Monday’s drive to the Riviera Maya was uneventful, even the bit going through the outskirts of Tulum. I am disappointed that I didn’t think to stop to see the ruins, but it’s not like I had to see everything on this trip.

Akumal is nothing like any beach community I’ve visited in Mexico. Think of Banff — a rich enclave in a national park, highly developed, with a lot of rules and high expenses. Totally worth visiting, but definitely not the kind of place I’d want to stay for more than a few days. I opted to stay in the pueblo rather than right at the beach (where there really were no affordable options anyway). Thanks to yet another great deal, I stayed at El Último Maya, a hostel-like hotel above a restaurant where you have a private room but there’s a shared outdoor space. This was the perfect location for my brief stay in Akumal. My lovely host got me settled and the first thing she did was book a snorkelling tour with Sergio for me the next day. I haven’t found any social media for Sergio, but if you’re in Akumal, everyone will know who you mean, or you can email me for his Whatsapp number. His nickname of the Turtle Whisperer is well earned!

That done, I headed to the beach.  Google Maps makes it look like a straight shot, but you actually have to detour to use a pedestrian overpass (more about that below).

It took me too long to understand that the only way to get to the water was to pay for a day pass. I thought I could just wander and eventually hit water and beachfront restaurants, but that’s not the case. Before buying a pass ($150!) I decided to check out the Akumal Dive Shop to see if they had an activity I could do late Tuesday afternoon, after snorkelling with Sergio, and which might involve more snorkelling. I don’t know what kind of service I was expecting, but the fellow proposing the exact perfect thing right out of the gate was not it. It wasn’t something I had even thought of as an option. I paid a deposit, and after that asked about access to the beach as it was late in the day and I didn’t need any services. As a paying customer, I was given a bracelet to access the beach.

The beach was lovely.

The only restaurant I could see right on the beach was Lol-Ha, so I went in for lunch and a drink.

My tamarind mezcalita was amazing (and it better have been for nearly $300!).

My shrimp tacos with chipotle and pineapple salsa were dreadful, but I blame the local shrimp, not the restaurant. Thank goodness I had plenty of pico de gallo and habanero as well to dress them up.

I stayed for a good long while nursing my mezcalita and just enjoying the salt spray.

To drive from the pueblo to the beach, there is an overpass, along the side of which is a fabulous mural (and also a shaded walking path).

The pedestrian overpass was terrifying. I thought I was going to have a panic attack coming across it on my way to the beach, but was much calmer on the walk back.

I mean, this looks SO SAFE, right?

I had a nap when I came in. By the time I was ready for dinner, it was pouring rain, so I did not head out in search of food until past 8:30, not realising that everything in the pueblo closes early! The Último Maya restaurant below the hotel was closing up, but graciously made me some quesadillas with al pastor, giving me four instead of three when I asked for corn rather than wheat tortillas. They really hit the spot with a cold beer!

The next morning was chilly, so I was glad not to be heading back to the beach until midday.

The host provided me a simple breakfast both mornings — fruit, buttered toast with jam, weak coffee — at a reasonable price, but I needed stronger coffee, so I decided to head out and see if such a thing was available in Akumal. The village is pedestrian friendly and has something I’m not used to anymore, HILLS.

Turns out excellent coffee was just kitty-corner from the hotel!

Sergio came to pick me up late morning and suggested we take my car, which was parked on the street in front of the hotel. He said that parking and my day pass were all included in his shockingly low rate of only $600 for an hour of snorkelling. I wasn’t super keen on taking my car to the beach because my evening activity involved alcohol, but I didn’t argue since it wasn’t like I’m a heavy drinker and driving the short distance sure sounded easier than dragging our gear on a combi.

Before getting on a lancha to go to the dive site, I was taken through the list of rules (which included no flippers for guests!) and also the underwater signs for various sea creatures. Sergio explained how turtles would come up from the bottom and rise above the water. I paid attention but did not believe I would see anything of what he was describe. HA.

He surprised me with a video of my snorkelling adventure. You can check it out on Instagram, but here are a few stills.

I was told to stay rigid like a board, with my legs absolutely not allowed to dangle down. I’m so buoyant I can keep this pose indefinitely even without a life jacket. I’d learned from the Puerto Morelos trip to have a UV-resistant diving top, but hadn’t found a matching bottom, so I did end up cooking the back of thighs. I’ll definitely be looking for a pair before my next adventure. This is my own snorkel, but Sergio insisted I use one of his masks, saying that mine would fog up because it’s plastic. I used mine later in the day and, to be honest, I didn’t find much of a difference.

I couldn’t believe it when I saw my first turtle, a small youngster, and that it did exactly what Sergio said it would do, feed, then go up for air. It was amazing!

At one point, I felt something brush by my foot and thought it was another snorkeller. I looked behind me only to discover that my entire big toe was in the mouth of a fish about two feet long! I must have not tasted very good because he promptly spat me out, LOL!

And then came this magnificent fellow, right at the very end, and I cannot believe he was captured so clearly.

I was trying to be respectful and keep my distance, but he came right at me and very deliberately pet me with his flipper. Again, I cannot believe that I have that on video.

Even though we’d come out on a lancha, we swam back to shore.

I got some restaurant recommendations and ended up at the Turtle Bay Bakery. There, I briefly spotted a woman who looked very vaguely familiar, but she was quickly gone and out of my mind.

I ordered  what ended up being a truly fabulous jalapeño, habanero, and avocado burger with a watermelon and pineapple juice, which really hit the spot after all that exercise after a small breakfast. I was shocked when I asked for the bill that a mystery woman had paid it!!! Had to be the woman I’d spotted coming in. Who was she? The mystery stayed with me until I headed home on Saturday and I realised that she was a French woman I’d assisted at the car rental on Friday who was having cash flow issues! I’d given her a tip of buying extra insurance to have less deductible frozen, which must have solved her problem. I had completely forgotten about the exchange but must have made an impression. What were the odds we’d wind up at the same restaurant in Akumal five days later?! The universe works in mysterious ways!

We’d gotten a late start snorkelling, so by the time I finished lunch, it was time for my next activity, a sunset cruise on a catamaran!

We were offered beer or palomas. Since I was only going to have one drink, a paloma felt like the more special option. Yum! We also got chips, guacamole, and fruit.

We stopped at a bay to swim and snorkel. There is outlet here for a cenote, so there is a mix of warm salty seawater and cold fresh water!

I really enjoyed my swim even if I didn’t see more than some small fish.

What a very special day!

For dinner, I ended up having mediocre pizza with yet another paloma.

I love how you can just open up a restaurant from your kitchen in Mexico.

I was hoping for ice cream or chocolate after dinner but there was nothing open except a small beer store, so I had to settle for this.

The next morning, Wednesday, I headed back to the café for coffee and debated my next move. Returning to the beach wasn’t appealing and I had to check out by noon anyway, but I also couldn’t check in at the hotel in Cancún until 3PM.

The answer finally came to me, and I’m glad it did so very quickly, allowing for an earlier departure than planned from Akumal because, spoiler alert, the one-hour drive back to Puerto Morelos would end up taking twice that long.

My quick stop in Akumal was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Again, it’s not an area I’d want to come back to for an extended period of time, but snorkelling with the turtles is truly something to put on your bucket list, especially when so much care is taken to keep them and their nests safe and undisturbed.