"Paradise for Pennies!!!" a Tulum Travel Page by wilocrek

I stayed at the El Mirador from Jan. 25th 2007 - Feb. 1st 2007 in one of the beachfront cabanas. I arrived in the midst of the high season so the cost was $25 a night, low season is about $20. I made my reservation through mexicancarribean.com a few months in advance. The cabanas seemed to be at least 3/4's full so if you are adverse to taking risks I would recommend making a reservation. The El Mirador is run by Maria, a very friendly, and business minded local who speaks English fluently. The cabanas are very rustic, literally a cement floor, sticks for walls, and a thatched roof. Inside the cabana there is a bed and a table with a chair. This place is not for that faint of heart! That said I would stay there again in a heartbeat! I considered my stay to be like a camping experience, except I didnt' have to sleep in a tent or in a sleeping bag. The cabana provides you with a place to sleep at a very good price and you are literally on the beach! I would recommend bringing your own blanket, pillow and some old sheets as the ones they provide do not look very clean. The bathroom facilities brought back mixed feeling memories of Boy Scout camp. The sink is in front of the bathrooms and there are three shower stalls that have fresh water. Again very rustic and not the cleanest but more than adequete. Bring your shower shoes for the love of all thats holy! You don't want to be barefoot in those facilities! If you are a grizzled budget traveler who isn't planning on coming thousands of miles to spend your vacation in a hotel room, then this place is good enough. The majority of the people I met staying at the Mirador were budget travelers between the ages of 20 through 30. There were alot of European students on vacation from their studies and people who just wanted to spend an entire week lounging on a hammock in front of their cabana staring out at the endless blue ocean. If you want all the basic luxuries your used to at bigger resorts, then cross the Mirador off your list, there are plenty of nicer cabanas for five times the price along the road. The location is a huge selling point of the El Mirador, in is barely a half mile from the Tulum Mayan Ruins! Its a lovely 5 to 10 minute walk down a narrow, jungle lined road. You will see a sign for the Mirador and walk up a dirt road and you will see the restraunt that also serves as the front office.

The Mirador restraunt certainly will not win any awards for its menu, but the view makes it worth the visit. The restraunt overlooks the beach and the Carribbean Sea and provides a perfect picture taking opportunity. With one panoramic shot you get the white sand beach dotted with the thatched roofs of the cabanas, paritally hidden by the swaying palm trees. Not to mention the stunning backdrop of the Carribbean Sea. All this from your table. The menu is basic and the beer and soda overpriced, but the food itself is adequete and if its not on the menu, just tell Maria what you want and she will do her best! I got hooked on their nachos covered with chicken and or carne asada. The nachos and a beer or soda will run you about $10 bucks. Its even nicer there at night, with the ocean breeze sweeping through the restraunt and the beach a midnight blue mirage. Nothing like sitting with your friends having a drink, and no pun intended, shooting the breeze!

Rustic seems to be a recurring theme to describe the Mirador, the beach is no exception. The sand is soft and white and clings to your body like a thirsty leech. The palm trees are picture perfect and watch out for falling coconuts! The beach is not maintained by the Mirador staff, as a result the beach is lined with seaweed and some trash. If your used to resorts you will miss the machines they use to till the sand to give the beach a sandbox feel. That said the beach is uncrowded and you have plenty of room to spread out and pretend you are alone in the world. I took to borrowing a rake and tilling the sand myself so I still got the perfect beach setting, albeit with a perimeter. The water is wonderfully warm and clear, everyday I went snorkeling directly in front of the beach. The water is that clear! You have to venture out about 50 yards before you start seeing alot of sealife. There are several bonuses to the Mirador beach. The beach itself runs up against the cliffs and those cliffs run about a quarter mile to the next beach, which happens to be the beach just below the Tulum ruins! I would snorkel in the direction of the Ruins and was treated to a splendid view of the ocean view and also the Ruins above the beach. Here's a priceless tip, when snorkeling toward the ruins, stay about 50 yards out and just before you get to the beach you will run across a beautiful coral reef that you can practically touch with your fingers. I saw a rainbow coalition of fish! Lime green, and flourescent blue schools of fish will draw you into to their carefree world and you will forget about the world above the surface. Once you have fully indulged your senses look up, your now just 50 yards away from the crowded beach below the Tulum ruins. Why not work your way up to the beach, pull off the gear, and treat yourself to a tour of the Tulum ruins? Just go on up the stairs and there it is! Best part is there is no admission fee when you come in through the rear! Do this at your own risk, but I figured if they really were that concerned they would do something about that, but I doubt many people use the rear entrance! When your done just put the gear back on and snorkel back to the Mirador beach, it takes all of 15 minutes to snorkel back and forth between the Mirador and the Ruins if you cut out the extended veiwing of the fish! One last tip, bring your own gear, don't rent it from the dive shops. Its expensive and their equipment is subpar.