Papaya Playa
I stayed at Papaya Playa for 3 days and 2 nights the first time I visited Tulum in 2002 and again overnight in 2005. The cost was 250 pesos a night, that was for one of the simplest cabanas (with a sand floor). There are more expensive ones with concrete floors and regular beds, and a few small villa-type cabanas. I stayed in one of these in 2005 and the cost was 450 pesos. The breeze flows through your cabana at night and the loud crashes of the waves will lull you to sleep surprisingly quickly.
They give you padlocks to lock your cabin door.
It was a very quiet, relaxing place to stay. So rustic it almost felt like camping.
The staff, Jacqueline, Sergio, and Roberta were friendly and helpful. It wasn't uncommon to find Sergio and Jacqueline necking behind the bar. Many times they had to go looking for the cook to make the guests something to eat. I worried a little bit about some of the food being left out in the open. All food and drink gets tabbed to your cabin, so be careful, your tab can quickly exceed your room price and cost more than you budgeted.
Nice sitting areas, hammocks, dining area, and bar (with swings).
The beach was fantastic and not busy at all. The water was so clean it smelled sweet. There's some deadly coral at the shore underneath the ocean, so be careful.
It's also a rocky climb from the beach to the bar area, so bring some kind of footwear to protect your toes (when walking in the middle of the night).
There is no electricity (except for an hour at 7:00 p.m.) so bring a flashlight. And mosquitoes come out of the jungle at night, so bring bugspray. There are pet dogs, cats, raccoons, and birds.
I had fun. If you're an uptight person you'll have a lot of difficulty here. This place is very, very laidback. Don't expect people to move quickly. If you like camping, you'll love it!
See my Tulum Travelogues for more photos of Papaya Playa.
Unique Quality: As of 2005 there is a great brand-new beautifully-lit mulitple shower and bathroom facility. You can shower under the stars.
Papaya Playa and Cobana Copal (beside it) are quiet uncrowded places.
The drawback is that both of them are the cabanas the furthest away from the ruins (5 kms). There are lots of cabana places much closer for about the same price. It seems as though that the closer the cabanas are to the ruins, the louder and busier they are. So if you want to party at night, stay in one of the cabins close to the ruins. If you want something quiet and relaxing with a very private beach, Papaya Playa may be the place for you.
You don't need reservations for most of these places.
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Papaya Playa
Tulum - Papaya Playa (2002)
Papaya Playa - Entrance
Papaya Playa - Beach (2002)
