Zazil Kin Beach, Tulum, Mexico

During a road trip in Mexico in 2017, we stayed at a condo in Tulum, but not right on the beach (Aldea Zama). There is a road that goes along the beach in Tulum, but much of it is very busy so we weren’t quite sure how to plan a day at the beach.

Someone recommend Zazil Kin to us if we wanted to go the the Tulum beach.  We were told if you find a place (like a hotel or restaurant) along the beach and eat there and/or rent a beach chair, you can use the beach (which is exactly what we did).

We drove a rental car from Avant Car Rental in Cancun, and drove down to Tulum. There are a couple signs out along the main road, so we knew when we had reached Zazil Kin. 

We used Google Maps and had no problem finding it between that and the road signs.

** Note that seaweed has been an issue on the Yucatan for a couple years now. Sargassum season is generally from April to August.

While this was not an issue in 2017, it has been a growing issue. This image from June 2021 gives you an idea of what it can be like during periods of seaweed. Do your research before visiting, as a normally clear beach may be inundated with sargassum. You can find seaweed maps online doing a Google search.

Credit: Red de Monitoreo del Sargazo Cancun

At Zazil Kin, we parked in a large parking lot and headed to the open air lobby, where we were told it was fine to head to the beach.  This is a hotel made up of small cabana rooms scattered around the property.

The beach is not a far walk, and is easy to find.  There are restrooms around the property, and you can use those during your day at the beach.

When we got to the beach, we paid $5 to rent a beach chair.  There are palm trees by the beach chairs, and it was nice to have a shady place to sit and take a break.

If you look to the north, you can see the Tulum archaeological ruins along the coast.

The beach and the water here is INCREDIBLE.  We got married on the Mayan Riviera in 2004, and when we arrived at the Zazil Kin beach, one of the first things that came to mind is that this is one of the most beautiful beaches I have been to.  Powdery white sand and gorgeous crystal water stretching out as far as the eye can see.  My husband and kids went snorkeling and saw a conch and a bunch of fish.

Just to the south of Zazil Kin, there are other beach properties and boats that take tourists out on snorkeling tours.  They did ask us if we wanted to take a tour out to the reef (however, we did not take a tour).  We had read online before our trip that some of the tour boats were too close to the swim area in an attempt to discourage people from going out to the reef.  There were boats pretty close to the roped off areas, but my husband swam far out with the kids (ages 8 and 10) and didn’t have any problems with the boats.

When we got hungry for lunch, we ate at the restaurant right on the beach.  It was so convenient and lovely.  The kids were in their swimsuits, and we ate barefoot under the palm trees.  My husband ordered the chicken tacos and said they were awesome, and I got a plate of guacamole.  (Prices are in pesos – so the guacamole was about $5 USD).

My daughter and I also shared some Nachos Naturales.

The vibe at the restaurant is incredibly relaxed (and the kids probably spent more time playing with this cat than eating their meals!).

(Ok, who can resist this cute face?)

We had such a great day at Zazil Kin, swimming, lounging, eating, walking along the beach.  It was a relaxing day and just an absolutely beautiful place!

There was still some parking when we left in the afternoon.

Tips

~ Bring reef-safe sunscreen. Reef safe sunscreen is best for marine life, and also a rash guard can reduce the amount of sunscreen you use.  There is a reef out past the beach and every little bit helps! The sun felt very intense on the beach, and it is good to have proper sun protection, including a hat, sunglasses, etc.
~ If you plan on swimming, bring water shoes and a snorkel.
~ Arrive early.  It was very quiet when we went, but I think in high season, if you want easy parking and the best chairs, you’ll want to get there fairly early (before 10-11am).
~ Bring money and be prepared to rent a chair and pay for food.  There are also lots of people coming through the beach area selling things, from honey to snacks.

Visit Zazil Kin at http://hotelzazilkin.com/

Check out all of our Mexico blog posts here.

About the Author: Marysa

Busy blogger and mom of two girls. We love traveling and the great outdoors, and are always looking for our next adventure!

About the Author: Marysa

Busy blogger and mom of two girls! We love traveling and the great outdoors, and are always looking for our next adventure!

Some of our Mexico posts for places we visited nearby:

Our Mayan Riviera wedding
Aldea Zama condo rentals, Tulum
Avant Car Rental, Cancun
Cenotes Casa Tortuga, Tulum
Coba Ruins, Coba
Fiesta Americana Villas, Cancun
Muyil Ruins, Tulum
Hacienda Tres Rios, Playa del Carmen
Punta Laguna Nature Reserve, near Coba
Xcaret, Playa del Carmen
Yal Ku Lagoon, Akumal
Zazil Kin Beach, Tulum