Mexico
Yucatan Peninsula
Quintana Roo
Riviera Maya
Akumal
Things to do in Akumal
Akumal Beach
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Akumal Beach

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Akumal Beach
4.5
#1 of 19 things to do in Akumal
Beaches
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
White sand, palm trees, and crystal-clear, turquoise waters are the trademarks of this Yucatan beach. Here, you can go snorkeling with sea turtles, eagle rays, and colorful fish, relax along the shore or swim in the calm waters. Before you leave, hunt for handicrafts and souvenirs at the little shops around the town. To enjoy Akumal to the fullest, we recommend staying at a seaside resort in the area. However, if you’re staying in Cancun, you can book a guided day trip to Tulum and stop at Akumal along the way. There’s an entrance fee for this beach. – Tripadvisor
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Tours & experiences
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The area
Best nearby
Restaurants
42 within 5 kms
Taverna Akumal
803
0.2 km$$ - $$$ • Italian • Pizza • Seafood
Imelda's Ecocina Akumal
232
0.2 km$ • Mexican • Vegetarian Friendly
Turtle Bay Cafe & Bakery
2,118
0.1 km$$ - $$$ • Dessert • Mexican • American
La Cueva del Pescador
1,251
0.1 km$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Caribbean • Latin
Loncheria Akumalito
263
0.2 km$ • Mexican • Latin • Vegetarian Friendly
Lol-Ha on Akumal Main Bay
1,834
41 m$$ - $$$ • Mexican • Bar • Seafood
Lucy's Homemade Ice Cream
232
88 m$$ - $$$ • Dessert
Taco Maya
72
0.2 km$ • Mexican • Latin • Vegetarian Friendly
Leo's
37
0.2 km$ • Italian • Pizza
Restaurante Akumal Natura
9
0.1 km$$ - $$$ • Seafood • International
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Attractions
19 within 10 kms
Akumal
7.2 mBeaches
Akumal
7.2 mBeaches
Centro Ecologico Akumal
504
8.1 mNature & Wildlife Areas
Hekab Be Biblioteca de Akumal
65
0.3 kmLibraries
Cenote Santa Cruz
720
1.1 kmCaverns & Caves
Half Moon Bay
525
1.2 kmBodies of Water • Beaches
Akumal Monkey Sanctuary & Rescued Animals
1,657
1.9 kmNature & Wildlife Areas
Aktun Chen
2,336
3.4 kmBodies of Water • Caverns & Caves
Mayamar
214
3.7 kmParks
Yal-ku Lagoon
3,150
1.7 kmBodies of Water
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See what travellers are saying
  • JODY L
    8 contributions
    Can we just live here?!
    It’s a busy place near the turtles but you can find calm a little ways south and the water and beach are amazing as always! We stuck around for the afternoon after our turtle swim! Was a perfect afternoon. Most people access the beach as part of one of these tours anyways unless staying at one of the few beach hotels. Just pack a towel and swim wear as you will need for the turtles anyways. There are lockers on site at the government access area(where you enter for turtles)for beach bags, wallets and so forth if you need. You just leave a deposit for the lock which is returned at days end. Few good restaurants right there for drinks and eats!
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written December 21, 2022
  • IanPLancashire
    Leyland, United Kingdom1,897 contributions
    Ignore the Tour Operators
    We were staying at the Akumal Bay resort which was great and the beach at the resort was fab. The public beach was crowded, full of people trying to sell you trips to see turtles when you can literally swim out yourself and see these. They rope parts of the beach off we’re they feed the turtles to guarantee you seeing them as they take your 25 dollars. We went out early every morning by ourselves and sighted over 100 turtles in our 2 week holiday without paying a dollar. Ignore the hawkers, get your snorkel mask on and swim out to the bouys and see turtles. Don’t fall for the tourist rip off.
    Visited November 2022
    Travelled as a couple
    Written December 21, 2022
  • Jess R
    2 contributions
    Everything was wonderful but..
    We loved this resort, but there were a few things that needed improvement in my opinion. The food was okay at best at all the restaurant locations. The entertainment at night was either a band or piano. We would of liked to see more variety in night activities. Clean rooms, clean pools, staff kept up very well with the beach, staff was very friendly, very laid back, lots of couples, not a lot of kids, majority of guests were older than us (we're in our 30s), bars had a lot of options. I would go back if the food was better or I was retired.
    Visited February 2023
    Written February 8, 2023
  • hippyb
    Bolton, United Kingdom173 contributions
    Clean and safe
    Beauifull beach with a man-made lagoon which is very safe. Plenty of fish but all nothing colourful. Nice sun loungers & straw brollies - get there early to reserve one as the beach gets very busy after 9:30 am
    Visited January 2023
    Written February 15, 2023
  • TreeFolkRock
    1 contribution
    Murky waters
    We were so excited to finally get to snorkel, but the water was so murky that you couldn’t see your feet. I do t know if it’s like that all of the time or just some days… worth checking before you get a snorkel tour! Very small area to swim with so many people and lots of sea grass and rocks, so wearing water shoes is suggested. I felt bad for those who had purchased snorkel tours— I saw the boats just dump them off a little further out than we went on our own and no one seemed to be doing anything but probably conspiring to ask for a refund when they got back to the shore! We rented beach chairs at Lol-Ha for about $20USD and the service was somewhat decent, food and drinks average. We still needed to go flag down our waiter most of the time. Pretty disappointing overall.
    Visited February 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written February 18, 2023
  • Kevin H
    8 contributions
    Good Free Snorkelling
    Parking and getting to the beach can be a bit tricky and they will try to make you pay as much as they can! There are places to park that are not in front of any businesses that you could just park and walk in. But there is always someone there trying to tell you what you "have" to do. The whole beach is public, it's the access to the beach that is private... Once in, the beach is nice and the snorkelling was really cool! Do not do the tours! Waste of money and you can see a bunch right from shore for free! We went out several times and always saw at least one turtle! It's pretty obvious where you can snorkel for free as it's all marked out by buoys. It is a federally protected area in Akumal, so you can get in trouble for not following the rules. We just swam right up to the buoy line and swam along it! It has a little less density with fish/coral, but you can swim for as long as you want and see just as much, and often more, than the tour groups! Plus it's free (bring your own gear!).
    Visited March 2023
    Written March 21, 2023
  • Dan M
    Mexico City, Mexico101 contributions
    Nice but crowded
    I cannot say much about the beach, since it was a quick stop on the tour to swim with the turtles. The beach was packed, and countless people were swimming around. Even though it was off season, we did get to see a couple of turtles in the water. It is mandatory to hire a local tour to swim with the sea turtles. They can be hired at the dive center.
    Visited April 2023
    Written April 10, 2023
  • simon c
    Sydney, Australia6 contributions
    Would find another beach
    We went for a day trip with our young kids. We tried to arrange a boat but just before we went out the guide said there was no boat and that we were going to swim to the turtles. When I said my two year old can’t swim he pointed to a lifebuoy. He then told me if I wanted a boat it would be a crazy price. As I left he started to reduce the price significantly but it was too late. I don’t mind haggling at all but don’t like bait and switches. The place is naturally beautiful and we made the most of it but there are way too many people and the it feels off. Would give it a miss.
    Visited June 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written June 25, 2023
  • Off their P
    Manchester, United Kingdom4,180 contributions
    Not far from paradise!
    We had six nights by this beach and it has a great deal going for it. True, it does suffer a little from the local seaweed problem but it isn't as bad as other parts. That out of the way, we loved our timer. The sand is pristine and lovely to walk on. We used to love snorkelling directly off the beach and you don't need to be part of a tour or have a guide to do this. The sea is very safe and calm and you can go out a long way and still stand up. We managed to see multiple kinds of fish along with several decent size stingrays and a few turtles. Absolutely wonderful. Don't forget your snorkel!
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written September 13, 2023
  • helmac
    Barry, United Kingdom131 contributions
    Swimming with turtles
    We did a private tour with Darwin Zetina Huerta who is a biologist and very knowledgeable, we contacted him through Facebook. Darwin met us outside and managed our entry to the park. All equipment was provided including mandatory life jackets. Once we were in the water he knew where we were likely to find turtles we saw quite a few as. well as rays, squid and cuttlefish . The tour lasted about 45 mins to an hour it was fabulous well worth the money, if we are in this area again we will definitely use Darwins service again.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written November 18, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
13,591 reviews
Excellent
8,535
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978
Poor
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424
Vicki B
5 contributions
Lovely beach, lots of turtles (but have to pay a guide to see them!!)
Nov. 2023 • Couples
The beach is a lovely spot and costs 120 pesos to enter. A car park is nearby with plenty of spaces and costs 40 pesos an hour. The beach itself has a reasonable amount of shade with palm trees.

If you want to see the turtles, you will have to pay for a guide to take you out there (as they have sectioned off the water so that you can only go out to the main areas where turtles are if you pay a guide unfortunately!). There are still areas to swim in but the water is quite stirred up with sand due to all the boats and swimmers and there are not so many fish to see. However, if you are lucky the occasional turtle does make an appearance closer to the beach outside of the guide only swim zones.

If it weren't for the guide only swim zones, I would have given the beach 5 stars. I think it is a shame that they make you pay to go on the beach and then have to get hassled and haggle with various guides just to swim in the good areas. The guides typically cost between 400-600 pesos from what I gathered there and you will have to wear a life jacket to do this.
Written November 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
helmac
Barry, UK131 contributions
Swimming with turtles
Nov. 2023 • Couples
We did a private tour with Darwin Zetina Huerta who is a biologist and very knowledgeable, we contacted him through Facebook. Darwin met us outside and managed our entry to the park. All equipment was provided including mandatory life jackets. Once we were in the water he knew where we were likely to find turtles we saw quite a few as. well as rays, squid and cuttlefish . The tour lasted about 45 mins to an hour it was fabulous well worth the money, if we are in this area again we will definitely use Darwins service again.
Written November 18, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mattias
San Bernardino, CA5 contributions
Went to see turtles and only saw feet and 1 turtle
Nov. 2023 • Couples
This plan is just a tourist trap, you will be pest by vendors from the moment you arrive, if your plan is like mine was to see turtles, then go early in the morning, otherwise is hard to see the turtles due to all the sand that’s being kicked around by others … the beach is full of people and it’s just not worth the time .
Written November 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kari L
3 contributions
soft sand.
Oct. 2023
the staff works constantly to keep the beach clean. Its nice to beable to take long walks on the beach evey day
Written October 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The traveler
13 contributions
AVOID.. it's a tourist trap and you will be HARASSED the entire time you are there.
Oct. 2023 • Family
Wow do you ever get harassed here! Like scary. Worse than Vegas!!

We got dropped off in a cab. Immediately 2 minutes a little booth who had no entrance to the beach, 2 men ran up to us demanded a fee.. to walk past them. Very aggressive. We told them to get bent and kept walking. Entered through the dive shop as there is no other way to the beach near by, businesses block it off. Have to pay the dive shop 7$ US each cash.. to walk thru to the public beach.

Locals roped off a tiny section to swim for free. We found this after "guides" followed us and harrased us to purchase a guided tour, they finally stopped following us when we got to the beach infront of Secrets Hotel. So if you come here, get the cab to drop you off at Secrets, I'm sure the hotel won't charge a fee to walk through to the beach!!! Just walk in like you stay there! This resort doesn't require wristbands, so you will blend in! Wish I knew this first.

We tried to cross the rope a few times into deeper waters and were Immediately harrased by guides on kayaks telling us we need to pay to swim in the free ocean. I seriously thought they were going to wack us with their paddle.

After swimming in the small roped off area for an hour we didn't see any turtles despite good visibility.

So we went to shore and surprise, Immediately hounded by a guide.

We bit the bullet and agreed on 25$ US per person for an hour of their time. 75$ US total for myself and 2 kids. He obviously wasn't certified. He even wore flippers. He was nice though. He was just a random Mexican on the beach with a box of snorkle gear. Lol.

We saw many turtles, which we didn't need him for per se, but apparently tourists can't swim in the sea there without paying 🐢🤦🏼‍♀️

I am.well traveled, not naive, or intimidated by abrasive behavior, but the Mexicans here claiming to be guides are on another level.. made us very uncomfortable.

Unless you're dying to see a turtle, I would say avoid this place!!! They just sit on the floor and eat sea grass anyways, it's not like you swim with them. The photos you see online are just caught when they come up for air.

Avoid.

I would say avoid this tourist trap
Written October 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nina h
Dartmouth, UK17 contributions
Perfect for turtle lovers
Oct. 2023 • Couples
We went on an organised trip via tui to Akumal, and it didn’t disappoint!
Whilst it did feel like we were herded from one place to another, our guide was actually amazing, and very attentive! Making sure everyone’s snorkel was set up ok, and we were comfortable. No flippers allowed, and life jackets were mandatory and provided!
There are 2 guides in your “area” which appeared to be roped off into sections. One at the front, who would signal to the group when something was spotted. One at the back, making sure everyone was ok!
We went on the perfect day (the day after it rained apparently, else the water may be cloudy) and saw many turtles, rays, starfish and squid!
So so happy with the whole trip!
Pics were taken on a go pro, so not the best quality! The water was super clear!
Written October 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travel X
Miami, FL551 contributions
Nahhh , not one of the nice beaches I have seen in pics
Oct. 2023 • Family
The sargassum and seaweed make getting into the water unattractive. We preferred swimming in the pools at the resorts.
Written October 6, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Off their P
Manchester, UK4,180 contributions
Not far from paradise!
Sep. 2023 • Couples
We had six nights by this beach and it has a great deal going for it. True, it does suffer a little from the local seaweed problem but it isn't as bad as other parts. That out of the way, we loved our timer. The sand is pristine and lovely to walk on.

We used to love snorkelling directly off the beach and you don't need to be part of a tour or have a guide to do this. The sea is very safe and calm and you can go out a long way and still stand up.

We managed to see multiple kinds of fish along with several decent size stingrays and a few turtles. Absolutely wonderful.

Don't forget your snorkel!
Written September 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
r t
Bromsgrove, UK669 contributions
Good
Aug. 2023 • Couples
Really nice but gets busy due to the turtle swimming. It's a lovely location would certainly recommend
Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adrian B
London, UK1 contribution
Exploiting nature
Aug. 2023 • Family
Probably the most disappointing place on our holiday, where you are mobbed by tour operators trying to sell you the "swim with turtles" experience.
Entrance to the natural reserve beach is 120mx$ (free for under 6).
The beach itself is alright, there are much better that are free of charge just minutes away.
What impress, in negative, is how these tours are operated, with multiple groups of at least 20 people all close by trying to see the turtles and the rest of marine life.
With so many people, so many boats, the pollution, the noise it's very hard to believe it's a Natural reserve, even the bracelet they give you at the entrance is 100% un-recyclabe plastic.
Close the the Tulum temple you can have a more enjoyable turtle experience with less massification
Written August 22, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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AKUMAL BEACH - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about Akumal Beach