Tulum is home to a long stretch of beach that offers fine white sand and crystal-clear turquoise waters. If you’re interested in exploring this long beach, you’ve probably encountered some of the popular spots, and among these areas is Playa Las Palmas.
Playa Las Palmas is another long stretch of beach area in Tulum. It’s one of the three beach areas of North Tulum Beach, separating the North Beach from the Middle Beach. There are plenty of restaurants, hotels, and beach clubs for relaxation here.
If you plan to head out to Playa Las Palmas or include it in the beach areas you want to visit in Tulum, this article is for you. Here, we’ll cover everything you need to know about this beach area, including its location and everything this area offers.
Let’s get started!
Location
Playa Las Palmas is one of the three main areas of North Tulum Beach, together with Playa Ruinas and Playa Paraiso. This beach area is the end of North Tulum Beach and marks the start of Tulum’s Middle Beach. As such, it’s an easy place to locate when you’re in Tulum.
How to get there
You can reach Playa Las Palmas by driving or by riding a bike. Both modes of transportation are easy, and you can reach this beach area within a few minutes of travel.
From Tulum Pueblo
If you’re coming from Tulum Pueblo, Playa Las Palmas is 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) away. It will take around 14 minutes of driving or 18 minutes of a bike ride.
From Hotel Zone
If you’re coming from the center of the hotel zone, Playa Las Palmas is only 0.9 miles (1.5 kilometers) away. Therefore, you can reach it in 5 minutes on a bike and 3 minutes on a car. Or, you can always do some walking as it’s less than a mile away.
Parking
Regarding parking, you don’t have to worry about availability. The beach road beside the area is free for public parking, without fees. As such, you should be able to park without paying any fee.
Restaurants
When it comes to restaurants, you can find plenty of options available around. However, the popular ones are the four on-site restaurants of the Pocna Tulum Hotel. These are:
- Cleo Tulum – Mexican and Mediterranean Cuisine
- Ramon’s – Mexican and Seafood
- Kogure Tulum – Japanese Cuisine
- Berna Tulum – Caribbean Cuisine
There are plenty of other restaurant options around. You can explore the area and find chic options to order snacks, refreshments, and even some delicious meals.
Hotels
Due to the location, Playa Las Palmas also offers several hotels if you want a pleasant stay in this area. Below are some of the hotels near Playa Las Palmas.
- Mezzanine Hotel Tulum – Chic Boutique Hotel
- Cabanas Playa Condesa – Rustic Beachfront Hotel
- Pocna Tulum Hotel – Beachfront Hotel with Beach Club & Restaurant
- Diamante K – Romantic Hotel & Resort
- Playa las palmas Glamping Tulum – Glamping Area
Due to the vastness of Playa Las Palmas, you can find other hotel options within the area. Most offer beachfront access, beach amenities, on-site restaurants, and other inclusions to make your stay in this area memorable.
If you want an in-depth guide in searching for the best Hotels in Tulum, read: Where To Stay In Tulum?
Beach Clubs
When it comes to beach clubs, you’ll often find several options within Playa Las Palmas. Hence, you won’t encounter any issues if you wish to relax in the shade, on a chair, at a table, or sunbed.
Since this beach area houses resorts and hotels, you’ll often find some beach amenities for rent. However, one thing to note is that most of these establishments offer these amenities only to their guests.
For this reason, you’ll have better chances of scoring an umbrella or even a table and chair when you book at hotels nearby.
Also, most bookings would include complimentary access to the beach clubs. A beachfront hotel in this beach area will save you some money.
Overall, if you don’t have the budget to book a resort in Playa Las Palmas, you can always bring your amenities and find a spot within the area.
Prices
As I mentioned recently, Playa Las Palmas is a free public beach, meaning you can savor the beach without paying any fee. However, you might have to pay if you want to rent some beach amenities.
Most beach clubs charge 100 to 500 pesos for renting furniture on the beach. However, Beach clubs often accept foreign currency as well. Thus, paying in local currency will save you from being slapped with high prices.
Also, there may be minimum consumption requirements during peak season. For example, depending on the furniture you hire, a single bed might cost you between 1000 and 3000 pesos.
On beaches, most rentals and food are paid for in local currency, the Mexican peso. In some cases, establishments accept US dollars, but the exchange rate may differ (higher).
Thus, having local currency on hand for such expenses is a good idea. If you aren’t familiar with this town and where to exchange your currency, read: Best Places to Exchange Money in Tulum.
Most entrance fees include complimentary amenities such as chairs, umbrellas, and sunbeds. It is even possible that some beach towels will be included.
You can rent amenities here at Playa Las Palmas. However, bringing your own will save you some money for rentals. You can already enjoy such savings for your food.
Activities
Since Playa Las Palmas is a part of the northern beach, the activities here aren’t much. Instead, the usual vibe of this area is meant for simple relaxation beside the beach.
However, you can ask the nearby establishments if you crave some activities. For example, some hotels offer wellness and healing activities like yoga classes, spa treatments, and local ceremonies like temazcals and sound healing.
Here at Playa Las Palmas, you can also find some companies offering water activities such as water rides, boat rides, snorkeling, and other activities. Of course, they come with a fee, so be sure to have some local currency at hand for these things.
Nearby Attractions
Since Playa Las Palmas belongs to North Tulum Beach, the nearest tourist attraction from this area is the Tulum Ruins. These ruins are only a mile away from the area, and you can reach it through a short bike ride or drive, and you can even walk for a few minutes without any problem.
The other nearby attraction would be the Pueblo and the center of the Hotel Zone. You can find chic shops, ambient restaurants, and some bars for parties and nightlife here. You’ll need to drive a bit longer if you want other attractions like cenotes, the other ruins, and the famous Sian Ka’an Biosphere.
If you’re still planning an itinerary, you may find a complete list of things to do to help as you plan. If you want to know more about attractions, check out: 24 Things to Do in Tulum. This article also contains the best places to visit while you’re in town.
Conclusion
Playa Las Palmas is a free public beach area in Tulum that houses some friendly accommodations, restaurants, and beach clubs. However, it’s still one of the few beaches that offer some quiet space for the public to enjoy. As part of Tulum’s North Beach, you’ll enjoy the fine white sands, crystal clear waters, and a relaxing vibe in this area.
Of course, some fees are necessary if you want to have some food and rent out some amenities. However, you can enjoy this area free if you bring everything you need.
If you want to learn more about the entire beach of this town, you can read Tulum Beach.
