Akumal

In the heart of the Riviera Maya, between Playa del Carmen and Tulum, almost in the middle lays a charming town called Akumal, which in Mayan means 'Place for Turtles' and this place definitely honors its' name! Historically, Akumal is the first tourist destination of the coastline of the Yucatan Peninsula. Once a huge coconut plantation Akumal, was officially founded in 1958 by Don Argimiro Arguelles as an exclusive community and club for scuba divers called the Club Exploration & Aquatics of Mexico, (CEDAM). The group's main interest was the search of underwater treasures. Interestingly, Akumal was considered to be developed as a tourist mega-destination long before Cancun yet, at that time was dismissed due to the overwhelming number of mosquitoes produced in nearby wetlands. North of Akumal you will find Yal-Ku, a natural fresh water lagoon where you can snorkel and encounter turtles, rays, barracudas, parrot fish and a host of other interesting sea creatures in crystal clear waters. Akumal, additionally offers a wide variety of restaurants, specialty shops, dive and water activities centers, vacation rental and hotel accommodations. Don't miss the opportunity to snorkel or scuba dive in Akumal and do not be surprised if you find a few friendly turtles waving and saying to you 'Hey Dude!'.