How to Visit Akumal Beach, Mexico, Without Getting Scammed
Akumal Turtle Beach is one of the most popular beaches along the Riviera Maya, mainly because you can swim with turtles that are enjoying their natural habitat freely! However, since it has been declared a national park, entrance is no longer free, and if you want to see the turtles, you need to pay for a guided tour.
I have recently visited and checked out the place, and in this post, I am sharing all my new pictures, how it works, and the best ways to enjoy this beautiful piece of Mexican paradise.
Disclaimer: This page may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of those links, I may earn a commission at zero cost for you. Please see my disclaimer policy my privacy policy.
Akumal Beach at a glance
Located approximately 90 km from Cancún International Airport, Akumal is one of the most popular beaches on the Riviera Maya, primarily due to its natural resources.
The beach is not particularly appealing because it’s narrow and crowded, not the typical Caribbean beach we all have in mind. However, in its defence, being right in front of some of the most popular resorts, they do their best to keep it clean even during the sargassum season, which makes some of the Riviera Maya beaches impossible to enjoy.
You will find soft sand and palm trees, which provide a relaxing natural shade; pristine water that appears to be untouched by the daily crowd; and delicious local restaurants where you can savor the typical cuisine.
However, what makes this place so alluring, and therefore so crowded, is the fact that only a few arm strokes away from the shore, you can see an abundance of turtles swimming, having their lunch, or just hanging out, with no fear at all of the human presence.
They seem to be used to us humans and are unscathed by the hundreds of visitors who stare at them every day; they mind their own business. They are beautiful and funny, a marvelous work of nature.
I love to watch them floating with such elegance and lightness, donning an angry-looking face; they are also huge, and some of them have a few beautiful yellowish-green remoras on their backs.
I also spotted a yellowish-green stingray nearby, and my friends saw a huge barracuda. Even though I didn’t, I was still happy with my turtle does.
I could stay in the water and watch them all day. Unfortunately, you can only enter this side of the water if you join an organized tour. More about it later in this post. Keep reading. 🙂
What I don’t like about this beach is the multitude of people, and the fact that you have to pay to enter the beach. Beaches are a federal zone, and therefore free for everybody.
I always search for deserted beaches, which are abundant along the Riviera Maya, my favorite being Xpu-ha and Paa-Mul (read my guide, you will love it there)
However, I believe the crowd is a minimal price to pay for such a beautiful experience. I would never actually go to a place where turtles or any other species are kept and raised in captivity; in this case, they are just free and available for you to enjoy.
We should, however, respect them and refrain from touching or feeding them. They have enough in the water and don’t need our unnatural stuff.
I have been there a few times since I moved here, and this particular weekend, I made the most of the opportunity to visit friends from Italy and show them some of our local wonders. We got there late in the afternoon, which turned out to be just perfect.
The water at dusk was warm and inviting, and the sky was a dark blue, as we prepared for sunset. As the sun set behind the jungle, it transformed into a rainbow of colors, ranging from pink to orange and yellow.
We gazed at it from both inside and outside the water, taking turns to check the stuff we had left on the beach, but without losing sight of the show nature provided for us.
After my last swim, which was the most amazing, I took my face out of the water, pulled off my mask and looked up. The sky was, at its best, like a beautiful, colorful painting, priceless.
New rules in Akumal Turtle Beach
As you can see, there is an area limited by buoys. This area is where the turtles hang out most of the time. To get there, a new law is in place: You need to go with a guide authorized by SEMARNAT ( an institutional body that regulates tourist areas in Mexico).
You also need to wear fins a mask and a life jacket. The group must be fewer than six people and stay in the water for no longer than 45 minutes.
You can swim by yourself, just not in the area within the line limit.
Where to buy the tour
You have different options for buying your tours.
- You can just get there and get one from the beach vendors.
- Book a boat tour with the dive center. Please note that when booking a tour with them, you will not be required to pay for the beach entrance. More about it later in this post.
- Buy a tour online before getting there.
Types of tour
There are two types of tours in Akumal, one is cheaper, and you basically enter the water from the shore and start swimming following your guide (cost 500 MXN).
The other one is by boat. They take you all the way to the reef and let you swim back to shore, always led by a local guide. (cost 700 MXN)
The water is usually quite shallow and calm, but it’s always essential to be cautious and follow your guide’s instructions.
Life jackets are mandatory and provided by the tour company you are booking with.
What do you need when you visit Akumal Beach?
- A mask and snorkel to see the turtles, because they stay in the water. They only come up every now and then to breathe and put their cute little heads outside the water, but only for a matter of seconds.
- The water is not deep, and if you like to dive in, you can do so easily. It is probably about 3 meters/9 feet deep.
- You can wear flippers if you are more comfortable, but they are not necessary since you don’t need to go that far. You can rent snorkeling equipment on the beach, but I recommend bringing your own. They sell very cheap equipment in grocery stores or supermarkets.
- Sun protection is not allowed, even if it’s reef-safe. I would recommend buying a rash guard to protect your back shoulder while snorkeling.
- Use an ecological Mosquito repellent if you wish to stay until dusk and after; otherwise, mosquitoes will have you for dinner, and it won’t be pleasant. This is less of a problem during the winter season, from December to April/May, which is normally drier, but I would always bring repellent, just in case.
- DO NOT LEAVE your important belongings unattended (as applies to anywhere else in the world!)
- A Dry Bag is your friend. You can store your personal belongings and take them with you, so you can snorkel worry-free. If you are worried they can get wet, you can use two dry bags or a plastic bag inside the dry bag.
Where to stay in Akumal Beach
Akumal Beach has a few lovely hotels where you can enjoy waking up with your toes in the sand. Here they are:
Akumal Caribe – mid-range property right on Turtle Beach.
Akumal Bay Beach and Wellness Resort – on Turtle Beach but far from the most crowded part – luxury property
Secret Akumal Riviera Maya is an all-inclusive adult-only luxury property with a private entry. The hotel is located right by Turtle Beach, and if you are staying there, you can use the facility and buy a tour to swim with the turtles.
Condo-hotel Mi Casa del Mar – aparta hotels adjacent to Playa Tortugas, Mexican style right in front of a beautiful beach with beach chairs available for the guests to use.
How to get to Akumal beach
Getting to Akumal Beach by car
Driving in Mexico, especially in the Yucatan Peninsula, is the best way to travel and explore this beautiful region.
Situated along the Federal Highway “Carretera Federal” 307, Cancun-Tulum, Akumal is 40 km from Playa del Carmen on the way to Tulum.
If you are coming from Playa del Carmen, you must pass under the bridge with the sign for Akumal and do a U-turn back towards Playa, turning right into Akumal just before you dip under the same bridge. If you are coming from Tulum, just turn right before the bridge.
You cannot miss it, as there are big green signs and beautiful and colorful murals on the bridge walls.
Once you are on the road towards the beach, you will either park at the very beginning, or you can drive through the arch on the way to the Caleta Yalku and find two other parking lots. One is by the hour (40MXN/hour), and the other is 100MXN for the entire day.
What is more convenient depends on how much time you will spend there.
Getting to Akumal beach by colectivo
The ‘’colectivo’’ (little bus) will take you either from Playa del Carmen or Tulum for a few pesos, and will drop you off at the bridge. From there it’s just a couple of hundred meters down to the beach.
How to visit Akumal Beach: Final Thoughts
I hope this guide was helpful, as I have just updated it with recent information. Make sure you browse through this site for more insider tips on the Yucatan Peninsula.
You need to include this experience in your plans, even if you are just staying for a week. This is something that will make your trip memorable. Have fun and let me know just how right I was!
Do I have to pay to get to Akumal Beach?
Now you are required to pay a small fee to get to the beach because it’s a marine park.
However, if you plan to eat, you can enter through the Beach restaurants on the right side, and the entrance is included in your restaurant bill unless you want to rent beach beds and sunshades, which have an extra cost.
