Most beach clubs in Tulum (and indeed, anywhere) are a sort of upmarket bar, restaurant and sometimes other offerings, bordering the beach, and often they provide beach access.
Playa Paraiso Beach Club is different. It’s 100% on the beach, and that means it’s a somewhat more reduced and focused offering.
Our team was curious to find out what kind of impact this might have on a beach club experience, and they packed their things to head to Playa Paraiso to find out, and this is what they learned.
Introduction – Getting To Playa Paraíso Beach Club
Where Is Playa Paraíso Beach Club? Cam. a Zona Arqueológica Tulum, Zona Hotelera Tulum, 77780 Tulum, Q.R., México
Online: Playa Paraiso
Opening Hours: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
What’s Available At Playa Paraíso Beach Club?
There are daybeds on the beach with umbrellas offering shade, bar and restaurant service, spa services and changing rooms, beach towel service and nearby parking.
Unlike the majority of beach clubs in Tulum, this beach club does not have a swimming pool and is located entirely on the sand. The El Paraiso Hotel next door is affiliated with the beach club, but their pool is only for the use of hotel guests and is not open to the public.
Our Detailed Review Of Playa Paraíso Beach Club
A standardised approach is always used when reviewing beach clubs. This delivers fair reviews of owners, management, and staff in a uniform format that makes it simple to compare different places.
The process runs like this:
- Assign a team to evaluate the beach club.
- Members make independent visits on separate days.
- Each reviewer fills out a scorecard rating categories 1–5 with comments.
- The group meets to share views and settle scores.
- One person writes the review for the website.
Reservation and Booking Process
They do take reservations at this beach club, but the process is complicated, and you can’t pick a particular seat.
Their website will send you to “Covermanager”, which is not the same site; there you must pick a date, time and number of people.
You will be informed that you must have a CONANP wristband to be admitted to the beach club; in addition to this, you will pay $500 MXN for a seat, an umbrella and various other facilities such as the changing rooms and volleyball court.
This does not include the use of a towel, but towels can be hired for an additional charge. You may not bring in any outside food, drinks, single-use plastics or pets.
This definitely isn’t the worst booking engine in Tulum, but it’s not great either.
Ambience and Atmosphere
This is a very relaxed, social beach club with absolutely no pretensions whatsoever. If you don’t feel like you fit in at other beach clubs in Tulum, you are pretty much guaranteed to fit in here.
The vibe is all dining and sunbathing with people enjoying the beach and mixing together. It can get a little crowded in the peak afternoon hours, though.
Location And Accessibility
Tulum itself is relatively easy to get to from the Americas, though it may require a long journey and multiple plane changes depending on your starting point. It’s a little more bothersome to get there from the rest of the world, and most people will probably stop over somewhere else before moving on to Tulum.
The club itself is in the Tulum hotel zone; you will need transportation to get there and back at the end of the day.
Aesthetic And Design
This is very much a rustic-tropical beach club without the upscale frills of many of Tulum’s other beach clubs.
Everything has been kept simple and unpretentious with a focus on highlighting the natural beauty of the area and not competing with it. We like how it works with the shoreline to really leave you feeling like you’re somewhere authentically local.
Staff Friendliness and Professionalism (Service Standard)
Given the design of this place, we were impressed with the level of service, and the servers were very attentive and friendly.
We’d also note that their helpfulness was only matched by their knowledge of and understanding of the menu and local area.
Service Speed and Efficiency
This place gets pretty busy at times; given its location and low entry costs, we’re not surprised, and that does have an impact on the speed of service.
There’s a noticeable difference between the early part of the day and the afternoon when the guests really start to flow into the club. It won’t ruin your good times, but you will need to be patient.
Food Quality and Variety
It’s not going to win any awards, but the menu is creative, full of choice, and the end results are very tasty. The grilled shrimp tacos, in particular, were a highlight.
However, there’s no doubt that Tulum’s rampant inflation has ravaged the menu here, and things are very expensive and more like American big-city pricing than Tulum pricing.
Beverage Selection and Creativity
The drink selection is also good, and we really liked the fresh fruit margaritas that clearly made the best use of local ingredients.
However, once again, the prices are pretty steep and given that this beach club doesn’t have a pool, we do feel that they could be a bit more reasonable.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
This beach club has to do a world-class job pretty much every day thanks to the seaweed season dumping tons of plant material on the beach. When the beach club occupies the same space, it has to remain spotless.
The facilities are also kept well, with toilets and changing rooms, particularly worth noting for their spotlessness.
Comfort of Seating and Lounging Areas
The seating is much cheaper than at the other beach clubs in Tulum, but in turn, it’s also not quite as premium.
It’s more than comfortable enough for the time we spent on the daybeds, but they don’t have quite the visual impact of the more upscale settings.
Music and Entertainment
There’s no real entertainment at this beach club except for the occasional acoustic set played by a local artist.
And the music is moderate and designed as a backdrop for conversation rather than for dancing to or singing along with.
Seasonality
The beach club is open all year round, thanks to Mexico’s tropical weather. However, there are two issues that impact visits here.
The first is the seaweed season, which lasts for 8 months of the year and makes swimming in the sea unpleasant; not too big a deal when there’s a pool for you to use, but this club doesn’t offer that.
And the second is the fairly brief hurricane season; you don’t really want to be on the beach when one of those breaks land.
Pricing and Value for Money
We felt that this beach club was good value for money; the fact that the daybeds are super cheap is balanced out by the fact that there is no pool.
Overall, we think you’ll be glad that you spent time here and certainly won’t feel cheated, but if the menu prices were a bit lower, it could be excellent value for money instead.
Beach Access and Quality
The beach at this club is absolutely lovely, and there’s no doubt that the sand looks fabulous and feels good under your feet. The staff work tirelessly to ensure that it’s in a nice condition too.
However, there’s no escaping the seaweed in Tulum, and we have to stress that while it won’t ruin your good times, at least at this beach club, you will notice it all the same.
Sustainability Practices
As they are inside the national park, the club is required to adhere to basic sustainability standards, particularly with respect to caring for the ecosystem.
However, there’s no doubt that heavy foot traffic and high energy and water consumption could be better managed at this beach club too.
Exclusive Perks for Guests
The only perks you get are a daybed and a locker; if you want a towel, you will need to pay a little extra. It’s not a big deal but it does mean that this beach club is on the low end of inclusions in Tulum.
Overall, they’re also missing a trick by having no premium offering which could help to persuade their visitors to pay a little more for a few more perks.
Safety and Security
This beach club is generally safe, but we don’t recommend leaving anything of value unattended; it’s best to place your stuff in the lockers provided.
We must also stress that this is Tulum; it is a very bad idea to wander around near this club on your own at any time and especially at night.
Event Hosting Capabilities
They can host private events at this beach club, but they don’t make a big deal about it, and the set-up is quite limited.
It’s the sort of place that’s ideal for an informal celebration, but we don’t think we’d want to put a corporate event or a wedding in their hands.
Consistency of Experience
Overall, our team, other customers (both in person and online), etc., felt that this beach club offers a very standard experience that you can rely upon.
There’s no evidence that they’re trying to implement a process of continuous improvement, though; it’s very much what you see is what you will always get.
Additional Amenities and Facilities
The beachfront setting means there’s not much here beyond what you can see, and the absence of a pool can be keenly felt at times.
Overall, if you need something else beyond the basic offering, you’re going to need to travel for it because it’s not safe to walk around this area by yourself.
Summary
The lack of a pool is noticeable, but if you pick the right season, when the sea is perfect for swimming, you won’t care much either.
This is an old-school beach setting, and it distinguishes itself from the other beach clubs in Tulum for it. It wouldn’t be an everyday choice for us, but if you’re visiting the ruins, this place is definitely worth stopping in at.
FAQs
Can You Go Swimming At Playa Paraíso Beach Club?
You can swim in the sea at Playa Paraíso Beach Club, but we should note that the extended seaweed season often makes this a fairly unpleasant experience.
There is no pool, however, as the entire footprint of this beach club is on the beach itself and they can’t build any permanent structures there.
What Is There To Do At Playa Paraíso Beach Club?
You can swim in the sea, chill on comfortable daybeds, and enjoy a variety of premium food and drinks. This isn’t a fully-featured beach club, but it does have access to spa services if you desire.
Is Playa Paraíso Beach Club A Child-Friendly Venue?
Yes, this beach club is very family-friendly. The beach has a very flat shoreline with a shallow, smooth sand bottom. The waves tend to remain small (around 60 cm maximum), and that means you can let your kids paddle and swim without any major worries.
They have high chairs and other child-friendly seating available for hire, and it’s very cheap. They also have child-friendly dining.
We’d recommend you combine time at this place with a visit to the famous Tulum Archaeological Site, which is less than a mile away.
Who Is The Owner Of Playa Paraíso Beach Club?
This beach club is owned by the El Paraiso Hotel Tulum, which is privately owned, and the exact ownership is not disclosed as a matter of public record. It is thought to be a family-owned property with close ties to the town.
Is Playa Paraiso Free In Tulum?
Sort of. The beach (that the beach club is named after) is free to use, which is unusual for a public beach in Tulum. However, the beach club of the same name is not free to enter, and there is a small entrance fee along with a minimum spend requirement.
What Is The Minimum Spend At Tulum’s Beach Clubs?
There is no standard minimum spend in Tulum. Some clubs don’t have one at all; others might ask for $100 per person; still others, on an event day, might demand $500 per person (yes, US dollars).
You’ll find that many clubs also have a variable minimum spend policy, so you will need to spend more on weekends or when there’s a DJ on.
It’s always important to contact a beach club in advance before you go and bottom out the details such as day pass fees and minimum spend requirements.
We also recommend making a reservation, particularly in high season, so that you can be sure of a seat before you go.
Why Is Tulum So Cheap?
It’s not. Tulum can feel cheap at first glance because of a massive oversupply of hotels and vacation rentals in the market right now, so you can get a good deal on a room.
But after that, prices have risen considerably in the town in the last few years for nearly everything, and Tulum is one of the most expensive places in Mexico to visit.
The town’s beach clubs, which are a major tourist attraction, are also very expensive compared to the town itself and many charge prices similar to those found in restaurants and bars in New York or London.
Final Thoughts On The Review Of Playa Paraíso Beach Club
Playa Paraiso is something of a novelty. A beach club that reminds us more of the traditional beach bar than the modern luxury beach club.
It’s an ideal spot for bargain hunters as it’s much cheaper than the other beach clubs in Tulum, with no minimum spend and very inexpensive daybed and umbrella hire.
However, there’s much less to do at this beach club, and there is no pool, but if that doesn’t matter to you, we think you’ll have a lovely day out at this place.
