We fell in love with Akumal as soon as we arrived, and SeaScape (La Sirena #1) is the perfect place to stay. It's a first-floor unit that looks out onto Half-Moon Bay, and you can walk right out from the patio and go swimming/snorkeling anytime you want to - no stairs, driving, or hassles. Yal-Ku lagoon is just a short walk away if you want some differerent scenery, and there's also a swimming pool in a nice garden setting in the center of the condo complex. The nicest thing is that this condo has more than just the "normal" things we've found at condos in Florida. There's satellite TV, all sorts of kitchen utensils and cooking tools, beautiful decorations in the bedrooms and living areas (like stained-glass windows) and air-conditioning to help beat the heat. We enjoyed sitting in the patio (be sure to keep the screens closed, or the mosquitoes will get you!) and just looking out at the bay. We like animals, and we heard/saw hermit crabs scraping along the windows at night (they often climb the patio screens), iguanas basking in the sun on the walls, and best of all sea turtles, stingrays, squid, and many types of fish while snorkeling in the bay. Since La Sirena is at the very end of the bay, it's pretty secluded - nice and quiet, but the drive into the center of Akumal (where the restaurants and stores are) can be a bit long. But being able to walk directly out to the bay more than m akes up for any driving. If you want a place that has great access to the water and where you'll feel comfortable (more like in an apartment than a hotel room), this would be a good choice.

We stayed Feb 1 - 3 in a 2 bedroom, 2 bath unit #11 and found it through VRBO.com for $175 a night. It is on the third floor, but there are at least four flights worth of steps to get there. The view from the top floor is beautiful and we enjoyed it from both the living room and the balcony which had a lounger, hammock, and table and chairs.

There was no A/C in this unit and because the onsite coordinator was in Mexico City, the owner had been unable to let her know we were coming and it was warm and stuffy when we arrived. Wonderful Hector from the office opened it up (the lock box key was missing), and the maid scurried in to do a quick pre-prep.

After the air out, the fans and breeze kept us comfortable, but at a different time of year it could be too warm. There was excellent flow through ventilation and full screening. The king size bed was fine, and the kitchen was large.

Following the owner's advice, we picked up groceries in Playa del Carmen as we drove south on 307. The area is utterly safe. You will want a car.

The location was great for our visit to the seaside ruins at Tulum; we found them not crowded on a Sunday (typically no cruise ships are in on Saturday or Sunday.) We shared their grill with some wonderful folks from Minnnesota to do our steaks the first night.

The Yal-Kul lagoon a short walk from the condo is an amazing estuary filled with gorgeous fish. We paid $7 each to enter through the park at the best place. There are pretty gardens with statues and paths to numerous entry points. There are only tiny wavelets and no current to cope with as you snorkel through narrow channels in the decaying limestone, swim around little mangrove islands, and pull out on rocks for a rest and some sun. Whenever you want, you can put your feet down on a convenient rock. There is no coral here; the fish feed on mosses on the rocks. The water is super clear and at times shimmers from the mix of fresh and salt water.

La Sirena is on Half Moon Bay and you can easily walk on the largely rock bottom most of the distance out to snorkel the reef that shelters the bay. Here there were a large variety of good size corals, fans, etc. and a variety of fish. Because the waves and currents are light, I used water shoes rather than fins to go out.

We wished for more time in this area, never got to snorkel a cenote or visit Coba, the jungle ruins.

We stayed at La Sirena Iguana condo #7 on the third floor Feb 25, 2007 for about a week. Great view of the bay, but no air conditioning, just ceiling fans. We were told the ocean breezes would be cool enough, but it wasn't - really hot and humid in the condo - uncomfortable even with the fans. The large living room windows face south, so you get direct sun; we had to close the drapes to keep the room cooler. Lots of ants in the unit, more than other places we stayed in Mexico. The road leading from the highway to the condo was full of potholes - have to drive slow for about 15 min. Also, they were re-doing the highway at Akumal, making the left hand turn into Akumal really confusing and dangerous (and scary!) esp at night. Hopefully the highway will be better soon. Just a handful of restaurants nearby. A small supermarket nearby (got charged $2.50 for one muffin!). Not a very convenient place to stay. Would not stay here again. But we loved our Mexico experience, nontheless.

Perfect! A first floor condo on Half Moon Bay, steps from the exquisite Yakul lagoon, around the corner from Akumal, with a fully equipped kitchen, comfortable beds, a snorkeling beach outside the door and a crystal clean lap pool to boot. Perfect for honeymooners, families, active elders, you name it.

Hard core travelers, we are not easy to impress, but we love this place for abandoning stress. It's got everything that Cancun has, minus the drunken teens. All kinds of snorkeling, plenty of good authentic food, a couple of priceless shops for souvenir hunting, and about a thousand different varieties of hibiscus, and a day trip to some of the best ruins on the peninsula, including Ek Balam, Chichen Itza, and Coba.

Probably any condo in the complex will make you happy, but #3, which you can rent via akumalrental.com is primo and the owner (no friend or relation) is a peach. Two bedrooms, two baths, right on the beach, with a full kitchen that saves you money if you like to cook. Fantastic!!!