Rose L.
Yelp
Tulum Beach is truly a lovely beach although I will tell you the good and the bad from my visit week long visit the first week of February. We stayed in the city and drove to the beach in the mornings, but my experience is based off that.
Good:
The beach is huge, I walked for hours and didn't see an end. You will never be short of beauty, the sound of waves crashing on the shore or palm tree photo opportunities.
Clean, smooth sand; no sea shells, the ability to walk without burning your feet and even freshly racked every morning!
If you're looking for a drink, there are PLENTY of places. In fact, you probably won't find a spot that doesn't run parallel with a hotel.
Sitting and umbrellas galore. You won't need to bring your own beach towel, chair or umbrella because they're everywhere (although you'll have to "pay" for it someway).
No unfriendly sea creature--at least from my experience, I didn't run into any jelly fish or anything I would be concerned about. No seagull either!
Many of the hotels along the beach have swimming pools, so even if the ocean is rough, there's always a back-up plan.
Bad:
Rough waves; I couldn't do much actual swimming in the ocean as the waves were every rough during our week long visit. You'll find sand coating your swimsuit, hair, etc from the large waves crashing to shore.
Hope you enjoy seaweed! Every morning the seaweed is literally racked and buried at the nicer hotels so their patrons can enjoy a seaweed free view--at least for a couple hours, before it builds up again from the ocean!
Prices are high! You're not going to be paying "Mexico prices" if you stop at the resorts along the beach. Expect to pay for your seat ($10 was the average if you also purchased lunch). Every hotel is different, so ask before you settle in. Also, there are rules for hotel patrons vs. guest, so make sure you ask about that.
You will be solicited, regardless of if you're at a hotel as an already paying customer. You won't be harassed to buy things which is nice, simple say "no gracias" and they're turn away.
Overall, Tulum Beach was truly lovely, albeit the ocean was rough on my visit, the weather was warm, the water temperature enjoyable, staff along the beach is friendly, it's very quiet. If you're looking to relax and get a tan, this is a stop meant for you!