Activities & Spas

Diving and Turtles

With the soft moon rising over the sea as our only light, we watch a massive sea turtle, so graceful in the water and yet lumbering on shore, make its way to a sandy spot just below the drift line and begin to slowly dig a nest.

It’s our first night at Las Villas Akumal, a small resort located on Jade Bay, one of the seven bays of Akumal (Mayan for "turtles' place") that are south of Playa del Carmen, an area known for its many sea turtles. Watching sea turtles is a top activity here, but these reptiles keep odd hours. So at our request, the hotel knocks on our door (sometimes after midnight) to let us know when the turtles are laying eggs, building nests or if baby turtles are hatching.


Determined to do more than watch turtles on land, we rented snorkeling equipment at the family-owned Akumal Dive Shop in the charming Playa Akumal. Our guide took us out to the middle of Half Moon Bay. As soon as we entered the deep blue water, we spied sea turtles swimming, slowing down only to feast on the swaying sea grass.
Of course, the waters of the Riviera Maya offer much more to explore. They’re home to 500 species of fish, feature 72 top dive spots and parallel a 90-mile section of the 450-mile Great Mayan Reef, ensuring some spectacular snorkeling.

Favorite dive wrecks include the multilevel decks of the 66-foot Mamá Viña, which lies in 90-feet of water off the coast of Xcaret eco-park. And both snorkelers and divers love to explore the two subterranean lakes of Cenote Dos Ojos, which features many caverns and rock formations. Another option is swimming between the serene surface of Yal-ku Lagoon in Akumal.