Are you visiting the Riviera Maya and wondering how to spend a day in Akumal? I’m here to help!
Akumal is one of the best places in Mexico to see the turtles and a must-do during any road trip around the Yucatan Peninsula.
It’s a small town located between Playa del Carmen and Tulum which means you can easily visit it on a day trip from either location (or even Cancun).
In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know to spend the perfect day in Akumal. This includes an itinerary but also travel tips and recommendations.
How to get to Akumal
The easiest way to get to Akumal is by car. If you’ve rented a car on the Riviera Maya, then you can simply take the 305 highway and exit at Akumal.
Alternatively, you can also take a collectivo or book a day tour to Akumal which includes transport.
Akumal 1-day itinerary
Now that you know how to get there it’s time to talk about what to do in Akumal and how to organise your trip.
Morning: Swimming with turtles
The first thing you should be doing in Akumal is snorkelling with the turtles. While it’s true that the beach itself is beautiful, the best reason to visit is to see the turtles.
To do that, I highly recommend booking this turtle tour online. It’s very easy and it will save you a lot of time.
PRO TIP: Make sure to book the earliest tour possible to avoid the crowds and see more turtles.
Once you’ve booked, you can meet up with your guide at the entrance of Akumal. They will come on a motorbike and lead you into Akumal.
They have a partnership with the car park located right in front of the entrance which is very convenient.
The car park costs 100MXN but that’s the same as the others located further out so it’s a good advantage. Also, it’s not just for the tour, it’s for the entire day!
You will then be given your snorkelling gear and the wristband to enter the natural reserve. The beach is part of a natural reserve which means there is an entrance fee but this is included in the tour.
That also means you don’t have to queue.
The guide will then take you to the entrance and lead you to your locker (there is a 50MEX deposit for the locker but you get it back which means it’s essentially free but you need some cash to pay for the deposit).
Once the entire group is here, you will head towards the snorkelling area.
Please note that this is a small group tour which means you won’t be many. We are only 4!
This is a huge advantage because it’s not very comfortable to snorkel as a big group and if you don’t book a tour online and just get there and book a guided tour, you usually end up with a very big group which ruins the experience a bit.
Of course, you will still find these big groups in the snorkelling area but at least you are not with them so when your guide finds a turtle you don’t have to swim around loads of people.
You will then enter the water and start looking for turtles but also fish and stingrays.
There is a lot of seaweed and that’s where the turtles stay. This makes it difficult to find them if you don’t really know what you’re looking for.
This is why being with a guide is a huge advantage. You can simply follow the guide and he will do everything he can to find the turtles and more.
Of course, since we are talking about wildlife, it’s impossible to guarantee anything but they usually find several. We saw 6 turtles including a baby, a stingray and loads of fish. And according to our guide, it wasn’t even a good day!
The tour lasts between 1 and 2 hours and you get to see plenty.
Once you’re done, you will head back to the beach and can enjoy the rest of your day.
Click here to see the availability and prices for the turtle tour.
Lunch and shopping
Once you’re done snorkelling, it should be around 11AM. At that point, I recommend you go out to check out the shops and go for lunch.
Akumal beach can get very crowded in the afternoon so if you don’t want to stay in one of the beach clubs, you should go for lunch early so you can come back and get a nice spot for your towel on the beach.
If you want to eat in one of the beach clubs though, feel free to go straight away or go out for a bit to check out the shops.
There are a few local shops and many souvenir shops in Akumal. It’s quite nice to just walk around and see what they have.
You can then go for lunch. We got tacos from La Cueva del Pescador and it was very nice and not too expensive for the location.
Afternoon: Relaxing on the beach
Once you’ve eaten, head back to the beach. Here you have several options. You can stay near the entrance (it’s usually less busy) and put your towel down.
There are a few palm trees for some shade and the water is shallow.
You can also walk along the beach to explore or choose to opt for a beach club. There aren’t as many as in Tulum but they are still a great option if you want some comfort and easy access to food and drinks.
A popular one is Lol-Ha Restaurant but please note that they charge an entrance fee that doesn’t go towards food and drinks.
Tips to enjoy your day trip to Akumal
Now that you know how to spend your day in Akumal, I’ll share all my best tips so you can truly enjoy the experience.
1. Book the earliest turtle tour available
This is very important because it will make your experience so much better! Most people come to Akumal to swim with the turtles quite early to start with so the earlier you go, the better the experience will be.
The snorkelling area is not that big and it’s not very nice when it’s too crowded.
Also, that’s very stressful for the turtles.
So if you can make it, book the earliest slot possible.
Click here to see the availability and prices.
2. Put on eco-friendly sunscreen and take an UV shirt
The sun and UV index in Akumal are incredibly high so you definitely need to use sun protection.
Since you will be swimming, you need to put on eco-friendly sunscreen however, these tend to not be as effective as the others.
For this reason I recommend putting on a UV shirt.
Even if you are in the shade you can sunburn and honestly, that would ruin your trip.
3. Take some cash
You will need some cash to pay the deposit for the locker and for the parking lot so make sure to have at least 200MXN in cash.
FAQs about Akumal Beach
Are there toilets in Akumal Beach?
Yes there are. They are located after the entrance and near the lockers. They are very clean and well maintained.
Now that you know everything about Akumal and how to spend a day there, the only thing left to do is to enjoy it!
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