The best places to snorkel in Akumal

I've told you before exactly what gear you'll need to have a great snorkeling trip in Akumal, but you also need to know where the best places to snorkel are at. You can snorkel almost anywhere in Akumal, but some places have tons of fish, turtles and other animals that you won't want to miss. So don't waste your time with trial and error, let me tell you where the snorkeling hot-spots are at in Akumal so you can spend your time discovering amazing wild-life, not looking at the ocean floor.

When you first enter Akumal, you'll see The Turtle Bay Cafe and The Super Chomak, and right across the street is The Lol Ha restaurant on the beach. This is Akumal Bay. The water directly in front of The Lol Ha is the best spot to find and swim with sea turtles. There are usually a lot of boats in this area so be alert when you snorkel here. Last time I was in Akumal, I snorkeled here for 2 hours and spotted 6 full grown sea turtles, it was amazing. Another good spot to find turtles is in Half Moon Bay. I've had the best luck on the northern side of Half Moon Bay.

If you are lucky enough to swim with a sea turtle, please do not try to touch them. It's not hard to accidentally injure one of these majestic creatures. Just swim around them and enjoy them, just don't touch!

And be careful not to swim out too far into the ocean by yourself. If the riptide gets you, it can suck you out to sea making it extremely hard for you to swim back to shore. Always bring a friend if you're leaving shallow water, and bring a flotation device just in case.

If the waters at these beaches are too rough, walk north for about 10 minutes and you'll run into Yal Ku Lagoon. Since the lagoon is protected from the ocean, the water is always very calm here. It does cost money to snorkel here (75 pesos for adults), but it's worth every penny. I've seen giant parrot fish, huge barracudas and stingrays. If you find a barracuda or a stingray, don't swim fast after it or be aggressive in any way - just swim slowly at a safe distance and enjoy these wonderful creatures. The water is only 5-15 feet deep, so it's perfect for children too. It's very easy to spend an entire day at The Yal Ku Lagoon.

These three places are the best spots to find wild-life while you're snorkeling in Akumal. You should try to get in the water early in the morning and late at night, because many animals won't come into shallow water during the day. You can also go night snorkeling to see all the amazing animals that wait until the sun is gone to show their faces.