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Last updated: 13 November, 2022
Expert travel writer: Alex Robinson

The Ma’Xanab takes the hammock-slung, thatched hut, toes-in-the-sand formula that made Tulum a backpacker beach legend in the 1990s and turned it chic beach-boutique.

Rooms in polished concrete and lush hardwoods sit in two-story cabanas. The best are on the upper floor – brighter and airier, they sit under towering palm-weave roofs and are adorned with carefully-placed wall mirrors and Mexican ceramic objets d’art. Wall-high windows with drapey linen curtains open onto plunge-pool balconies with jungle or palm-tree-and-ocean views.

The hotel has a modest pool and a good restaurant serving Mexican comfort cooking. There are many more options within a 15-minute walk. Adults only.

Surrounding area

The hotel sits on a quiet stretch of sand on the edge of Tulum beach’s low-key nightlife and hotel zone. Alternative restaurants, shops and bars are a ten-minute walk south. Tulum village with even more choices is a 15-minute cab ride.

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Key facilities

Airport transfers*
Beach: Onsite
Creche
Fitness centre
Fitness classes
Golf course
Hot tub
Parking: Nearby (free)
Pool (adults only)
Pool (indoor)
Pool (outdoor)
Pool (kids)
Spa
Tennis courts
WiFi: Free
Yoga

Food & drink

All inclusive
Kids menu
Restaurant on-site
Self catering
*
Additional charge

Room types

Apartments
Bedrooms
Cabins
Suites
Tents
Villas
Yurts

Room facilities

Air conditioning
Flat screen TV
Jacuzzi (private)
Pool (private)
Tea & coffee making facilities
WiFi

Bedding options

2+ bedrooms
3+ beds
Connecting rooms
Rollaway/sofa bed

Bucket list experiences our writer says you must do in this destination, closest first

Gran Cenote

Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico[9.4 miles]

Lily-covered, glassy-clear and filled with terrapins and tropical fish, this cenote near Tulum is easy to reach and fabulous to swim in. Big caverns make for spectacular cave diving.

Best for ages: 6+ | £7

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Overview >

Mayan ruins of Coba

Quintana Roo, Mexico

An authentic, atmospheric and less-visited Mayan site, set in lush, wildlife-rich forest. Climb to the summit of the 126ft-high Nohoc Mul pyramid – the tallest on the Mayan Riviera.

Best for ages: 13+ | £5

Website >
Overview >

Other worthwhile experiences in this destination if you have the time or the interest, closest first

Mayan ruins of Tulum

Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico[6.3 miles]

Iconic, though modest, Maya ruins perched on a cliff overlooking a beautiful beach and a turquoise ocean.

Best for ages: 10+ | £2

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Overview >

Xel-Ha

Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico[20 miles]

A snorkellers’ theme park, comprising a series of broken, crystal-clear bays and glassy streams, teeming with brightly coloured marine life and fringed with low tropical forest. Safe, supervised snorkelling plus swimming with (captive) dolphins and manatees.

Best for ages: 4+ | £80

Aktun-Chen

Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico[24.8 miles]

A simple nature-based theme park with a safari-park zoo, a cenote for swimming, a spectacular cave and a rainforest canopy zip-line adventure.

Best for ages: 4+ | £30

Website >
Overview >

El Camaleon Mayakoba Golf Club

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, Mexico

Designed by Greg Norman, the course weaves its way through dense jungle, beautiful stretches of white sand and mangrove forests, with cenotes – natural sink holes – providing natural hazards.

Best for ages: 13+ | £125

Website >
Overview >

Destination guides including or relevant to this place to stay

Mayan Riviera

Mexico

Talc-white beaches, reefs teeming with life, ruined temples in misty rainforests – the Riviera Maya offers a family or romantic beach holiday with a dash of Indian Jones adventure.

Website >
Overview >