Akumal (meaning "Place of the Turtle") is located on the Yucatan Peninsula (also known as the " Mexican Riviera" or "Mayan Riviera") in the state of Quintana Roo - one of Mexico's youngest states. Bordered by Belize in the south and the states of Campeche and Yucatan to the west and northwest. It is about 70 miles (104 km) south of Cancun and about 25 miles (36 km) from Playa Del Carmen off of Federal Highway 307 (Carretera 307).

The coast of Quintana Roo is bathed by shallow crystal-clear, blue-green waters lined by white beaches of powdered coral. The palancar reef that passes outside the bay is part of the biggest living reef in the Western Hemisphere. It is punctuated by numerous coves, lagoons and cenotes with a backdrop of lush tropical vegetation. It does not have a single above ground river, rather it is criss-crossed by a network of underground rivers and caves.

Originally the peninsula was under the ocean and what once was the ocean floor is now the region's limestone foundation. Surface water seeps through the porous limestone and will dissolve the softer rock beneath the surface and creates caverns. These caverns over thousands of years will erode and collapse to form the cenotes.

Cenotes vary in size and depth and are great to cool off or snorkel in. You do have to be open water certified scuba dive in them. There is usually a small fee to pay for entrance to the various cenotes on private property. The rental property "Azul Riviera" has it's own private cenote that is full of beautiful tropical fish and also is right on the Yalku Lagoon. Also at Casa Cenote there is a free cenote.

Akumal Bay is a peaceful cove full of all the fascinating underwater life of the Caribbean and a wonderful place for snorkeling with the kids or for taking scuba diving lessons. There are rentals along with lessons available for snorkeling and scuba diving . Another place that is great for these activities is the Yalku Lagoon, which is directly connected to the "Azul Riviera" and "Casa del Sol" properties,  Yalku Lagoon has massive quantities of fish and rock tunnels to explore.

Akumal was first discovered in the early 1500's when a Spanish galleon traveling to the West Indies crashed on the reefs near Jamaica and the sailors washed up on the shores of Akumal after drifting for several weeks in the ship's long boat. The sailors were captured and enslaved by the native Mayans. All but two perished - Geronimo De Aguilar; a friar and a warrior, and Gonzalo Guerrero who married the Mayan princess Zazi and fathered the first Mestizo, a mix of Spaniard and Mayan races.

A well known Mexican archeologist - Pablo Romero Bush - was a founder and developer of Akumal approximately 40 years ago. Senor Bush discovered some of the more significant shipwrecks along the palancar coastline.

When visiting Akumal, please keep in mind that Akumal owes its name to the many marine turtles that find sanctuary here to lay their eggs. Even with the tourist development in the area it is still possible to see them come ashore during the summer nights. Two of the the four endangered species of sea turtles in the Caribbean come to lay their eggs along the Akumal shoreline. Please remember these are protected species and don't disturb them - they don't like bright lights and wont survive if your little ones play with them.

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