Amazing Adventure in Akumal : Nagez avec des tortues et des ruines de tulum

Our guide, Alvaro, is of Mayan descent. He throughly explained the past and current Mayan customs and communities. After the Tulum ruins we swam with sea turtles! What an experience! We ate a traditional Mexican lunch at a local eatery and snorkeled to see beautiful coral reefs.

We were picked up one hour late. We were crammed into a small van with seriously no leg room. Very uncomfortable ride. Our guide was more interested in flirting with some women than being a guide. Tulum was underwhelming. Mostly because our guide was not that informative. Akumal beach was super crowded and nearly impossible to snorkel without getting kicked or kicking someone. The water was murky and hard to see the turtles. The Cenote was very cool. The lunch was really tasty at the restaurant. The sack lunch they give you as you board the van was an awful try at a bologna sandwich. Try a bagel or croissant instead. Just not good money spent for what the excursion was.

The tour was as described and expected. I will list the pros and cons. I did not like the tour, my partner loved it. It felt way too tourist trap vibes and was expensive. My partner liked seeing the ruins and turtles and didn't mind the general tourist crowded feel. .

The tour operator picked us up right on time. They provided breakfast but since the pickup time was at 9:15 we had already ate. There were only 5 of us so the tour stayed on time since we didn't have to be waiting on people. Tour operator was very knowledgeable about the Tulum ruins. The swimming with turtles part did not involve a boat as I was told it would but it didn't matter as we saw 4 and got good pictures. I ask for snorkel fins but was told we didn't need them. I wish I had gotten them as this was a big workout without them. The lunch was very good and we only had to pay for drinks. This was a very good tour and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

This experience definitely could’ve been better. Firstly, I was told the incorrect pickup time, nearly 3 hours early. I even confirmed two days before my tour. On the day of, I waited around for 15 minutes before calling only to be informed I wasn’t going to be picked up for 3 hours. Not a great start. When the new time came around the bus was on time. We visited Tulum first where we were dropped off and passed to a different guide inside rather than our guide going with us. We started the tour so late (left Playa around 10 AM) that by the time we got to Tulum it was miserably crowded and hot. Afterward we got photos at the large Tulum sign which was pretty cool. After we went to Akumal, where we were again shepherded to another guide for snorkeling. After changing and getting our life vests, my group stood around for 20 minutes in the sun, waiting on the guides. Once in the water we did see four turtles and a few fish, but again, by afternoon it was CROWDED! So packed you couldn’t even swim without kicking someone. We were only allowed to snorkel with the turtles for 20 minutes which was a huge disappointment since the tour description states it’s one hour snorkelling. We had free time at the beach and did not eat lunch until after that, around 3:30pm. It was pretty tasty but eating so late wasn’t ideal. Overall pretty disappointed for the price.

We had a great time! We were able to see 2 sea turtles, a sting ray, and fish on this tour. Our activity guide leader was knowledgeable and we felt safe with him and our driver. The authentic cuisine for lunch was great too and we loved being able to see a bit of Mexico outside of our resort. The restaurant had dogs and cats roaming which is a bit different from what it’s like at home, but we loved it! The Tulum Ruins is a must see and the tour guide we were provided was AMAZING! He truly cared about the Mayan culture and shared a lot of amazing facts details and even photos. He went above and beyond to spread his knowledge and love for the Tulum Ruins. As English speakers, he also did a great job going back and forth between English and Spanish. 10/10 would recommend this tour if you enjoy snorkeling and would like to learn more about Mayan History and the culture. One note—if you are staying at BAHIA PRINCIPE GRAND TULUM you will need to wait in front of the resort by the side of the road rather than in front of the Dona Marie Isabel building as they mentioned. **Pros: Amazing tour guides who are knowledgeable, great experience (get exactly what you are promised), great price, and transportation included from the resort. **Cons: pickup was a bit confusing, driver was 35 mins late, and we felt slightly rushed at times and wish we had a little more time on the beach.