboo, palm trees, often resembling natural self-build.

On the first day, and we did not understand where to go, we just drove here and immediately asked the first hotel guard how to get to the beach, he said that the beach here is impossible, everywhere private areas of hotels, so we got into a protected area with beaches, but later still got to the private beaches.

How to get to the private beaches?

Life Hack #1: You need to enter the territory of any hotel and go to the beach. If they ask you where you are going, just say that your friends are here and you are going to them. Go through the hotel, the hotel beach and out to the sea. This is exactly what we did once, the guard let us through but said it was the last time.

Any hotel beaches can’t go right up to the sea line, so any hotel and any private beach has a pretty wide strip for access. Conventionally, you can lie on your towel or bedding in front of any hotel, to the hotel beach from the sea line will be at least 10 meters.

How a beach on private property works:

• road, then
• the entrance to the hotel or bungalow area and its territory, then
• the beach of the hotel or bungalow, there are benches, tables, umbrellas, then
• the sandy line of the beach, it is separated from the hotel, it can not be fenced, so you can safely sit here.

Lifehack #2: a place near the famous sculpture where you will definitely go to take pictures. So, to the right of the entrance to the sculpture there is a very wonderful boutique hotel, just walk through it to the beach. Checked so several times, not a single comment. You can park across the street, parking is 200 pesos ($12-13). The hotel has a great restroom, very nice.

Lifehack #3: the point with access to the beach, it says “Beach access”, but it is much farther away. There is a parking lot right away, but up to 10 cars can park there. On the territory there is a small camping in tents.

We got there and were asked for 300 pesos for parking, including beach chairs and use of the shower. We bargained for 200 pesos as we were told that parking elsewhere cost us 200 pesos. The guard didn’t agree, but it was our last day in Tulum and we arrived at 5pm, so after some thought he let us in for 200 pesos. Later I talked to the owner of the place and even took pictures of the entrances to leave you with the location and appearance. The owner of the private beach said that it was today that he made this price because the weather was not exactly the best, and in general he charges 300 pesos for parking and 200 pesos per person per visit, which includes showers, sunbeds and umbrellas.

Imho, 200 pesos per person is expensive, it is better to go to the protected beaches, which I actually said to the owner of the campground. He objected that everyone just want to go to the private beaches, because here is better. Imho, it’s no different, maybe even on the reserved beaches is better, and cheaper will be for sure, I share with you at the link.

Tulum’s protected beaches

This is one of the options to visit the beach in Tulum if you live in an apartment in the city limits. The best and hassle-free option if you are willing to pay money and get a great deal of comfort from your vacation.

How to get there

1.   Bike – it’s a long way, but you can do it. Imho, the bike is dangerous, there are no bicycle lanes, and you will ride on the roadway, which is not wide at all.
2.   Motorcycle – the same dangers as with a bicycle, but you don’t have to pedal))))
3.   On foot – not an option, although I read, you can pass, you will not pass, very long.
4.   By car – an option. When traveling, do not look in google navigator, he says that you can not by car. Yes, you can! I checked!

We’re going by car to the protected beaches of Tulum

Pay attention to my screen. Just get to the conventional fork, here it shows you that you have to walk, but here you will pass by car, the road is concreted and there are allowed, no prohibitions up to the turtle beach. Refer to the screen.
There are two roads to the fork, they are shown with red arrows, this is how, depending on where you stop, you will move towards the protected beaches. The blue arrow shows the movement through the reserve to the beaches.
The approximate coordinates of the police checkpoint are 20.18737, -87.44327.

At the entrance to the conservation area you will be stopped by the police-control and asked to remove many things that can be a barrier to accessing the area, including:

1.   Sound speakers
2.   Plastic bottles
3.   Fishing rods

You should not bring these with you.

Lifehack. We carried water in a plastic bottle, not because we wanted to, but it just so happened. The whole point is that the police search the trunk, but do not get into your cabin. There was a water bottle in the door of the car and the policeman just didn’t see it.

After the search you move about 800 meters and you are stopped by a “tourist patrol” who sells you tickets to visit the protected area. The cost is 62 pesos (4-5 US dollars) per person (children under 11 are free).

Next move and choose any entrance you like, there park your car and pay the parking fee, go to use the beach.

Read separately: how not to pay for parking at the reserve beach, how to get to the turtle and archaeological beaches in Tulum.

The cost of parking on the beaches of the reserve

You will be charged 300 pesos (18 – 19 US dollars) for the whole day. 

Opening hours of the beaches in the protected part of Tulum

All beaches are open until 17-00. If you don’t need sunbeds and just want to lay on the beach, you can stay longer.

Payment for an umbrella, sunbed on the beaches of Tulum, life hack

If you are going to spend the whole day on the beach, you will have no other option but to take an umbrella and sun loungers. The exception might be if you brought an umbrella with you and chairs or lounges (folding).

Lifehack. In front of any fenced beach there are 10-15 meters to the sea, which can not occupy neither the hotel nor private beach, you can safely lie there on their towels or sunbeds.

Lifehack. At WalMart or Chedrai you can buy a huge umbrella for 789 pesos (almost 50 USD) and folding chairs, about 600 pesos (about 38 USD) each. It may be cheaper than paying for sunbeds and umbrellas, if of course you will be in Tulum for a long time and are ready to carry it all on your own.

In our case, we chose Paraiso beach in the protected part, didn’t pay for parking and paid only 500 pesos a day (32 USD) for a double large sunbed and table with chairs. It was perfectly adequate for 6 of us. Read more in the publication Paraiso Beach in Tulum