Akumal, Mexico

[mikeycanuk]

Can you snorkel there now? I know the owners blocked access a year ago starting a huge row with the locals who live in the pueblo. I have to admit something had to be done, the pressure on the reef was too much. In the 3years we went it got worse every year. I think if you stay in Akumal you can access the reef, they wanted to stop the tours and the idiocy that was happening ie the major harassment of the turtles.


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[Mike]

The best snorkeling in Akumal I found was the 'secret' lagoon at the northern tip of akumal you can see it in google maps, we used to walk back to it at the end of the road and it was a blast, the first couple of times we went there we didn't even realize it actually connects to the ocean

 

[PARADISE HUNTER]

The best snorkeling in Akumal I found was the 'secret' lagoon at the northern tip of akumal you can see it in google maps, we used to walk back to it at the end of the road and it was a blast, the first couple of times we went there we didn't even realize it actually connects to the ocean

I think we snorkeled in that same lagoon. Is there a small hut back there offering lunch items? When we were there, it was very brackish and visibility was not the best. The cool thing though was the hundreds of jelly fish on the bottom. I'm not sure what type they were, they were round and 6"-12" in diameter. If it is the same one, I didn't realize it connected to the ocean either.

PH

 

[mikeycanuk]

Yal-ku?

 

[Mike]

Last time we were there, I didn't see any huts or anything like that, it was just a path you took at the end of a dead end road that you followed and came out to the lagoon, the dead end had a couple of houses on it and you saw the opening to the path at the end of the street where the street stopped and the jungle began. This was about 10 years ago, maybe it's been developed now? It was a great snorkeling area, it was huge, you could spend all day exploring it all. Water viz was really good as I remember it. I remember after snorkeling it, the next day we did the bay and everybodies comments were the same, let's go back to the lagoon.

That was quite a while ago and my memory isn't the best since there was a lot of alcohol involved and partying. That's the same trip where we were trying to find a certain restaurant and we were walking around some sort of complex and when one of our friends thought he found the restaurant he opened the door and we were standing inside someone's house and they all looked up at us as they were eating dinner at their dinner table. We apologized and backed out of their front door leaving them just as confused as we were.

 

[mikeycanuk]

My bet is it's now Yal-Ku. There is a small fee, some statues, trails etc. Wherever in Mexico there is something of interest someone will put up a small fence and start charging gringo's. There is a cenote to the south of Akumal that is open until the road and then goes under it and out into the ocean where it comes out emerald green not far from shore. Really cool. It was a nice place to cool off as the power was out in our villa in Akumal that day. Someone's got to pay for the fence and the gravel for the parking lot... If you are really brave/stupid and know what you are doing and which branch to take you can cave dive the cenote and surface in the ocean, but there is a big warning sign not to do so. Otherwise the owners of logogringo.com are certified retrieval divers....

 

[Mike]

I googled it, that's the place. Recognize it from the pictures on trip advisor. time flys, things change. Forget about it being a secret lagoon, looks like it's turned into another tourist attraction.

 

[Eva Dirks]

I have just read that diving around Akumal is much worse then around Cozumel... Is this true?

 

[Mike]

I have just read that diving around Akumal is much worse then around Cozumel... Is this true?

The diving from Cozumel is typically considered far superior than any of the diving from the mainland with the exception of the cenotes