Escape with Gavin to Tulum, Mexico March 7-13th

Tulum Retreat Itinerary Day 1 : Arrival                        Fly to Cancun                        Transport to Tulum - Only 1 1/2 hrs 2-5 PM           Check-in 5 PM               Sunset Yoga 7-8                 Welcome Dinner 8-10 PM         Roundtable   Day 2 : Retreat Activities 8 AM               Wakeup Yoga 9:30 AM          Breakfast 10-11 AM       Life Assessment 11:30 AM        Beach Boot Camp 1PM ->            Free Time (Open Lunch & Dinner)   Day 3 : Open / Excursions 8 AM               Wakeup Yoga 9:30 AM          Breakfast 10 AM->         Free Time (Open Lunch & Dinner)                          Optional Excursions (Ruins, Bike, Scuba, Snorkel)   Day 4 : Retreat Activities 8 AM               Wakeup Yoga 9:30 AM          Breakfast 10-11 AM       Goals & Behaviors 11:30 AM        Beach Boot Camp 1-6 PM            Free Time 6 PM                Group Dinner 7-9 PM            Roundtable   Day 5 : Open / Excursions 8 AM               Wakeup Yoga 9:30 AM          Breakfast 10 AM->         Free Time (Open Lunch & Dinner)                         Optional Excursions (Ruins, Bike, Scuba, Snorkel)   Day 6 : Retreat Activities 8 AM               Wakeup Yoga 9:30 AM          Breakfast 10-11AM        Group Discussion 11:30 AM        Beach Boot Camp 1-6 PM            Free Time (Open Lunch & Dinner)                         Optional Excursion (Dancing in Playa del Carmen!)   Day 6 : Departure 8 AM               Wakeup Yoga & Closing 9:30 AM          Breakfast 10-> AM         Free time til Departure -------------------------------------- Tulum Beach, Mexico: Sueños Tulum By Wendy Knight for The New York Times THE BASICS As with most of the modest eco-resorts and cabanas on Tulum Beach, Sueños Tulum has no traditional electricity. The kitchen appliances and water heaters run on butane gas; solar panels generate the lights and electricity in the office and kitchen. This off-the-grid aesthetic, coupled with the pristine white-sand beaches of the Yucatán Peninsula, is what has lured yoga and wellness practitioners to the area in recent years. Solar panels provide electricity at Sueños Tulum. Opened by Jorge and Elizabeth Calles in November 2004, Sueños Tulum (Tulum Dreams) feels more tribal than touristy. Its 12 rooms are dispersed throughout five stucco buildings, with round port-hole windows and balconies shaped like the prow of a boat. Hand-painted murals, wall reliefs and mosaic inlays in traditional Maya motifs adorn the buildings. The incessant roar of the wind and rhythmic thunder of the ocean drown out any sound of civilization, thus intensifying the seclusion. Booking and payment is handled online before arrival, so you're greeted with a margarita instead of a registration card, and then led through the palm trees to your hideaway. THE LOCATION Tulum Beach is on the Caribbean Sea, 90 miles south of Cancún at the end of a stretch of beach known as the Maya Riviera. A couple miles north of the property on the road from Tulum to Boca Paila is Punta Piedra, an enclave of small resorts, restaurants and shacks selling traditional Maya food and wares. Farther north are the Maya ruins. A denser collection of restaurants and shops can be found in the town of Tulum, about five miles inland. THE ROOMS Take a flashlight. The solar power doesn't kick in until dusk and even then the rooms are dim. Battery-powered lanterns are available in the office. The five buildings with guest rooms are named after the elements: Sol (Sun), Lluvia (Rain), Luna (Moon), Tierra (Earth) and Selva (Jungle), and are thematically and artistically decorated. The five master suites and seven junior suites all face the ocean. The master suites, on the top floor of each building, have king-size beds with built-in shelves and private terraces. Junior suites have two double beds and either a private patio or terrace. THE BATHROOMS The showers are tiled and open to the room. The wind knocked out the pilot light to the hot water heater, giving me a cold shower one day but otherwise the water pressure and temperature were ideal. The poor lighting could make primping for dinner problematic, but the "wash and go" attitude at the beach seemed to negate the inconvenience. AMENITIES There are no telephones, TV's, CD players or other electronic luxuries. If you must, you can access a high-speed Internet connection or charge your cell phone in the office. More to the point, there are a half-dozen boogie boards available. The open-air dining room atop the second floor of the kitchen building offers prime ocean views. The food is fresh and simple. ROOM SERVICE The service at Sueños is like being at a friend's beach house without the guilt of being waited on. You can take breakfast or dinner on your terrace, the beach or poolside. There is no menu; instead, Mr. Calles or the manager, Alan Gallart, will prepare a tasty meal based on whatever ingredients are fresh and available. One afternoon, we enjoyed an impromptu dish of nachos with cactus on the beach. Breakfast typically consisted of a heaping plate of pineapple, mangoes, bananas and grapes drizzled with granola and yogurt. Dinners feature freshly caught local fish or shrimp; margaritas and cerveza are available day or night.