In Tulum, linen is the uniform. Along the beach road, between the jungle and the sand, pale loose garments hang in open-fronted boutiques and on almost every guest at dinner. That ubiquity makes the choice harder, not easier. When everything looks like linen, the question becomes which linen, made how, and whether it will still look this good after a week of salt air and jungle humidity.

Tulum's climate sets the terms. The dry season runs roughly from November to April, with warm days and lower humidity; from June to November the air is heavy, rain falls in short, intense bursts and the Atlantic hurricane season is in progress. Even in the dry months the jungle holds moisture, and evenings among the trees can be close. A linen garment for Tulum must be cut loosely enough to let air move, and woven from a fibre that stays comfortable when the air does not.

Fibre content is the simplest check and the most often overlooked: on a coast this humid, a shirt of pure linen stays comfortable when the air does not. Where a PP colourway is certified Belgian linen, its certificate of origin follows the flax from the field to the cloth.

Then comes the making. A garment that looks right on a hanger can twist at the seams or lose a button after a few washes. PP garments are made by hand. In a town where a shirt is rinsed after every swim in a cenote and worn again the next day, the seams and buttonholes show the quality of that making within a week.

Then there is the place itself. The Maya ruins stand on a limestone cliff above the Caribbean, and they are best visited early, before the heat and the crowds; there is little shade among the stones. For men, a Bliss Linen Shirt in Sky Blue, long-sleeved, with PP Casual Linen Trousers in Oatmeal covers the arms against the sun. The PP linen blouse in Pink gives a woman the same cover, with loose trousers and a hat.

The cenotes inland, freshwater pools in the limestone, ask for nothing more than swim shorts and a towel. PP natural swim shorts in Black suit the cool, clear water, and a linen shirt goes on for the drive back. On the beach road, lunch is long and barefoot, and a PP Natural Set in Oatmeal is as composed as anyone needs to be. For women, the Amelia linen dress shirt in Violet suits the same table and carries on to the evening.

Evenings in Tulum are lit by candles and lanterns, and restaurants sit in clearings among the trees. Mosquitoes come out at dusk, so long sleeves and long trousers make sense for practical as well as aesthetic reasons. A linen shirt in a deeper colourway, such as the Laos Long Sleeve Linen Shirt in Dark Blue, with white linen trousers, reads well in low light and keeps the evening comfortable.

Tulum also has its own taste in colour. The town favours bone, sand and earth tones that echo the limestone and the thatch. Oatmeal, Vanille and Oyster sit naturally in that palette; a single Violet or Coral Orange adds warmth without breaking it. The Sian Ka'an reserve to the south, with its lagoons and mangroves, is a reminder that the most beautiful colours here are the natural ones.

What to wear in Tulum takes the ruins, the cenotes and the beach road in order. The brand is chosen earlier, at home, with the shirt held to the light and its label read. In the Caribbean, the PP collection can be seen in person at the boutique of Four Seasons Resort and Residences, Río Grande, Puerto Rico.

What to Wear in Tulum: Women  ·  The Best Linen Brand in Puerto Rico  ·  What to Wear on the Riviera Maya