snorkel Akumal

I want to snorkel off Akumal beach in March. What is the best way to get there from Calica. I have my own gear just need ride to and from. My nephew vacations there every year. He swims from beach to the reef to snorkel with the Turtles , he says it is excellant.. Thanks Joealan

I want to snorkel off Akumal beach in March. What is the best way to get there from Calica. I have my own gear just need ride to and from. My nephew vacations there every year. He swims from beach to the reef to snorkel with the Turtles , he says it is excellant.. Thanks Joealan

We took a taxi to Yal Ku Lagoon next to Akumal from Calica for $30 and rode the public transportation (collectivo) back to PDC for about $3@. Taxi's may be higher now. If I did this again I would either hire Edventures or just ride the collectivos.

I want to snorkel off Akumal beach in March. What is the best way to get there from Calica. I have my own gear just need ride to and from. My nephew vacations there every year. He swims from beach to the reef to snorkel with the Turtles , he says it is excellant.. Thanks Joealan

Your nephew is correct. :cool:

The collectivos will require that you hike in/out from the main road. If you don't mind a little walking, aren't rushed for time, and want to save a lot of $$$'s, do a search here for the detailed instructions on catching them. Otherwise there is a taxi stand right where the main road hits the beach in Akumal for your return.

It is worth taking the taxi! The turtles are amazing. Even saw a stingray and 20 different kinds of fish. Get there as early as you can in the day if possible. We went twice this December, but were disappointed the second time as it was very windy and a lot of sand was suspended in the water. That made the viewing more difficult.

Akumal bay is beautiful! We hired a local guide at the beach, rented snorkel equipment and went out to the sea turtles, a great experience!

Be sure to tell the taxi driver at Calica that you want Akumal Playa, not Akumal Pueblo. You'll want the beach(playa) named Akumal, not the small town on the west side of the highway.

They'll most likely already know what you want, but it never hurts to be on the safe side.

How deep is the water where you swim with the turtles and how far off the beach are you? There will be 2 of us - 1 has snorkeled several times and 1 has never snorkeled. Thank you for your feedback! :)

How deep is the water where you swim with the turtles and how far off the beach are you? There will be 2 of us - 1 has snorkeled several times and 1 has never snorkeled. Thank you for your feedback! :)

Anywhere from 6 to 20 feet deep. The bay has broken patches of old coral, new coral, seagrass and sand bottom. The turtles can be encountered anywhere throughout the bay. We saw two about 20 yards from shore when the bottom first starts to drop off a little, and many more scattered around the bay. The entrance is mostly smooth sand that gradually slopes deeper.

Wow!! Sounds great! Are there any starfish in the grassy areas? How far from where Carnival docks in Calica is Akumal? Just trying to get a feel for the layout . . . thank you for entertaining my questions! :)

Wow!! Sounds great! Are there any starfish in the grassy areas? How far from where Carnival docks in Calica is Akumal? Just trying to get a feel for the layout . . . thank you for entertaining my questions! :)

Akumal is about 20 miles south of Calica. I have a photo somewhere of a green brittle star on the coral at Akumal, but I don't recall seeing any "regular" starfish in the grass. Doesn't mean they weren't there though, I just don't remember it.

I can't remember the exact beach, but at Costa Maya there were tons of starfish...as big as two hands...in the grassy areas about 12-15 feet deep. I remember going down and picking them up and them sticking to the snorkel vest as I surfaced. Got some great pics...that was why we were asking about Akumal....I know Costa Maya is a bit north...so just wondered. There was NO coral at Costa Maya...just grass..and starfish..and we also were able to swim up to the fence and get face to face with the dolphins on the other side that were there for the Dolphin Encounter.