Fabulous Trip to Akumal, Mexico!

Our Wonderful Trip to the Riviera Maya

Our family stayed in Akumal, Mexico for nine days in July, 2015.

 Our sons had requested a 'lazy' beach vacation, which led to investigations of many options within a relatively short plane ride.  After countless hours on TripAdvisor, we settled on a huge all-inclusive resort (very different from our norm!) called Grand Palladium in Akumal, Mexico.  Akumal is over an hour south of Cancun, quite a bit further south than Playa del Carmen and its many resorts.  Akumal was the perfect location because we didn't want a resort that was lined up in a row with other resorts, and we knew it was convenient to the Tulum ruins, cenotes, and sea turtles.

We didn't rent a car for this trip (again, very different from our norm) but instead relied on USA Transfers to get us to and from the airport, and then the local colectivo buses to get to to our various excursions.  We didn't do any established tours, because we don't like large group activities and wanted to keep to our own schedule -- plus it saved some money to do things on our own.  We never felt anything but safe traveling within and around our resort.  Not including our arrival and departure days, we went off the resort every other day -- this worked out perfectly, since again, the kids' goal for this trip was a 'lazy' beach vacation.  It was great to have no particular agenda during our resort days, but at the same time, we certainly wanted to get off the resort and explore the area and some of its unique features.

Day trip #1:  Tulum Ruins.
We took the colectivo to and from the Tulum Ruins easily. As others had suggested, we walked past the folks on the entrance road trying to sell us tours and went right to the main entrance. We had decided not to get a guide, because we like going at our own pace and didn't know when we wanted to take a break and visit the beach. I do regret not getting a guide because some of the buildings had no signs, some had faded signs, etc. The admission price was fair but I wish they had given us a map and maybe a pamphlet to read. Maybe the gift shop had that available, but I don't like shopping for souvenirs until after I've enjoyed the attraction. Perhaps they're just trying to encourage people to go with a tour or hire a guide on-site. I'm sure that would have enhanced our experience. As it was, we did enjoy walking amidst the ruins, just wish I'd learned more about them in the moment (rather than from a book purchased later). 

The beach was great, even with quite a bit of sargassum (a type of algae that's been all over the Caribbean this year)! There were some nice waves to jump in. We left our belongings on the rocks (like everyone else) and didn't have any problem.

I recommend going to Tulum earlier in the day when the heat and crowds aren't as intense. If I had to do it again, I'd hire a guide, then go back and swim at the beach last. There was a man selling mango ice-pops as we left, and they were a delicious treat on our way to catch the colectivo.

Tulum: A walled city

Day trip #2:  Selva Maya -- and its ziplines and cenotes
We had such a blast on the nine ziplines (including challenges such as one-foot landing, chicken dance, and upside-down), the rope bridges in between, the rock wall (yes all four of us made it to the top, though it was not easy), the rappelling (a bit easier than expected), swimming in the partially open 'Bonita' cenote, then the subsurface 'Celestial' cenote (complete with bats -- so cool), and finally followed by a delicious Mayan taco meal. Boy, were we hungry! The ride to and from the activities was on a rough road but that only adds to the adventure. 

  

Climbing into the subsurface cenote

Bats in the cenote! 

Rappelling -- a first for us

 Rock Wall -- higher than it looks!

The Mayan Rollercoaster!

 Day trip #3:  Akumal Bay and its Sea Turtles
We took a colectivo for the trip to the Akumal Bay from Grand Palladium. It was quick, easy, and cheap. We brought our own snorkel gear, including vests, so there was nothing we needed other than to just get in the beautiful water. We tried to rent a locker from the Akumal Dive Shop but were told the only way to rent a locker was by renting equipment we didn't need, so we just kept our fingers crossed and left our belongings on the beach (like in Tulum) -- that worked out just fine. 

The beach was lovely, and we went early enough in the day that it wasn't too crowded. We did have one person tell us that we had to stay between the ropes, but apparently that's just what they tell people who weren't with a tour group. We swam out on on our own and saw 6 turtles (I think), which was just what we came for. We also saw a sting ray as a bonus, plus some fish I can't name. The water was lovely and had very little sargassum (though as I understand it, some days have much more). We swam for a bit, then bought some ice-cream and headed back to the colectivo. As we left, we saw crowds of people lined up ready to get in the water, mostly with guides. In my opinion, a guide is definitely not need to enjoy this experience -- nor is taking a tour bus when the colectivo is available.

A sting ray!

Our Resort -- The Grand Palladium:
Our family of four stayed for eight nights in July. We arranged private transportation with USA Transfers, which I recommend. Our check-in was quick and very smooth. One tram brought us to our building, while another brought our luggage a few minutes later.

Our room in Riviera building 60 had two beds, plus the sofa bed, which was perfect since our kids (ages 11 and 14) would rather not share a bed and we'd rather not have a second hotel room. Building 60 (which I had requested via email) was a terrific location -- close to the saltwater pool, the beach, and the White Sands pool. Our room was lovely and spacious. The balcony had a rack for drying bathing suits and overlooked the mangrove trees. The bathroom had a large jetted tub, which I wish I had used more!

Iguanas everywhere

So many types of flowers were here

Saltwater pool!

White Sands pool

The resort itself is just beautiful, with a lot of attention to detail in the walkways, tiling, artwork, landscaping, etc. Yes, the resort is quite big, but we never had a problem with it. I had 'studied' the map before our trip so had a general idea of where things were, and that was helpful. There were trams, but we didn't use them except checking into the resort. The Colonial pool was more busy, but also deeper. We quickly realized that we preferred the White Sands pool. When the kids were at the Black & White club, we stayed at the Rinconcito pool or the beach. Regardless of where we were ready to drop our towels, we found lounge chairs. They weren't always in the 'front row', but they were available, which was all we needed. We brought two Bubba mugs for use in the pool/beach areas and they came in handy! The drinks stayed cold and we didn't have to worry about sand or them spilling. I was very pleased that the resort uses reusable cups, plates, etc (even by the pool) instead of disposable.

The beach was lovely, with beach bars at either end to refresh your drinks if needed. There was a bit of a sargassum issue all up and down the coast, but the staff at GP worked hard to keep the beach cleared of it. We experienced more of it at the beach by the Tulum ruins than we did at GP. There were areas to snorkel, plus more sandy beach areas. Mixed among the lounge chairs were some hammocks. There was plenty of shade available, which I appreciated. There were some paddleboats and kayaking, but the day we tried to do it, we were told it was too windy.

We were very pleased with the quality of food and drink throughout the resort. Buffets for breakfast or lunch were full of so many choices! We did the dinner buffet on French night, Asian night, and Mexican night (with a lovely change in decorations). We had great a-la-carte meals at Bamboo (my favorite), Rodizio, Hibachi, El Dorado, and Ribs&More. Most people would seem to disagree, but but my least favorite of these was the hibachi. My husband had gotten to the desk early to make the reservation (upon the recommendation of many) and to be honest, I was a little underwhelmed. It was still good, but I guess I was expecting more and found local places in New Jersey to be better. My kids loved it though. Overall, I was more than pleased with all of the food selections -- and the service at the restaurants was so attentive! I know that some people at all-inclusives don't tip, but we were happy to tip for the great service we received at the buffets, bars, and a-la-cartes (plus housekeeping).

The People of Palladium (POP) entertainment staff do a good job with activities. There's plenty to do, if you're so inclined. We tried zumba, spinning (in the pool), salsa lessons, merengue lessons, water volleyball, beach volleyball, etc. My husband actually won a contest for jumping off a pool ledge and catching a football. We even took a canoe trip abound the lagoon. The kids played ping-pong and mini-golf, but didn't spend too much time at the B&W club except for some chess, billiards, & DJ lessons. We saw two evening shows (Humanity and Caribe something-or-other) -- both featured spectacular dancing. 

We had such a wonderful time at the Grand Palladium and would recommend it highly for anyone ready for an active vacation in a beautiful location. Just make sure to get off the resort to explore the local attractions at least once or twice.  And, yes, we drank the water!