Akumal beach is such a great beach for exploring the sea turtles and snorkeling! Not great if you…read moreare looking for white sands and no shells though. Weather is always amazing and so many things to do with the little town and dive shop there. Also several restaurants to eat.

Beautiful white sand beach, turtles in the water, minimal seaweed, what more could you ask for!…read more I understand why people make this beach their home base for their Quintana Roo vacation.! I'm not entirely sure one must pay for the guided tour to get in the water and see the turtles. I want to support the local economy, but perhaps there's a trick to enjoying this beach without paying for guided tour, think life jackets, and locker rooms. There is a restaurant on site, and my friend and I just gave a really big tip to the waiter so he would let us leave our bags at the table for 15 minutes while we snorkeled with our own gear to see the turtles. kind of hush hush, we did it very discreetly and quietly and quickly. I attached the screenshot I showed to the taxi driver upon arrival to get us to the restaurant without going through the Disneyland style entrance line and fee. I'm not sure I recommend this method, however, as I can imagine multiple ways this theory could have gone wrong. Side note, perhaps we were off season in late may, but we actually saw no turtles. maybe we should have paid for the guided tour after all.

Can you imagine swimming away from shore without a lifeguard, going as far as you want and where…read moreyou want in crystal clear 80 degree water to swim and follow schools of fish? That's what you get at Xcacel. I didn't detect any crazy rip tides or strong currents - and went about a mile off shore - far enough that to lose sight of landmarks to return to the beach (forget about remembering where clothing, sandals and water bottle!). I did not see any turtles here but I did see a lot of fish - it was fantastic. One of the best beach experiences I have had in my life - I will definitely go back. This is a DIY, advanced level snorkeling and swimming beach. There are tours showing up with the occasional busload of people to see the tiny cenote and to trek onto the beach but - the beach is so big - I really didn't see many other people. There are no services - just a kiosk on the driveway for your donation/entry fee. Bring your own EVERYTHING.

Amazing beach and decent snorkeling spot for just 20 pesos admission. The water was unbelievably…read morewarm and clear, and the beach never got too crowded. We snorkeled on our own and saw quite a few fish and a barracuda. We didn't see any turtles, but it's possible that we just weren't looking in the right place. There's also a small cenote in the back with a ton of fish. I liked that the price of admission was low enough that we didn't feel compelled to spend too much time in the cold cenote water. The location is kind of hard to spot from the road. There's just one small banner with a picture of a turtle on it on the side of the road, and by the time you see it, it's probably too late to turn in.

The cenote itself was very beautiful with lots of opportunities and places to take pictures. Only…read moredownside of this cenote: THE FISH. Be prepared for them to nibble on your feet the entire time you're in the water!!

This cenote's admission (MX200) included an optional life vest. The cenote sprawls so there are…read moremultiple access points and multiple little areas to find your own little sunny or shady spot to float around. Be aware of jutting rocks under you as you swim around. There is a small area roped off to jump from the ledge above if you dare!

It honestly was not as big of a wow factor as I had hoped…read more... Our tour guide for the cave was subpar at best! He did a very bad job at sharing the ecological (and anthropological) history of the area He did a bad job answering questions... We were rushed through the cave ........ It is a beautiful cave though, especially the part where you walk over the water over the bridge ((but definitely should not be a top 10 National Geographic cave walk!!!..?!!! I have seen much cooler caves!...) The animal park is very fun. They take nice care of the animals and they actually have a great variety. My two-year-old had a great time with the animals. The cenote Was ***extremely busy !...... full of loud obnoxious tour groups who completely ruined the whole vibe There are catfish in the water that do not bite The cenote is small. The water is crystal clear! It is very fun to explore! Bring a mouth piece for the snorkel, as they do not provide those (the thing that enables you to breathe while you are under water) The water is FREEZING cold Even colder than they advertise There are no wet suits We went Thursday at 1 pm for the cave, and 3pm for the cenote, so I was not expecting it to be busy..... The cenote is 10 minutes away from the cave ( you have to drive there) Aktun Chen is about 20 minutes down a dirt road- once you exit the highway, there are signs saying you are heading the right way to the cave/cenote, but I kept doubting myself.. as the dirt road feels very remote Glad I went, but honestly would not go back again... PS- they say no sunscreen to protect the cenote, but allow bug repellent lololol -- do you know how much more toxic bug repellent is than sunscreen?? Hire better staff, and I will feel inclined to give a better review It felt like a cattle corral ..... did not feel genuinely cared for ((or that the staff genuinely cares for the environment!..!.!.!)

We signed up for the combo package which included ziplining, then a cave tour and then the cenote…read more The whole family unanimously agreed Aktun Chen was the highlight of our 1 week trip to Mexico. The ziplining was 10 ziplines, and the tour guides were fun and allow you to go upside down or 2 people at once on some of them. Make sure to bring money to tip the tour guides! The cave tour was the weakest section but I admit I did learn a bunch of interesting geological sorts of stuff. The cave actually gets a bit muggy and so the cenote was a great way to finish the day and cool off. They have you do a very brief "tour" in the cenote and then we were given about 30 min of free, unsupervised play time there. The water is clear, cool, clean and you adjust very quickly to the temperature. The lighting and colors were MAGICAL and the kids loved swimming amongst catfish. Water shoes were perfect for the whole day. You get a locker at each site. Towels and change of clothes are handy at the end of the day- don't forget those! And keep in mind that getting to the front entrance of Aktun Chen is not the same as getting to the actual reception area - it's ~ 3.5 km down a windy dirt road. Something to consider if you get motion sick easily, or something to consider if you rent a tiny car that might have difficulty on dirt roads.

Very cool experience! The water was very clear you could see everything. We went with a tour guide,…read moreAngel Pepper, who made the experience great! He told us about the different fish and wildlife we may see and made us feel safe and have fun. There was a lot to explore and it was so beautiful. Highly recommend!!

Small cenote with opening into the ocean. It doesn't have caves but definitely you will see plenty…read moreof fish.

This place is really pretty and the kids loved it. The pier with the swings is a really nice touch…read more The pool is huge and heated. It's very clean and well maintained. The bathrooms are immaculate and always being cleaned. The food that we got was very good and my kids couldn't get enough of the quesadillas. The staff is friendly and helpful however, if you change from the beach to the pool you have to switch servers and they want you to tip twice. Which is fine, however, after paying for all an inclusive experience, they give you a very inflated check (that's zeroed out) with tip percentage recommendations. They're very high so be careful. I do wish they had a few hammocks on the property to relax in. All and all it was a great experience.

Paradise Beach review: 5 stars. LOVE IT! My daughter showed up on crutches, and they didn't even…read moreblink--immediately set us up near a set of stairs so she could roll into the pool like the queen she is. Talk about VIP service! Oscar and Ronny? Absolute legends. I don't know if they're employees or drink-delivering superheroes, but they kept the food and beverages flowing so seamlessly that I was ready to adopt them by the end of the trip. The inflatables in the water? An absolute hit. My pre-teen son was living his best life--part gladiator, part dolphin. I was half expecting him to demand we install a floating obstacle course at home. The beach? Chef's kiss. The pool? So much fun it practically parented my kids for me. 10/10 would crutch our way back here again!

You can skip it and never feel FOMO…read more I wanted paradise, but what I got was... well, Playa Palancar. Yes, it's technically a beach, but let's not pretend every patch of sand in Cozumel is created equal. The Good: It's easy enough to get to, and you can rent chairs, grab food, and say you've been to one of the island's "popular" beaches. The Not-So-Good: Drinks here are expensive -- and when I say expensive, I mean "why am I paying tourist-bar prices for a soda that tastes like pee?" Expensive wouldn't sting so much if the quality matched, but it doesn't. The sand? Mushy. The beach? Leaves a lot to be desired. The vibe? More "crowded pit stop" than "Caribbean escape." 5.00 sodas should not taste like they were brewed in a bathtub. Playa Palancar can be skipped. Cozumel has better, prettier, and more authentic beaches without the overpriced drinks and mushy sand. If you want the Caribbean dream, keep moving -- this isn't it. Playa Palancar proves not all beaches are created Instagram-ready.

$20 entry fee per person. Was told we'd each get chairs and umbrella but there weren't any…read moreavailable.

The staff were super friendly and checked up on us to make sure everything was good going above and…read morebeyond. The food was amazing quality and taste was amazing.

We stayed 3 minutes walk from this place, was recommended by our Airbnb receptionist since theirs…read moreopen later on the day, quick service good lattes great view! Thanks

10/10 recommend!…read more Service is on point. I have never been disappointed! Omar, Roberto, and Julien, gracias! Food and beverages flow like it's the way it was intended! Cabanas are via reservation and they are super useful for groups and those that need an afternoon nap! I absolutely love this place!

Cozumel Day at Paradise Beach…read more We booked the all-inclusive day pass through Viator and saved 10%, and honestly... anytime I can save a little money, I will. Quick tip for anyone going: when you walk out of the port and head to the taxi line, don't just jump into the first one. Our first driver tried to upcharge us quite a bit. We kept walking and were able to negotiate. I had heard it's usually around $15 per ride (not per person), but we ended up paying $20 -- and honestly it's a bit of a drive, so I get it. Also... those taxi drivers drive like we're in GTA. Once we arrived, the vibe was totally peaceful. Yes, the chairs are fairly close together (similar setup to Mr. Sanchos), but Paradise Beach felt much calmer and less of a party scene, which we really appreciated. The food and drinks were actually really good for an all-inclusive beach club. We tried quite a few things: * Nachos * Quesadillas * Blue cheese burger * Grilled shrimp * Coconut shrimp * Grilled mahi tacos -- which were the highlight The beach was nice, the pool was great, and you basically pick your "home base" (pool or beach) so your waiter knows where to find you for food and drinks. A few other things worth noting: Great bathrooms and changing rooms Lockers available (extra fee) Inflatable water park for kids (extra fee) Paddleboards and snorkeling (extra fee) Would I go again? Yes.