Where to Stay in Tulum: Budget Beachfront Accommodation

Right off the bat, you have Paya Playa, possibly the best Beachfont Hostel in Tulum. If you are looking for a bare bones beach bungalow that will make you feel like Robinson Crusoe this is it. Paya Playa is 4 km from the town and about 5 km from the ruins. However, some of the best deals are at the end of the street, near the entrance to the Sa’an Kian Wildlife Reservation. Camping is allowed in the reservation and the small fee is paid to the ranger office at the park entrance.

On the right hand side, in front of Hotel Esmeralda K, Yoga Shala is peaceful and humble. Many rooms and bungalows cost $ 100 a night in the beachfront community of Tulum. That’s why Yoga Shala is a bargain for around $ 30 a night. The mood is rustic and intimate. Yoga Shala is in the middle of the thick undergrowth and coconut trees and the accommodations are no frills, but with a stern afterglow that makes yoga sound at 7:30 am. Yoga classes are held four times a day, which makes this an amazing budget yoga retreat. Classes are $ 5 and are held in a mosquito net studio. Bikes and breakfast are also $ 5. Yoga Shala is a relaxed posada with 10 rooms that differ in size and splendor. The staff was very friendly, the atmosphere was relaxing and the beach is right across the street. Guests also took advantage of Esmeralda K beach, so swinging in a hammock under the moon is defiantly on the agenda.

Just a little further is camping for $ 7-10 in a primitive cluster of bungalows that revolve around a cenote. The name takes me away, but it was one of the last facilities on the right before the Sian Ka’an park entrance. The campsite and bungalows are rustic and peaceful. Often times when you want to throw something in with a meal they are cooked. If you haven’t brought a tent like me, ask to rent one and they can usually find a place for you. Or throw your own in a bare patch of earth. Simple, stilted bungalows cost $ 20 a night. Or you can just fall asleep in a hammock next to a campfire.