Last month, I visited Tulum, Mexico for the first time and had the most relaxing vacation ever all thanks to Nerea Tulum! I had a hosted stay with Nerea Tulum, but all thoughts in this post are my own. Nerea Tulum is a boutique hotel located about 20 minutes north of Tulum Beach and 15 minutes from Tulum town, and you can easily book a taxi at their front desk if needed. There’s also parking spots available if you choose to rent a car.
Nerea means “flowing” and it’s apparent with their infinity pool that wraps around the entire hotel. The exterior design and modern decor will give you tranquility, from the moment you step into the front lobby all the way to the private beach. There are 22 rooms total at the hotel, each designed to be a space to relax, feel fulfilled, and connect with your mental, physical, and emotional balance.
Favorite Features About Nerea Tulum
Breakfast is also included with your stay. You can get one drink (coffee, tea, espresso, cappuccino, latte, or orange juice), one appetizer, and one main dish, along with a “bread basket”. After trying everything on the menu, I definitely recommend the oat and chia pudding, or the sweet toast for an appetizer; and the baked chilaquiles with chicken, or jackfruit barbacoa burrito for a main dish. Everything is worth trying though so if you are staying there for multiple days, then definitely explore the menu! Breakfast is served from 7:00 – 11:00 AM.
The lunch/dinner, drinks, and dessert menus are also equally delicious. My favorite items were grilled garlic shrimp, and the creme brulee de cacao. The best part is that you can order anything as room service, or enjoy it at the bar or upstairs pier. Lunch is served from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Dinner is served from 6:00 – 10:45 PM.
Aside from the good food, I’d love to also mention their amazing hospitality. The staff are very friendly and many of them can speak English (so if you don’t know Spanish, don’t worry). I loved talking to them about their lives, Tulum and their favorite things to do in the city.
Things to do at Nerea Tulum
Every Tuesday and Friday morning from 7-8:15 AM, they offer a free yoga session. Guests at the sister hotel, Alea Tulum, are also welcome to attend the yoga session. No reservations needed. Simply show up and enjoy the yoga session on the dock.
You can also book a reservation for a full body massage. I didn’t get a change to experience the massage, so I’ll have to go back to update this review! You can book the reservation at the front desk.
Aside from having a private beach, and plenty of cabanas, hammocks, and seating to relax in, you can also go paddle boarding, snorkeling, and bike riding. Though the road is quite bumpy, the bike rental is complimentary and still worth the ride.
Types of Rooms
There are three building structures in a row, with a pool in between each building. According to their website, there are seven types of rooms:
Beachfront lower king, Beachfront upper king, Beachfront rooftop suite. These three types are in the building structure that’s right on the private beach.
Rooftop suite, deluxe swim up king, partial oceanview king. These three types are in both the back and middle buildings of the hotel.
Pool view king. I would assume that this room type is in the back building only.
I stayed in the rooftop suite, which was in the middle building, and it did not disappoint. The ocean view is absolutely beautiful at sunrise, and you can see the sunset casting over the jungle from behind the building.
Things To Keep In Mind
A local told us that the best times to visit Tulum is between September and January since there’s no seaweed. Otherwise, there are tons of seaweed being washed up ashore.
The restaurant bar offers so many delicious dishes, but the service can sometimes take a while. If you’re in a rush to head out of the hotel, then I suggest ordering 20-30 minutes ahead of time or skip a hotel meal.
As I mentioned earlier, the hotel is about 15-20 minutes away from Tulum Beach or the Tulum Town, so you will have to plan your day accordingly. Like I said, you can book a taxi at the front desk, and it usually takes 5-8 minutes for a taxi cab to arrive.
I’d also like to note that this is a very slow-paced destination, so if you are looking for a relaxing vacation, then booking Nerea Tulum is the best choice for you! Otherwise, I suggest booking a hotel or airbnb on Tulum Beach/in the city for a more fast-paced, lively stay.
Lastly, I strongly suggest having pesos (Mexican cash) on hand for easy tipping. If you plan to tip at the end of your stay at checkout, sometimes the tips won’t be distributed to the entire staff. Restaurant tipping is a different percentage from the hotel staff tipping (front desk, maintenance, house keeping, etc), and it often fluctuates. We spent extra time calculating the tip amount for the restaurant staff and hotel staff, so just save yourself the time and trouble by carrying extra cash.
Overall, this boutique hotel gave me the best first-time experience in Tulum, and I cannot wait to come back soon! If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.
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