Casa Malca And A Taste of Tulum

Travel
Written By Emily Warburton-Adams

Rustic wooden lanterns sway in the coastal breeze as a barman wearing a hipster moustache finishes a spicy margarita with a drop of chilli oil. It’s rimmed with black Himalayan salt, perfectly balanced and refreshing.
The authentically chic restaurant is filled with tables of stylish men and beautiful women, sipping on expensive cocktails and eating delicately crafted plates of food at London prices. A python’s just been sighted amidst the foraging plants that freely grow by the restrooms, and it’s common place to see a nesting Sea Turtle along the 10km stretch of glittering white sand that sits less than a stones throw away from us.

I’m in Tulum and it could well be my new favourite holiday destination.
In recent years it’s been put on the map for its Instagram-able accents, must-visit restaurants, high-end boutiques, wellness retreats and no less than the Mexican hideaway of Pablo Escobar, which has since been converted into a 5* hotel.

There is so much history and culture behind this Luxury hot spot that the likes of Cara Delevingne and Cameron Diaz jet in to for a spot of revitalisation and fun. I feel privileged to have experienced even a glimpse of the magical location that I now believe everyone needs to put on their travel bucket list.

Harmony Glamping

Wanting to experience a little of “real” Tulum culture on the first night, I organised a stay at the inland Harmony Glamping. A quaint yoga hotel with a healthy cafe and pool, it’s simple, comfortable and the staff are helpful. We opted for an air conditioned room over one of the boudoir Glamping tents (which I may have gone for if I were travelling alone).

FOR MORE, YOU CAN READ MY TRIP ADVISER REVIEW HERE

After a comfortable night’s sleep and a contemplative morning yoga class we hopped into a taxi (the easiest mode of transport in Tulum) and headed 5km South of the centre towards Mexico’s only Caribbean coastline.

I had been told that the “beach road” was the place to be in Tulum, and I quickly realised why. Driving through what could only be described as a different world to where we had just been, I understood the huge appeal in coming here on holiday. Perhaps comparable to parts of India or Ibiza. I regardlessly knew that it was unlike anywhere i’d been before. The roads were acceptingly rugged, lined with smoothie shacks and chic restaurants that I recognised from Instagram. Young ladies, yoga mat in hand wandered in and out of etherial boutiques and people on bicycles cycled too and from their trendy resorts.
Even in low season it appeared to be thriving and despite how it stands now, I could easily imagine back to when it was no more than a vast stretch of dry land, separating the white sandy beaches from the thick jungle. It’s fabulous, and we haven’t even got out of the car yet.

Casa Malca

Nearing the end of the road and away from the bustle we pulled up outside a pair of gates without a name plaque in sight. And then, out of nowhere we were greeted by a small, well-built Mexican guardsman who guided us up to the main “house”. It became clear that we had just walked into a secluded, wildly different wonderland.
Our stay at Casa Malca lasted two nights and the experience was spectacular. It was a true escape from the real world where any and every sense of time was beautifully lost; something so hard to find nowadays.
Luxe and yet still unpretentious, everything from the staff to the delectable food, magical grounds, contemporary art, and history of Casa Malca is out of the ordinary.

I made the most of my days, rinsing every minute in knowledge that I wouldn’t want to leave. I woke early in the mornings for Sanara yoga classes, went on beach walks and drank iced matchas. It was my taste of heaven.

The final days passed far too quickly for my liking and as I thought, I didn’t want to leave. I will certainly be returning and learnt that you need more than a week to get everything done! There are yoga retreats I would like to attend, clay spa treatments, many a cenote to visit and most predominantly, I didn’t make it to the Mayan Ruins – something that I am very upset about!  

Tulum really is a definite bucket list location, and I will remember this first visit forever.

Must Visit Restaurants :

The food tops anywhere I have been in a long while! Most notably, I would recommend;

Other notable experiences:

  • The idyllic beaches and Cenotes with the Azur blue waters

  • The nesting turtles sighted at night

  • The yoga classes looking out to sea at Sanara

  • The eco culture and core interests in sustaining these values amongst most of the resorts and establishments

Emily Warburton-Adams
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