Akumal Bay
Akumal Bay
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
277 reviews
Excellent
164
Very good
62
Average
31
Poor
7
Terrible
13
91nitarich
4 contributions
May 2021
My family and I came to the beach for a regular beach day after reviewing nice beaches on the internet. If you are looking for waves this beach area is not it. It is calm waters so waves do not come in this area. The beach is roped off. Once we arrived at the location we was approached by a "Resort guy" who said it would be $26 to swim with turtles and get chairs, umbrellas, towels, lockers for the price. Once we paid the guy he proceeded to take us snorkeling with the turtles as soon as we walked in. We couldn't find a spot on the beach first. We had to get undressed at the door and put snorkeling gear on. We explained to the guy we haven't been swimming since covid-19 started and would like practice but he proceeded to continue with the tour. He brought one ring buoy out when 3 of us saying we needed extra assistance and as we went out it was a couple water spouts on the water. I warned the tour guy and he looked at me like I was crazy and my family I went back to the shore. Once we went on shore we grabbed our things and tried to find a spot on the beach. Unfortunately, no one told us we had to stay within a certain area for what we paid for. It was only a a small square where we could sit. We did find a umbrella but when we asked for chairs it took a hour for someone to tell us there was no chairs available so we sat on the sand even though our money was suppose to provide chairs and towels. I would not pay nor visit this particular place again.
Written 6 June 2021
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.
Kendra C
28 contributions
Mar 2021
I have been coming to Akumal since the early 1990's, and I've accommodated the development in Akumal Bay. However, after this last trip, I will not visit the bay area since it has been ruined by greed. The once peaceful bay, it now overcrowded by resorts and pan-handing people who are ignorant & rude to the people like our family.
On this last visit, our family who spent over $1K+ on scuba diving at ADS and $3K on accommodations were continuously hassled by the those folks at Akumal Bay.
On this last visit, our family who spent over $1K+ on scuba diving at ADS and $3K on accommodations were continuously hassled by the those folks at Akumal Bay.
Written 11 March 2021
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.
Ravenito
Charlotte, NC547 contributions
Jan 2023
If you have snorkeled with sea turtles before I would just skip it. If you think this might be the only time you ever get to see sea turtles then maybe it's worth it. The tour is not great, and unfortunately you can only snorkel with a tour. Basically the way it works is they take you a very short way out into the bay by boat and then you get out and, without fins, have to follow your guide pretty closely. And instead of just snorkeling and going to see the coral and fish and stuff you are basically on the hunt for sea turtles. When one is spotted everyone crowds around the poor thing until it swims off and then you're on the hunt again. You are forced to stay close to the guide and theres a TON of people doing the exact same thing so it's pretty crowded. It's just not as enjoyable as a regular snorkeling trip somewhere else on the reef.
Written 10 June 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.
pro golfer
Gloucestershire, UK43 contributions
Mar 2024 • Family
Really good snorkelling and clear water. We saw lots of turtles (we went in early march). They were very nice and healthy. There were also lots of other sealife; we saw sting rays, massive silver fish, pufferfish. You have to pay for a guide (£26 each). There were also deposit lockers , and changing rooms and shower. Very good recommend. 👍
Written 3 April 2024
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.
Guillaume M
1 contribution
Jul 2022 • Couples
We were at thé resort from july 28 to August 4. Service was impeccable, employées were all pleasant to talk with. Beach was beautiful. Shows at night could be other than bands. Cultural shows or thème nights would of been welcomed, but Nothing else then bands sadly. Food excellent.
Written 4 August 2022
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.
AliBug
Charlotte, NC1,658 contributions
Sept 2020
I'm so glad I read about this area before our trip. I didn't know it existed. What a lovely and quiet bay. We explored it one afternoon and decided to return for dinner later that week. There are a couple of cute aritsan shops in the zone and a few restaurants. And extremely picturesque.
Written 11 November 2020
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, UK4,013 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
Our hotel was in the middle of this bay and we used to really enjoy our time there. It isn't the biggest and you can probably walk it from one side to the other in an easy half an hour but there's lots to see and do.
The seaweed is a problem at times, but not as bad as other beaches in the area. the Sun is whiten soft and the sea very calm indeed.
We used to snorkel straight from the beach which was fantastic and we saw many shores of fishes.
Best of all with you so numerous stingrays and turtles. All very safe and all very beautiful.
The seaweed is a problem at times, but not as bad as other beaches in the area. the Sun is whiten soft and the sea very calm indeed.
We used to snorkel straight from the beach which was fantastic and we saw many shores of fishes.
Best of all with you so numerous stingrays and turtles. All very safe and all very beautiful.
Written 13 September 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.
mmaclel2
Burlington, Canada9 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
The only bad part is the aggressive, harassing, intimidating tour operators fraudulently misrepresenting themselves as government officials.
I was in Akumal January 8-15, 2017. My wife and I did encounter very aggressive people in the bay, and on the beach. They claimed that life jackets are mandatory and flippers not allowed. Having been in contact with the Ecological Centre before my trip, I knew this was false. They also claimed that they were federal government representatives. None of them had Federal Government ID. One such person, wearing a "Bay Patrol" t-shirt, was filming me the entire time with a GoPro camera. After a very long and frustrating confrontation with five such men, I left to consult with the nearby dive shop. They also claimed that life jackets were mandatory, and flippers prohibited. A lifeguard at our resort (Akumal Bay Beach and Wellness Resort) said that life jackets are not mandatory, and flippers are allowed. At our front desk however the excursions representative said that as of November 2016, life jackets were mandatory for snorkeling in the bay, and flippers were prohibited. The dive shop at our hotel also told us that life jackets are mandatory, and flippers prohibited. Fortunately, they also gave us life jackets for free of charge if we returned them within an hour, and if we wanted a 24 hour rental it was only $3 USD.
My wife and I both researched the alleged requirements during our trip. These are the facts of as January 15, 2017:
1) Tour operators are prohibited from taking more than 12 snorkelers into the Bay daily;
2) Anyone snorkeling with a tour operator in the Bay is required to wear a life jacket, and is not allowed to wear flippers;
3) There is no requirement for individual swimmers to wear life jackets in the Bay when snorkeling, regardless of where you snorkel in relation to the bouys (which apparently have been sabotaged and moved by tour operators in the recent past);
4) Representatives of the federal government must wear proper ID.
i) We did see representatives from PROFEPA (Procuraduria Federale de Proteccopn al Ambiente) on the beach, wearing shirts showing that they were from PROFEPA.
ii) The only other federal agencies with jurisdiction are CONANP (Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas); and SEMARNAT (Secreteria de Medio Ambiente Y Recursos Naturales)
5) There are signs erected on the beach and at Akumal Bay under authority of the government agencies listing "Recommendations" for snorkelers. One such "recommendation" is that life jackets are mandatory. Tour operators will try to say that is proof that it is illegal to snorkel without a life jacket. That is false. The signs are just visual representations endorsing CONANP's Code of Ethics for Snorkeling in Akumal Bay.
6) As of January 15, 2017, no person has any authority to enforce a life jacket requirement or flipper prohibition against any individual swimmer in the Bay. There is enforcement possible for tour operators, but not individual swimmers in the Bay.
7) This is probably the most important. While it is not MANDATORY to wear a life jacket in the Bay, the government and its agencies have taken steps, including publishing the Code of Ethics, in an effort to preserve marine life in the Bay. In my communications with CEA, they were very clear that they endorse the CONANP Code of Ethics, and while there is no legal requirement to follow the recommendations regarding life jackets and flippers, they highly recommend it for the protection of marine life.
That is why after my initial confrontation with the very aggressive and clearly fraudulent individuals in the Bay, my wife and I relented and did wear a life jacket and no flippers while snorkeling in the bay. We saw lots of turtles and stingrays, and fish, and had a great time. It's unfortunate and a bit of a hassle, but if we're doing our part to help the marine life in the Bay, it's well worth it.
JUST DO NOT GIVE IN TO THE SCAM ARTISTS IN THE BAY! Bring your own life jackets and leave your flippers on the beach.
Also, note that in the waters directly south of the Bay, there is less, if any, presence of people to try to "enforce" the life jacket and flipper recommendations. My wife and I snorkeled freely in front of Secrets Akumal without life jackets and with flippers. There are fish and coral there, but we did not see turtles. Similarly, in front of our resort (Akumal Bay Beach and Wellness) we snorkeled without life jackets and with flippers. Again, lots of coral, some beautiful HUGE rainbow parrot fish, stingrays, tropical fish etc.
I was in Akumal January 8-15, 2017. My wife and I did encounter very aggressive people in the bay, and on the beach. They claimed that life jackets are mandatory and flippers not allowed. Having been in contact with the Ecological Centre before my trip, I knew this was false. They also claimed that they were federal government representatives. None of them had Federal Government ID. One such person, wearing a "Bay Patrol" t-shirt, was filming me the entire time with a GoPro camera. After a very long and frustrating confrontation with five such men, I left to consult with the nearby dive shop. They also claimed that life jackets were mandatory, and flippers prohibited. A lifeguard at our resort (Akumal Bay Beach and Wellness Resort) said that life jackets are not mandatory, and flippers are allowed. At our front desk however the excursions representative said that as of November 2016, life jackets were mandatory for snorkeling in the bay, and flippers were prohibited. The dive shop at our hotel also told us that life jackets are mandatory, and flippers prohibited. Fortunately, they also gave us life jackets for free of charge if we returned them within an hour, and if we wanted a 24 hour rental it was only $3 USD.
My wife and I both researched the alleged requirements during our trip. These are the facts of as January 15, 2017:
1) Tour operators are prohibited from taking more than 12 snorkelers into the Bay daily;
2) Anyone snorkeling with a tour operator in the Bay is required to wear a life jacket, and is not allowed to wear flippers;
3) There is no requirement for individual swimmers to wear life jackets in the Bay when snorkeling, regardless of where you snorkel in relation to the bouys (which apparently have been sabotaged and moved by tour operators in the recent past);
4) Representatives of the federal government must wear proper ID.
i) We did see representatives from PROFEPA (Procuraduria Federale de Proteccopn al Ambiente) on the beach, wearing shirts showing that they were from PROFEPA.
ii) The only other federal agencies with jurisdiction are CONANP (Comision Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas); and SEMARNAT (Secreteria de Medio Ambiente Y Recursos Naturales)
5) There are signs erected on the beach and at Akumal Bay under authority of the government agencies listing "Recommendations" for snorkelers. One such "recommendation" is that life jackets are mandatory. Tour operators will try to say that is proof that it is illegal to snorkel without a life jacket. That is false. The signs are just visual representations endorsing CONANP's Code of Ethics for Snorkeling in Akumal Bay.
6) As of January 15, 2017, no person has any authority to enforce a life jacket requirement or flipper prohibition against any individual swimmer in the Bay. There is enforcement possible for tour operators, but not individual swimmers in the Bay.
7) This is probably the most important. While it is not MANDATORY to wear a life jacket in the Bay, the government and its agencies have taken steps, including publishing the Code of Ethics, in an effort to preserve marine life in the Bay. In my communications with CEA, they were very clear that they endorse the CONANP Code of Ethics, and while there is no legal requirement to follow the recommendations regarding life jackets and flippers, they highly recommend it for the protection of marine life.
That is why after my initial confrontation with the very aggressive and clearly fraudulent individuals in the Bay, my wife and I relented and did wear a life jacket and no flippers while snorkeling in the bay. We saw lots of turtles and stingrays, and fish, and had a great time. It's unfortunate and a bit of a hassle, but if we're doing our part to help the marine life in the Bay, it's well worth it.
JUST DO NOT GIVE IN TO THE SCAM ARTISTS IN THE BAY! Bring your own life jackets and leave your flippers on the beach.
Also, note that in the waters directly south of the Bay, there is less, if any, presence of people to try to "enforce" the life jacket and flipper recommendations. My wife and I snorkeled freely in front of Secrets Akumal without life jackets and with flippers. There are fish and coral there, but we did not see turtles. Similarly, in front of our resort (Akumal Bay Beach and Wellness) we snorkeled without life jackets and with flippers. Again, lots of coral, some beautiful HUGE rainbow parrot fish, stingrays, tropical fish etc.
Written 25 January 2017
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.
Lovethebeach2012
Calgary, Canada34 contributions
Feb 2014 • Couples
My husband and I went there to see the turtles. There is quite a few of them there. They hang around there to eat the sea grass. It was nice because they must be used to seeing all the humans and they are very relaxed. It was not too exciting. I would say average.
We saw a lot of people on excursions there. They huddle in large groups and all swim together. First of all, what a rip off. You are stuck with a bunch of people all bumping into one another. I would highly recommend just taking a taxi. It is free to go there on the beach. It is a public beach. You are on your own time and swim on your own. You do not need a tour guide to take you in the water!
The water is quite calm there because it is in a bay. Very easy swimming.
We saw a lot of people on excursions there. They huddle in large groups and all swim together. First of all, what a rip off. You are stuck with a bunch of people all bumping into one another. I would highly recommend just taking a taxi. It is free to go there on the beach. It is a public beach. You are on your own time and swim on your own. You do not need a tour guide to take you in the water!
The water is quite calm there because it is in a bay. Very easy swimming.
Written 26 February 2014
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.
Jon C
Calgary, Canada128 contributions
Dec 2017 • Couples
My last visit was 7 or so years ago when the bay was relatively quiet and the beach not that developed. Now every inch is taken up by hotels or restaurants, bars and stores. The beach is crowded and you will be inundated with people trying to sell you something from the moment you get to the parking lot. If your coming to snorkel you can rent a locker for $7 USD at the Dive shop (go left when you get to the beach). You can then snorkel in front of the Hotels at the public beach. Everyone will tell you you need a life jacket to snorkel (you do not as long as you go in front of the hotels) the area to the left of the fishing boats is for snorkel tours only and require a tour guide and life jacket. You don’t need this. You will see turtles, barracuda, rays, fish, coral all off the public beach. Enjoy
Written 26 December 2017
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.
We really want to try and see an eagle ray, we heard the best place was outside the beach and wellness resort and Dive centre,
by the 2nd reef near the drop off. Can you swim out near the drop off from the shore without a life jacket?
If you need a life jacket where do you get them from?
I also heard boats can take you out, can you turn up on the day and pay for a boat to take you out or do you need to do it though a tour operator in advance? Do you know how much they roughly cost?
(We're not staying at the wellness resort)
Written 2 March 2020
We are coming end of May I am travelling with my 2 children age 6,2. My question is I am thinking of buying all snorkelling gear before coming, are you allowed to wear snorkel mask? Do I need to buy the fins? My kids are not swimmers so hoping to be in the shallow end of the reef, will we see loads of fishes or do I need to go deeper?
Thank you
Written 25 April 2017
You should be fine early morning to see fish. I brought snorkel stuff for kids I found on sale at target. Speedo was the brand another mom recommended. The make that also covers the nose. My 4 year tried it. Meh. The 7 and 9 year old loved. Go out early. More
Fish, less crowds. Also the outdoor cafe was super kid friendly but the gift shop a bit expensive. Have a great time!!!
Written 5 May 2017
We would like to take a taxi there too, but how did you get back to your hotel? Did you flag down another taxi from the road?
Written 4 September 2016
About 100m inland from the beach, as you pass through the archway into the sort of 'town' area if you like (where the taxi you get there will drop you off) there are taxis galore, just tell one where you're going and they will oblige. I will mention however that some are more safety equipped than others, one we saw didn't even have seat belts.
Written 4 September 2016
We are planning to spend a beach/ snorkeling day in Akumal. Where can we rent a cabana or grab some drinks in a quiet beach setting? We are not beach club people.
Written 3 March 2015
Haven't seen any cabanas and it's often windy for umbrellas. Find a palm to sit under that doesn't have coconuts on it.
Written 3 March 2015
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