Akumal
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Akumal is a small, laid-back village on the Caribbean coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. Orientation with the town’s layout and familiarity with its expat inhabitants, mostly North Americans, Canadians and Italians, won’t take long at all. People here are genuinely friendly and very active within the community, developing socially conscious programs and organizations. They have also successfully opened several restaurants, hotels and recreational centers, adding plenty of diversity to the town’s tourism industry.

Akumal is the ideal location for swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, windsurfing and scuba diving. The town is located paces from Akumal Bay, Half Moon Bay and Yal Ku Lagoon and a short distance from the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and the network of cenotes (caverns). These natural treasures, along with the surrounding jungle, combine to form a unique and fragile ecosystem that requires constant attention. The Akumal community has taken steps in recent years to maintain a balance within this ecosystem, establishing protected zones and ecological centers, such as Yal Ku Park and the Akumal Ecological Center (CEA).

Yal Ku Lagoon, the crown jewel of Akumal, has crystal clear, turquoise-blue water, ideal for viewing the underwater world and marine life. Yal Ku Park is open 8am-6pm daily and offers snorkel gear to rent for US$6. Due to its increasing popularity and, as a consequence, diminishing aquatic life, Yal Ku Park is a protected ecological zone. It is therefore prohibited to wear suntan lotion, oil, or sunblock of any type before entering.

The Akumal Ecological Center, established in 1993, manages a wide range of ecological programs aimed at protecting the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. they monitor water quality, conserve the coral reef, provide environmental education and protect marine turtles.

The loggerhead and green turtle species swim to the beaches of Akumal at night during the months of April through September to lay their eggs. Though they are not known to lay eggs in Akumal, the hawksbill and leatherback turtles are often seen as well, as the bays and reef act as foraging areas where sea turtles find food and shelter. The Akumal Ecological Center (+52-984-875-9095) invites volunteers as well as donations and offers 8pm turtle walks for a small fee, which will aid in preservation.

Akumal was the first resort on the Mayan Riviera, with its inception in the 1950’s as a resort for scuba divers. Today it is one of the smallest, more relaxed of the towns that have since been springing up to provide lodging for those who come to explore the reef and its surrounding environment.