Punta Laguna- Monkey Reserve***

This past Sunday my family loaded up the car and headed due East for Punta Laguna. I had heard that Punta Laguna was a wonderful thing to do while visiting Tulum. What I had heard was right. It was a wonderful place and the whole family. Punta Laguna did not disappoint as a great thing to do in Tulum.  **We know of some great taxi drivers that do this tour Coba ruins and the monkey reserve at a great price-- contact us for more info***

We started our adventure by having our favorite tacos from Tulum town and then we were off due West on the Coba road. After we got to Coba we decided to look around at some cenotes in the area. There were many cenotes to explore but most of them were cave cenotes. I do love cave cenotes but for this particular day we were looking for a wide open cenote that we could enjoy the warm day at. So we doubled back towards Tulum to go to Punta Laguna.

To get to Punta Laguna you take the Coba road from Tulum. After about 35 -40 minutes you will come to a round-a-bout. 1 direction leads you towards Cancun, 1 towards Chichen Itza and the last towards Coba. (The one you are on takes you back to Tulum- obviously!) You want to take the one that goes towards Cancun. You will drive for about 20-30 minutes on this road before you will see the sign for Punta Laguna. There were a number of other cenotes and spots of interest that I cannot wait to get out and see more of- but this trip was about Punta Laguna. So we continued past these places until we reached Punta Laguna.

When we reached the Laguna we went and paid our entrance fee which was very reasonable, something like 30 pesos. They advised us that we would have to walk a ways into the jungle to see the monkeys. Punta Laguna is a monkey reserve so you can easily spot these amazing creatures all around you if you pay attention. And hear them you most defiantly will. – Wow that sounded a bit like yoda- sorry. But you will. They are all around and you can hear the screeches and howls.

When we first started towards the Laguna- we noticed that there was a little corner store. It was the perfect place to buy a few more snacks and some ice. We had brought our cooler with us so we had stuff for sandwiches, juice and some beers- after and ice refill and some sweets for the kids we walked down towards the Laguna. The road is dirt and uneven and in her excitement to get to the water our daughter took a nose dive on the path. As a brand new 7 year old she is starting to get used to the scrapped knees and scuffed hands- but – a little hurt she picked herself back up. While she did so the wonderful family that lives there hurried to her rescue.

This is one of my favorite things about living in Mexico and the Mexican people in general—they love children and they love to help. In the states we have a very hands off approach to getting into each other’s lives. Here in Tulum- that is not the case- people are always there to help you and care for you at every turn. ESPECILLAY children. It is such a wonderful place to visit with kids. You never feel like your kids are imposing or that other people are annoyed with your kids. As a mother- and one who wants to enjoy herself too- I love this. But anyway… side note

As my daughter arose from her newly acquired injury- we were greeted by the warm smiles of a local Mayan woman and her husband who had rushed to her aid, followed closely by her 2 adorable kids. It was so sweet. They came out with tissue, smiles and a balm of some kind that they asked if they could put on her wounds. Knowing full well the magic of anything that Mayan women put on their kids I was willing and even a little eager. The balm they put on her immediately soothed her. I am sure that much of it was also the kindness of these people. After she was clearly okay, the family went one step further by the dad getting his tricycolo, often referred to as the Mayan Limousine, and giving Lena a ride down to the Laguna. It was so sweet.

After about 100 meters we were greeted with one of most beautiful images that I have seen. A large stunning Laguna- completely clear and empty. It was amazing. By the time that we had arrived it was about 1:00 in the afternoon. The sun was already casting shadows off the far end of the Laguna and the colors that rose off the water were incredible. We sat our cooler down and it took all of 4 seconds for the kids to go jumping off the dock into the amazing fresh water of the Laguna. We stayed there for about 2 hours- swimming- playing- talking and laying in the sun.

During our playing we had a few groups that were on walks in the reserve either coming or going stop for a moment to take some pictures. The Laguna does offer walking tours into the reserve and points out monkeys along the way and also give you information about the various plants and animals that you will find there. You can totally do the walk on your won- but you will get so much more out of it if you get the tour. They can tell you so many stories and facts that you would not otherwise hear or know.

We took the kids for a long walk in the jungle and it was so much fun. We walked and walked and took random turns and kept walking. It was great. You could hear the monkeys all around you. We saw many on our walk and such a fun time. Monkeys to kids are such magic. Well to anyone really and this place is full of them. It was a truly magical day and one that I think everyone who visits Tulum should experience.

El Camellos- Some of the best fish tacos in TULUM!***

When talking about the very best fish tacos in town you might get a few different answers. But one that you will hear again and again form the locals is El Camellos!!! This wonderful ALL FISH RESTAURANT is absolutely amazing. Considering that as of about 10 am you can see it packed with local fisherman- that should really be your first clue to how great this spot is. Not to mention that the fisherman just got down unloading their daily catch at the pescaderia (fish store) that shares this location.

When this hot spots needs a whole fish for their pescado frito entrée it is served fresh out of the cooler from this pescaderia. The most amazing part of the whole experience- is that you would never be able to tell that there were 5 massive coolers filled with fish. That is how fresh the fish at this spot is.

During the day this is many locals’ favorite spot for fish tacos. Coming 3 to a plate you can get these beauties cooked any number of ways from breaded to grilled. One of my favorites is Yucatecan style with tomatoes, peppers and onions. You should give it a try. And for only 60 or 70 pesos a plate—you can afford to try them all.

After 5:00 p.m. there are no more tacos but the various ceviche plates – that are HUGE by the way- along with the shrimp, octopus and let’s not forget the fresh fish dinners keep people happy throughout the night.

This is one of those spots that serves up the very best of the shores of Tulum to happy people eager to eat it. With various salsas and hot sauces ready on the table-my table is never quite complete without the chopped habenero they bring me drenched in lime stop

El Camellos is toward the south end of town a little past Rancho Tranquilo. This is a great spot that the whole family will love!

Altamar Tulum ***

Restaurants in Tulum have been earning a reputation for having wonderful flavors, exciting combinations and well executed plates. These amazing Tulum restaurants continue to get better and better and impress even further with each new day.

This past Valentine's day I took a very good girlfriend of mine out to dinner at Altamar Tulum. I have been eager to try this new restaurant since it opened a few months ago. With a warm and welcoming decor and great lighting, this amazing restaurant feels very calm and peaceful for being just off the main avenue of Tulum.

The first thing that we noticed was the beautiful open kitchen were we could watch the talented chefs create their masterpieces. After speaking with the manager, John and getting his recommendations we were excited about out upcoming meal. We toasted our friendship with a very well made margarita. It was the perfect start! The spread in the beginning of the meal was also a show stopper. Going much further then the traditional chips and salsa- a block of 6 different items was presented. jicama with spices, cucumber with spices, roasted sunflower seeds, nopal(sauteed cactus) and 2 salsas- neither one very hot but both full of great flavors.

To begin we had the civiche. While civiche is a common thing to find in the restaurants here, this civiche sets itself far apart from the normal dish. With a more south American twist using corn, avocado and some ginger that made the fish, shrimp and octopus just melt in your mouth. The pieces of fish were large cubed pieces and the octopus was soft and perfect.

The 2nd appetizer was to die for!!!! It was a chupe de camerone. A shrimp dish that is warm and creamy. It was almost like a dip but it was so amazing we were eating by the spoonful. This recipe is an old family recipe from Chile and I must say that I am in love with the chefs grandmother. This dish was one of the very best things I have eaten in Tulum and will be going back for it again.

For our main dish we ordered the arrachera steak that was stuffed with panela cheese and and chaya. Chaya is a local leafy vegetable much like spinach but even better. The steak was an amazing cut, very little fat and full of flavor. Served over baby potatoes and with a delicious sauce this was a welcome piece of meat.

The manager had recommended the octopus for an entree as Eric, the head chef cooks it perfectly. While I am not normally the biggest fan of octopus (usually because it is so tough and chewy) we decided to give it a shot. I could not have been happier. From the plating to the flavors this was the best octopus I have ever eaten. It was served with rice in a corn husk and a spread of beans and their amazing guacamole. We could tell from the moment that we cut into it that it was perfectly cooked. It was amazing.

There were several times that our waiter was prepared to clear the plates but we warned him that it was too good and that he might lose a finger! hahaha it was such an amazing meal. We literally ate for 3 hours. It was amazing. The food was accompanied by a beautiful bottle of white wine. We ordered the house wine and we were very happy with it. The wine list had several bottles that I know and love so it would be hard to find one that was not great!

Now- we are 2 ladies out on Valentine's Day so there was NO WAY that we were not going to get dessert. The perfect end to this amazing meal was a dense chocolate cake served with a coconut ice cream that was to die for. The cake was more like a mouse and melted in your mouth,

The other dessert was a pastry shell filled with fresh strawberries and served with vanilla ice cream. Both desserts also had a sauce made of a jamaica (hibiscus flowers) reduction that complimented the desserts beautifully.

The details and attention to service at Altamar Tulum made for an absolutely killer dining experience and I cannot wait to go back for more. They are also doing some great events such as oyster Wednesdays and lobster Saturday. In their 2nd floor lounge that over looks the main avenue they have a daily happy hour called Daily Sunset. 2x1 drinks and FREE APPATIZERS!!!!!! Cannot beat that.

You will not be disapointed with your experience at this wonderful Tulum restaurant.