Tulum is Mexico’s most popular beach club destination. It has a reputation for upscale day clubs with a neo-hippy Boho vibe and an emphasis on relaxing and wellness rather than full-on parties.
There’s no doubt that Tulum’s biggest attraction is its fine white sand beach, which runs down the coast and is crowded with hotels and beach clubs offering something for everyone.
With more than 50 beach clubs to choose from, our team wanted to know which were the very best, and after going out to sample them all, this was their conclusion as to the Top 20 beach clubs in Tulum.
Our Top 20 Beach Clubs In Dubai In Order
1. Ahau Tulum
Ahau was a clear winner in our review team’s eyes. They loved the arty vibe of this beach club, which lends it a clear visual identity in a town where beach clubs often all seem to look a bit samey.
The service from the team was first-rate, and we felt that if you wanted to be pampered for a day by the sea, this was the kind of thing you would be looking for.
And while the food wasn’t quite in the fine dining league, we did feel that things were very tasty and we loved that they catered for vegans with a plant-based restaurant.
Overall, we felt that if you wanted to come on holiday and enjoy rest, relaxation and a fine sea view in luxurious surroundings, that Ahau Tulum would be the perfect choice for you.
Where Is Ahau Tulum? Carr. Tulum a Boca Paila Km. 7.5 Zona Costera, 77760 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Ahau
Our Review: Luxury Chilling
Score: 80/100
2. Ana y José Beach Club
This family-friendly beach club sits on a lovely stretch of the white sand beach that hosts nearly all of Tulum’s hotels and all bar one of this list’s occupants.
The on-site team are fabulous, and nothing feels like it’s too much trouble as they go out of their way to ensure you have a very easy day.
We don’t recommend going for breakfast, though, as that was one of the most ordinary meals we’ve had in Tulum; lunch and dinner are much better.
Our families were also very impressed with the fact you get access to the kids’ club, the child-friendly facilities and the wellness centre. It was great.
Where Is Ana y José Beach Club? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila Km. 7, Tulum Beach, Punta Piedra, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico
Online: AnayJose
Our Review: Family-Friendly Fun
Score: 77/100
2. = Vesica Tulum (Cenote Sanctuary)
Vesica Tulum is not quite a beach club, because it’s not on the beach; instead, it’s by a pair of cenotes (freshwater pools that are unique to this region).
Despite this handicap, it ranks second equal on this list because it’s quite unique, and swimming in a cenote is much better than swimming in the sea when the seaweed is at its peak.
We really liked the wellness-focus at this cenote club and the fact that they keep one side of the club music-free; sometimes, you just don’t need background music at all.
Most of all, we love how safe this place is, as it’s much easier to keep dubious characters out when there’s no beachfront access to a club.
Where Is Vesica Tulum (Cenote Sanctuary)? PARCELA No. 198Z-2P-1 EJIDO, 77760 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Vesica
Our Review: Not Quite A Beach Club
Score: 77/100
2. = Ziggy’s Beach Club
Ziggy’s is the most Mexican beach club in Tulum, and we loved it for staying true to the heritage rather than trying to adapt to an overseas audience.
We think that authenticity matters and that you go away from home to experience something new rather than something that is the same as at home.
It’s also one of the most family-friendly beach clubs in Tulum, and we found that teenagers really love this place as it’s almost built for them.
Our group also felt that culinary offerings here were a cut above those in most other beach clubs in this town.
Where Is Ziggy’s Beach Club? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila km 7.5, Tulum Beach, Zona Hotelera, 77760 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Ziggy’s
Our Review: A True Taste Of Mexico In Tulum?
Score: 77/100
5. La Zebra
La Zebra belongs to a much bigger resort complex, and it’s a beach club with more than just one experience for admittedly more than just one entry fee.
They have a main beach club area which is all about Mexican food and relaxing for the day by the pool. This is the cheaper of the two experiences, and all your entry cost is transformed into a credit you can use for food and drinks.
The other experience, the La Zebra Mediterranean Beach Club (Lula), has an entry fee that is not refundable, though you do get to keep $100 MXN for food and drinks.
We especially liked how much effort they put into maintaining the local environment at this club, the beach is absolutely fabulous all year round, which is unusual for Tulum.
Where Is La Zebra? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila 800, Tulum Beach, Zona Hotelera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: La Zebra
Our Review: Two Vibes, One Beach Club
Score: 76/100
5. = Mare’zia Beach Club
Often referred to as the “Be Tulum” beach club, this is one of the best-known spots in the area, and our team was keen to learn whether it deserved its fame.
They were impressed to find that it did; this adult-oriented club is all about chilling out in style rather than partying all day long, and it’s very good at what it does.
We also felt that it was one of the best beach clubs for food in Tulum with a real focus on delivering delicious treats that reflect high-quality local ingredients.
Their staff are a delight to be around, and you’ll find that they’re very focused on delivering the kind of premium experience that you deserve at this price point.
Where Is Mare’zia Beach Club? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila Km.10, Tulum Beach, Zona Hotelera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Mare’zia Beach Club
Our Review: One Of Tulum’s Best Known Clubs
Score: 76/100
5. = Tulumania
Tulumania is something of a unicorn for Tulum, a well-known and well-liked beach club with no entrance fee and even more astonishing, no minimum spend in place.
That doesn’t mean settling for less, though, and they even have DJs from Thursday to Sunday laying down some high-energy beats as you move into the afternoon and evening.
There is a slight but noticeable difference in service levels at busy times in this beach club, though, and we suspect that’s due to the generous door policy ensuring it’s packed out at the time of day.
Overall, if you want total control over how much (or how little) you want to spend at a beach club in Tulum, you can’t beat Tulumania.
Where Is Tulumania? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila km 7.5, Tulum Beach, Zona Hotelera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Tulumania
Our Review: Is No Entrance Fee Or Minimum Spend A Good Thing?
Score: 76/100
8. Sana Tulum
Tulum’s beach clubs can get quite samey after a while; we love that they work super hard to blend in with the jungle and beach, but they all do it in a very similar fashion, so we really appreciated Sana Tulum’s Moroccan vibe helping to break out of that mould.
This is also an adults-only club, and that’s something we’d like to see more of in Tulum; many “family-friendly” places really aren’t suitable for kids, particularly young and impressionable ones.
The rooftop infinity pool offers a fabulous view over the ocean, and we think that’s a great reason to visit this beach club.
However, the big drawback at this beach club is that it isn’t really big enough, and with priority given to hotel guests, you may not find it easy to get a daybed here at all.
Where Is Sana Tulum? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila km 10, Tulum Beach, Zona Costera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico
Online: Sana
Our Review: An Adults-Only Slice Of Morocco In Tulum
Score: 75/100
9. Kanan Tulum
This jungle hideaway is another adults-only spot, and that means you can drink, party and have fun without worrying about standing on somebody’s children or worse saying something “adult” in front of them.
One big drawback of this beach club is the terrible booking process, which was one of the worst we encountered in Tulum (and that’s saying something; the booking processes online here are somewhat contemptuous of customers, at their best).
However, once you’re inside, we think you will love how unpretentious this place is; there’s no feeling of trying to make guests conform at Kanan. You can just be you.
The drinks menu is very much worth visiting, and if you love a great artisanal cocktail, then a day on the daybeds at Kanan Tulum is a day well spent.
Where Is Kanan Tulum? Carretera Tulum Boca Paila Km 7.5 Mza 020 reg 009, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Kanan
Our Review: A Hidden Jungle Temple For Adults-Only
Score: 74/100
10. Casa Zamna Beach Club by Secrets Tulum
While in many popular beach club areas there are huge numbers of big brand hotel chains with their own beach clubs, Tulum only really has one big player, and that’s Casa Zamna Beach Club by Secrets Tulum, which is a Hyatt Resort.
The beach club is not at the main resort, and is in fact at a second resort about 20 minutes’ drive from the Secrets Resort. This is OK for hotel guests, as the Hyatt runs a free shuttle regularly between the two places all day long (though it can be a real pain if you forget to bring something from your room).
However, playing it safe and relying on a brand doesn’t always work, and we found that they regularly run out of ingredients for the food here and that the beverage selection was pretty mediocre. It’s also pretty pricey.
On the flip side, we found that the service and furniture standards were very high to reflect the Hyatt brand.
Where Is Casa Zamna Beach Club By Secrets Tulum? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila 091, Tulum Beach, 77760 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico
Online: Casa Zamna Beach Club By Secrets Tulum
Our Review: All-Inclusive For Some
Score: 72/100
11. Ikal Tulum
Ikal Tulum is one of the very few beach clubs in Tulum with no minimum spend requirements, and while there is a day pass, the inclusions in that pass are very generous.
In fact, we might go so far as to say that this place competes with the best clubs in the world when it comes to inclusions with their entrance fee.
The beach club itself is all about relaxation and wellness, and party goers are going to find that the family-oriented vibe is just not for them.
Our biggest complaint, though, is that the service here isn’t great; if it was, it could be a real contender for the best beach club in Tulum. We really liked Ikal.
Where Is Ikal Tulum? Zona Hotelera Tulum, 77780 Tulum, Quintana Roo, México
Online: Ikal
Our Review: A Design Hotels Beach Club
Score: 70/100
11. = Mia Beach Club
Mia tries to pull off being two things at once: a chill-out spot for the day and then a party spot later in the afternoon and evening.
Mostly, it does a pretty good job of things too. However, you need to keep a close eye on your belongings at this beach club because things go missing even under the watchful eye of the security and CCTV cameras.
If you can deal with that, our team found that they loved the music and entertainment in this beach club even though it’s not quite on a par with FINNS over in Bali.
They also thought that seating here was amongst the best in Tulum, and you can enjoy a very comfortable day out at Mia Beach Club.
Where Is Mia Beach Club And Restaurant? Mia Beach Club and Resort, Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila, KM 7.5, Manzana 98 Lote 88, Punta Piedra, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Mia Tulum
Our Review: A Serious Wine Cellar And Nighttime Hangout
Score: 70/100
11. = Taboo Tulum
If you want something more in the line of an Ibiza party club, then Taboo Tulum is a good choice for you. This place has resident DJs and regular live performances from artists and vocalists.
We assume that’s why Taboo also has one of the best booking engines of all the beach clubs in Tulum. Pick your seat, pick the date, and pay the money, exactly as it should be – we love a place that makes it easy to reserve a spot.
However, it really is all about the party, and you can’t really enjoy conversation at this club because it’s so darned loud all of the time. So, arrive ready to dance.
The big downside of this venue is that it’s security team is not good and you may find that you are hassled by folks who want to sell you things that you definitely should not buy.
Where Is Taboo Tulum? Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila Zona Hotelera Km 7, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Taboo
Our Review: High-Energy Afternoon Party Scene
Score: 70/100
14. Nômade Tulum (La Popular)
This is Tulum’s biggest beach club by reputation, and we were a little surprised that it didn’t make the review team’s top 10, but multiple visits and assessments don’t lie.
The reason for that rating is pretty simple: Nomade is nice enough, and it does pretty much everything acceptably, but there’s no field of experience in which it actually stands out (except for sound healing rituals, which feel a little niche even in Tulum).
However, if you’re into eco-friendly beach clubs, we did feel that Nomade was about the best example of a sustainable offering in Tulum and that might help you move it up your list.
In the end, Nomade just didn’t make a huge impression on our team. They enjoyed spending a day there, but there’s nothing to encourage you to hurry back and do it all over again.
Where Is Nômade Tulum (La Popular)? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila Km 10.5, Tulum Beach, Zona hotelera, 77880 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Nomade
Our Review: Does The Big Name Deliver?
Score: 69/100
15. Amansala
Amansala’s biggest selling point is the long opening hours, which is a nice change from the very tight day club hours many of the Tulum beach clubs follow.
However, we’d prefer a place with a bit more party vibe to it if you’re going to the effort to stay open into the night. As is, Amansala is more about relaxing than rocking out.
The team felt that the food was very expensive at Amansala and that the quality of the offering didn’t match the price tag, and the drinks were expensive too.
We’d have been happier about the high prices if Amansala didn’t also charge a fairly hefty fee just for being allowed to come in and sit down in the first place.
Where Is Amansala? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila KM 5.5, Tulum Beach, Zona Hotelera, 77760 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Amansala
Our Review: The Best Kept Secret In Tulum?
Score: 68/100
15. = Casa Malca
Casa Malca is a small resort facility, and if you have a group of 8 or more people, you absolutely must book in advance, or you may not be able to sit together or be in the same area.
The food was amazing at Casa Malca, but we had to mark them down all the same because the portions were smaller than anyone could possibly consider reasonable for the prices.
The drinks were better value, but still pretty expensive even for Tulum’s beach club scene. Mostly, though, our team felt that Casa Malca was a pretty average experience.
It’s fine for a couple of hours of relaxation, but we’re not sure you’d want to spend all day here; there’s not enough to do, and the music and entertainment are bland and non-existent.
Where Is Casa Malca? KM 9.5, Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Casa Malca
Our Review: An Arty Vibe By The Sea
Score: 68/100
15. = Playa Paraiso Beach Club
If there was a criterion for a beach club to actually be on the beach, then Playa Paraiso would be one of the only beach clubs in Tulum, as most of the others are built up beyond the sand.
That means there’s no pool at this club, but conversely it also means that it’s one of the cheaper beach club experiences when it comes to securing furniture.
The service is absolutely phenomenal given that this is a slightly different approach to beach club life and it attracts a rather more diverse crowd than most other Tulum spots.
The food and drinks are still pretty pricey though, particularly when you consider this place is more of an upmarket beach bar than a fully featured beach club.
Where Is Playa Paraíso Beach Club? Cam. a Zona Arqueológica Tulum, Zona Hotelera Tulum, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Playa Paraiso
Our Review: A Beach Club That’s Entirely On The Beach
Score: 68/100
18. Tantra Beach Club
Tantra’s booking system isn’t perfect, but it is better than most of the competing offerings in Tulum, where getting a seat at a beach club is rarely made easy.
We also found the vibe in this beach club to be excellent, with a nice blend of chill days and high-energy evenings to be had here.
However, the service is very much hit and miss, and there are regularly bill discrepancies at the end of the day that are difficult to resolve with the staff.
It’s also probably the worst club that the team visited when it comes to onsite security and while nobody was harmed during our visits, we can imagine that it does happen occasionally.
Where Is Tantra Beach Club? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila Km 7, Tulum Beach, Zona Hotelera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Tantra
Our Review: Does Tulum’s Highest-Rated Beach Club Measure Up?
Score: 65/100
18.= Gitano Beach
This beach club is more of a restaurant extension than a fully featured beach club, but then, its reputation is really built around its wild beach parties rather than its furniture.
And you’ll find that on the weekends, they deliver those parties in style with DJs laying down some sick tunes as everyone dances into the night.
However, the service is a very mixed bag and at busy times, it can be hell to get served, and mistakes are made regularly in the way things are delivered.
The food and drinks are very expensive for what they are too, without really delivering anything amazing, and avoid the truffle dishes; they’re massively overpowering.
Where Is Gitano Beach? Av. Boca Paila KM 9.5, Tulum Beach, Zona Costera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico
Online: Gitano Beach
Our Review: Big Parties And More Than An Oceanfront Restaurant
Score: 65/100
20. Papaya Playa Project
This is one of the most famous beach clubs in Tulum, which might explain why the prices are so shockingly high.
Combined with what is basically the worst service in Tulum’s beach clubs, it’s hard to justify coming to Papaya Playa Project at all.
The music’s OK, and the venue’s security team is very much on the ball, but overall? Unless you’re coming here for a specific event, there are much better beach clubs in Tulum, especially the nineteen above this one on our list.
Where Is Papaya Playa Project? Carr. Tulum-Boca Paila Km 4.5, Tulum Beach, Zona Costera, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., Mexico
Online: Papaya Playa Project
Our Review: A Pricey Day Out In Tulum
Score: 59/100
FAQs
Best Beach Clubs In Tulum With Kids?
The beach clubs of Tulum are generally child-friendly if they aren’t expressly adults-only, but some of those that are more family-friendly than others include La Zebra, Ana y Jose, Ikal, Nomade and Paraiso Beach Club.
Best Beach Clubs In Tulum For Couples?
It very much depends on what you’re into as a couple, of course, but there are plenty of places that you can enjoy as a couple in Tulum.
Nomade Tulum’s wellness-focused approach is ideal for some quality time working on feeling your best selves. Taboo is perfect if you want something a bit more high-energy and upbeat.
Ahau, our favourite beach club in Tulum, has a lovely artsy vibe where you can get lots of great photos together.
Hotel Panamera is also nice; the retro beach club there is super popular with couples who like to cut a stylish look.
Best Affordable Beach Clubs In Tulum?
We need to stress that there’s really no such thing as “affordable” when it comes to Tulum’s beach clubs; the food and drink are always more expensive than the neighbouring restaurants and bars, and often the pricing rivals London or New York.
However, if you are on a budget, you can avoid spending a fortune by opting for a club with a low minimum spend or none at all; this means you can control how much you spend in total.
You might consider La Zebra, Playa Paraiso Beach Club or even Zazil Kin (on a public beach near the ruins – it’s more of a restaurant on the beach than a beach club, but the daybed rental cost is next to nothing).
Best Fully Redeemable Beach Clubs In Tulum?
We should stress that “fully redeemable” doesn’t always mean “best value” and the inclusions in some day passes have a greater cash value than the equivalent F&B spend.
However, if you want your entire entrance fee to be turned into cash, then La Zebra, Ziggy’s Beach Club, Sana Tulum and Mia Beach Club can all be great options.
We’d choose La Zebra with a family, Ziggy’s if you want the best service, Mia for the music and Sana Tulum for its neat boutique-style experience.
Is Tulum A Great Destination For Beach Clubs?
Yes, sort of. There are a lot of beach clubs in Tulum, and as you can see from our list of the best (above), many of them are very good.
However, the prices in most beach clubs in Tulum are on par with Miami or St. Tropez, which is extremely expensive by Mexican standards; you can get a lot more bang for buck somewhere like Bali, which is also tropical and offers excellent weather.
There are also issues with the seasons in Tulum. The hurricane season is not the end of the world most of the time, but if a hurricane makes landfall during this part of the year in Tulum, it’s going to make for a very breezy holiday, indeed. Fortunately, this season is short and easily avoided.
The bigger problem is the seaweed season. This lasts for nearly two-thirds of the year, and at this time, huge volumes of sargassum wash up on the beach and fill the waters around Tulum. This makes swimming unpleasant, and if the seaweed builds up on the beach and isn’t cleared quickly, it stinks to high heaven.
Now, most of the beach clubs (though not all of them) keep their parts of the beach clean, but there’s no onus on keeping the rest of the beach clear of seaweed, and unpleasant smells are a regular part of visiting during this season.
We should also note that this is not a safe destination to walk around alone at night, and petty crime and occasionally violent crime are found in Tulum.
Sensible precautions can prevent any of these problems from interfering with your holidays in Tulum, mind you.
Finally, the local airport is seeing regular reductions in direct flights, which can make getting to Tulum a pain. Also, the local government has started charging people for access to the beach, and while locals are also required to pay, they pay much less for this privilege than foreigners are required to.
What Might Detract From A Tulum Beach Club Experience?
In addition to the issues we have mentioned above, there are a few things that people regularly report as problems with their Tulum beach club experiences:
- A taxi cartel runs in Tulum – you must use an app like InDrive to book your ride, or you will be overcharged severely, and while the government is trying to manage this problem, they’re not always succeeding.
- The roads are awful and so is the traffic – moving from the town to the beach zone can take much, much longer than you’d expect it to by the distances between the two.
- Tulum town is a long way from the beach clubs – you can’t walk from your hotel to the beach clubs if your hotel is in town, as you will be 8-10 km away from the beach
- Cenotes and seawater may not be clean – Tulum suffers from terrible environmental management problems, and sewage and runoff may contaminate any water from the freshwater cenotes to the ocean itself
- Tulum has become horribly commercial – if you’re seeking the slightly hippy, boho vibe of Tulum? It’s pretty much gone. Everyone here is now an upscale tourist chasing expensive experiences, and there’s an awful lot of crass commercialism and construction everywhere.
From our perspective, none of these things is a deal breaker in its own right, but when you take into account the Western-style prices of Tulum, you have a lot of other options that could make for a better holiday experience.
Final Thoughts On The Best Beach Clubs In Tulum
Tulum has an excellent beach club scene. However, despite the Mexican location, you’ll need to be prepared for Miami prices, which can be a bit of a shock.
Get past that, and there are still a couple of major drawbacks of the beach club scene in Tulum. The first is that all the beach clubs have a very similar visual appeal, to the point where it can feel like if you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all.
And the second is the seaweed season, which now lasts for nearly 8 months of the year and is a blight on the coastline and, when it’s allowed to pile up, provides a vicious sensory assault on the nostrils.
We would note that Bali is a better tropical destination for beach clubs, with more choice, more reasonable pricing, and no seaweed to spoil things. It’s also the home of FINNS Beach Club, the world’s best beach club.
However, if you are in Tulum, our team would like to congratulate Ahau Tulum for being the standout beach club in a sea of very tough competition.
