Blogs from Akumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico, North America

6 years ago, I went to Mexico to swim with the whale sharks and its was a fantastic experience, (see one of my previous blogs)! For the research of this trip, I learned that Akumal was a good place to see wild green sea turtles ..... and it is right! The animals are so gracious when they swim under the sea and reptiles are my favorites of all animals!! In Akumal, there are rules and you need a guide if you want to go to the most prolific spots. I read some comments online of people complaining about this. Sad truth is that people were out of control and harassed the turtles in the past, so local town took action to set some rules to make the process sustainable in the long run. That's is totally ... read more

We left Cozumel Monday for the ferry ride back across the channel to Akumal. To my total and utter dismay it was raining and very windy which of course tranlasted to extremely rough seas. It was a tough 40 minutes, I sat in the middle of the ferry state room with a "blue bag" in one hand a kleenix in the other. Luckily I didn't have to use the "blue bag", but it was close, very close. We arrived in Playa del Carmen with 4 dive lockers and 4 backpacks, so had two pedicabs take our bags and we followed them on foot to the Hertz rental center. Two hours later and very frustrated, we finally had our rental car, and only then because the manager of the rental car center happened to come back into ... read more

We spent 7 nights at the Palladium Royal Suites Yucatan in Akumal which is about one hour south of Cancun. The resort is an adults only all-suite all inclusive resort attached to a 4 resort complex managed by Palladium. The setting is in a seaside jungle with canals that has managed to maintain its natural setting with an abundance of wildlife including coutamundis, raccoons, iguanas, and several species of birds. Comparing this resort to the other 20 or so all inclusives we have stayed at including Couples, Secrets, Dreams and others, I would say that this beats them hands down in ambiance, facilities and service. Wonderful room, with a personal 4 person Jacuzzi on the balcony, 24 hour room service, Royal cart service to anywhere in the complex, access to the Zentropia spa, and lobster included ... read more

On our first morning at the Rio Playa hostel we were surprised to find edible breakfast. Just cornflakes, carton milk, bread and jam, but still a step up from the last place. The weather was a little overcast, but we had decided we wanted to visit the Caribbean island of Cozumel. We knew this place was a divers' hotspot but we decided we wanted to go for a look anyway. We sat around for a little while chatting with some guys at breakfast, and eventually they convinced us that it would be a complete waste of time to go there unless we did dive. They had been to snorkel there a few days earlier, and apparently there was nothing to see. So we decided that we would go to Akumal, a place which is known to ... read more

Wednesday June 30th was a success. I returned to the pueblo with Antonio and interviewed a woman and her daughter. They weren't the best interviews because many of their answers were very brief but regardless, it helps. We ended up at a Mayan restaurant where I met a family who owns the place as well as works in the hotel industry. I hit the jackpot! Or is it 2 words.......Anyways, the owner was from Chicago and manages a hotel on the coast. His honest answers blew me away. I'm saving those details for my thesis. His wife is from Guerrero, one of the most beautiful places in Mexico, and she has worked in all the big resorts of Mexico. When I say resorts I mean "hubs" or destinations (terms used in my field), such as Cabo, ... read more

Day 2 was an very unproductive (thank you unreliable wi-fi). The good thing is that I now have 3 interviewees that I plan to talk to this coming week. I have come the decision that I will only stay in Akumal for a month instead of 2. The remaining time I will spend satisfying my curiosity by visiting the Mayan ruins that consume this beautiful place. Not much has happened in the last 24 hours so sorry for the lack of excitement today. ... read more