Tulum? Pablo Escobar's stomping grounds? How can you NOT check this place out?
Vibe
Hey, it's Tulum. About an hour and a half drive from the Cancun airport, you arrive in a bustling, colorful unique part of Mexico. And if you travel all the way down the main street, you find yourself at Pablo Escobar's former compound. And my, oh my, have they made some upgrades.
Like the entrance to the hotel. HOLY MOLY. Antique traditional Mexican wedding dresses form a towering curtain that has overstuffed couches and chairs hanging from what must be 50 foot chains. Yeah, now that's an entrance.
The new owner is a renowned art collector in New York, Lio Malca, and the second the gates open, you can tell he's put his stamp on this place. The art? It's impressive as it is eclectic. The only downside of staying in such an incredible place (read: art museum) is that you're going to have to expect the inevitable Instagram photo session that happens, well, all over the place all the time. For example, we had our sliding glass door open to the beach one day and a woman waltzed in off the beach and started taking pictures of the art, the room, etc. We politely informed her that this was a private room and asked her to leave...which she did after a few more snaps.
“The only downside of staying in such an incredible place (read: art museum) is that you're going to have to expect the inevitable Instagram photo session that happens, well, all over the place all the time.”
That being said, the vibe of Casa Malca is laid-back sheik. There's a constant - albeit subtle - buzz in Tulum, and that carries over to the hotel grounds, the staff and the energy of that place. Relaxing but something electric that's always within reach if you want to grab it.
Accommodations
How can you go to Pablo Escobar's place and not stay in the main house? I mean, how often do you get to sleep under the same roof as a drug lord" (Don't answer that.)
So that's what we did. And it was pretty amazing. We parked ourselves in a Master Suite Beach Front room and it was HUGE. Cavernous ceilings, overstuffed seating area, a huge bed with an even bigger headboard and art everywhere. The giant sliding doors opened up to the beach so it was always just a few steps to a covered, plush bungalow where we lounged for hours staring at some amazing blue Gulf water.
Fare and Glass
If you've read any of the other posts here, you know that K and I aren't exactly the exploring type. We like to find a nice, quiet place and relax. And while you can kind of do that in Tulum, since everything is walkable, we just couldn't resist to visit some of the place we had heard and read about.
The resident main restaurant, Philosophy, is excellent. Local ingredients combined with European cooking techniques makes for an adventurous experience. With a small footprint, you feel both cozy and well taken care of by the attentive and friendly staff. The cocktails are vibrant and unique while maintaing the Mexican flare you're expect.
Outside the walls of the compound, we experienced everything from fresh street tacos to Tulum staples such as Hartwood (make your reservations well in advance) - a completely open air restaurant with an ever-changing local-fare menu (just check out the chalkboard for today's menu) with sustainability at its heart (no pun intended). The flavors are as vibrant as the colors and the cocktails - oh my! Try them all.
Speaking of cocktails, no trip to Tulum is complete without a visit to Gitano - a mezcal bar hidden amongst the lush forest surrounding the area. You. Just. Can't. Go. Wrong. And the food's spot-on as well.
Verdict
Casa Malca is a delight for those that want to be tucked away in a lap of luxury while still being within reach of a vibrant social scene mixed with the inevitable tourism that Tulum brings with it. It's an experience. From the history to the impressive art collection to Instagram-a-palooza up and down the streets of Tulum, we have no regrets we visited and it was indeed a great getaway that departed from our typical "sit on the beach for a week and veg out." A fun trip with great food and drink plus an experience you're likely never to replicate South of the Border.
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