Has snorkelling with turtles always been on your bucket list?! If so, you have got to visit Akumal on your trip to Mexico. I have always wanted to swim/ snorkel with turtles and was so excited to have the chance to see them here, and it did not disappoint, it was one of the highlights of the trip and I even found myself screaming through my snorkel when I saw a turtle! Read on to find out more about this bucket list experience.
Where is Akumal & how to get there
Getting there
Akumal is about 40 minutes south of Playa Del Carmen. It is a sheltered bay which is why turtles love it so much. Akumal beach itself is beautiful, you’ve got lush greenery, white sand beach and turquoise sea. There’s not much more you could ask for.
The easiest way to get there, is by renting a car and if not then taxi. Once you’ve arrived you’ll see several car parks, which all charge 50 pesos for the day. We parked in the one on the right as there was some shade for our car there. Once you’ve parked, continue walking down the main road, towards the beach. Then you’ll see the dive shop on your right and the entrance on the left. Now to enter you’ll have to buy tickets. Now you may find yourself being hounded by tour operators to book a tour. We chose not to do this to try to see if we could do it ourselves before booking a tour. In the end we did book a tour, so who knows if we might have got it cheaper if we booked it outside.
Entering the beach area
The entrance cost 120MXN per person and then we paid 100MXN deposit for a locker. However before entering we were sternly approached by an Akumal Beach Guard type person of told us where we could swim and that if we wanted to see turtles we had to book a tour. Due to tourism, they have now zoned the area and this is marked out by buoys. There are 3 red zones where you’re not allowed to swim, and there’s a green channel around this which is where the tours go. The turtles are usually in the green area. You are able to swim in one area in front of the beach, which on the map is green, but turtles rarely come here.
How do the tours to snorkel with turtles work
First of all, getting the tour
After putting all of our belongings in the locker, we were going to see if we could swim in the green area by the beach and see if we could spot any turtles. But, once again we got asked by a guard whether we knew were we could swim. We ended up asking him about the tours, and low and behold we could book a tour through him.
We decided to book a tour to go snorkelling with the turtles as it was just less hassle. Initially, the guy said it would cost 500MXN per person. After some haggling, we managed to negotiate it down to 300MXN per person. We were also told we’d have to wait about 10 mins for more people to join, as usually they take groups of 6. However a few minutes later we were informed we’d be getting a private guide just for ourselves which was so good!
Actually in the sea
Life jackets on, and off we went. We followed the guide, who led us into the green channel. She pointed out fish, a stingray, and squid, then we saw a turtle on the sea bed! This was our first sighting.
Generally if there is a turtle swimming you’ll see a group of people and their guides round them so head to that area. The guides are great as they’ll let you know when there is a turtle there.
At one point in the tour I found myself completely absorbed into my own world. Staring down at the seafloor, no noise, just snorkelling away. As I looked down, I saw a turtle swim right across where I was heading and it was the most amazing and surreal experience.
Just as we were nearing the end of our tour, we saw another huge turtle swim right by which I can’t even put into words how cool this was. The turtle swam up and then went back down to the seabed and stayed there for quite a while. We felt really lucky to have been able to see a turtle for that long.
You’ll make your way round the marked out zone by the buoys, following your guide, admiring the turtles as and when you see them. In total the tour lasts for about an hour and after that you feel ready for a snack and rest! This was one of the best experiences I had in Mexico and would definitely recommend it, especially if swimming with turtles is on your bucket list!
Afterwards, grab a bite to eat at the Lo Holita bar afterwards or chill out the beach, it’s beautiful! You also can’t go wrong with a plate of nachos and chips.
Top tips for snorkelling with turtles in Akumal
- Get there early as when there are more people this may deter the turtles & stir up sand to reduce visibility
- Bring your waterproof action camera to record the turtles and take pictures
- Bring cash to book your tour and make sure you haggle! We initially got told it was 500MXN per person and we managed to haggle this down to 300MXN per person
- Bring your own snorkel & mask (make sure you’ve used your mask before and that it doesn’t get foggy). You can of course borrow from the tour. Given covid I didn’t really want to share a snorkel that someone else had used before
Read my article on the best cenotes to visit in Mexico, they are an absolute must do when visiting Quintana Roo
