After our trip to the Coba ruins and relaxing on the beach, we headed back to the room to get ready for dinner. We were lucky enough to get reservations at Hartwood during our stay, despite booking only a week in advance. Prior to dinner, we walked down to the Azulik for drinks overlooking the jungle.
The restaurant and bar is set up as a series of tables and nets hung above the jungle. While not a bar I would want to spend all night in, it was a unique experience and we enjoyed catching the last rays of sunlight in a unique atmosphere.
After drinks it was time to head to dinner. As I mentioned before, there’s only one road through Tulum which can lead to some heavy traffic at times. Because of this it took us almost 30 minutes to make the 2 mile drive to the restaurant, so plan your time accordingly.
Upon arrival at Hartwood, we had a short wait for our table before being seated. The restaurant has no fixed menu and is based on whatever is sourced for the day. Because of that the menu was presented on chalkboards for the food options, with a cocktail menu available. One item of note, during our visit the restaurant was cash only. With most places going cashless, you’re going to want to visit the ATM prior to dining.
We started with drinks and an order of the Ceviche de Quelites and the Empanadas.
For our main courses, we chose the world’s largest lobster and the filet of fish. The lobster was so large that it hung off of the plate and almost off of the table.
After our meals, we were completely stuffed and with no room for dessert, decided to take a walk down to the La Zebra, a sister hotel to El Pez, to burn off some calories.
We grabbed a cabana on the beach and we were able to relax for a bit as we practically had the whole place to ourselves. The surrounding hotel rooms had some awesome looking splash pools that put this property on our radar for a return trip.
Still full from our meal and with the weather cooperating we decided to walk back to the hotel. At some points, the road really does look like the surface of the moon. I can only imagine it’s a matter of time before they have to replace/expand it with all of the traffic.
Exhausted from a long day of exploring, we fell asleep soon after getting back to the hotel.
Summary
Tulum Beach has become a well known food spot with chefs from all over the world flocking to this tiny strip of sand. This leads to some amazing experiences in unique locations. Though, the secret is now out on Tulum and it is as crowded as ever, so be prepared. This isn’t a sleepy little beach anymore
