The Ultimate Guide To Shopping In Tulum

These days, Tulum is widely acknowledged as the crown jewel of the world famous Riviera Maya. Of course, Cancun is still the largest city and has the biggest airport (although Tulum already has its own airport), but the most exclusive hotels and the biggest celebrities can be found at Tulum.

Somehow, Tulum has developed an aura of bohemian beach town with a very specific boho chic style that hit the jackpot and resonates with Hollywood actors, international divas, and renowned artists all over the world. Its natural beauty and underdevelopment offers something that Cancun simply doesn’t have any more and that’s what has transformed Tulum into a magnet for celebrities and such a travel hotspot destination right now.

That said, besides the stunning beaches and their trove of hip beach clubs, the uber-exclusive eco-hotels, and the extraordinary gastronomical diversity that this gorgeous beach town has to offer, Tulum is also a great place to go shopping!

Just don’t expect the big malls of Cancun or the all-in-one spot where you can find everything like in Playa del Carmen’s Quinta Avenida. No, Tulum, as in everything else, is about uniqueness, which you can find in small, curated, exclusive shops, with well-defined styles and luxurious brands.

Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting shops in Tulum:

Boutiques

La Troupe

Widely recognized as one of the best places to shop in Tulum, La Troupe is a staple of the Tulum shopping landscape. Founded and managed by three Argentinian friends who made Tulum their home, La Troupe has developed a unique boho chic style of clothing for women that’s very popular among the thousands of international visitors that come to Tulum every year. More recently, La Troupe has also created a “Living” collection where they expanded their unique boho chic style into home accessories such as pillows and blankets.

Location: Av. Boca Paila km 9.2.
Opens: Everyday from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm.

La Tiendita

One more of the successful boutiques created by foreign friends who found inspiration in Tulum and decided to stay and found a special place where they could let their creativity flow freely. La Tiendita makes a point of offering organic materials, sustainable products, and engaging in fair trade practices. All of it inspired by the local culture and the vibes of Mexico’s “Pueblos Mágicos” or “Magical Towns”. Come to La Tiendita for their lovely boho chic clotheslines, their refined textile collections, and some pretty unique home decor accessories.

Location: Av. Boca Paila km 9.5.
Opens: Everyday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Pura Vida

Marketed as “a shop with a soul”, Pura Vida offers all kinds of locally crafted clothing and jewelry accessories. This is the kind of shop that perfectly reflects the vibe and feeling of Tulum. It offers a balanced mix of Gypsy and Mayan touches, with long loose skirts and beach dresses, leather bags, and silver-based jewelry pieces. A hidden gem in Tulum’s fashion universe.

Location: Av. Tulum s/n, entre Centauro Sur y Satélite Sur.
Opens: Everyday from 10:00 am to 9:30 pm.

Lolita Lolita

Known by its loyal customers as “Follow That Dream” due to a famous street sign located nearby, Lolita Lolita has been a big name in Tulum’s shopping scene since opening its doors back in 2013. This colorful store offers an organic line of skin care products and several clothing collections inspired by the culture, nature, and colors of the Yucatan Peninsula. To give you an idea of the originality of Lolita Lolita style these are some real products that you can find here: mermaid shorts, Barbie gloves, hot Buddha pants, damiana extract, sex candles, and copal sticks.

Location: Av. 5 Sur-Local 4B.
Opens: Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.

Spiritum

Fashion with a purpose is what Spiritum brings to the table. Their clotheslines all following Tulum’s boho chic style, are designed with modern techniques but made with artisanal processes. Differentiating itself from some of its fiercest competitors, Spiritum also offers clothes and accessories for men, although in more limited quantities of course, as women are the stars of Tulum’s fashion universe.

Location: Carretera Tulum - Boca Paila km 10.
Opens: Everyday from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Deline Concept Store

This boutique caters to the local market and is a bit less exclusive than the previously reviewed. It offers a wide variety of products, from swimwear and beachwear to purses, candles, jewelry, hats, and all kinds of useful accessories for life by the beach. Deline offers free shipping to all of Mexico and it’s constantly expanding its lines of products with some of its most recent additions being kimonos, tanning oils, and sunglasses.

Location: Carretera Tulum - Boca Paila km 6, local 1.
Opens: Everyday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Josa

Founded by Newyorker Joanne Salt back in 2009, Josa has seen several transformations along the road, but always keeping its unique style of sexy beach dresses. Nowadays, Josa is present in many hotels along Tulum’s beach road such as Taboo, Malvia, Tago, and Amansala, and ships its creations all around the world. The beach dresses are still there, but you can also find stylish tops, lovely skirts, original kimonos, and gorgeous cover ups.

Location: Carretera Tulum - Boca Paila km 6, local 1.
Opens: Everyday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Jewelry

ZacBe

This is one of the most exclusive jewelry stores in all the Riviera Maya. Its creations come with the required Mayan touch, but they also include heavy African elements, giving it a completely unique style hard to find anywhere else in Tulum. ZacBe offers an intriguing variety of gorgeous bracelets, necklaces, tiaras, earrings, and even armlets, all with creative designs and top quality.

Location: Carretera Tulum - Punta Allen km 9.2.
Opens: Everyday from 11:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Handcrafts

Mixik

If you’re looking to bring back home some unique Mexican folk art, Mixik is your go-to shop. Located in Avenida Tulum, Mixik is a kaleidoscope of colors and styles, just like Mexican culture itself. Come here for a carefully crafted Catrina to add to your Dia de Muertos collection or explore the diversity of beautifully designed mirrors, plates and vases.

Location: Av. Tulum Mz. 6 lote 22.
Opens: Everyday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm.

MexicArte

MexicArte offers exactly what its name suggests, Mexican Art in all its glorious and colorful expressions. From $1 gifts to grand pieces of luxurious art, MexicArte is a window into the imagination of Mexican worldwide renowned handcrafters. You’ll find here exotic works of clay art, beach clotheslines, fascinating works of Huichol art, intricate designs of jewelry, and all the Mexican famous symbols and characters such as Frida Kahlo, alebrijes, Catrinas, luchadores (wrestlers), and pre-Hispanic elements.

Location: Av. Tulum.
Opens: Everyday from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.

Art Galleries

Aluxiik Art Gallery Tulum

Open since 2019, Aluxiik is one of the most prestigious art galleries in Tulum and is quickly becoming a staple name in the whole Riviera Maya. It represents and showcases a network of Mexican and international artists and provides a creative space right at the heart of one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Come here to discover extraordinary artworks of contemporary art and, once a month, engage in a live painting experience with the artists represented in the gallery.

Location: Carretera Tulum - Boca Paila km 8.5, local 17.
Opens: Sunday to Thursday from 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm and Friday to Saturday from 3:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Monday closed.

Shop Local, Shop Consciously

Although Tulum is an international travel destination and many benefits have arrived to its community due to this, many locals are still fighting poverty and abusive trade practices. One of the main qualities of Tulum is its focus on environmentally friendly tourism, fair trade, and conscious shopping.

When going out shopping in Tulum, make sure to buy local, target brands that engage in fair trade practices, use sustainable materials, and have an ethical approach to their trade practices. This way, Tulum will continue prospering and its people will enjoy the benefits of living in one of the most sought after destinations in the world.