Shopping in Tulum

Shopping here splits cleanly in two, and confusing them wastes a lot of time. There is the practical side, where you buy groceries, sun cream and a bottle of something cold, and there is the craft and design side, where you buy things to take home.

For the practical, the supermarkets and department stores are in and around Tulum Centro, not on the beach road. Anything bought on the beach road costs several times what the same item costs four kilometres inland, which is worth knowing on your first morning rather than your last.

The craft side is genuinely good and worth some patience. Mexican artisan work in Tulum ranges from mass-produced imports to real regional pieces, and the difference is not always obvious to someone who has been in the country three days. The shops below that we rate are the ones carrying work from identifiable makers and regions rather than generic beach-town stock.

Two practical notes. Many smaller shops and all market stalls are cash only, and the nearest ATM is rarely as near as you would like. And prices in the craft shops are generally fixed rather than negotiable, unlike the markets, where some back-and-forth is normal and expected.