10 Best Beach Clubs in Tulum, Mexico
Discover the best Tulum beach clubs in Tulum with this quick guide on ten of the must-visits along the hotel zone
Words Emily Harman & Julienne Raboca
Tulum is situated along a 10-mile stretch of coastline, so as you can imagine, the place has no shortage of beach clubs. For the purposes of this post, we’re going to focus on the main strip of beach that makes up Tulum’s Hotel Zone. This is the approximately 4-mile stretch of beach that falls between Habitas (at the northern end of the main road, Boca Paila) and runs all the way south to Casa Malca. Outside of this area there are beach clubs, hotels (Ikal, Gitano, etc), and public beaches to the north, and you also have the entire Sian Ka’an reserve to the south.
Here are our recommendations for the best beach clubs in Tulum within the Hotel Zone. We’ve included a variety of options, whether you are looking for a nice day at the beach with comfortable chairs or a place to dance from sunset to sunrise.
Gitano Tulum Beach Club in Tulum. If you’re in Tulum on a Friday, this is the place to go. Stay all the way through dinner to enjoy their Friday Flamenco music and dance performance – you won’t find anything like it in the area. For the day they have been known to ask for a minimum consumption of around MXN$1,500 per person. gitano.com/tulum-beach
Nômade Beach Club In Tulum. Nômade is one of our favorites because of both their aesthetic and menu. The vibe is sophisticated boho chic and their menu is primarily seafood. It’s perfect because you can snag a daybed and then step out of the sun for lunch at their beachfront restaurant, La Popular. The Nomade Tulum beach club price is quite steep though, with a US$100 food and drink minimum per person for outside visitors. While the pools and beach beds are for guests only, they have comfortable sofas and bean bags.
Amansala Tulum Beach Club. Amansala is an eco-chic resort with a focus on wellness. I love spending a beach day at Amansala during the week because it’s a great place to work remotely. WiFi is very reliable and they have plenty of tables to work from. Amansala also has fitness classes throughout the day that you can pop into.
There are two Amansala beach clubs: The main property, Grande, and one almost next door, Chica. The Tulum beach club with pool at Grande is, as the name suggests, larger. Their Tulum beach club day pass starts at US$35 before 3pm on weekdays, and US$45 on weekends and after 3pm. Chica is much smaller and more chill; passes - Tulum beach clubs for non guests starts at US$25. All day beds and cabanas are first come, first served.
More on Amansala here. Tulum beach club reservations .
Vagalume Tulum Beach Club. They don’t say much on their website but this European-style beach club is an elegantly designed destination for a discerning clientele. Unlike the other venues listed here, Vagalume is not a hotel but a restaurant and beach club hosting international DJs with Thursdays being their best night.
Be Tulum. Be and Nômade have the same owners. The two properties are right next to each other and are similar in many ways, but their menus are very different. Be Tulum has everything from ceviche and tacos to pasta and pizza. Their latest policy states a minimum consumption of $110 USD per person.
Hotel Panamera beach club. If Soho House existed in Tulum, I would imagine it to look and feel a lot like Hotel Panamera. Panamera is a boutique hotel and they have an adorable pool and beach club for both hotel guests and daily visitors. It’s not a large space, so it’s great to go on your own or with 1-2 friends.
More on Hotel Panamera here.
Casa Malca Tulum. Said to be one of Pablo Escobar’s mansions back in the day, Casa Malca is a unique place because of the many pieces of art throughout the property. The beach club requires a minimum spend of US$50 USD as well as a $50 USD cover per person.
Papaya Playa Project. How could I make this list without mentioning the iconic Beach Club in Tulum Papaya Playa? But perhaps it already goes without saying, since the most famous music acts and festivals in Tulum are featured right at this space. They have a huge venue that you can explore, and on special events they have food markets and pop-up retail stalls, aside from their restaurant, club and beachfront area.
Nest Beach Club Tulum. If you’re looking for tranquility, Nest is the place to go at the end of the zona hotelera. Escape the party music and get away from it all on this intimate property, and if you’re lucky you may have it all to yourself outside of peak season.
Taboo. Taboo is a very different vibe than any of the beach clubs in Tulum I just recommended. Taboo is a party. If you are celebrating, have a large group, and are looking to drink, dance, and meet people, Taboo will be a lot of fun! It’s also a restaurant and bar featuring Mediterranean cuisine.
What to Know Before You Go
Most Tulum beach clubs will require non guests to commit to a minimum spend. This range varies by hotel. The highest I’ve seen is $110 USD per person (Nômade and Be Tulum). After a few cocktails and a bit of food you will easily hit this when you spend a day there.
You will want to arrive early to increase your chances of getting in. However, on some days certain beach clubs in Tulum will not allow outside guests to occupy beach chairs/beds if they are at full capacity within their hotel (to accommodate for their hotel guests).
Some Tulum beach clubs require reservations ahead of time. If you are planning to go to any beach club with a large group, we would definitely recommend calling ahead.
About the Authors
Emily Harman is a travel and lifestyle blogger based in the West Village of NYC. She relocated to Mexico in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and stayed for seven months, splitting her time between Tulum and Mexico City. Emily launched her blog, EverythingEm.co, in 2020 out of her passions for solo travel, photography, and boutique hotels. She studied finance and entrepreneurship at Fordham University and now works full-time in private equity in NYC.
Julienne Raboca is a traveling writer and yoga instructor teaching Vinyasa and mobility classes at Amansala Wellness Resort in Tulum. She was certified to teach mobility-based Vinyasa at Seattle-based Awakening Yoga. Prior to Mexico, Julienne was living in Hong Kong and New York where she worked in digital communications, content management and lifestyle editorial.