The opening of Tulum Airport a year ago sparked renewed interest in this southern part of Mexico’s Riviera Maya, dramatically reducing the trip from an hour and a half (from Cancún International Airport) to just 40 minutes. About 15 minutes from the Mayan ruins and the town, Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya, opened in January 2022, truly embraces its natural setting.

The quickest route to get from your room to the main building, for example, might be a walk on a dirt or stone pathway lined with palms and tropical plants, during which you might encounter iguanas and the indigenous raccoon-like coatis. Guests of Ceiba Club, the resort’s upscale enclave, can enjoy breakfast, lunch or a pre-dinner drink in the private restaurant while peering out onto lush foliage; the bar here makes a mean passionfruit martini, and you can order a G&T with Ginebra Armónico, a citrusy, floral and spicy Mexican gin crafted in a London Dry style with 32 botanicals. (Either goes perfectly with leche de tigre ceviche, yuca tostadas, or guac and chips with pico de gallo and cotija cheese.)

© Kelly Magyarics

The resort’s five pools were built around the existing landscape to preserve it — not alter it. Enviable spots include the alfresco Ultramar, whose open-air bar and adjacent lounge might just be the sexiest, splashiest spot to enjoy a poolside nosh or cocktail. Soak up the sun on a seat carved from teak, or sprawl on a round daybed scattered with pillows while sipping a sparkling daiquiri with rum, yuzu, pineapple and rice syrup topped with green tea-infused Prosecco, or an ice-cold bottle of Tulum Lager. Linger for lunch, where über-fresh slices of raw tuna are topped with cucumber, cilantro, pepitas and miso-ponzu.

The color palette throughout the property is muted, with tropical woods that play off all those verdant hues; the imposing floor-to-ceiling wooden doors leading into the expansive lobby signal you’re entering a special space. Just off the lobby find Chaak Bar, a sleek spot for a nightcap of local sparkling wine or a carajillo, Latin America’s answer to the espresso martini.

© Kelly Magyarics

Of the handful of fine-dining restaurants, Autor is tops, with its six-course, fixed-price experience (vegetarian option available) a must-try — a culinary journey through Mexico with authentic ingredients and techniques. Book a seat at the counter to watch chefs toss your charred shrimp in adobo chili mayonnaise and compose your pumpkin dessert with purée, pepita crumble and rice pudding ice cream.

And definitely dive into the wine list to pair it all with pours of Mexican and global offerings. Each of three palapa-shaded chiringuitos, reminiscent of beachfront snack bars found all over the Caribbean, serves a different casual menu focusing on seafood, meat or grilled options. Catch-of-the-day tacos garnished with tomato, radish and microgreens pair swimmingly with a crisp white from San Luis Potosí in the central part of the country.

The beach here is blissfully calm as it’s tucked into a cove, and a short walk leads to two other tiny, secluded beaches shaded by trees with exposed, gnarled roots. Here you can escape with a paloma and feel a world away. Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya is most decidedly an immersive encapsulation of its location. Savor the moment.