With its sparkling Caribbean coastline and chilli-laced Yucatan cuisine, Mexico’s Riviera Maya has long been on my travel hit list. While the days of partying with the college kids in Cancun may have passed me by, the sleepy town of Tulum, two hours’ drive south, promises the perfect beach break.

Here, thatched-roof cabanas line the sand, bikini-clad therapists dole out dirt-cheap massages and salt-rimmed margaritas are the price of a can of cola back home. You get the impression that most of the staff rocked up for a holiday and decided not to leave…

One duo that fell for Tulum’s charm is Eric Werner and Mya Henry. The New York escapees are behind eco-chic Hartwood (hartwoodtulum.com), an open-air eatery that runs on solar power. Here we linger over tender, charry curls of octopus and fall-apart pork ribs from the woodfired oven, while sipping habanero-spiked margaritas from mason jars.

Beachfront cafe Ziggy’s (ziggybeachtulum.com) becomes our go-to place for breakfast, as we kickstart the day with huevos divorciados (fried eggs splashed with green and red salsas). Following a dive in a nearby cenote (naturally occurring underground limestone pool), our guide Mauricio takes us to his favourite taco joint, Taqueria Honorio. At this low-key street stall, a woman hand-presses corn tortillas to order before grilling and filling them with cochinita pibil, a Yucatan classic of slow-roasted pork marinated in citrus and annatto seed.

We’re treated to more Yucatan delights during our stay at Esencia (hotelesencia.com), a boutique beach house in the town of Puerto Aventuras. Here, chef Bernando dishes up lobster taquitos and tikin xic, a whole snapper coated in achiote and sour orange, wrapped in a banana leaf and cooked on hot coals.