Food

Tulum’s food splits the same way the town does: honest, good-value Yucatecan and Quintana Roo cooking in the pueblo, and beautifully plated, heavily priced fusion on the beach road. Eat in the pueblo and you’ll eat better for less.

The regional dishes to chase

• Cochinita pibil — slow-roasted, achiote-marinated pork, served in tacos or tortas, usually a breakfast-into-lunch thing. The regional must-eat.
• Tacos al pastor — spit-roasted pork with pineapple, best from an evening stand.
• Panuchos and salbutes — fried tortillas topped with turkey or chicken, a Yucatán staple.
• Marquesitas — a crispy rolled crepe, classically filled with cheese (yes, with sweet toppings), from a street cart for dessert.
• Fresh seafood — ceviche and grilled fish, this being the Caribbean coast.

Where to eat

The taquerías and loncherías along and just off the pueblo’s main avenue are where you want to be — a full taco meal runs just a few dollars (approximate). The street stands near the plaza fire up at night and are cheap and honest. For a sit-down regional meal, the pueblo has solid casual restaurants at a fraction of beach prices.

The beach road, honestly

The strip has genuinely accomplished restaurants — but you’re paying for setting and scene. Expect a main course to cost many times what the same quality runs in the pueblo (approximate), and expect a “cover” energy to the whole thing. Worth one splurge dinner if that’s your trip; not worth it every night.

A friend’s tip

Order the daily special where you see locals eating, drink the agua fresca, and save the tasting-menu budget for one night, not seven.