Akumal is a small beach-front tourist resort community 100 km (62 miles) south of Cancún, between the towns of Playa del Carmen and Tulum in Tulum, Tulum municipality in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico. The 2005 census showed a population of 1,198 inhabitants.

Akumal means "place of the turtles" in the Mayan language. The town was officially founded in 1958 as a community for scuba divers by Pablo Bush Romero--a Mexican businessman, diver, writer, historian, and archaeologist. Pablo Bush's family (the Bush/Wolfe family) still owns a large portion of Akumal, including the largest resort/hotel Hotel Club Akumal Caribe. Local bartender and DJ Ryan Wolfe is a direct descendant.

The fine white sandy beaches at Akumal Bay and Half Moon Bay are ideal for swimming and snorkeling. Sea turtles can be found in Akumal laying eggs on the beaches at night throughout the nesting season (end of April to October) or swimming in the main bay during the day. Hatching season runs from June to November, coinciding with hurricane season. This translates to big losses in the turtle population when major storms hit the area. However, Green Turtle populations seem to be steady. Many environmental associations are settled in the Akumal area, including Centro Ecológico Akumal, better known as CEA. The local hotels, dive shops, independent aquatic tour operators and CEA are working with government authorities to run a bay management program aimed at protecting the resident juvenile sea turtles and coral species in the bays of Akumal. Sea turtles are endangered species and are protected by federal law.

Wikipedia articles for Akumal

• Akumal
• Xelha