Akumal, Mexico

Akumal was a dream! It is a perfect place for families, couples, and singles alike. We are a family of four, daughter (8) and son (4), and we all got so much out of this trip – especially the kids. Whether you want to lay around on the beautiful, white sand beach or explore the cenotes, you can’t go wrong. Akumal is on Mexico’s Riviera Maya and is known for it’s small, quiet beach town vibe. There are other nearby towns that are more well-known, like Playa del Carmen and Tulum, which also have more nightlife, but I also found them to be more touristy. Another reason that drew me to Akumal is because you can snorkel with turtles! It is known as turtle bay – the breeding ground for turtles. It has earned the Mayan name “Place of the Turtle”.

Day One:
Arrival

AFTERNOON
Arrive at Cancun airport
Enterprise – rental car pick up
Hotel Akumal Caribe -hotel check in

EVENING
(Playa Akumal)
Lol-Ha – tacos for dinner
Visited local shops
Lucy’s – homemade ice cream

Day Two:
Aktun Chen

MORNING
(Playa Akumal)
Morning walk
Turtle Bay Cafe – coffee & breakfast

LATE MORNING – ATERNOON
(Riviera Maya)
Aktun Chen – ziplining, underground caves, cenote

EVENING
(Pueblo Akumal)
El Ultimo Maya – tacos for dinner at a cute local restaurant (across the bridge)

Day Three:
Chill Day & Tulum

MORNING
(Playa Akumal)
Morning walk
Turtle Bay Cafe – coffee & breakfast
Snorkel at the beach in front of our hotel
Pool

AFTERNOON
(Playa Akumal)
La Piccolina – pizza for lunch
Akumal General Store – grabbed to-go breakfast for tomorrow
Lol-Ha – pina coladas & beach

EVENING
(Tulum)
Hartwood – high-end woodfired Mexican-Caribbean cuisine for first dinner
Tacos Papi – tacos for second dinner, just because – when in Tulum
Aldo’s Gelato – dessert

Day Four:
Xcaret Park

MORNING – EVENING
(Riviera Maya)
Yogurt/granola in the car for breakfast
Xcaret Park – full day of activities
Snacks for lunch
Oaxaca Buffet – all you can eat buffet at Xcaret for dinner

Day Five:
Chill Day & Playa del Carmen

MORNING
(Playa Akumal)
Lol-Ha – Easter breakfast on the beach
Snorkel at the beach in front of our hotel
Pool

AFTERNOON
(Playa Akumal)
La Piccolina – pizza for lunch
Akumal General Store – grabbed to-go breakfast for tomorrow
Loncheria Akumalito – grabbed sandwiches for on-the-go lunch tomorrow
Lol-Ha – pina coladas & beach

EVENING
(Playa del Carmen)
Shopping
Los Chachalacos – tacos for dinner

Day Six:
Chichen Itza, Cenote Ik Kil, & Valladolid

EARLY MORNING
(Yucatan Peninsula)
Yogurt/granola in the car for breakfast
Chichen Itza – self guided tour

LATE MORNING
(Yucatan Penninsula)
Cenote Ik Kil – refreshing dip in the cenote

AFTERNOON
(Valladolid)
Shopping
Los Portales – traditional Mayan food for lunch
Burrito Amor – trendy smoothie, burrito, and a round of UNO!

EVENING
(Playa Akumal)
La Taverna – Italian for dinner
Turtle Bay Cafe – seafood appetizers, drinks, dessert, and more UNO!

Day Seven:
Chill Day & Half Moon Bay

MORNING
(Pueblo Akumal)
Lavanderia Akumal – take clothes to be washed

(Playa Akumal)
Turtle Bay Cafe – coffee & breakfast
Pool/Beach
Rent golf cart – from Hotel Akumal Caribe

AFTERNOON
(Half Moon Bay)
Golf cart ride
La Buena Vida – Mexican seafood lunch

EVENING
(Pueblo Akumal)
Pick up clean clothes

(Playa Akumal)
La Cueva del Pescador – seafood dinner
Lucy’s – homemade ice cream
Night golf cart ride

Day Eight:
Departure

MORNING
(Half Moon Bay)
La Jungla – Mexican/American breakfast
Last golf cart ride

(Playa Akumal)
Pool

AFTERNOON
Drive to the airport

BEST TRIP EVER!!

Transportation

We rented a car from Enterprise Rental Car. I went with this company because it was the cheapest price for a well-known rental company. They did not disappoint either. We found their counter right after baggage claim and someone walked us out to the van to be taken to the off-site location, about 5 minutes away. The check-in process was also quick.

We decided to rent a car because we knew we were going to be doing a lot of adventuring, so for us, this was the cheaper option. You can also get a private or shared shuttle to your destination. This is what we did in Puerto Vallarta. It is a very safe option, and they will make stops for an additional charge if you want to pick up groceries, pesos, etc.

If you are looking for transportation during your stay and you did not rent a car, colectivos are great. They are shard minivans that run all day with main pick-up points near attractions and popular destinations for low cost.

Akumal was about a 1.5 hour drive from the Cancun airport. The driving wasn’t too crazy either. My husband drove, but I am used to Baja Mexico, where there are huge potholes and people cutting you off constantly. It was one highway the whole way, Highway 307.

Where we Stayed

Hotel Akumal Caribe was on Playa Akumal and it was amazing! It is located right on the main beach. The hotel staff was so nice and super helpful. The hotel has both hotel rooms and bungalows available. We stayed in a bungalow. It was very simple. Basically, two beds, mini fridge, water jug, a dresser/closet, a bathroom, and some spotty Wi-Fi; but we didn’t need anything else. They also had free parking right next to our bungalow.

The main beach is where you will find the sea turtle tours, which get very crowded during the day. People are transported here from other destinations to see the sea turtles. We did not go on snorkeling tours, mostly due to my sons age (4). He can snorkel, but I don’t think he would be able to hang for the whole tour. Next time for sure!!

People that are not staying at the main hotel must pay $6/day to go to the beach here. We did not have to pay, because we stayed at the hotel.

We tried snorkeling on our own in front of the hotel. My daughter and I saw some cool fish but wasn’t super impressed with the conditions. They recommended we go early in the morning, which we did not, because we just didn’t make it, so I am sure the visibility is much better then.

They also have a beautiful pool right on the beach, we got more use of the pool than the beach. I don’t know if it is because we live at the beach also, but my kids always choose the pool over the beach on vacation.

They do not have a laundry service on site, but they did recommend a great local spot called Lavanderia Akumal across the bridge in Pueblo Akumal. We could have gotten away with not washing our clothes, but since we had so many wet clothes we didn’t want to pack, we decided to just head over on one of our “chill” days before we left and get our clothes cleaned. We dropped a ton of clothes off at 9am and they were ready to pick up at 4:30pm the same day.

Half Moon Bay is the beach section right next to Playa Akumal. It has more of a rocky beach but also has white sands. This is known as the condo section. They had some really nice condos, but it could be a bit of a walk (if you have kids) to Playa Akumal depending on where you stay. We rented a golf cart one day to cruise Half Moon Bay and try a few of their restaurants. We decided next time we come, we will stay at a condo in Half Moon Bay, but I am happy we experience Playa Akumal for our first time staying here.A few condos we will look into next time are: Del Sol and La Sirena.

Restaurants

HALF MOON BAY

La Buena Vida

Mexican/Mayan/Seafood – We had to visit this gem while in Akumal. I had see so many great reviews abut this place and it did not disappoint! It is located right on the water with a beautiful view of Half Moon Bay. The atmosphere was laid back, with tables in the sand and palapas – super beachy, tropical vibe. There was a swimming pool on site, which made my kids very happy. Their food was also really good. This was one of our favorite meals of the trip.

We ordered the Mixed Ceviche, Fish Tacos, and Jose’s Havana Rice. Everything was so good! The rice dish was our favorite. It was similar to a paella and was so flavorful.

Side Note: We were looking into staying at the Del Sol condos right next door. Since Del Sol does not have a swimming pool of their own, guests of Del Sol have access to the pool at La Buena Vida.

La Jungla

Contemporary Mexican/American – This place was so cool! The menu was small, but great and the atmosphere was magical. When you walk into the restaurant you are seated on a wooden deck immersed in a lush jungle setting, which overlooks a natural mangrove and a clear blue cenote. You wouldn’t expect this setting viewing it from the outside. The cool part about Akumal is you can be on the beautiful Caribbean beaches one minute, then across a small road and you are surrounded by the mystical jungle. Furthermore, the staff was super sweet and attentive. If we stayed here longer, we would have definitely eaten here more.

We ordered the Breakfast Burrito, Chorizo Scramble, Croissant, and Chocolate Muffin. The kids ordered the baked goods and loved them. Their baked goods are baked fresh daily. The chorizo scramble and breakfast burrito were so simple, but so fresh and delicious. We also have to take a moment to talk about their drinks. I love coffee. I drink it every morning. I’m boring and drink black coffee, but I appreciate Quality Coffee and this was it. They have an espresso machine, so they have all the fancy coffee drinks as well. I can’t wait to stay in Half Moon Bay next time and get their coffee every morning! That’s not the end of the drink talk. Tommy got Orange Juice, fresh squeezed – absolutely amazing. June got the Mexican Hot Chocolate – so bomb.

PLAYA AKUMAL RESTAURANTS

Akumal General Store

This convenient store was right outside of our hotel. It has everything from food/drinks to beach accessories to souvenirs. We didn’t need to get much from the store, because we brought pretty much everything we needed. This store was useful for the mornings when we were out early and did not have time to get breakfast – I grabbed some yogurts and fruit from here a couple times. I also grabbed some local organic coffee for souvenirs.

La Cueva del Pescador

Fresh, local seafood – This restaurant specializes in Mexican and Caribbean‑style seafood, including grilled/fried whole fish, fish tacos, shrimp dishes, ceviche, calamari, and mini lobsters. We ate here for our last night in Akumal. It is a restaurant right next to the hotel. We loved its laid‑back, beach‑town vibe and it was SO good! It was definitely our favorite meal. They had huge portions of protein and tiny sides of carbs and veggies. If you know me, this is my jam – Load up on the protein!

We ordered the Whole Fried Fish and Garlic Sauteed Octopus – both dishes were so good. The fish had crispy skin and flakey meat and the octopus was cooked to perfection. We are both still craving it. The server came out with two huge fresh fish that were caught that day and asked which one we wanted – so cool.

La Piccolina

Pizza – This was a cute local spot right outside the hotel. The pizza was good enough. It was no New York slice, but it hit the spot after a long beach/pool day. They sell thin crust pizza by the slice. The restaurants in Playa Akumal tend to be kind of pricey, so to be a bit more budget-friendly, we decided to grab a few slices for $2.50 USD each on the days we were lounging at the hotel.

We ordered the Pepperoni, Hawaiian, and Cheese. All good – my favorite was the Hawaiian.