Activities & Attractions by Villa Margarita
Ocean Fun (Beaches, Diving, & Sport Fishing) | Dining | Area Tours | Day Trips | Mayan Ruins
Endless Fun In, On, & By The Caribbean Ocean
YAL-KU LAGOON - Swimming and snorkeling in this fabulous lagoon is like being in a fresh water aquarium.
NOT TO BE MISSED! Absolutely gorgeous fish. Snorkel gear can be rented in the local dive shops if you don't
have your own.
AKUMAL BAY - Beautiful soft porous sand beach and water activity area complete with diving, swimming,
fishing, snorkeling by the "cannons" and windsurfing. Boutiques, Snack Bar, Lol Ha restaurant on the Beach.
Happy Hour from 5:30 to 6:30. "Kids Club" 9AM - 2PM and 6PM - 9PM.
THE AKUMAL "KIDS CLUB" - The Kid's Club, located on the beach on Akumal Bay near the Lol-Ha restaurant and
Palapa Bar, is a great place for kids to enjoy supervised play, crafts, videos and visits to the pizza parlour.
Your kids will have a fantastic time while you enjoy spending a few hours on your own!
The Kid's Club hours are 9a.m. to 2p.m. and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The rates are as follows:
1st Child: $5.00 U.S. per child | 2 children: $4.00 U.S. per child | 3 or more children: $3.00 U.S. per child
Important! Parents who use the "Kid's Club" regularly during their visit , can purchase coupons in advance
from their office in El Paso, Texas, for $20 per coupon (one day - unlimited hours).
The coupons MUST be purchased before arriving in Akumal as they cannot be purchased on the Island.
To purchase "Kid's Club" coupons, please call: 1-800-343-1440 or fax:915-581-6709.
AKUMAL'S WORLD-CLASS DIVING - Akumal's reefs belong to the second largest barrier reef on the planet,
the Mesoamerican Reef, which runs from Cancun all the way to Honduras. Water temperatures range between
84 degrees F in the summer to 78 degrees F in the winter months and visibility ranges between 50 to 150 feet!
Divers of all skill levels will revel in THE almost nonexistent currents, short boat rides to the reef, excellent visibility,
and incredible sea life.
Hard corals dominate with an abundance of marine
invertebrates, soft corals and tropical fish like barracudas, porkfish, grunts, squirrelfish, snappers, blue chromis,
sergeants, groupers, parrots, blue tangs, wrasses and many more. Akumal diving is renowned for its resident population
of sea turtles, nurse sharks plus lucky divers can experience encounters with whale sharks, eagle rays and dolphins!
Some local outfitters (check their websites for rates and additional information):
Akumal Dive Shop Caribe Mexicano - www.akumaldiveshop.com
Akumal Dive Adventures - www.akumaldiveadventures.com
Akumal Dive Center - www.akumaldivecenter.com
SPORT FISHING - Sport fishing is very popular in the area. The best months are April through July. Mahi Mahi,
King Fish, Wahoo, Tuna, Sailfish, and Marlin are all in season. All sport fish are catch and release. About an hour
south of Akumal is the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve and the Boca Paila Flats. This is an excellent place to flyfish
for Bone Fish, Tarpon, and Permit. The dive shops mentioned above all offer full service fishing excursions.
LOL-HA - Located on the beach on Akumal Bay, LOL-HA has the following three unique restaurants:
• Palapa Bar - great for lunch, snacks and happy hour.
• The Pizzeria - wonderful pizza and pasta dishes.
• The Main Dining Room - lobster, steaks, and authentic Mayan food.
Take in the floor show, wonderful buffet dinner on Thursday nights and the Sunday Breakfast Buffet. If you prefer a relaxing and informal setting, check-out the Palapa bar which has a pool table and a television for customers to watch the news and sporting events.
LA BUENA VIDA - Our newest attraction is the superb La Buena Vida Restaurant. Its wood exterior and thatched roof, gives it a tropical atmosphere. Visit the bar with two "swings" downstairs during Happy Hour, and if you are in the mood for a romantic setting, dine on the second floor where you can enjoy a spectacular view of the ocean. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Be sure to try the terrific Caesar salad and flamed desserts which are prepared at your table!
LA LUNITA - La Lunita Restaurant is on the ground floor of "La Tortuga" condominium building facing the ocean. Terrific for breakfast or dinner - it's lovely outside on the terrace and they feature some wonderful seafood dishes such as Coconut Shrimp and Broiled fish in Cilantro Sauce.
QUE ONDA - A charming Italian restaurant open for lunch and dinner in a Jungle/Garden setting. Homemade pastas and desserts are made by the Swiss/Italian owner - fabulous Italian wines. Only seats about 25 people.
TURTLE BAY BAKERY CAFE - A wonderful new restaurant with freshly baked breads, quiche, pastries, etc. These can be purchased to eat at the cafe or to take home with you. They serve breakfast and lunch every day but Monday. Fabulous sandwiches, salads, burritos, etc. Great coffee! Personalized Area Tours
TOURS BY HILARIO - Hilario Hiler has lived in the Yucatan for 30 years and now resides in Akumal. His extensive knowledge of Maya culture (ancient and modern) ensures that your trip will be informative and fun. Hilario is also a certified cave instructor and diver.
SIAN KA'AN BIOSPHERE - Expert tours of sacred Mayan Sites of Coba, Chichen Itza and Uxmal. Fluent in English, Spanish, French and Maya. Snorkel Cenotes. Overnight or Day Tours. Phone 987-59066 or contact the CEA Center for scheduling. Day Trips From Villa Margarita
XEL-HA - 17 km (10 miles) south Akumal - This spot is known as a special attraction found along the Mexican coast that is very popular with tourist because of its beautiful lagoon complete with a restricted snorkeling area. It also has many gift shops and eateries. www.xelha.com
TANKAH - Located 21 km (12 miles) south of Akumal. For hungry travelers, there is "Casa Cenote" a fantastic palapa restaurant that serves great food and is located on the beach. Spend time swimming in the Caribbean or snorkeling in the fresh water lagoon. To get there, look for the big yellow sign, turn left on the dirt road, drive to the beach area, turn left and continue for another 1/2 mile. We highly recommend this spot! www.tankah.com
XAAC BAY - Found 3km (2 miles) north Akumal. You'll enjoy the ROBINSON CRUSOE CRUISE and its "cookout" stop which is an old Mayan worship site (can be signed for at the Travel Agency by the Dive Shop). You will need to bring a good pair of walking shoes because it takes about 1+ hours. This beautiful secluded beach is a must see! Weblink
XPU-HA - 8 km (5 miles) north of Akumal. Another magnificent beach - private and pristine. After you have passed the "Robinson Club" entrance, go about 1 more mile and turn right at the sign that says "X5". This road will take you to the beach - parking is 5 pesos. There are bathrooms and also shade on this section of the beach. From here you can walk south 200 yards to a great little restaurant on the beach. Weblink
XCARET - Only 30 km (18 miles) north of Akumal, this spot is the perfect place for the family to spend a day. For only $30 US, you can spend the day with everything included, except for food, drink and swimming with the dolphins. Enjoy snorkelling in the underground river through sunlit caves, walk through the gardens, visit the zoo and see the authentic Mayan village. You may also want to take in the Horse show and see the butterflies. The facilities also include a palapas with comfortable beach chairs, paddle boats, floats, trained dolphins, and a great restaurant and bar. www.xcaret.com
PLAYACAR - 35km (21 miles) north of Akumal. A beautiful new resort with a world class 18 hole championship golf course (bring lots of balls!). A wonderful tennis court and swimming pool for those who don't wish to play golf, and then meet in the clubhouse for a scrumptious lunch. Weblink
PLAYA DEL CARMEN - Playa Del Carmen is next door to Playacar and only 37km (22 miles) north of Akumal. A port for cruise ships and ferries traveling to and from Cozumel. Avenida Cinco is a boulevard for "pedestrian only" traffic, where you will find a variety of excellent restaurants and entertainment. Weblink Mayan Ruins
CHICHEN ITZA - The ruins of Chichen Itza are a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization, located in the North of the Yucatán Peninsula, about 3 hours drive away from Akumal. Chichen Itza means "At the mouth of the well of the Itza" in Maya , which was probably a reference to the three cenotes which provided plentiful water for the settlement.The most popular with visitors is the "Cenote of Sacrifice" which would draw worshipers of the Maya rain god Chaac.
The site contains many buildings in various states of preservation; including temples, palaces, stages, markets, baths, and ballcourts. Dominating the center of Chichén is the Temple of Kukulcan (the plumed serpent god), often referred to as "El Castillo" (the castle).On the Spring and Fall equinox, at the rising and setting of the sun, the corner of the structure casts a shadow in the shape of a plumed serpent along the side of the North staircase.
TULUM - Tulum is located about 25 kilometers South of Akumal and is one of the most visited arqueological site in the region, due in part to its proximity to Cancun. Visitors are also attracted to the site's dramatic oceanfront location. Tulum, or the walled city in Maya, was a commercial fortress and a thriving port providing supplies to the surrounding Maya settlements. It was built during the decline of the Maya civilization and therefore was not as architectonically extravagant as Coba or Chitzen Itza. The site is smaller in size allowing for a visit to be completed in a couple of hours. The ruins also have a gorgeous beach area where visitors can cool off in the ocean.
MUYIL - Muyil archaeological site is located on the mainland side of a lagoon in the Sian Ka´an Biosphere, about 25 kilometres South of the town of Tulum. Most of the buildings on the site date back to 1100-1200 AD. It is believed that Muyil was once an important trading post as it is ideally located in the proximity of two lagoons: Muyil and Chunyaxche. The site has a fabulous walkway through the jungle to the lagoons, where you can hire a guide to take you on a boat tour around the mangrove area in the Biosphere. The jungle portion ends with a chance to climb up an observation tower to see the Sian Ka'an Biosphere from a fabulous bird's eye view.