Only 105 kilometers from Cancun, Akumal, which means "land of the turtles" in the Mayan language, owes its enchantment and fascination for tourists from around the world to the fresh waters of its caves and subterranean rivers.

Located North of Tulum, Akumal offers excellent hotel accommodations and restaurants, together with an ecological park, the Ukana I and the Yaku lagoon. 

More than 200 entrances to subterranean caves, with depths of up to 150 meters, make it a gathering place for divers from around the world. Besides scuba diving, snorkeling and jet skiing are also available, making it a favorite with all who love water sports. 

Akumal was used as a seaport and trading center by the Mayans before the arrival of the Spaniards. It also played a significant role in Spanish and Mexican history. The story goes that a Spanish galleon shipwrecked off the coast of Akumal and its crew had no choice but to come ashore there. Upon reaching land, they were quickly captured by the Mayans and enslaved. Of the seventeen captured sailors, only two survived.

Their names were Geronimo De Aguilar and Gonzalo Guerrero. Guerrero eventually married a young princess named Zazi and fathered the first mestizo in the Mayan world. Mestizo's are decendents of both the Spaniards and native Mexicans, and how Mexicans refer to their race. Guerrero taught the Mayans new war techniques, which were later used against the Spanish conquistadors. When Hernan Cortez arrived on Cozumel Island, he learned of the shipwreck and sent soldiers to Akumal to look for survivors. The second survivor of the wreck, Geronimo De Aguilar, eventually joined Cortez's troops, while Guerrero, who considered himself one of the Mayans by this time, stayed behind. De Aguilar later acted as a translator and guide for the Spaniards, playing an important roll in the Spanish conquest of Mexico. Today, there is a monument by the beach in the Bay of Akumal that stands as a reminder of this first contact between Europeans and the indigenous Mexican people.