Akumal Beach: A Riviera Maya gem! 🏖️ Famous for snorkeling with sea turtles, its clear waters and white sand are captivating. Ideal for families and nature lovers. While some areas have restricted access, the experience of swimming with turtles in their natural habitat is unforgettable. A top spot for relaxation and marine life encounters! Beware of stingrays!

Entrance is 140 pesos now and you will be harassed by so called ‘information’ and ‘bay patrol’ guys every 5 minutes. Just go to the Lol-Ha cafe to have breakfast and have a look at the beach before and after. It’s not a nice bay anymore, it’s full of snorkel / dive boats, full of sea weed and most of all full of lines with buoys that help snorkel guide chase turtles in groups of 12 (!!!). Any many groups at the same time. If you want to snorkel yourself, you can in the first 20 meters, you can spot a turtle in that under water grass as well. Just enjoy it from a distance. And for really nice reef snorkelling, go somewhere else.

Crowded? YES. Still very magical. This was my nine year olds second time snorkeling and he could keep up because the waters were calm. We saw probably a dozen turtles. Guides really respect the environments. It was at time difficult to move out of the way of the turtles because of the crowd but still highly recommend booking a tour here (over Isla).

The fact that literally all the beach altough offers no actual amenities is paid…is so sad…you are not even allowed to a certain point where the turtles are without paying for a guide…. Locals told me that used to be actually public/ free but not anymore…

Ok I read the reviews about how the turtles are being exploited and was skeptical at first but they actually look pretty relaxed and unbothered, they look clean and not filled with barnacles. The guide leads you to where they are and points some other marine life. I had a fun experience here! I had a private tour just myself and paid 30$. I looked online and usually they charge 45$ per person. It was fine by me since I had the solo attention of the guide. Me and my husband went around 10am ish and went to Lo-Ha restaurant this way we didn’t need to pay for beach access since my husband is not into beaches. We ordered drinks and lunch. While waiting I walked around the beach and there were a couple of guides that offered tours. So you can pick and think about it. You don’t need to buy it in advance since there are an abundance of guides at the beach area. My guide took care of me, he had new snorkels, I let him pull me a bit since he had fins and I didn’t. They all have floatation devices for safety. But I saw different sizes of turtles, and blue fish, squid, rays, even a ships cannon from the Spanish era. All in all it was a good experience. If you want to swim with the turtles I say go for it! Oh and parking is 100$ there’s a lot to your right that will say the price, and they will give you a ticket.

We did the snorkel tour, saw 9 green turtles, 2 stingray and countless fish! Our guide was friendly and willing to get us away from the big groups to go do our own thing. The green areas are for snorkeling alone without a guide, you can’t go in the red without a guide which we were okay with. Umbrellas, lounge chairs and showers included with price.

I had a disturbing and unsafe experience while snorkeling on my own at Akumal Beach. While I was in the water, a man claiming to be a snorkeling guide approached me in a kayak. Without warning, he forcefully pulled out my snorkel while I was still underwater, which was not only frightening but also dangerous. He told me I wasn’t allowed to snorkel there because it was “private,” even though everything I’ve read—including CEA Akumal’s own website—says otherwise. He threatened to hit me with his paddle if I touched his kayak and refused to give my snorkel back. He stole it. This was clearly harassment and made me feel unsafe and unwelcome. It’s extremely disappointing that something like this can happen at a beach promoted as open and safe for tourists. I hope this behavior is addressed before someone gets seriously hurt.

The snorkeling in lagoon was very cool. The food was subpar and not good. The service at restaurant was lacking. We did rent a palapa and enjoyed it. The ceviche Vallarta was not good. My child said chicken nuggets were mushy inside. French fries good. Crowded in opening with tours, after tours left in afternoon a lot more pleasant. There were hammocks in our palapa that we enjoyed. Make sure you eat well before you get there, as the food service was not good. They do not allow you to bring your own food. They need more help in restaurant.

We rented the Casa Laguna adjoining this lagoon and it was amazing to explore the place at different times of the day. Around 5-6pm is the best time of day, we experienced at least 7-8 full schools of different fish and they were much more in the open than during the morning or midday times. One of the highlights of our trip to Akumal for sure, highly recommend this experience and this casa was wonderful!

This is a place you want to visit because it located in a beautiful and connects to the ocean. The water is pretty and landscape also. There is no overhead canopy cenotes, they all open so great for kids. Buy tickets there, cheaper.

A very beautiful cenote. I loved it. It's a good choice since I've visited several. Even though it's an open saltwater cenote, it's still an excellent place. There's a variety of tropical fish and small animals.

This was my favorite cenote out of all of them I visited on a road trip from Mérida to Telchac Puerto, Rio lagartos, El Cuyo, Holbox. Akumal, Valladolid, Yaxuna, and Uxmal. While it’s an open cenote blended with salt water, it’s still impressive. There are tons of tropical fish are other wildlife along the hour or so swim to the ocean and back.

They require life jackets. That is NOT how you snorkel. The water is hard to see through where the salt meets fresh water. We saw some fish and lots of seaweed. It just wasn't worth the entrance fee.

Yal-Ku was a wonderful experience. A lot of fabulous fish and I even saw a stingray. The water is a little cold, but I didn't really mind. Amazing place and the staff are nice. Five stars

I went on a weekday and this place did not disappoint! They have a small zoo with zebras, an ostrich, monkeys, and deer – I’m sure more animals too, but I didn’t get to see them all. I was mainly here for the ATVs, and wow… what an adrenaline rush! We rode about 5 miles through rocky, muddy trails – heart-pounding and intense (at least for me!). Experienced riders might find it less challenging, but it was the perfect mix of fun and adventure. The tour guides were awesome, always checking in and making sure everyone was safe. My package included lunch, which had burgers, hotdogs, fries, fruit, and a few extras – a nice way to wrap up the ride. Overall, an amazing experience and totally worth it!

Great place! Our guide was knowledgeable and passionate about the animals. Learned so much about their behaviors and the sanctuary’s conservation work. The monkeys were adorable and well cared for. Definitely worth a visit!

Tour cost 70USD pp. Tour with guide Atziri was great. She explained animals behavior and purposes of sanctuary. Sitting with adorable Monkey in cage was amazing and super exciting. Only disappointment was a price of photos taken by photographer (60USD). You are not allowed to make photos in monkey's cage due to safety (your and monkey) reason so it's only option to save this great memory.

Absolutely adore this place - have visited twice and will be returning when I go back to Mexico in October - genuinely care for the wellbeing and welfare of the animals - all about education and conservation - not exploiting animals. I put down feedback after my first visit and was so happy to see that it was been heard and actioned when I visited again! Angel has been my guide twice now - absolutely delightful human being. Keep up the good work guys. See you soon x

We had a great time at the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary! There were only 4 of us in our group which was nice. Our guide, Atziri, was great. She did the tour in both English and Spanish. She took the time to learn all of our names, and she was extremely knowledgeable about the animals. The animals are well taken care of. They are all animals that can not go back into the wild. They explained how they got many of the animals and what special needs they may have. It was a walking tour that lasted a little over 90 minutes. Wear comfy shoes and dress for humidity! We bought biodegradable insect repellent there and were so glad we did. It had rained in the morning, and the mosquitos were out en masse. You are in the jungle after all! We were able to have a monkey sit on our heads and laps. We weren’t able to handle the monkey, and they only have one monkey at a time out. The monkeys are rotated through groups, and one monkey doesn’t participate more than one time per day. They picked us up from our hotel and then dropped us off afterwards. All in all, a great afternoon!

Wonderful place and great staff. Hidden Gem! The monkeys and animals were all adorable. After a long walk, felt nice to dip in the refreshing cenote… my son had a blast, he didn’t want to leave !!!

AtlasAdventured highly recommends visiting the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary! While living in Tulum we decided to visit the Akumal Monkey Sanctuary for our daughter's 6th birthday and we had an amazing experience. We booked the 'Monkey Sanctuary + Snorkel' package and we added on the buffet lunch for about 7k pesos for all three of us (~$115 USD each) You are told to arrive 15 min before your scheduled tour or you risk losing your spot and will not be refunded. We arrived 30 min early but tour orientation started about 15 minutes late anyways and a few people in our group arrived even later than that but we're still admitted so not sure how strict this rule is. Our group only had 7 people in it. Our family and two other couples. There was also our tour guide and the photographer/cameraman who takes pics and videos of you throughout the day. You can buy single media files or all of them at the end of your time there. We walked through a few of the different animal areas and got to pet some goats before getting to the most anticipated part of the experience, getting to interact with a Monkey. There are no cameras, jewelry, personal belongings, etc allowed in the enclosure and one girl in our group had dermal piercings that they were trying to get her to take our but she explained that it wasn't possible and they asked her to keep her hair down to try and cover it so the Monkey didn't grab at it. The monkey crawls on your head and then across your hands as they give it treats so be prepared to have Monkey saliva and treats scattered over ya. You can't pet/hold the Monkey. They do have multiple sinks to wash your hands thoroughly before and after your time with the Monkey. Since there are no cameras allowed in the monkeys area, the only way to get pictures of this experience is to buy them at the end of your tour. Then you get to pet a snake which was cool but nothing too crazy. Then a photo opp with some colorful parrots/birds. All of this happens over the course of 1.5-2 hours. If you book the Snorkel package, this is the point where they get you ready to drive down to Akumal Bay. You get Snorkel and goggles provided. They load you into one of their Akumal Monkey Sanctuary vans and drive you down to the bay where you will meet your certified guide who will explain the rules and will be with you during the Snorkel experience. After getting life jackets on and your belongings put away in a bin on the beach (no lock on the bin and we weren't offered lockers but there were lockers both at the Sanctuary and at the beach area. Not sure the price or if you have the opportunity to rent those), then you get on a small boat for about 5 minutes before jumping in to Snorkel. Not sure if the boat is always used or if they just had us get on it to get past the sargassum. You Snorkel for about 15 minutes in the deeper water where there are lots of fish and coral before swimming about halfway in where the turtles hang out. We saw 4-5 turtles and were really close to them. Obviously, you are not allowed to touch them. After snorkeling, you take the 10 minute drive back to the Sanctuary where you can enjoy your buffet lunch. This is the only part that was a let down for us. When we arrived most tables were full except 1 in the back that had no fans and was in the sun so it was extremely hot and lacked air flow. The buffet was pretty much empty of good food and had some fruit, veggies, about 10 cold fries, 1 hamburger that was cold and some chips with cheese sauce. We asked the workers about the empty trays and they said more hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. Would be out in about 5 min but after 20 minutes of picking at fruit and chips we were over it and decided to head back home. We did buy the media package with all of our pics and a video compilation of the day but the pictures were not the best quality even though they used a gopro and the color seemed off but better than nothing. They tried charging $100 usd for the pictures but we were able to talk him down to about half that. Great experience overall!

This place is AMAZING! You do have to drive down a long dirt path (so be prepared) lol but it is worth it! The cave tour was very interesting and the cenote is something out of a dream! Crystal clear blue waters and beautiful rock cave formations. All the workers are so nice!!!! 🩷 Also, They have the cutest spider monkeys!! We wanted to come back the next day just to see them again, adorable!

Our visit to Aktun Chen was an experience that truly took our breath away. It's hard to describe how incredibly beautiful and peaceful this place is. It made us stop and think — how amazing and fragile our world is. Our guide was absolutely wonderful — he spoke with such love and deep respect for nature, explaining the formation of each stalactite and stalagmite like telling a sacred story. You could feel his passion and how important it is to preserve this natural wonder for future generations. Swimming in the cenote inside the cave was magical — the water was cool and clear, and the atmosphere was calm and spiritual. Thank you to the whole Aktun Chen team for such a meaningful and emotional experience. We’ll never forget it!

It’s worth the trip and the hiking is not difficult. Be prepared to need to duck down as you enter the cave as it is low for the first 10-20 meters but almost all of the rest is a comfortable height and not too many stairs.

Wonderful trip! From the underground cave to the beautiful cenote. It felt amazing and the scenery was breathtaking.

Pretty spectacular place. Went on a rainy day so perfect for a cave cenote. 4 stars because the pricing looks like they change it. 650 mxn per person just for the cenote. Expect to pay per activity And We got there too late to do the other activities. At 340 pm we paid for the cenote they told us they close at 530. At 445 they were trying to say they were closing at 5pm. We stayed until 518. But they cut the WiFi off at 510pm and all the workers started leaving. No transportation back to reception We had to wait for our ride for 25 minutes with no WiFi hoping they would find us at the cenote instead of at reception Wasnt a great way to end our experience negotiating the time we paid for and WiFi to get picked up.

What an awesome experience. I would definitely recommend enhancing your trip to this region with a day at at Aktun Chen. In particular Luis was exceptional. He is clearly very passionate about his work and the environment he works in. His knowledge about the caves, the history was second to none. Thank you for making it a memorable experience.

Still one of my favorite cenotes so far. The prices has gotten up though.

I recently visited this beach and had a mixed experience. The scenery is beautiful, with swaying palm trees and soft white sand, perfect for a relaxing day by the ocean. The beach was spacious, allowing for plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the sun. However, I did notice some seaweed along the shore, which detracted from the overall aesthetics. While it’s a natural occurrence, it would be great if the beach staff could clean it up more regularly to maintain its pristine look. The amenities were decent, with plenty of lounge chairs available. However, it felt a bit crowded at times, especially closer to the beach bars. Overall, it's a lovely spot to unwind, but a bit of maintenance could enhance the experience significantly. Worth a visit if you're in the area!

A beautiful beach with an amazing view. Try to get up early and watch the whales swimming and the sun rising. Absolutely lovely place. Can't wait to go back there next year. Suitable for couples, families,larger groups. Just an amazing place.

We didn't enjoy Tulum. It's like the movie your best friend overhyped and then it's a total disappointment. You have to pay an entrance fee to get in to Paraide beach, pay to park, pay to actually use the beach, pay for chairs/umbrella and pay again for a towel and THEN you can pay for your drinks and food. We went when the seaweed was out of control so it didn't help that we couldn't even enjoy what we paid through the nose for. It's the same issue at all of the beaches and I gave a 3 because it's the best of the ridiculous beach accessibility choices.

Beautiful beach that you can see from the Tulum archeological site. It was an amazing blue ocean and white sand!

There is so much sargassum here that the sea has turned brown. Also you have to pay an entrance fee to access. Would not recommend.

Definitely our favorite beach in Tulum! The sand is amazingly soft and white, sea is warm and calm, with no fishes around. The beach is in natural reserve (so in the protected area, as other Tulum beaches) so you can’t bring any plastic here (plastic bottled water or other potential garbage) - which is great, because this way they can maintain the beach clean, nice and preserve it for future generations! We have travel a lot but haven’t seen a beach this clean! And of course, you can find here the famous leaning palm tree 🌴

No idea what time portal other visitors traveled through to get to the beach they rave about, but this entire stretch of coast was a disappointment. First off, this entire area is part of a National Park. The fee to enter the one road leading to it is 50 MXN. Then when you choose an area to park, you must pay. It is not free. About 250 MXN. These prices would be worth it for any good beach, but my visit in late May was a bummer. Not the fault of service nor of the locals, but I walked from Playa Paraiso up to Playa Santa Fe and sargassum was washed up along the entire shore. The sand away from the water was beautiful; fine white powder. But the water was not even that stunning, and also contains even more sargassum. Makes me wonder where all those other photos came from. I don't need to visit again.

This is the place to go for authentic traditional Mexican dishes. I did not know what I would find here but I had a huge bowl of pozole for $6 USD. Tons of meat. Made from scratch. Just truly enjoyed the homemade meal. I would come here everyday and try every dish they make. Posting the sign for the stall opening really early in the morning serving breakfast. They are at the corner of the market with a sink to wash your hands.

A good place to get fresh dishes. All food price are reasonable with a quite big portion. Burrito was great with a lot of fresh vegetables

Old but the food that was sold inside the Mercado was great.

I got soups at La Bendicion de Dios for late breakfast. They were so good and hearty, I had to go back on my day.

On our first day there we had lunch at “las veracruzanas” and was not disappointed. One of our waiters was a little 7 year old boy that was the cutest and sweetest little thing. Food was extremely authentic and cheap. There are no vendors pressuring you to buy things. Many street dogs in the are but none bothered either. Would def come back

Very small Mercado with a few vendors and very empty inside of any vibe or energy. Don’t come here expecting the big Mercado’s and endless aisles and vendors that Mexico is known for.

I love visiting Ciudad Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen. A friend of mine lives there, and every time I go, I’m struck by the peace and quiet. The community is surrounded by lush vegetation, which makes it feel like a perfect balance between nature and modern living. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and you can really tell that the residents are happy to be part of this place. It’s a beautiful, tranquil community that feels like a hidden gem.

Good burger for 110 pesos! I had the portobello option and was happy i chose it. The tostones (fried banana) are delicious and a good substitute of the typical French fries. Overall good experience!

Roraima has some pretty awesome burgers! I got the vegan burger and it was delicious! It was a grilled portobello mushroom and lots of veggies so it really doesn’t have much protein but it was still very tasty. My wife got one of their beef burgers and loved it. They are huge! I also highly recommend their aguas frescas, French fries and yucca!

The Vegana Especial burger was very good. Just the place is too small and have no bathroom, not even a place to wash your hands. Maybe is better to order by delivery. But as said before, my hamburger was good.

Had an Americana and a Giulio. Burgers were ok. They were both cooked 'well done', and that made them dry. It could've been so much better if they were cooked medium to medium done. Friendly staff, nice small seating area. Printed menus would be great as it was a bit hard to read the menu above the counter.

The burgers are good. The wooden plate with the plastic cover was a bit weird and I’ve had better fries before but the burger was very juicy and fresh. Waiters were friendly. That was the only burger we’ve had in Tulum so there’s nothing to compare them to. If you like burgers go fog it ;)

This is hands down one of my favorite local spots. Even once we moved from Akumal, we still drove from Playa del Carmen to dine at this place. It’s no frills but the meat and sides are delicious. My son enjoyed his first tacos here and has been eating tacos every since. He actually requests to come here. The combo platter when available has different meat. If you need more rice, beans or sauce - just ask. The service is friendly and quick. And we always leave satisfied. Afterwards take a walk around to explore beautiful Akumal art. The neighborhood is safe and friendly. Be kind and tip. Enjoy! I hope you find this review helpful. If so, please give me a thumbs up.

We love to find little local joints especially BBQ but this one is quite disappointing compare to others judge on both flavour and price. I believe we were charged tourist price.

Our cheapest meal our whole trip! It was authentic and delicious. We got tacos al pastor and Carne asada and all the fixins. Come prepared to speak only Spanish but it's worth every effort!

Ate here twice. Some of the most delicious, simple, and cheap tacos in the whole Riviera Maya. menu is limited (tacos of whatever they are cooking that day). Staff is friendly. Cash only affair and closes pretty early at night.

Great whole fish and guacamole! My veggie family liked the quesadillas. We just kept coming back. Better than most restaurants at reasonable price.

It was soooo gooood and the staff is very cool and very friendly. If you are in akumal you have to eat tacos here!

Discovered this place 2 days ago and have been twice. If we weren't flying home tomorrow, I'd go again. The chicken is very simple, very fresh, and very delicious. Simply seasoned and perfectly char grilled. Extremely casual, it is more or less a sidewalk stand and the food is oh,so good. They don't have alcohol but if you ask they are happy to go right next door and bring you beers ! Service with a smile ! And very reasonably priced.

We were happy to find a supermarket with such a wide variety of local and international products. That said, the prices clearly cater to tourists rather than the local economy, so don’t expect to save much on groceries. Still, it's a convenient stop if you're looking for mid-long term stays.

This was the closest local market to our Airbnb/condo. Decent fresh fruit, friendly and helpful staff especially if you can speak some Spanish. We came on a Sunday and noticed that there was a liquor area It was sectioned off. We planned to purchase some local alcoholic beverages on the way out, but got there at 5:15 pm local time. We were surprised and disappointed to find out that on Sunday to stop Selling alcohol at 5 PM.

A good grocery store for food and necessities. Not as nice and well maintained as Chedraui but definitely has some better prices (some more expensive prices too). Staff was not that friendly but it was very busy and a little hectic when we went. Seems more like the 'locals' grocery store and less touristy focused, which is good. There is a small clothing and souvenir area near the produce area. Has everything you should need. Parking is a little crazy with how many people are rushing around the parking lot but just pay attention and you will be fine. The register and check out lines are narrow and lack space. Lines take a long time to move because of the checkout process and limited space to bag groceries. Produce, souvenirs, clothing and some snack items were slightly cheaper here compared to Chedraui but didn't have quite the selection or have the cleanliness in meat and bakery department as Chedraui.

Good general purpose market. Prices are fair.

Great supermarket. Some items were cheaper than it’s competitor, but space is smaller. Still has everything you could need here. ATM inside charges very low rate to use (probably the lowest one I found in Tulum). Staff were helpful despite language barrier.

Supermarket is very good. If you need anything go you trip good place to go. Also has liquor and wine.

I underestimated the size of this supermarket and ended up spending a good couple of hours there 🫣 they literally have everything you need which was super handy for staying in an apartment. I really liked their Pandaderia (bakery) and cafe section although it gets very busy and there are a lot of flies. The food however is delicious and great value for money. They also have ATM’s inside but they charge quite a bit of commission if you’re travelling and need cash.