"Akumal" a Akumal Travel Page by Kaspian

Travel Dates: March 15 2005, March 8 2007.

Akumal (pronounced "a-coo-moll") means "land/place of the turtles" in the Mayan language. The actual town itself (shown above) is a dusty little village on the top of a hill right beside Highway 307, between Playa Del Carmen and Tulum. Take a good look at this sleepy little village because you probably won’t recognize it in a few years--growth in the Akumal beachfront area is booming and massive development of the downtown will probably come with it very soon. There’s not much to see in the tiny downtown--some small shops selling to locals, kids playing, dogs wandering around aimlessly, and some workers taking naps on the sidewalks. There are definitely no tourists.

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Akumal - Beach at Half Moon Bay (2005)

Akumal Beaches

The Akumal beaches are a different story. They're not crowded like the beach in Cancun or Playa Del Carmen, this is where you really want to be when visiting. There are lots of little restaurants, great places to swim, a few monuments, and some little shops.
"But wait," you say? "Where are all the blasting boom-boxes and sand kicking jocks yelling obnoxiously while playing beach volleyball? Where are all the skinny girls with fake tans and skimpy bikinis who won't swim because they'd get their hair wet? Where are all the overweight couples wearing matching T-shirts and fanny packs that like to argue loudly in English with their waiter?"
Exactly, I say to you dear traveller, exactly. Enjoy the serenity.