Where many beach clubs in Tulum are hotel properties, Gitano Beach stands alone and is really an extension of the popular beachfront restaurant bearing the same name.
It’s known for its beach parties, particularly on weekends, and it can get very crowded even during the day, so it’s best to reserve a daybed in advance if you want to visit.
Our team did exactly that, and this is what they learned when they visited Gitano Beach in Tulum.
Introduction – Getting To Gitano Beach
Where Is Gitano Beach? Av. Boca Paila KM 9.5, Tulum Beach, Zona Costera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico
Online: Gitano Beach
Opening Hours: 8 a.m. – 10.30 p.m.
What’s Available At Gitano Beach?
You’ll find a large swimming pool, day beds and cabanas, as well as food and drink offerings. On the weekends, they also have live DJs and live music.
They also offer direct access to Cenote Tulum, an interesting freshwater sinkhole in the bedrock forming an open-air pool and cave. Cenotes are one of the major attractions of this town as they offer a very safe environment for swimming with no dangerous animals or strong currents present to threaten swimmers.
Our Detailed Review Of Gitano Beach
We always review beach clubs using the same established process. This ensures the owners, managers, and staff receive a fair assessment and that all reviews follow the same format for easy comparison.
The steps are:
- A team is assigned to assess the club.
- Members visit independently on different days.
- Each reviewer completes a scorecard, rating categories 1 to 5 and recording observations.
- The team meets to discuss their visits and decide final scores.
- One member writes the review based on the discussion and posts it on our website.
Reservation and Booking Process
In common with most beach clubs in Tulum, they don’t have their own booking system on their website and instead farm out the job to SevenRooms.
This may be one of the most confusing setups of a SevenRooms page that we’ve ever seen, and it’s really hard to work out what’s expected of you, what you must pay, etc.
Overall, while you can book, eventually, we just don’t understand the lack of care for this essential part of the experience. It’s your chance to make a first impression; why make such a dog’s breakfast of it?
Ambience and Atmosphere
We like the vibe of Gitano Beach. It starts out slow and measured and slowly increases its pace across the day so that by the time the sun starts to set, people are ready to party.
The central anchor of a giant mirrored disco ball does a good job of reminding people why they are there, and we think they manage the transition from day to night very well.
Location And Accessibility
Tulum is reasonably accessible from other parts of the Americas, but it’s a long haul from Europe, Asia and Africa and the local airport struggles to handle the traffic that it gets.
Once you’re in town, you will need transportation to get to the beach that runs along the nearby coastline and to get back to your hotel at the end of the day at Gitano Beach.
Aesthetic And Design
We like the “perfection through imperfection” design which harnesses natural wood, neutral fabrics, and other touches to blend with the shoreline. Though we confess, it’s a bit “samey” to many of the other clubs here.
The “gypsy disco” slant is what sets them apart from their competitors, though, and it feels like a place that easily slips from chill to full party mode.
Staff Friendliness and Professionalism (Service Standard)
Service is a bit more of a mixed bag, however, and it’s a bit disappointing that in a place charging $17 for a mimosa, they’re so often distracted and not even looking to take orders.
Now, we appreciate that it gets really busy at times and that they seem a little short-staffed in those moments, but that’s not really the customers’ problem; it’s the venue’s.
Service Speed and Efficiency
This area also suffers at busy times. Even if you do successfully place an order, there’s no way to tell if it will arrive promptly or whether, perhaps, you should have placed two orders at once to avoid waiting all over again immediately.
Again, this is very much a facet of how successful Gitano Beach has become and you can’t fault that, but we feel that if they don’t address this in the medium-term, then they may fall out of favour as other clubs up their game in competition.
Food Quality and Variety
The menu is varied, and the final dishes are the sort of thing that influencers absolutely adore as they are presented perfectly.
However, we found that the flavours weren’t always on point and in particular, when they use truffle, they tend to lay it on way too much; it’s meant to be subtle, not overwhelming.
Ironically, there’s also a real risk of them clearing your plates when you’re not paying attention and haven’t actually finished what’s on them.
Beverage Selection and Creativity
The drinks at Gitano Beach are varied, and the cocktails, etc., are very good. However, there’s no escaping that they all carry some of the highest price tags in Tulum.
Even for beach clubs in this town, Gitano Beach is pricey, and while we appreciate that it doesn’t seem to deter the crowds, it’s definitely going to be a shock for the budget-conscious traveller.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
Unfortunately, Tulum suffers from a major problem for a large chunk of the year – it’s sargassum season. The seaweed builds up on the beaches, and if it’s not promptly cleaned, it gets stinky fast.
Gitano Beach really lags some of the other big-name beach clubs in the area when it comes to shifting the seaweed. We also felt that the strip of beach by the club often had litter in the sand not found elsewhere on the shoreline.
Otherwise, the interior of the club is kept clean and hygienic all day long, but addressing the seaweed situation should be an imperative.
Comfort of Seating and Lounging Areas
There are several seating areas in the beach club, and while the restaurant tables and bar seats do not attract a minimum spend, the more comfortable seating does, and this can be quite pricey as they require you to sign up for a free-flow drinks arrangement that is only going to feel like value for money for serious drinkers.
If you do opt to shell out the cash, we felt that the daybeds and loungers were nice enough, but not at the top end of what we’ve experienced in Tulum.
Music and Entertainment
The music at Gitano Beach is a real attraction of this place, and there’s no doubt that it’s what sees visitors flowing through the day.
While there’s not a lot of additional entertainment, the packed-out dance floor speaks for itself. People come and party here, and they love doing so.
On a slight downside, sometimes, the dance floor is simply too crowded to be able to dance freely.
Seasonality
Tulum’s in the tropics and often that means there are no “seasons” to speak of except wet/dry, but here there are two seasons to watch out for.
The seaweed season, as previously mentioned, may not ruin all your beach club fun, but it does limit the places you can enjoy quite severely.
We’d also note that there is a hurricane season, and while you may not endure anything more than a gentle breeze at this time of year, things can get pretty hairy if a hurricane makes landfall in Tulum.
Pricing and Value for Money
We’ve touched on it already, but Gitano Beach is only OK value for money. While we didn’t feel ripped off per se, we did feel we were spending a lot more money at this beach club than at nearly any other property in Tulum.
However, given that the place is regularly packed out, we doubt that they’re going to be dropping their prices any time soon.
Beach Access and Quality
The sand itself is lovely, and this is true throughout the area; Tulum Beach is a very attractive place.
However, as we’ve already mentioned, the seaweed season is a big problem on this beach, and it’s not particularly well handled by Gitano Beach. We were also unimpressed by the levels of filth on the beach even when the seaweed wasn’t there.
It’s a major asset for the beach club, and they’re not caring for it as well as they should.
Sustainability Practices
Tulum is famous for its eco-friendly resorts and hospitality venues, and Gitano Beach, apart from the filth on the beach, is in step with the rest of the establishments.
It uses local sourcing for its ingredients by collaborating with local farmers and fishermen. They use eco-friendly materials in construction. They work hard to support local communities and cultural programs. They also champion public access to the beach, which is important in a town where people are often charged a steep fee to access the beach.
Exclusive Perks for Guests
You get access to a chair and a towel if you agree to a minimum spend (plus changing room, locker, etc.), and that’s about it.
This is very much the industry standard, but we keep hoping that somewhere will delight us and offer us something more exciting, even if we have to pay for it.
Safety and Security
Tulum has a reputation for not being particularly safe, but Gitano Beach has a system of bag checks and a heavy in-person security presence.
However, this doesn’t prevent purveyors of illicit substances from sneaking in and selling their wares in the bathrooms during big parties.
Event Hosting Capabilities
The venue is open to full and partial buyouts, and they can host groups of up to 250 people. They are able to offer bespoke event programming for entertainment for these events.
If you need a larger venue, then their sister hotel (which is not far down the beach) can host up to 900 guests.
Consistency of Experience
We felt that this place offers a very consistent experience, though it’s not always a perfect experience.
So, we are a little disappointed that we can’t really detect any efforts to overcome the more reasonable criticisms levelled at this place by its guests.
Additional Amenities and Facilities
The beach club really is very much what you see is what you get, and it’s perfect for partying and having fun with friends.
But if you need much more, you’re going to have to travel to find it.
Summary
Overall, we enjoyed Gitano Beach. Our review team is partial to a party, and while it’s certainly not on a par with somewhere like FINNS in Bali, it’s good fun though a touch expensive.
We’d like to see a bit more effort put in by the venue to fix the minor problems though, this place could be much better than it is without breaking the bank for the owners.
FAQs
Can You Go Swimming At Gitano Beach?
Yes, there is a swimming pool on this site where you can enjoy a swim. We should note that it’s not a huge pool, and during peak hours, there may be too many people in the water to enable swimming laps.
So, if you must swim, we always recommend getting there early. The real purpose of a pool at a beach club for most people is for a place to cool off in the heat and splash around with friends rather than for serious swimming.
What Is There To Do At Gitano Beach?
Gitano Beach is more of an enhanced restaurant than some of the fully-featured beach clubs in Tulum. That means you can eat and drink to your heart’s content and enjoy the pool, the beach, and some comfortable seating.
It’s a good place for a few hours of chilling with friends and family, but it’s probably not the sort of place that you would want to spend all day at. Though the exception might be on the weekends when there’s some live music to enjoy.
Is Gitano Beach A Child-Friendly Venue?
Yes, sort of. Gitano Beach welcomes children during the day but becomes more adult-oriented as the evening arrives.
However, it’s fair to say it can get very busy some days, and it’s not ideal for younger children, particularly those who don’t enjoy crowds of boisterous adults around them.
We’d only take our own children for breakfast or an early lunch before moving on. But it’s great for older children who want to get a feel for the party vibe of beach clubs without being overwhelmed.
Who Is The Owner Of Gitano Beach?
The Gitano Beach offering was founded by James Gardner (the current CEO) and his business partner Andrew Cramer. The club was launched in 2013, and since then, they have expanded into a global hospitality group.
This includes several restaurants, beach clubs and an oceanfront hotel.
Final Thoughts On Gitano Beach
Gitano Beach is a great day out for the more party-oriented folk. It’s most definitely not a beach club for chilling, though, unless you arrive early in the day and are prepared to move on when the crowds arrive.
Our only real complaint about Gitano Beach, other than the usual note that beach clubs in Tulum always feel a little expensive, is that it’s a bit of a victim of its own success.
Some nights it’s so busy that you can barely fit on the dance floor, let alone strut your funky stuff. But this seems like a small price to pay for such a convivial atmosphere.
