How far are you willing to go to get in a good workout? If you’re one of Los Angeles’ top fitness trainers or social media influencers, the answer might be nearly 2,800 miles.
Nestled along the Caribbean coast of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula is the small beach town of Tulum. A once quiet and off-the-beaten-path destination, Tulum has gone through somewhat of a tourism roller coaster in recent years.
First, Tulum was the “it” place to be around 2017 when the community frequented by yogis and mystics trying to find their zen was replaced by hoards of Instagrammers snapping images for all the world to see of Tulum’s gorgeous crystalline waters, seemingly endless cenotes, adorable shops and perfectly plated acai bowls served in dugout coconut shells.
The social crowd took so many images that the town appeared to quickly jump the shark when it came to cool factor. But, like a phoenix rising from the social media ashes, Tulum is once again the absolute jam in the time of COVID-19. That’s mostly thanks to Tulum Jungle Gym.
“A friend of mine sent me Tulum Jungle Gym’s Instagram account, and I told my boyfriend, ‘That’s it. We’re going,’” said Melody Yadegar, an L.A. attorney-turned-accountability coach, about why she jetted off to Tulum to see the gym in person late last year. “We ended up extending our stay in Tulum for 10 days and we went to the gym twice.”
Tulum Jungle Gym opened its doors in 2017, although “opened its doors” is a bit of a misnomer because the gym is set entirely outside and sits directly on the sugar-sand beaches for which the town is so beloved. The gym makes for a rather inviting bikini workout, and it’s this open-air environment that has attracted some of L.A.’s fitness elite.
With the initial shutdown last March, gyms were required to close their indoor operations, and among the closures, the storied Muscle Beach in Venice put up its “closed” sign, leaving workout buffs out in the cold. However, once gym rats caught a glimpse of what was possible in Tulum, they flew south to taste gymnasium normalcy.
Beyond its natural setting, Tulum Jungle Gym’s equipment is made from Mother Nature’s finest wares too. Almost all of its equipment — from dumbbells to its bench press, monkey bars and battle ropes — are made from locally-sourced wood, bamboo or stone. The gym has been referred to as “The Flintstones” dream come to life on more than one occasion.
“We were living on the beach under palapas and just this really beautiful setting, and we wanted to see if we could make the equipment with good carpenters,” said Alastair Carter, a former member of the United Kingdom’s Royal Marine Reserves, who founded the gym alongside his partner in fitness and life, Katie Davies, during a recent video-conferencing chat.
“And to see if it would work with wood,” Davies added.
And work it did. Soon after opening, tourists began to flock to the space for a workout and a photo opp. The couple quickly found their inbox flooded with emails from Instagrammers asking for freebies in exchange for posts. However, Carter and Davies have always maintained a firm “no” when it comes to this arrangement, charging the same $30 for a single session pass to everyone.
“You need them for business, obviously,” Davies said. “That’s how the gym has taken off because everybody was posting on Instagram, and then their followers saw the gym. And they wanted to come.”
“But I think that is more valuable, that when they recommend it, they’re not doing it as a collab,” Carter added. “They’ve not got anything out of it. The fact that we don’t give it to them for free means that whatever they post is a genuine recommendation, which is worth 10 times more.”
It’s all adding up to a lot of free marketing for Tulum Jungle Gym too, especially from word-of-mouth posts from people including Matt Daspin, a personal trainer to Hollywood stars, who has 2,400 Instagram followers.“I found it from different fitness influencers, and it just looked so cool,” Daspin said. “Candidly, it’s really what drove our decision to go to Tulum.”
Daspin said that his clients and followers were enthralled with his posts of the gym during his New Year’s Eve trip, especially his posts with his wife trying out the basket lift at the gym. It’s the most Tarzan-meets-Jane of all the equipment, allowing one partner to hop in a basket made of bamboo while the other attempts to lift them off the ground.
“The reason for going is most certainly the Instagram factor. I think everyone is aware of that while you’re there,” said Daspin, adding that upon arrival he was also pleasantly surprised by how warm the community of other workout fanatics was at the gym. “Everyone that was there was so excited to be there.”
It’s a feeling Divinity Gaines, a former NBA dancer and founder of Divinity in Motion, said she experienced first-hand during her trip to the gym late last year.
“I was able to use all the gym equipment I’ve been missing so much,” she said. “I felt totally comfortable in the space. I felt really empowered. It made me feel so strong.”
Another thing the visitors who spoke to The Times agreed upon was a feeling of safety. Upon entering Tulum Jungle Gym, there were temperature checks and hand-sanitizing stations. The equipment was spaced out long before the pandemic, making social distancing easy, especially now that the gym only ever reaches 70% of its max capacity.
According to Carter, masks are not required in outdoor fitness facilities in Mexico.
Because of the Tulum gym’s success on social media, other fitness centers and gyms have tried to duplicate it, some going as far as reaching out to Carter’s carpenters to ask them to create the same equipment, Carter said. Those with more business scruples have tried to reach out and franchise the brand.
For now, Carter and Davies say they are set on keeping their business a true Tulum original. Their only expansion plans include a second Tulum Jungle Gym, opening sometime later this year, located in the heart of town so locals can experience the fitness fun as well.
“It’s our baby,” Carter said. “I don’t want to relinquish what it is. A big focal point for us is helping the local community. It’s free for members of the Mexican military, police and fire brigade.”
As to why it’s become such a success, Carter keeps his answer simple.
“I just do stuff that I want and that I think is cool,” he said.
Things to consider
Tulum has survived over-tourism. It survived a massive wave of black sargassum seaweed that stunk to high heaven. And now, it’s more than flourishing amid a pandemic thanks to places including Tulum Jungle Gym and the fact that Mexico is one of the few places Americans are welcome right now.
Whether people should be flocking to Tulum or other parts of Mexico right now is another story. Here’s what you need to consider before you plan a trip.
- On Jan. 6, the California Department of Public Health updated its COVID-19 travel guidelines. It’s strongly advised that residents “avoid non-essential travel to any part of California more than 120 miles from one’s place of residence, or to other states or countries.”
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that travel to Mexico “should be avoided.” However, if you do travel, it recommends getting a COVID test one to three days before traveling, providing proof of a negative test before boarding a flight and wearing a mask during the journey.
- To return to the United States, you’ll now have to show proof of a negative test or “a letter from your healthcare provider or a public health official stating that you were cleared to travel.” That test must be taken within three days of your plans to return to the U.S.
- If you do travel, the CDC advises that you get a test three to five days after travel and stay at home for at least seven days. If you cannot get tested, it states, “It’s safest to stay home for 10 days.” According to the Los Angeles County Public Health Department, all travelers arriving in L.A. County from outside Southern California must quarantine for 10 days in your home or hotel room.