Akumal Akumal is located 100km (62 miles) south of Cancun in the heart of the Mayan Riviera. It boasts a beautiful main beach and is an excellent location for snorkeling. Akumal is also very popular for divers and the Akumal Dive Shop is pretty well a historical landmark!
Akumalis easy to visist, simply catch a colectivo (bus) there from anywhere on the Riviera, walk a short 5 minutes and you'll be on a beautiful beach. Traveling south on Hwy 307 past Playa del Carmen you will see the enterance on the coast side of the highway. A main road travels towards the coastline. You follow this road until you hit a set of arches, right where the stores are. Pass through the arches and on the right is the Akumal Dive Shop. Walk past and around that and you can see the beach. Some parts of the beach are private. The private spots are clearly marked. There is lots of room there and lots of palm trees for shade. The beaches here are safe to leave things while we snorkel and we've never been ripped off. Exercise caution here and do not leave any "valuables" on the beach while you are way out snorkeling. If you continue on the road into Akumal, the road winds north to Yal Ku Lagoon which is an excellent place to snorkel. On the way you pass Half Moon Bay which is a good place to see Sea Turtles.
You can walk from the highway to Half Moon Bay, but it is a long walk and walking all the way to Ya Kul is a real long walk. You can get a taxi at the front gate near the highway or at the arches near the main Akumal beach when going to Ya Kul. On the other side of the highway is the town of Akumal, which you can visit. There is also a small Mayan ruin site located just past the town that you are free to visit.
GETTING THERE Akumal is located approximately 63 miles [102 km] from Cancun.
From the airport:  ECO Awareness
Visiting Akumal? The CEA EcoDirectory is a great resource to find EcoFriendly places to stay and eat at while in Akumal! Find out which local businesses and organizations use environmentally wise practices.
Akumal is a major nesting site for sea turtles May through November. As more and more tourists pop up to witness the turtles more and more harm is done. Conservation efforts have been implemented but resources, especially financial ones, are minimal. Please help protect these ancient magnificent creatures by going into the nesting areas only with a qualified guide.
The Centro Ecological Akumal [CEA] offers nightly turtle walks during nesting season. Please sign up in the morning at the CEA center. Only ten people can go at one time. You will be provided with red film to cover your light and the guide will inform you when it is safe to take pictures. |