Discover Today’s Coolest Travel Trend.
You know those moments of clarity, when you realize something, and suddenly all the details add up and it all just makes sense?
This is exactly how I felt when an intuition I had about a sort of spiritual connection between two of my favorite places on earth turned out to be true.
Luckily, work has been taking me to Tulum and Ibiza quite often, and for extensive stays, over the past five years.
Like me, many traveler friends soon sensed a strong force of attraction between these two places: what I’d describe as a common stream of people, similar shared experiences, energies and lifestyles.
Soon enough, this proved to be more than just feeling shared among friends.
Trendsetting Lifestyle
Today, the Tulum – Ibiza connection is a popular trend, yet still a bit of an exclusive one.
The trendsetters? An international community of travelers who share a cosmopolitan lifestyle, a common taste for music and fashion and a similar vision on life and work.
This crowd seasonally gathers in those destinations to party and to settle temporary bases to live and work from.
Many of us are creative entrepreneurs, digital nomads, artists and people who chose the remote work lifestyle over the classic 9 to 5.
Now businesses have caught up and opened locations and pop-ups in both Maya Land and on the (in)famous Balearic island.
But what do Tulum and Ibiza really have in common?
- People
- Style
- Business
- Energy
Here I’ve gathered some of the cool places, people, events and brands that you want to know to surf the wave of the Tulum – Ibiza connection.
People: An International Scene of Professional Hedonists.
In recent years, Tulum established itself as a party destination.
At first, it was a getaway from the more commercial BPM Festival in the nearby Playa del Carmen.
In fact, Tulum would host more private and exclusive parties in secluded beaches, jungles and villas.
But by now, Tulum has its own party scene. The period between December and March is referred to as the “Tulum Season.”
During those months, this international crowd travels to the Riviera Maya to revel under the full moon, rock their tribal-chic outfits and (sooner or later!) work from their sandy laptops, sipping on mezcal and organic juices.
The same trendy travelers meet again in the evergreen Ibiza, during the summer, for another round of hedonistic fun and for some casual networking.
Indeed, both destinations provide excellent occasions to meet up with other professionals, in environments that favor connections on a more personal and spiritual ground.
Entrepreneurs, freelancers, artists, designers, bloggers, DJs, producers and creatives in general kickstart profitable collaborations to the beat of house music.
Tulum and Ibiza are epicenters of fun and spirituality. The presence of this duality makes them meccas for people who seek an unconventional way of life.
Though diverse in history and heritage, these lands share a peculiar, strong energy and a free-spirited vibe that attracts contemporary nomads, who often decide to stay beyond their initial return date.
Style: The Shaman-chic Gypsetter
In Tulum, a rather tribal, nomad and shaman -inspired style informs fashion, music, interior design, events and venues.
In Ibiza, there’s a come back of the island’s original bohemian style, infused with a more current hippie-chic, nomadic touch.
What does “gypsetter” mean?
It’s the adventurous and carefree gypsy lifestyle mixed with the sophistication of the jet set.
These opposites come together in the style, lifestyle, aesthetic, and vision that define the traveling community that connects Tulum and Ibiza.
The Tulum-Ibiza connection is not only one of the coolest travel trends today; it’s also the source of the most popular trend in lifestyle and fashion today.
The Shaman-Chic
Tulum and Ibiza used to have a very different style:
- Tulum used to be a chill heaven for backpackers, whose style would, if anything, draw inspiration from the local Mayan tribal heritage.
- Ibiza’s always been a glamorous and trendy party hub infused with a dash of bohemian culture.
Recently though, Tulum “glamourized” its style while, in Ibiza, venues and people “tribalized” their look.
Our traveling crowd of contemporary nomads is “responsible” for this aesthetic cross-pollination.
Accordingly, it’s not uncommon to see glittered mini dresses and heels in Tulum, while spotting tribal outfits, warrior-like accessories and body painting in Ibiza.
Aside from those radical swaps, what’s more prominent is the stylistic contamination of Tulum’s shamanic vibe with Ibiza’s bohemian, hippie-chic style.
The result? Long, ripped dresses, caftans, turbans, flowery patterns, geometric-shaped jewelry, “survivor-looking” bikinis, feathers and so on.
We can find this blend not only in people’s fashion (clothing, jewelry, and accessories), but also in the interior design of private homes, hotels and public venues, which show an interest in the raw beauty of eco-friendly, rustic yet refined and minimal solutions.
Party organizers, for example, switched their attention from glamorous debauchery to a rather holistic, spiritual experience, which might include collective sound meditations, ceremonies, yoga and altar-like, jungly decorations.
The same trend translates into the music too: a deep house sound mixed with tribal and ethnic influences.
Business: Franchising in Paradise.
As I said before, Ibiza and Tulum are both awesome places to do business: not just to meet potential partners and collaborators, but also to actually open up a business.
Both places are touristic, sought-after destinations, with gorgeous nature and mad entertainment. Plus, their signature luxury-yet-laid-back lifestyle ( you know, the “gypsetter” style) attracts entrepreneurs, creators and business people from all over the world.
The number of businesses and projects that popped up in both locations has been increasing in the past 5 years. Here are a few examples in random order:
Woo Moon
A party and indie market project born in Ibiza as a kind of ritual to the full moon. It takes place at Cova Santa, a restaurant and nightclub built around an ancient cave, on every full moon night throughout the season.
On the roster, a line up of international DJs who gravitate towards this shaman-techno style. The vibe of the party is definitely tribal. Indeed, as if it was its natural evolution, Woo Moon brought its wizardry to the beach of Tulum last year, at Papaya Playa Project Hotel.
Lio Malca
The bluechip contemporary art collector owns an estate in Tulum called Casa Malca.
Formerly his private residence, hosting part of his extensive collection – which includes artworks by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Marco Brambilla, George Condo and Keith Haring – it’s now an eco-chic, boutique hotel and exclusive party venue during the season.
In Ibiza, last year, Malca turned an 8,000 sq ft old salt warehouse, near the iconic playa de Las Salinas, into a dynamic exhibition space. La Nave Salinas, located by the sea on the southern tip of the island, is currently showcasing a massive Keith Haring installation.
Design Hotels
A leader in the boutique hospitality industry, the hotel brand has locations all over the world, including Papaya Playa Project in Tulum and La Granja and Aguas de Ibiza in Ibiza.
Caravana
An artisanal clothing brand that perfectly embodies the “shaman-chic” style, now a trademark of this international scene of contemporary nomads. A blend of tribal, shamanic and bohemian influences, inspired by the globetrotting adventures of the founders’ (designer duo Francesca Bonato and Jacopo Janniello Ravagnan) and receptive of diverse native craftsmanship.
The Caravana boutique opened in Tulum in 2015 and this year they had a seasonal pop-up in Ibiza, at La Granja Hotel.
Gem&Bolt
An arty mezcal brand infused with the aphrodisiac herb Damiana. It’s so good I’ve dedicated an entire post to it last year.
The founders Adrinadrina and Elliot Coon are artists and alchemists with a bootlegger touch. They manifest their creative life philosophy into the liquor’s crafty aesthetic and altar-like installations.
Gem&Bolt are regulars of the Tulum and Ibiza Seasons. You can buy or taste this delicious mezcal at Be Tulum, Nomade, Gitano in Tulum and at the Woo Moon party, La Granja and La Mezcaleria in Ibiza.
Raina Weber
Landscape designer Raina Weber lives and works between Ibiza and Tulum.
She picked up those places because she loves living near the ocean and in eclectic communities that gather people from all over the world together.
Ibiza and Tulum have that in common.
“Artists, creatives, entrepreneurs, expats, gypsies and pirates come together here. And those are my clients,” she says. Raina and her partner Andy Szymanowicz create landscapes that shape and define “outdoor living rooms,” working with nature as a medium.
And in Tulum and Ibiza outdoor living is normal. In Tulum, they’re often asked to create “tropical wonderlands,” whereas in Ibiza it’s about enhancing the traditional Spanish finca bucolic feel.
What her Tulum and Ibiza clients have in common, Raina says, is “the desire to address environmental concerns within their landscaping” and an appreciation for a rustic, minimal design that is wild and comfortable at the same time.
This year she designed the landscaping for Noma’s restaurant pop-up in Tulum and the landscaping around the hotel and villa La Granja in Ibiza.
Olivia Steele
An internationally known neon artist whose work can be found in public places and private villas, at parties and in various natural spots, both in Tulum and Ibiza.
Her neon writing installations spread positive messages of self and collective awareness.
DJs
With Tulum siding Ibiza as a primary party destination, many DJs now travel and play in both places during the respective seasons.
Bedouin, the duo that just rocked Ibiza Summer 2017 with their party “Saga” at Heart Club, are also regulars of Tulum’s beaches and secret parties. Same for LUM, one of the initiators of the “shamanic techno” style, along with NU, Satori, and Acid Pauli.
The female duo Blond:ish are regulars at Woo Moon Ibiza and throw their own party, Abracadabra, in Tulum. Ibiza Sonica Radio has had pop-ups in Tulum in the past couple of years.
Cream
Boutique hospitality company and travel brand.
It offers a large portfolio of vacation homes, from apartments to luxury villas, in both destinations, since 2013.
Energy: Feel Gaia.
Tulum and Ibiza share a similar energy: strong and intense.
It seems like it’s coming straight from the depths of the earth itself. You can feel it as soon as you get to either place.
Both places are, in fact, magnetic poles: the third most magnetic pole in the world is Es Vedra’, a super small island located a short boat ride away from Ibiza.
Across the ocean, the Mayas considered Tulum as a major doorway to other dimensions and vibrational states.
In short, Tulum and Ibiza bring magic to your life.
Be it because people go there to get together and have a good time, or because of ancient primordial forces evoked by the gurus and healers present in both places, in Ibiza and in Tulum strange things happen: coincidences (or not!), meaningful encounters and magical situations that will change your inner self in ways you can’t predict.
At this point I would be intrigued!
If you want to live and travel in style join today’s coolest lifestyle and travel movement by planning your winter in Tulum and your summer in Ibiza.
The complimentary seasons are perfect for the resilient remote workers who seek to combine work with some fun and adventurous time.
In Tulum and Ibiza you can find the perfect balance of business and pleasure, entertainment and relax.
