Tucked between the Yucatan jungle and the southernmost point of
the Riviera Maya, Nômade is an all-around sensorial experience
bolstered by lush surroundings. Rooms are strewn with embroidered
cushions and canopy-topped tents are the primary accommodations –
perfect for wandering in and out of barefoot between beach and
meditation sessions. As for food, La Popular is ideal for
beachfront meals of fresh fish washed down with a crisp white,
while Macondo serves up holistic vegetarian fare with Moroccan-style seating. Beyond
being an aesthetic delight, Nômade offers spiritual
and
wellness programmes to suit all interests, from cacao
ceremonies and “law of attraction” seminars to Kundalini yoga and
sound healing.

Gorgeous Coqui Coqui may be two hours from Tulum, but it remains
one of the area’s most popular stays. Set in a 16th-century home,
this small-scale hotel is a romantic dream, chock-full of copper
bathtubs, tasselled curtains draped across floor-to-ceiling
window-doors and the company’s signature home scents lingering in
every room. Decorated with care by the founders Nicolas Malleville
and Francesca Bonato, rooms are decked out with vintage trunks,
chandeliers and antique globes. Come for the mesmerising decor,
stay for the impeccable spa and Yucatan-inspired bath products.

A playground for free spirits, Azulik is a beachfront property
comprising 48 wooden treehouses that blend in with their jungle
surroundings. It’s also one of the most
eco-friendly boutique hotels in the region: there’s no
electricity except for outlets to charge your phone, so staff come
around to all of the treehouse “nests” at night to light candles.
Another perk of no power is Azulik’s unconventional room-service
system; write your order on a piece of paper, place it in a ball
and drop it into a tube that will transport your request straight
to the kitchen. When you’re not sending orders down, head to Kin
Toh, a restaurant built on stilts at an elevation of almost 40 feet
above the Mayan jungle.

Created using native materials and blending seamlessly into its
surroundings, Be Tulum is an incredibly natural experience,
grounding guests one horseback ride or midnight swim at a time.
With private stone-flanked swimming pools, hammocks and organic
fabrics, it’s a down-to-earth space offering peace to even the most
frazzled visitors. For yet more zen, soak in a herbal bath ritual
or book onto one of the hotel’s detox programmes to return home
with a clearer, calmer mind.

On the opposite end of the spectrum to some of its neighbouring
retreats, Papaya Playa is for those with the party bug.
Accommodations range from thatched-roof cabanas to jungle casas
reminiscent of Pierre Cardin’s Palais de Bulles. The hotel also
hosts a slew of music events that will have you dancing from dawn
until dusk (and vice versa). This is the place to check in to if
you’re looking to start your mornings with micheladas and continue
the day with an omnipresent margarita in hand.

La Valise encapsulates Mexican beach style thanks to founder Yves Naman’s dedication to local craftmanship. The hotel’s primary villa is composed of multiple sky-high A-frames, which its creator reworked into palapa roofs and combined with sculptural wooden benches and woven furniture to bring a rustic feel. Outdoors, you’ll find infinity plunge pools, hammocks and Nü, the hotel’s restaurant serving up ceviche by candlelight. Don’t miss out on the in-room Mayan cocoa body scrubs and eucalyptus deep-tissue massage. Up next for creative hotelier Naman? A hotel in Mexico’s artsy San Miguel de Allende.

Tulum is yoga and meditation central and Sanara is the crème de la crème for yogis. There are three classes scheduled daily, as well as full-moon flow classes, sound healing and gong baths. The menus at Sanara’s restaurant are also health conscious: think chia pudding, superfood-charged fruit bliss bowls and gluten-free pancakes for breakfast, followed by vegan quesadillas with avocado gazpacho for lunch (with a spot of paddleboarding in between). The stunning setting, complete with dreamcatchers and canopy-topped daybeds on the beach, makes unwinding all the more enjoyable.

For those who want to connect with their chakras but also get stuck in to coconut cocktails at jungle dance parties, Habitas is your one-stop shop. Offering starlit film showings, hotel bicycles and live music, it’s got all of your detox and retox needs covered. When you’re not sharing guac with Instagram influencers at the communal dining tables or swimming off your hangover in the pool right at the ocean’s edge, rinse off in the outdoor rain showers (every room has one) or slather on the hotel’s homemade honey and avocado bath products.

For a more wallet-friendly stay, Casa Pueblo is an in-town
alternative to Tulum’s beach hotels. With clean lines, wooden
detailing and walk-in rain showers, it’s minimal and low-key. The
open kitchen serves brunch all day long before switching to
seasonal dinner plates and cocktails that make for ideal fuel for
the bonfire-side parties you’ll go to later. Not only is this hotel
a chic place to crash, but it’s also well located for visiting the
area’s boutiques and restaurants, as well as the Mayan ruins. If
you feel like mixing it up, spend a couple of days here to
familiarise yourself with your surroundings, then head to a
beachfront hotel.

Those who go stir crazy at the idea of lying on a beach all day need look no further than Jashita. Set right in front of an expansive coral reef that stretches from the Yucatan to Honduras, it’s ideal for divers and snorkellers looking to check out turtles, eagle rays, lobsters and polychrome fish. The hotel is also located right by the area’s best cenote, a natural underwater sinkhole that provides yet more diving territory. The rooms here are less rustic than many of Tulum’s bohemian options, but still have the Yucatan touch with hammocks in some of the bedrooms and a restaurant right on the beach.