We love Mexico and the entire Mayan Rivera and always look forward to Akumal, where we can snorkel with sea turtles.
Located about 35 minutes south of Playa del Carmen, the best way to get there is by car. The only issue is parking. There are a few small lots, and I would suggest taking the first available place as none are far from the beach.
We stayed at Camp Akumal, a small hotel about ten minutes from the town. They suggested getting to town early as the turtles would be closer to shore and less crowded. We arrived about 8:00 and were nearly done when the influx of cruise ship passengers began to arrive.
There is no cost if you have your snorkel gear. Just suit up and jump in! If you need equipment or would like to SCUBA dive, there is a dive shop right on the beach that you can rent from to plan a dive.
It was probably about a 50-yard swim to where the turtles were. You must be careful among the turtles, as they are active, constantly moving about, eating grasses from the sea bed, and then surfacing for air. I was able to follow some of them and got some excellent photos.
After two hours of snorkeling and lunch, we headed about a mile further through the town to the Yal-Ku lagoon. I believe the admission fee was $15 and an additional gear rental fee if necessary. You can also rent a cabana for the day if you wish.
The lagoon is very large and has excellent snorkeling. The waters were generally calm until you got closer to the ocean. We had a great day with our grandson. Swimming with the turtles and the lagoon makes an excellent full-day adventure, and I would highly recommend this if you are in the area.