Mahekal Beach Resort

Twenty years ago Playa del Carmen hotels had the same hammock-swinging, barefeet-in-the-sand, back-to-nature beach feel Tulum has today. Mahekal is one of the few Playa beach hotels that preserve it: with thatch-roof cabañas dotted around one of the town’s last remaining stretches of coconut grove and clustered over a long, sinuous aquamarine pool.

Most rooms sit in two-storey palapas and all come in lovely minimalist whitewash with warm Mexican-coloured textiles and organic wood art. They have a nest-like, intimate feel.

For that real Tulum feel skip the double-storeys and a casita with ocean views from beds and balconies; or a single-storey jungle bungalow – secluded behind foliage, with a towering, thatched roof and a balcony slung with a hammock.