I went to this cute souvenir shop near the place we were staying in Akumal (they have another…read morelocation in Cancun that is just as cute). I purchased 2 pieces of art that I love and it was fun to look at all the other vibrant and electric items and displays. The tshirts at re unique and not over the top expensive. I'd recommended this a must stop of something cute to take home.

I did my research for a place to shop near Akumal Bay that sells real Mexican handmade art and…read moregifts....so I learned about Mexicarte and we headed straight over. Luckily, this little gem is very easily accessible and not hard to find (due to the pink exterior paint!). I hate those shops where the employees are hunting you down, basically forcing you to buy mass-produced items at ridiculous costs. We wanted a place where we could feel good about our purchases. Mexicarte sells all handmade items by artists throughout Mexico. It's almost like a fair-trade store. You leave feeling good about the money you just spent, and can come back home bearing gifts with a story behind them. Mexicarte has the prettiest, brightest, and most unique gifts in every corner of the store. We actually had to come back a few times because we kept comparing all the other shops to this one, and just wanted to spend our money here. From day of the dead items, skulls, crosses, to handbags, jewelry, wall art, clay art, you name it. Everything is handcrafted with such care and detail, you can see the love the artists put into it. Everything is priced very fair. You can find gifts for any budget, we brought back a couple little turtle figurines for about $1.50 USD for example...and great quality! I love how helpful the employees are, and can provide the backstory to all the items they sell. They let you roam around freely, and don't pressure you into buying anything. Parking? Not so sure. We stayed at Akumal Beach Resort, it took us 10 minutes to walk up the beach here. You will see the Akumal Dive Shop, walk through to the back of the Dive Shop and you will see Akumal Plaza. It's a bright pink stand-alone building. You can't miss it. Happy shopping! :)

Wow! Such a nice, unique surprise on an island that has a bit of a "cruise ship" feel. Ola Bonita…read moreis so different and unique it kind of shocked me. It's an interesting combination of art gallery meets beachwear meets organic/eco-friendly shop. They have locally made, handcrafted beachwear and artwork. I really liked the handmade beach mats, and they have super unique airbrush hats that can be custom painted (great gifts for family). It's really hard to describe with a yelp review, but it will definitely leave an impression on you no matter what!

I absolutely love this store! Every time where are in Playa I return here. They have an amazing…read moreselection of art and decor from many regions and artists, something to everyone's taste. There is a colorful explosion when you walk in and if you like Mexican style, you will definitely find something here. If you have time, they will also tell you all the stories behind the figurines and art. Also they pack everything perfectly and I never had an issue brining it back to the US.

So happy we were recommended by locals - we were looking for authentic, artesanal pieces of work -…read moreMexican glasses, serving platters, other kitchenware. Gorgeous and very reminiscent of my childhood in Puerto Vallarta! Very nice owner + resident artist!

This place is closer to La Veleta so if you're staying close by here I highly recommend. Everything…read morewas delicious. Get the wellness shots. If you don't like cats this isn't the place for you. They have 10+ cats just hanging around the place. When my food arrived one was interested and then a couple of them gathered. I would still return but would sit outside where they had a table out front. Attentive and helpful staff. Everything came out fresh and fast.

Another great find on my recent trip to Tulum. To me, this was THE coffee spot. I tried the iced…read morevanilla latte both trips the Purple Pink Skies/berry smoothie. The vanilla latte was layered with flavor to the last sip. The first thing I noticed was how smooth the coffee was, but also paired with a robust coffee flavor. It was not bitter at all. There's something special about this coffee - one of the best I have ever had. The smoothie was great as well. It wasn't sweet, which was appreciated. It tasted like a healthy option for breakfast. It can seem overwhelming when you walk in as they are ready to serve you and have a large menu. Check it out: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k3eOY4deKVzWmuHaW3oYfbeI14yUjhVh/view. My friend and I went here the second to last day we were visiting and both agreed we would have completely went daily had we learned about this on the first day.