Excursions

DIVING IN AKUMAL & SURROUNDINGS

Akumal in the Mayan language means “The Land of Turtles” and it is one of the favorite places for these marine animals to spawn.
Akumal is one of the most peaceful places in the Riviera Maya with white sands and crystal clear waters. It is a small town between Playa del Carmen and Tulum.

When it comes to diving Akumal has the best to offer. The year round conditions on the coral reef barrier are excellent, water temperature range is 80-90°F and visibility is rare under 100 ft. You will experience soft and easy currents most of the year. These superb conditions let us dive around 300 days a year.
Come and experience one of the largest barrier reefs in the world! From shallow waters to more challenging depths Akumal reef has to offer magnificent diving to every diver.

Here you will explore the amazing sea life, schools of fish, octopuses, huge groupers, barracudas, sting and eagle rays, occasional nurse shark, sponges,corals, and, of course, our favorite and permanent residents, turtles!

  1. Las Redes. Depth: 40-60 feet. This site was named by the original explorers of the Akumal reef, for huge commercial fishing net that was covering the area. The net was removed but plenty of marine life is still here. This site is known for large schools of fish, lobsters, stingrays, barracudas and turtles. This area is covered with soft and brain corals. One of the most colorful sites the Akumal reef has to offer.
  2. La Herradura. Depth: 60-80 feet. This is the place where reef fingers form a canyon to dive around. Moray eels love hiding in these labyrinths. The dive site is covered with sponge coral. While you are checking it out, you might be on a watch of huge groupers, stingrays and turtles.
  3. Tortugas. Depth: Depth: 80-100 feet. This site is famous for its black coral gardens, deep reef canyons and large schools of turtles. Also this is the area to encounter eagle rays, tarpons, barracudas and groupers.
  4. Motorcycle Reef. Depth: 45-55 feet. In the sandy bottom of this dive site is lying a 15 year old motorcycle. It is overgrown with coral which makes it a perfect candidate for marine life. One end of the site is a soft coral paradise for turtles and the other one is a sand plateau which is a home for eagle rays and stingrays. The sand plateau also hosts tiny seahorse who attach themselves to occasional corals sticking out of the sand.
  5. Media Luna. 33-47 ft. A short boat ride to the North, brings you to the bottom full of canyons that look like giant fingers dressed in colorful corals. Barracudas, stingrays and lobsters are regulars here. Since there is plenty of sunshine at this site huge “horn” hard coral grow here like a forest.
  6. Media Luna deep. 80-100 feet. This is a deeper part of Half Moon Bay with long canyons that you can explore. One of the favorite places for stingrays to take a nap. Green moray eels love hiding in these canyons. Nurse sharks and jackfish come here for a visit sometimes. Deep blue waters and plenty of sponge corals.
  7. La Isla. 33-47 feet. The underwater island with beautiful canyons and tunnels frequently visited by turtles, stingrays an nurse sharks.
  8. La Virgen. 33-47 feet. The underwater island that creates tunnel passages where you might encounter a sleeping nurse sharks, giant grouper and schools of glass fish. Snapper, jackfish, moray eels and lobsters hang along the walls of the tunnels.