Breakfast is on the terrace before anyone has thought about coffee. Lunch arrives on the sand after a morning on the lagoon. Dinner is candlelit, and nobody has to drive anywhere to get it. That is the whole idea of a Tulum villa with chef, and it matters even more when the villa sits inside a nature reserve.
Casa Nalum is a private five-bedroom villa for up to 10 guests at km 5.3 of the Tulum–Boca Paila road, between the Campechen lagoon and the Caribbean, inside the UNESCO Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve. Add our meal plan and a chef cooks three meals a day for your group, with menus you approve before you arrive. This guide explains what is included, what a day of meals looks like, and how the chef works for four kinds of trips.
Why a Chef Matters Out in Sian Ka’an
Most Tulum villas sit a short walk or ride from dozens of restaurants. Sian Ka’an is different. Past the stone arch at the south end of the beach road, there are only a handful of villas and lodges, no streetlights, and long stretches of jungle between them. That quiet is the reason to stay here, and it also changes how you eat.
Google Maps puts the drive from Casa Nalum at about 20 minutes to the nearest restaurants on the southern end of the beach road, and about 40 minutes to the main square in Tulum Centro, where most of the town’s taquerias and local favorites are. Two dinners out a day would mean more time in the car than at the table. With a chef at the villa, you eat when you are hungry, sit down where you like, and save the drive for the one or two nights you actually want to go out. When you do, our guide to the best restaurants in Tulum Pueblo has the picks.
What the Casa Nalum Meal Plan Includes
Casa Nalum is booked by one group at a time, under one of two service plans. Both give you the whole villa. The difference is who does the cooking.
Basic Service Plan
- Exclusive use of the villa
- A private concierge on call: Laury, the villa manager, helps you organize your stay
- Housekeeping once a day
Meal Plan
- Everything in the Basic Service Plan
- Three fresh, chef-prepared meals every day
- Table service by a dedicated waiter, who serves your food and prepares drinks
- Ingredients bought locally, from different shops, to find the freshest options
- Personalized menus, approved by you before arrival, with vegan, gluten-free, and other dietary needs welcome
- Housekeeping twice a day, plus an evening turndown
What is not included: alcohol, soft drinks, and snacks are not part of either plan, so plan your drinks before you arrive. For groups of more than eight guests, an additional waiter is required at an extra cost.
How to book it: when you choose your dates in our booking engine, select “Meal Plan.” If you do not, the Basic Service Plan is applied automatically. The meal plan price, in US dollars, appears in your booking summary before you pay, and booking direct on our website gets 10% off your stay.
A Day of Meals at the Villa
Menus change with the seasons and with your group, but the rhythm of the day stays the same.
- Breakfast: a buffet of local fruit, granola, a hot main dish, fresh-squeezed orange juice, bread, coffee, and assorted teas.
- Lunch: served on the terrace or on the beach, with favorites such as ceviches, chilled soups, and crisp salads.
- Dinner: candlelit courses in the dining room, such as grilled fish, octopus, flank steak, or plant-based alternatives.
Here is one Sunday dinner from the chef’s menu, as published on our meal plan page:
- Wood-fired Caribbean lobster, octopus, and the fisherman’s daily catch, grilled over hardwood embers and finished with a trio of house salsas
- Quinoa, mango, and black bean salad on baby spinach, with a toasted pepita vinaigrette and gentle chipotle heat
- Warm dark-chocolate brownie with artisan vanilla-bean gelato and a drizzle of local honey
Family Dinners Without Anyone at the Stove
Families traveling across generations need meals that work for grandparents, picky kids, and everyone in between, served at a table big enough for all of them, without one parent spending the vacation in the kitchen.
The Terrace, the Dining Room, and the Palapa
At Casa Nalum, the chef handles the shopping, the cooking, and the table service, so the family meal becomes the part of the day everyone gathers for. Breakfast is a buffet, which suits early risers and late sleepers alike. Lunch can move to the terrace or the beach, and dinner is served in courses in the dining room. Because menus are personalized and approved before you arrive, you can plan around allergies, kids’ favorites, and the dishes your family already loves.
The villa sleeps up to 10 in five bedrooms, and the palapa great-room is where everyone ends up after dinner. On our family vacations page, a 120-inch projector screen turns the palapa into an open-air cinema for movie nights under the stars. If you want a taste of Yucatecan home cooking, ask for it when you build the menu; our healthy meals page lists dishes like huevos rancheros and fajita tacos with habanero.
- Meals: three a day, with breakfast as a buffet
- Menus: personalized and approved by you before arrival
- Sleeps: up to 10 guests in five bedrooms
- After dinner: palapa great-room with an open-air cinema screen
See the villa and its bedrooms
A Beach Dinner for Two at El Palmar
Couples, honeymooners, and anniversary trips want at least one evening that feels like a private restaurant: a table by the water, candles, and nobody else around.
El Palmar, the Villa’s Beach Spot
In front of the villa, El Palmar is a palm-shaded spot on the beach, used for afternoon lounging and for intimate dinners. With the meal plan, the chef cooks and the waiter serves, so a dinner for two can happen on the sand rather than in the dining room. Behind the house, the Campechen lagoon turns gold and crimson at sunset, which makes a good start to the evening.
If the villa is booked for two couples, both get a true master suite: one on the main floor and one at beach level with a bathtub and direct beach access, each with a king bed and its own bathroom. Tell us about a birthday or an anniversary when you plan your menus, so the chef can build the dinner around it. For more ideas, see our romantic getaway in Tulum guide.
- Setting: El Palmar, a palm-shaded beach spot in front of the villa
- Service: chef-cooked courses and a waiter at the table
- Master suites: two, each with a king bed and ensuite bathroom
- Good to know: wine and other drinks are not included in the plan
Friends Celebrating, Nobody Cooking
A group of friends marking a birthday, a milestone, or a long-awaited reunion wants long lunches, a big dinner, and days by the pool, without splitting the cooking or the cleanup.
The Pool, the Rooftop, and a Waiter Pouring Drinks
The villa’s entrance opens onto a swimming pool surrounded by day beds, and the ocean-view terraces and the rooftop give a group room to spread out. With the meal plan, the waiter serves every meal and prepares drinks, so the host gets to be a guest too. Bring or order your own wine, mezcal, and soft drinks, since drinks are not included, and plan for an additional waiter if your group is larger than eight.
For a celebration, share the occasion and your headcount when you plan menus with Laury, the villa manager, who helps organize the stay. Our experiences page covers special events, outdoor activities, and wellness sessions that can fill the days between meals. If your group is a team rather than friends, our Tulum corporate retreat guide shows how the same setup works for an offsite.
- Pool: at the villa entrance, surrounded by day beds
- Service: waiter for table service and drinks
- Group size: up to 10 guests; more than eight requires an additional waiter at extra cost
- Planning: Laury, the villa manager, helps organize your stay
Check dates and add the Meal Plan
Vegan, Gluten-Free, and Wellness Menus
Wellness trips and guests with dietary needs often worry most about food. In a restaurant town, that means reading menus and asking questions at every meal. With a private chef, the menu is built for you from the start.
Healthy Meals at Casa Nalum
Our chef uses local herbs, fruits, vegetables, and fresh fish, and can cook pescatarian menus, with vegan or gluten-free adjustments. Every menu is tailored to your requirements and approved by you before you arrive, so allergies and preferences are settled before the first breakfast. Our healthy meals page shares sample days, from a green chaya smoothie bowl with mango and coconut for breakfast to ceviche and quinoa-avocado salad for lunch and grilled snapper with achiote for dinner.
Meals fit around the rest of a wellness stay. The rooftop terrace is made for yoga and stargazing, and the villa can arrange in-villa fitness sessions and massages under the beachfront palapa.
- Dietary options: vegan, gluten-free, pescatarian, and other needs welcome
- Approval: you sign off on the menu before arrival
- Ingredients: local herbs, fruit, vegetables, and fresh fish
- Wellness: rooftop yoga, fitness sessions, and massages at the villa
What Should a Tulum Villa With Chef Include?
A good Tulum villa with chef should cover more than cooking. Look for daily meals prepared at the villa, someone to serve them, fresh local ingredients, menus you can approve in advance, and clear terms on what costs extra, such as drinks or extra staff for larger groups. Privacy and a beautiful place to eat finish the picture.
- A set number of meals: the Casa Nalum meal plan includes three chef-prepared meals a day.
- Table service: a dedicated waiter serves meals and prepares drinks, so nobody in your group is working.
- Menu approval before arrival: personalized menus are agreed before you travel, not improvised on day one.
- Dietary flexibility: vegan, gluten-free, and other needs are built into the menu.
- Local ingredients: groceries are bought locally, from several shops, for freshness.
- Clear extras: drinks and snacks are not included, and groups over eight need an additional waiter at extra cost.
- Places to eat: a dining room, terraces, and a beach spot for private dinners.
Book Your Tulum Villa With Chef
If you want a Tulum villa with chef where the beach, the lagoon, and every meal stay within a few steps of your bedroom, Casa Nalum was made for it. The villa hosts one group at a time, so check the live calendar and select “Meal Plan” on our booking page, where direct bookings get 10% off. Still choosing between areas? Our guide to where to stay in Sian Ka’an explains the reserve, and you can always contact our team with questions about menus, dietary needs, or celebrations before you book.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the chef included in the price of Casa Nalum?
Only with the meal plan. The Basic Service Plan includes exclusive use of the villa, concierge help, and daily housekeeping, with meals left to you. The Meal Plan adds the chef, a waiter, ingredients, and personalized menus. You select it in the booking engine, and its price appears in your booking summary.
Are drinks included in the meal plan?
No. Alcohol, soft drinks, and snacks are not included in either plan. The waiter can prepare and serve drinks you bring or arrange.
Can the chef cook for allergies and special diets?
Yes. Menus are personalized for vegan, gluten-free, and other dietary needs, and you approve them before you arrive.
How many guests can the chef cook for?
The villa sleeps up to 10 guests in five bedrooms. For groups of more than eight, an additional waiter is required at an extra cost.
Can we still eat out in Tulum?
Of course. Google Maps puts the nearest beach-road restaurants about 20 minutes away and Tulum Centro about 40 minutes away, so many guests eat at the villa most days and plan one or two dinners out.
Where is Casa Nalum?
At km 5.3 of the Tulum–Boca Paila road, inside the Sian Ka’an Biosphere Reserve, between the Campechen lagoon and the Caribbean Sea. See our location page for details.
