http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/travel/things-to-do-in-36-hours-in-tulum-mexico.html 2014-11-05 19:52:00 36 Hours in Tulum, Mexico Change has come to tranquil Tulum, now with traffic and crowds, but the beach is still stunning and the water as clear as a fishbowl. === The good news is that you still can’t flush the toilet paper in Tulum. The plumbing, like the balmy weather and a tenacious iguana population, is deeply rooted in the identity of this town an hour and a half south of Cancún. But even a quasi-functional plumbing infrastructure can’t dissuade tourists. Which leads me to the less good news. If you haven’t been to Tulum in the last few years, a heads-up: It’s a whole lot bigger than you remember. Today’s Tulum has three things many never thought possible: traffic, crowds and restaurants with waiting lists. But don’t despair. In fact, the town (it’s not a village anymore) is more exciting than ever. The beach is still stunning. The ruins are still there. The food is spicy and authentic. And for those willing, there are secret gems a long, dusty way from the beaten path. 1. Get In Line | 5 p.m. Unless you travel here in a vacuum, you will be advised many times over to dine at Hartwood Tulum. The line to get in can hover around two hours long. If you didn’t know better, you would show up, scoff at the crowd and go elsewhere. My advice: Don’t. Instead, go early. 2. ­Local Color | 9 a.m. Zamas 3. ­Public Service | 11 a.m. I don’t care how warm the water is in Corsica or how soft the sand is in Maui. As beaches go, the shores of Tulum will impress even the world’s most discerning snob. Plus, the water is as clear as a fishbowl and gentle enough for a nursery school. Drive — or better yet, bike — away from the main drag and head toward the 4. ­Secret Beach | 1 p.m. Every tropical tourist destination has a secret beach joint that locals don’t want you to know about. In Tulum, that place is Chamico’s — a beachside cafe so laid back and charming you will swear you’ve seen it in a movie (you haven’t). Naturally, Chamico’s has no phone, website or address. To get there, turn off the highway onto a small dirt road (look for the sign for the Jashita Hotel) and drive down to Soliman Bay. Give the guard at the makeshift gate a look that says you know what you’re doing. Then drive past palatial villas until the road ends. Claim one of the rickety plastic tables in a thicket of palm trees and settle in. Your menu choices are fried fish or ceviche of whatever was caught that morning, followed by icy Sol beer. (Expect to pay about 300 pesos.) There are only two rules at Chamico’s: cash only and don’t tell your friends. (Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — or whenever the owner feels like it.) 5. ­ Fashion Break | 4 p.m. With an upswell of fashion editors and stylists in Tulum, there’s an upswell of places to spend money. The hardest part will be parking — if you’re up for a walk or a bike ride, this is the time. Otherwise, drive to Hartwood restaurant, and pull in between any two palm trees that don’t have a No Parking sign. All the shops are within feet of each other: Mr. Blackbird is a tiny boutique — you can almost touch both walls at the same time — with a sandy floor, elegant jewelry, strappy leather sandals and well-edited wraps and shawls. Across the street, 6. ­Have a Drink | 7 p.m. There’s a decent chance that drinks at 7. ­ Jungle Fever | 9 p.m. Everything in Tulum is either beach side or jungle side, and no establishment on the jungle side is more jungly than 8. Coming to Tulum and not taking a yoga class is like swearing off wine in Tuscany. It’s everywhere and inescapable. One of the most serene places to find your third eye is 9. ­ To The Bat Cave | 11 a.m. The Yucatán Peninsula is full of cenotes (sinkholes in caves), and they range from small and claustrophobic to enormous and claustrophobic. Anyone with children will appreciate 10. ­ Turtle Watching | 1 p.m. Tulum’s beaches are world class, but to get closer to the action underwater, head to Akumal. Twenty minutes up the coast, Akumal is Tulum’s less bohemian cousin, and its public beach is wide, clean and dotted with overpriced quesadilla joints. Right in the middle is the LODGING Just outside the rooms at For center-of-it-all action, you can’t do better than