Kan Tulum Review + Guide: Amazing Sustainable Tulum Boutique Hotel

I had the pleasure of experiencing a few nights at Kan Tulum – one of the newest and most incredible hotels I have come across in Tulum, Mexico.

Kan Tulum is not just another trendy and beautiful Tulum hotel – it is SO much more than that. The more we learned about Kan, the more we fell in love with its incredible atmosphere and inspiring story.

This hotel, or should I say, sustainable retreat, is SO eco-focused in so many ways – we were blown away by how much they did to respect the land and the area upon which it was built.

Funnily enough, we stumbled upon Kan while on a run through La Veleta earlier in the year. I noticed one of the beautiful ‘nests’ or wooded viewing platforms protruding up above the trees, along with their bamboo-lined pod buildings. I looked it up on the map and reached out as soon as we arrived home… and I’m glad I did!

Before getting into this Kan Tulum Review + Guide to staying, let’s learn some fun facts about this property!

Kan Tulum Overview + Fun Sustainability Facts

Kan Tulum is located in La Veleta, just off Kululkan Road, which runs between Aldea Zama and La Veleta. It’s deep in the jungle at the (current) farthest point in La Veleta Tulum, so you can expect a quiet and serene getaway out here. Trust me, you won’t want to leave anyway!

In phase 1 (currently available), they have 24 ‘treehouse studio’ units overlooking a common pool, private cenote, bar area, and wellness room (more on these rooms below).

In phase 2 (underway), there are plans for more units of 1-2 bedrooms, a restaurant, amphitheater, gym, and more! I couldn’t be more excited for what this property has in store.

Kan Tulum Quick Facts on Sustainability + Build

Here are my favorite facts about Kan Tulum, but read more on it later as well.

• During the build of Kan Tulum, there were 107 trees removed from the land, but all were replanted elsewhere as not to destroy any jungle. They have planted more trees than trees lost, too!
• The exteriors of the buildings are covered in strips of untreated bamboo. Creeper vines have been planted at the base of the buildings, which should quickly climb this bamboo, take its shape, and slowly reinforce it (as untreated bamboo will decompose in about 15 years).
• This will eventually create 10,000 square meters of vertical gardens… on 2500 square meters of land!!
• The Kan Tulum cenote is natural and was discovered during the build. Builders tried drilling into a well built by some locals, and it caved through! With much care and effort, it was cleaned out, drained of sediment, and fit with a waterfall to keep circulation going.
• YOU CAN DRINK THE TAP WATER – there is a reverse osmosis system that filters it. I have tried it and can confirm. I didn’t know how much I missed drinking tap water!!
• The two co-owners of Kan met on a diving boat and realized that they owned plots of land next to each other. It was a business partner match made in heaven (or underwater?)!

Kan Tulum Inspiration + Story

After having a great chat with one of the owners, Sam, we learned a lot about his inspiration behind this massive sustainability undertaking. But we also learned that it wasn’t always that way. When he bought the land, he saw it as a business investment and had first planned to build, well, what everyone else is building in Tulum.

But when he arrived on the land, he thought that it would not be right to do that. He thought about deforestation and that he didn’t want to contribute to that, but rather do the opposite.

Kan Tulum Sustainable + Ethical Initiatives

SO, he started taking courses on sustainability, building with bamboo, and sustainable building. After a trip to Peru, he knew he wanted to do right by the land… so the plan for Kan – inspired by nature – was born.

As I mentioned, any trees that were removed from the land were replanted, as well as more trees planted here. The plan for vertical gardens was made, and all stones used on the construction are from the site itself.

Sewage is dealt with on-site rather than elsewhere, and the reverse osmosis system makes tap water drinkable to reduce plastic (and increase convenience)! There are solar panels at the top of each building pod, which help create the energy used here.

Doing Right By the Land and Maya Customs

Before building, they had an indigenous shaman come to bless the land. The shaman gave them a few tips, which I thought were fascinating.

The first of which is that there was a pile of rocks in the middle of the land; the shaman said that it was either an ancient burial site or another type of sacred site. He said NOT to move it under any circumstances – so it still stands today between the pool and the cenote!

He mentioned that a Mayan legend says that tiny fairies called aluxia are said to live in sites like these and protect the land. Once the build began, a kind of moss known as ‘fairy moss’ started growing on these rocks… which seems quite incredibly symbolic to me!

The Shaman also said that a special type of Mexican ‘stingless bee’ only shows up in places that have done right by the land. And, of course, these bees can be found all around the bar area of Kan… another encouraging symbol from the Mayans.

Kan Tulum Rooms

The ‘treehouse studio’ rooms currently found at Kan are the perfect convenient hotel-style room with a mini-kitchen. The rooms all have a King bed, comfy couch, mini fridge, two stovetop burners, kitchen table, large bath/bathroom with stone sink, and large balcony with rocking chairs.

The design of the rooms is really beautiful, with a roped ‘wall’ between the bed and bathroom, giving the impression of two rooms while still being connected.

Each room has a balcony with a view – most overlook the pool and cenote, and the jungle if not. We cooked food in the room on our first night and were impressed with the convenience of the little kitchen. Being a bit farther from town, it was nice to be able to make something in the room!

Kan Tulum Amenities – Cenote, Wellness, and More

This property is fitted with everything you need for a getaway – and I do recommend spending as much time on the property as possible as it’s simply beautiful, so green, and has amazing energy.

Kan Tulum Wellness

Kan’s Phase 1 has a little wellness room complete with yoga mats and supplies (I’m sure they could source you a teacher if you needed, but we just had a nice class of our own on the balcony).

They also have massage tables and you can request a massage if you’d like, too. They offer Swedish, Hot Stone, Face Ritual, and Thai Oil Massages for 90-110 USD for 1-1.5 hours.

Kan Tulum Pool + Cenote

I think the Kan Tulum Cenote is one of the most wonderful things about the property – I don’t know any other Tulum hotels with a private cenote or even a cenote on-site! The cenote is small and wonderful; it’s deep enough to jump, and the waterfall is a fun addition which gives the calming sound of running water throughout the property. You can also float under it and get a free back massage! 😉

The pool at Kan is saltwater – a much more ethical alternative to chlorine – and has plenty of chill space around it to relax among the trees.

Kan Tulum Food

The kitchen at Kan churns out delicious and healthy meals each day for breakfast and lunch. In these early stages, they have a set menu for each meal but I am not sure if they still do this. We had coffee and smoothie bowls on both days here, followed by a delicious Mexican egg dish on our first day and an omelette on the second.

Lunch was a green and veggie-filled pasta with raisins and mulberries. It seems that the chef has a different item on offer for each meal, with options for vegetarian and vegan also. They have juice on offer at all times, and lovely attentive staff.

Kan Tulum Expansion Plans

Phase 2 of Kan Tulum is currently underway, which will add different types of units (treehouse studio pool, 2 Bedroom treehouse pool, and 2 bedrooms treehouse studio pool roof). These new units will have private pools as well as terraces and kitchens.

They are currently offering investment opportunities where you can purchase a unit of your own and add on a fee for management – this will help fund more sustainable expansion. For more information, check out their Kan Industries website.

In phase 2, Kan is also building an 80-seater restaurant, a gym, and an amphitheater which will host live music shows visible from the balconies of the surrounding units. I can’t wait to come to see a show here!

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I think that’s about it for our stay at Kan Tulum! Do you have any questions about booking or the property?! Leave a comment below and I will get back to you!

Stayin in Tulum? Here are some other cool properties and tips!

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