What’s Really Happening in Tulum? Plus, Smarter Alternatives for Your Next Beach Trip

If you’ve seen images of Tulum on social media lately, you may have a tough time recognizing it. The usual crowds, chaos, and sensory overload of the Hotel Zone are eerily quiet. Beach clubs sit half-empty. Hotel lobbies lack check-ins. Restaurants have rows of vacant tables. The streets, once buzzing with bikes and scooters and sand-coated travelers, feel strangely still.

Tulum, the same destination that only a few years ago felt impossible to book without months of notice, is now shockingly calm. Not peaceful, but empty. For a place that built its identity on being the most coveted beach destination in Mexico, this sudden quiet tells a very different story. And it’s not just a feeling. Talk to taxi drivers, travel advisors, travelers, and locals – anyone who knows Tulum – and they’ll tell you the same thing: the crowds have thinned, the energy has shifted, and many travelers who once flocked to Tulum are now choosing to go elsewhere. The beaches are still stunning and the water is still electric blue, but the destination that once pulsed with life is in a moment of reckoning.

Mexico has been home for me, and I’ve watched towns across this country evolve, reinvent, and sometimes lose themselves in the process. Tulum is a place I wish had been protected more carefully — a place whose beauty deserved more thoughtful planning than it received. It didn’t have to be like this. It could have grown differently. It could have been a model.

If you’re trying to decide whether to visit (or where to go instead), this moment matters.

Why Tulum feels like a ghost town

The value equation changed

Over the last several years, hotel prices and dining costs have climbed sharply. Rooms that once felt like affordable bohemian luxury now regularly price out at high-end levels. Beach clubs are known for steep minimum spends, and taxi fares that rival major cities often take visitors by surprise. Travelers are increasingly realizing they can spend significantly less and get more in return elsewhere in Mexico.

Infrastructure never caught up

Tulum grew faster than its foundational systems. Roads are bottlenecked, power and water strain due to demand, and transportation is inconsistent and expensive. For many visitors, logistics that once felt easy now feel exhausting, especially compared to quieter destinations nearby where basic movement is smooth.

The vibe shifted

The Tulum that once felt spiritual and slow has evolved into a party-centric, trend-driven destination. For some, that evolution is appealing. For others, it creates a disconnect between the marketed image of tranquil jungle escape and the reality of high-energy nightlife and flashy brand-driven spaces. Many of the travelers who built Tulum’s early reputation are now seeking somewhere that feels more grounded.

Environmental impact

Like much of the Caribbean coastline, Tulum experiences seasonal sargassum. Some weeks are clear and sparkling; others are not. Combined with development pressure on delicate ecosystems, the environmental conditions can affect the beach experience that visitors expect.

Put together, these factors have led to a notable shift: travelers are looking elsewhere, not because Tulum isn’t beautiful, but because the experience no longer aligns with the promise.

So, should you still go to Tulum?

It depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re ideal vacation is design-forward boutique hotels, big-energy beach clubs, DJ nights, and social scene, Tulum has delivered. There are amazing properties and exceptional dining experiences. The surrounding nature (the Sian Ka’an Biosphere, the cenotes, the protected jungle) remains stunning.

But if what you crave is quiet, value, Mexican culture, and ease of access, effortless movement (the things that originally made Tulum special), this may not be the right moment. Luckily, Mexico is full of alternatives that offer what Tulum once did, without the strain.

Where to go instead: alternatives that carry the original spirit of Tulum

Bacalar

For tranquility, restorative energy, and water unlike anywhere else

Bacalar’s Lagoon of Seven Colors is one of the most breathtaking natural settings in Mexico — clear, calm, and protected. It’s the opposite of performative travel, full of sunrise swims, sailings, eco-lodges built on wooden docks, and nights lit by stars rather than LEDs. Prices are dramatically lower, and the experience feels much more intact, rather than extracted.

Puerto Morelos

For easy logistics and no-drama beach time.

Halfway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Puerto Morelos is a fishing village-turned-laid-back town that keeps Mexico’s coastal charm. It’s walkable, it’s friendly, and the reef is minutes offshore. Plus, infrastructure is reliable, and both transportation and pricing feel reasonable.

San Pancho (Riviera Nayarit)

For surf culture, creativity, and community-driven energy

On the Pacific Coast north of Puerto Vallarta, San Pancho offers a completely different personality: surf breaks, art, slow mornings, and energetic community spaces. San Pancho is quiet and intentional, but with a devoted local population and surf culture.

Isla Holbox

For island simplicity and wildlife

Holbox still feels like a secret club. It’s primed for travelers who want barefoot mornings and slow days. There are no cars, just bikes and golf carts, and the island’s shallow aquamarine water stretches endlessly out to the horizon. It’s a place where you wake up early to watch flamingos in the lagoon or kayak through mangroves instead of chasing a beach-club reservation. With starry skies, bioluminescent waters, and soft quiet, Holbox still feels like Mexico.

Zipolite, Oaxaca

For freedom, edge, and unfiltered coastal culture

Perched on the rugged Oaxacan coast, Zipolite is a raw, golden-sand beach town framed by cliffs, powerful waves, and an alternative spirit. It’s one of Mexico’s only officially clothing-optional beaches, which sets the tone: come exactly as you are. Hammock stays, mezcal bars, long sunsets, and a community that values individuality over aesthetics.

So what about Tulum?

The quiet streets and empty beach clubs aren’t just slow season. They’re signs of a destination in transition. People didn’t fall out of love with Mexico. They fell out of alignment with what Tulum has become. But the beauty that made Tulum famous isn’t gone. You just have to look farther down the map.