El Pollo Bronco

These guys are good. Really good. They have mastered the art of grilled chicken.

This is another one of those awesome deals on food in town (off the beach). It is no frills but super tasty food at an awesome price. You can easily eat a delish meal here for under $5 USD.

Order a whole chicken, just a half or even a quarter – whatever you’d like. They cook the chicken on a charcoal grill. The flavor of the grill along with some subtle seasoning makes for some pretty awesome chicken. And, don’t feel overwhelmed by ordering an entire chicken – they cut it up for you before you go so it is a little more manageable.

Every order comes with tortillas, rice and a great red salsa. They have a few side dishes that can be ordered as well but, honestly, I always just stick with the chicken. But, I’ve heard good things about the sides too (particularly the papa con queso).

There are a few tables outside if you would like to eat there but I think that most of their orders are take-away. (They also deliver!!!) Just know, they close at 7:00 so be sure to get there before closing time in the evenings.

If you’re downtown, these guys are easy to find. Just follow the incredible smell of chicken roasting on a charcoal grill.

Yoga Dicha

Richelle Morgan developed a love for Tulum after hosting a yoga retreat. After many trips and what was supposed to be simply an extended stay, she made the decision to plant her roots and open Yoga Dicha.  (Good for her!)

The studio is right on the main street and offers amazing classes just a little closer to those staying in town than those on the beach. You will definitely see a mix of tourists and locals getting their daily practice in at Yoga Dicha – a testament to the quality of their classes and teachers for sure.

They offer alignment-based flow, vinyasa, hatha, restorative and ashtanga classes open to all levels. They also offer private classes, teacher training programs and barre classes are coming soon too! Here’s a link to their class schedule to see for yourself: Yoga Dicha Class Schedule.

Many of their teachers are bilingual and will teach based on the majority of the class’ language preference.

Reviews for Yoga Dicha are always top notch and you can feel how much the teachers are connected to their students and the community. The place exudes good vibes in a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere. I love, love, love this!

Richelle is very active with a local charity, Help Tulum Dogs – a nonprofit devoted to helping the street dogs & pups of Tulum. Once you visit Tulum, you will understand that there is a huge need for these services. Richelle and this organization are doing really great things one pup at a time. Please check it out, Help Tulum Dogs.

If you have been to Yoga Dicha, we would love to hear about your experiences, please share how you enjoyed it in the comments below!

Namaste.

Mixik – Time To Start Shopping!

After developing an appreciation for hand crafted, local artwork in Mexico; Sally Peterson, an America from California turned ex-pat in Tulum opened Mixik (pronounced mee-SHEEK).

Mixik draws you in with the bright colors and beautiful artwork beginning with the playful sign out front and mix of items right there in the front window. When you step inside you discover bright hand-blown glasses and vases in red and orange, lime green and vibrant turquoise, much like the beautiful waters of Tulum. You will find ornate silver jewelry, Dia de los Muertos artwork, little clay skeletons in all sorts of every day settings (my husband and I picked up a bride & groom on our first trip after we got hitched), clay pottery and… my favorite… the mesmerizing beaded artwork from the Huichol people in Jalisco, Durango, Nayarit. (It is amazing – here is the link to the Wikipedia article on the Huichol artwork, worth checking out for sure.  Wikipedia – Huichol Artwork )

What makes Mixik stand out amongst all of the other shops in town is the genuine artwork. Sally takes buying trips throughout Mexico a handful of times each year to find these precious pieces and spend time with their artists.

This is not a typical souvenir shop with rows and rows of trinkets made in China and identical to the rows and rows of trinkets in the shop next door. They provide a glimpse into the true culture of Mexico and allow you to bring home a little piece of your holiday.

Throughout the years Mixik has added multiple locations and they are all easy to spot with that eye-catching sign.

If you have picked up a treasure at Mixik, please share it in the comments below. We’d love to see it!

*Photo Credit: Papaya Playa Project

Antojitos La Chiapaneca

Always our first stop in town. Always.

These guys are known for their tacos al pastor and you’ll know it the minute you walk up and see it cooking on the spit. Yes, spit.

Let’s get started with the scoop on pastor:

Pastor is a dish developed in Central Mexico and suspected to be a result of the adoption of the shawarma spit-grilled meat that Lebanese immigrants brought to Mexico. If you are familiar with shawarma or Greek gyros, you have the basic image except that pastor is made from pork rather than lamb. First the pork is marinated in dried chilies, achiote, spices & pineapple. Then it is slowly cooked with a gas flame on a vertical rotisserie (again, like the shawarma or gyros) with a pineapple on top. When ready, the meat is thinly sliced off, right onto the tortillas with a (very) large knife and a little piece of pineapple is added to the top.

This is certainly not the only thing on their menu but it is what you could consider their signature dish. Once the tacos come to your table you are able to garnish with the salsas and limes. They have an onion & cilantro mixture, a red and a green salsa. All very tasty but watch out for that red salsa… it has a way of sneaking up on you. I usually stick with the onion mixture and the green salsa. I might add just a drop of the red salsa but I’m cautious when I do. Oh – I can’t forget that squeeze of fresh lime over the top. mmm.

One other thing to note – they don’t serve beer. So, enjoy a classic Mexican Coke with your dinner and then plan another stop for cocktails after dinner. There are lots of great choices for that too!

Pastor is very popular in town and you will see it often but this place is our favorite.

Oh, and did I mention you can eat like a king for under $5 USD?

 

Yoga Shala

Okay, this one is the go-to yoga spot time and again.

They are on the beach zone but on the jungle side of the road which makes it a little more low key than some other studios along that road. Their studio is small and open air but surrounded by mesh to help keep some of the creepy crawlies out. (Cause, let’s face it, we want to be surrounded by nature but could do without the creepy crawlies.) Every time I take a class here I see geckos and iguanas which makes the experience that much more unique and memorable.

They have a very cool program that allows instructors from all over to come and stay there in exchange for teaching classes. This provides students the opportunity to experience classes outside of your normal routine and open yourself up to new learning. It’s great.

Not only is the variety fun, I have always enjoyed chatting with my instructors after class to hear about how they found Tulum, where they are from and how they are enjoying their stay.

So – if you are a yoga instructor and thinking about making a trip, this could be the perfect program for you. If you’re a yogi thinking about making a trip, I strongly recommend you check it out.

Here is the link to their website – Yoga Shala Tulum

Namaste.

*photo credit: Yoga Shala

Yoga in Tulum

Tulum has become quote the Yoga Mecca. In fact, I’d say yoga (especially yoga retreats) has fueled much of Tulum’s popularity.

I am a certified yoga instructor and currently teach in San Francisco. I love my yoga, my studio and my yogi peeps. They are what gives me a sense of home in this crazy town. But, my big city yoga is nothing like yoga in the jungle or on the beach.

There are lots of different yoga venues, styles and teachers in Tulum so no matter what you’re yoga jam is – you are likely to find it here.

Stay tuned for write ups on some of the many studios in town.

Namaste.

Ki’Bok Coffee

These days my mind is drawn to all of the places in Tulum that helped show me that Tulum is really the place for us and if we want to go for it – we can make it happen. Like I’ve mentioned before, I have a fear of commitment but… seeing others do what I am afraid of and thriving helps calm my fears even if just a little bit.

This brings me to our friends at Ki’Bok who have taken this approach head on. During the same trip when my husband and I were doing a lot of soul searching at Batey’s in the evening, without even realizing it we were doing a lot of early morning soul searching right next door at Ki’Bok!

These soul sessions were less about putting pen to paper and writing out our five year plans (we’re plan people, obviously) as it was about just absorbing the quiet mornings and tranquility that Tulum has to offer.

Our wheels really started turning when we realized that the girls there spoke english. And… more than that… they were from Northern California too! Our jaws were on the ground as they told us about how their entire family had moved to Tulum without ever having even visit! And then to buy a business and build it into a thriving (and growing – they are expanding to hotel and wine bar too!) business – simply incredible. It was a great reminder to us that if you really want to do it, you can find a way to make it happen and not only survive but thrive.

Ki’Bok has some of the best craft coffee in Tulum, friendly baristas (all family and they’re awesome) that speak English & Spanish and a really great wanderlust vibe. Sitting at the bar outside and just soaking up the entire experience is simply soul soothing.

Definitely make sure you hit up Ki’Bok next time you are in Tulum.

P.S. – Ask for the Hemmingway, you won’t regret it!

Batey’s

Any respectable blog about Tulum needs to showcase Batey’s Mojito Bar. This place is classic Tulum – great, laid back atmosphere, tasty but low key food & drinks and a patio full of expats chillin’ with live music in the background.

It is such a nostalgic place for us, the atmosphere sucks you in and convinces you never to leave this amazing town. Well, that’s what happened for us. We started seriously planning our move to Tulum right there, under the stars with a few mojitos and some locals playing tunes in the background.

Okay – enough about our wanderlust ambitions and back to Batey’s. They serve incredible mojitos with freshly crushed sugar cane straight from the sugar cane press which sits in the back of an old, brightly painted VW Beetle out front. They have live music just about every night that just adds to that fun, fresh atmosphere.

Batey’s is our favorite evening spot to hit up when we are in Tulum Pueblo. Definitely check it out next time you are in our magical town.

Salud!

(Picture proof of the life planning that can happen over a few mojitos!)

It’s Getting Serious…

I have a real fear of commitment. And I know it. I will own it and admit that where I fall short, it is often because of this very real, debilitating fear of commitment and making decisions. Decisions are incredibly difficult for me and fear of choosing the wrong thing can seem is crippling at times.

This photo is of me, on a beach in paradise the day that I made a huge commitment. It is the day that I said yes. Right there, on that beach in Tulum, I agreed to spend the rest of my life with someone amazing. I made a decision – a big one. And, lucky for me it was a very, very good decision.

My relationship with Tulum has been growing for years now. And, in the same way that I describe my relationship with my (now) husband, it has always just felt comfortable and right. I don’t speak the language, don’t fit in and am not an “ocean person” but somehow this place just fits.

I don’t really know what it all means but I think things between Tulum and I are getting serious.