Location: Akumal
Top Things to do in Akumal
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Top 9 Things to do in Akumal, Mexico
Akumal means "Place of the Turtle" in the Mayan language, and if you snorkel here, you just might see one swimming alongside you. (Don’t touch it, though. That’s prohibited by law.) You’ll definitely see coral and beautiful fish in the clear, sparkling waters. This tourist-friendly little town is about an hour south of Cancun—but it seems light-years away.
Restaurants in Akumal
1. Akumal Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By Giulia B - London, United Kingdom
We have been here for a day and I had one of the most touching and beautiful experiences of my life as I have done snorkelling here with sea turtles. They are amazing creatures and I would recommend you not to touch them as they have the right to live freely and they are not an attraction! Also don't leave any rubbish in the water or at the beach.
The beach is really beautiful and if you arrive early you can enjoy swimming with the sea turtles avoiding the crowd.
You need to pay for the entry.
2. Cenote Santa Cruz
Overall Ratings
5 based on 586 reviews
Friends, if you are calling us and we don't answer your calls it is because we don't have good reception. We work only with previous Reservations that can be made on our website or direct to our E-mail. We will answer you as soon as possible, we apologize for the inconvenience. Eco-friendly tours. Our excursions are groupal, private and personalized. “We invite you to live an awesome and fun adventure, enjoying the wonders that the Yucatan Peninsula has to offer, its heavenly Beaches, Cenotes, Natural Reserves and archaeological sites. We are focused on sustainable, educational and recreational tourism in order to get the maximum and closest experience with the local communities, getting to know the flora, fauna and regional culture.”
Reviewed By goodbyesnowCanada - Canada
I would highly recommend this to any able-bodied person. You will experience amazing stalagmites and stalactites in underground caves while wading and swimming in natural mineral water. Viktor is an excellent guide - very friendly and knowledgeable. I am not comfortable swimming in deep water, or with heights, or with being in closed spaces, but this was awesome. It is mandatory to wear a life jacket and water shoes, and I felt very safe. You do not need to go under the water at all. One great thing about this tour is, it doesn't matter what the weather is like outside - inside the caves the climate is always the same. The water is cool and refreshing and we acclimatized quickly to it. Next year we will do this again and will recommend it to others.
3. Akumal Monkey Sanctuary and Rescued Animals
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 485 reviews
Reviewed By kobrien77 - Plano, Texas
We had a good time at the monkey sanctuary. We bought the tickets online ahead of time. Didn’t need to bring anything with us, they were able to pull up our reservation. We arranged a round trip taxi van from Bahia Principe. It was about a 10 minute ride. It was a little pricey (1400 pesos) so you might look into a different option.
The tour was about 2 hours long. You start by feeding goats and deer. Then, our guide walked us by enclosures with other animals - monkeys, lemurs, pigs, a fox, and a few different birds. Our guide, Marcos, was very knowledgeable and told us the background of the animals. There was a break for hibiscus tea and a Mayan snack. Then, we went to the monkey encounter. You cannot have any clips or elastic bands in your hair. You also have to remove jewelry and everything from your pockets. Also, we heard only closed-toe shoes allowed, but others in our tour had on flip flops. You can get a locker at the beginning for a $3 deposit. They also give you a basket at the monkey encounter to put your stuff in. There were about 15 people in our tour and 2 monkeys in the encounter. I was lucky enough to get “marked” twice. Luckily, I had quick dry shorts on.
You can’t take a camera/phone in, so they take pictures for you and sell them at the end. The usb with all of our pictures was $70 for a group of 5. The price varies by number of people in your group.
It’s not cheap, but we had a good time. It’s a good option for a short excursion in the area.
4. Aktun Chen
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
An underground cave with spectacular rock formations.
Reviewed By Susan O
A family group of 13, ages 6-70, we all did the zip line, had lunch and swam in the cave cenote. It was not busy, but had a nice natural feel, not too commercial. The youngest was very reluctant to zip line, but the team...MoreThank you very much for your comment
5. EcoRanchoMayamar
Overall Ratings
5 based on 131 reviews
Reviewed By Marcello017 - Eindhoven, The Netherlands
Dear Roberto,
Thanks for sharing with me and my son your house and the cenotes you have found and taken care.
It has been really nice to be welcome in your house in the middle of the jungle, to walk and to learn about the animals in the forest and to see the beautiful rocks, fossils, stalactites and stalagmites. Mattia cannot stop talking about the rock, water l, calcium, bats, gecos and especially... Mowgli, your nice dog.
The Four cenotes are completely different but all well preserved and really taken care.
Thanks also for teaching Mattia a lot about Mexican jungle and how important is to respect the nature.
A special thank also to Monica, our safe driver.
6. Centro Ecologico Akumal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 482 reviews
Reviewed By stacie10 - Canada
I love my sea turtles! bring yer camera, don't touch the coral reef with yer fins, just takes pics & float in the middle of the ocean with yer guides. Giant sting rays too!
7. Half Moon Bay
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 456 reviews
Reviewed By Laura Z - Singapore
This beach is mainly residential, it has many villas and apartments for rent. We rented a villa and couldn't have been happier with the location and the peace and quiet. We were close to Akumal Bay for snorkeling with the turtles and rays. The snorkeling in Half Moon Bay is ok but you are guaranteed to see turtles if you go to Akumal Bay. No need to pay for the snorkeling tour, just walk down Akumal beach and snorkel for free to see lots of turtles and rays. There are good restaurants in the area. Tulum and many fantastic cenotes are close by. Perfect for a relaxing family vacation.
8. Dolphin Discovery Akumal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 907 reviews
Dolphin Discovery Tulum Akumal the habitat in the Riviera Maya. It is our brand new dolphin habitat in the Riviera Maya nearby Bahia Akumal, which is considered one of the most beautiful places in the world because of her biodiversity conservation, with pristine waters of the Caribbean Sea and warm tropical breezes promising a perfect paradise. There are enough entertainments, sightseeing like Yalku-Lagoon; Half Moon Bay and Akumal Bay.
Reviewed By bgabbitas - Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
We took our adult children and grandkids and everyone had the time of their lives. Everyone will long remember this activity as it was one of the greatest things we have ever done and we have traveled plenty. The interaction with the dolphins was amazing. I would highly recommend buying the largest package as you interact with 2 dolphins and it comes with a great photo package. This is an activity not to be missed.
9. Yal-ku Lagoon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By Panamatraveler76 - Bocas del Toro
This was one of the highlights of our trip. After eating lunch on Half Moon Bay, we came over to Yal-Ku for some amazing snorkeling. Huge parrot fish, lots of sargent majors and other colorful fish. The water was just right despite the fresh water entering the lagoon from an underground river, the shallower areas were remarkably clear. I literally swam through schools of fish there was so many. We ventured towards the sea, but as it got deeper, the clarity of the water became murkier. All in all, we really enjoyed the couple of hours we spent snorkeling here.
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