Best budget place to stay in Tulum, Mexico?

NOTE some have lockout or curfew wow ON THIS FIRST LIST….

Cabanas Santa Fe – Beach Camping and Cabanas
Cabanas El Mirador – Tulum Cabanas
Zazil-Kin – Backpacker’s Beach Heaven
Weary Traveler’s Hostel – Downtown Budget Hotel or Hostel
Piedro Escondida – Cool Beach Hotel
http://studenttravel.about.com/od/mexicohostels/tp/hostels_tulum.htm

See the Tulum travel guide
http://studenttravel.about.com/od/yucatancancunmore/p/tulum_guide.htm

Mayan Hostel
A brand New Hostel member of Ciaro Hostel Group and Best Hostels Mexico located walking distance from Tulum Downtown and the beach.
Mayan Hostel is builted with typical materials of the regions and with a huge 15 mts palapa where you can find a great bar and common areas for you to just lay down and relax. All the rooms are ensuite The hostel also offers free internet, free breakfast
No. Beds: 75

http://www.travellerspoint.com/budget-accommodation-en-ci-3962.html
http://www.hostelscentral.com/city-565.html
http://www.hostelspoint.com/res/hostel.php?str=9443&id_aff=280
http://www.hostels.com/en/availability.php/HostelNumber.21746

Lobo Inn
Lobo Inn is located a ten minutes walk from the beach and Tulum’s archaeological ruins- the ideal place to stay for an unforgettable vacation in the Mexican Caribbean.
A beautiful hostel with spacious garden and pool with relaxing atmosphere. We are part of HI Mexico We offer a friendly service provided by the owners Cynthia and Lobo who will help you to have a memorable stay, with a personalized service. No. Beds: 40
http://www.travellerspoint.com/budget-accommodation-en-ci-3962.html
http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/mexico/tulum/11001/
http://www.hostels.com/en/availability.php/HostelNumber.16833

Standard Rates: 40.00 – 40.00 (USD)
http://www.hosteltraveler.com/directory/Mexico/%5BTulum%5DLobo_Inn.htm?PHPSESSID=8ffcd9324b3

Weary Traveler Hostel Tulum, Mexico
http://www.hosteltraveler.com/directory/Mexico/[Tulum]Weary_Traveler_Hostel.htm
Standard Rates: 120.00 – 210.00 (Mexican Peso)
Deposit requested prior to arrival

TRIP ADVISOR
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Cheap_Vacations-g150813-Tulum_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

Rancho Tranquilo $36/night
Rancho Tranquilo is a small family run Hotel/Hostel located in Tulum, Mexico about 6K from the beach. We offer a garden setting with a wide range of.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g150813-d609860-Reviews-Rancho_Tranquilo-Tulum_Yucatan_Peninsula.html

Have you been to Tulum or did you just look at websites? I can do that research myself, and I have, but I’d love to hear from someone who has visited in the last year or two.

I visited, but did not stay locally. Sorry. (It’s a beautiful site, btw.)

I visited Tulum a year ago and stayed at the Cabanas Copal. It might not quite qualify as “budget”, but it was a truly lovely place to stay, with very friendly staff and a beautiful (clothing optional) beach with a snack bar.
I know there’s other, more rustic places where you can rent a little Cabana for as low as $10 a night, but I found this place a nice compromise between comfort and a wilderness experience. There’s no electricity in the Cabanas, and the rooms have semi-open walls (the walls are built with bamboo-like posts with the space between them not filled in by anything). Luckily, the beds have mosquito nets :). But each cabana has it’s own bathroom, with hot water. I personally preferred it over other places with a bare room with a hammock, and a walk outside to the bathroom.
Be aware that to get to any of the local attractions, you’ll need to get a taxi, rent a bike, or hitch a ride. The Hotel district (on the beach) is about a 10-minute drive from the town. Most of the hotels have their own restaurants, and there’s a few little stores, but most shopping and restaurants that have more variety are in town. There’s also a decent supermarket, and some small produce shops in town, but if you’re staying in an open Cabana, the animals will come in through the gaps in the walls and eat your food!

Make sure you swim in as many Cenotes as you can while you’re in the Yucatan! Swimming in many different bodies of water (the ocean, rivers, and cenotes) was definitely the highlight of my trip. Have fun!

thanks so much hannahsugs! If you can recommend any specific cenotes or other things to do we’d appreciate it!!

I have also stayed at the Cabanas Copal, and it was wonderful. We were there for a wedding and had friends staying at various spots, so we also spent a lot of time at the Diamante K and the Esmeralda. All three offer cabanas with private or semi-private bathrooms, and are right on gorgeous beaches. Cabanas Copal is the more rustic of the three, Esmeralda the fanciest. I think we were paying about $90 US per night for four people, so not cheap exactly, but worked out nicely between the four of us.

Tulum is a small town which is mainly on the highway 307 which runs from Cancun on the north to Chetumal on the south. The beach is 3KM to the east. There is a bus and taxi service which runs from the town to the beach. Tulum has one major super store called Chedraui, which is located to the north of town where you find the lowest prices. Rent is inexpensive although the restaurants and bars are a little high. You could get by very cheap living there or on an extended vacation. Hope this helps.