Akumal Turtles from Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum
Getting to the Akumal turtles from Cancun, Playa del Carmen or Tulum: distances on Highway 307, pickup times, the day trips with the swim, and the fees.
Akumal is about 90 km south of Cancun airport, 37 km from Playa del Carmen and 27 km from Tulum, all on Highway 307. From Cancun, the easy way is a day trip with hotel pickup that pairs the guided turtle swim with the Tulum ruins and a cenote: EKINOX TOURS’ ten-hour day from Cancun and Puerto Morelos costs from $87 in current promotion (usually $108) a person (checked October 2026), with the Tulum site, park and government fees, US$40 an adult and US$25 a child, paid on the day. From Playa del Carmen or Tulum you are close enough for the swim on its own.
The road down the coast
| From | Distance to Akumal | How the trips do it |
|---|---|---|
| Cancun airport | About 90 km | Day trips with hotel pickup |
| Puerto Morelos | About 70 km | Day trips with hotel pickup |
| Playa del Carmen | About 37 km | Day trips, or the swim on its own by car or taxi |
| Puerto Aventuras | About 15 km | Day trips, or the swim on its own |
| Tulum | About 27 km | The swim on its own, private trips, or Tulum’s own turtle snorkel |
Distances by road on Highway 307, measured October 2026; the Playa del Carmen figure is the one in the refuge’s protection programme.
From Cancun
A day from Cancun is a long one, because the turtles are at the far end of the coast road. The trips that go there:
| Trip | Time | Listing price | Paid on the day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulum, Cenote Mariposa and the Akumal swim (EKINOX TOURS) | 10 hours | From $87 in current promotion (usually $108) | Tulum site, park and government fees: US$40 an adult, US$25 a child |
| Tulum, the Akumal turtles and a cave cenote (Ocean Tours Mexico) | 8 hours | From $129 | The marine conservation and Tulum park fees |
| Akumal turtles and three Yax-Muul cenotes (Blue Caribe) | 5 hours | $89 an adult with Cancun pickup | Marine tax US$20 and operation fee US$15 |
Listing prices: GetYourGuide checked October 2026; Viator checked October 2026. The charges on the day are those each listing states.
Ocean Tours Mexico’s pickups start at about 5:30 am in Costa Mujeres and Playa Mujeres and between 6 and 7 am in Cancun; Blue Caribe picks up in Cancun on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only. EKINOX TOURS sends a separate pickup time by email, earlier than the start time on the ticket, and may ask guests in rentals, hostels or streets with restricted access to meet at a nearby point.
From Playa del Carmen and Puerto Aventuras
Here the swim is close, so you choose between a day out and an hour in the water.
Tulum Ruins, a Cenote and the Akumal Turtle Swim from the Riviera Maya
EKINOX TOURS' Riviera Maya day: Tulum ruins, Cenote Mariposa with lunch and the Akumal swim, with pickup from most hotels.
See the Riviera Maya day →Akumal Bay Turtle Snorkel from Playa del Carmen
About two hours in Akumal Bay with a bilingual guide and back to Playa del Carmen hotels in six hours. The US$25 conservation fee is paid in cash.
See the Akumal trip →Akumal Turtles, Two Cenotes and Lunch in a Small Group
COROSAN's day: 75 minutes with the turtles, two cenotes, one an underground cave, and lunch in Akumal. A US$40 fee is paid in cash in the van.
See the small-group day →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings, GetYourGuide checked October 2026. Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
If you have a car, the drive from Playa del Carmen is about 37 km, and the swim on its own from Akumal beach starts from $34 in current promotion (usually $40) a person (checked October 2026): see Akumal without a tour.
From Tulum
Tulum is the closest town of any size, about 27 km away. You can drive or take a taxi to Akumal for the swim, or book a private outing: Local Travel Mexico's private four hours picks up in Tulum or Playa del Carmen for the turtles, the reef, the Xunnaha cenote and lunch, from $186 a person (checked October 2026).
Tulum also has turtles of its own off the beach at its national park. Tulum Snorkel Services' two-hour boat snorkel leaves from Playa Pescadores inside the Jaguar Park, stops below the ruins and spends about 45 minutes with the turtles and rays, from $33 a person (checked October 2026). It is a different place from Akumal Bay, by boat rather than from the beach.
Good to know
- The turtle circuits run from 9 am to 5 pm, so the long trips from Cancun fit the swim into that window; the order of the stops varies by operator.
- Children’s prices differ: EKINOX TOURS’ fees on the day are US$25 a child from Cancun and US$20 from the Riviera Maya.
- Bring cash in pesos or dollars for the fees on the day; see what to bring.
- For the Tulum and cenote half of these trips, see turtles and cenotes in one day.
More Trips with Open Dates
More Akumal and Riviera Maya Trips with Open Dates
Turtle swims, cenotes and day trips with live availability. Times and cancellation terms are on each listing.
From Cancun to the Akumal Turtles
EKINOX TOURS' day by air-conditioned bus from Cancun and Puerto Morelos: the Tulum ruins, Cenote Mariposa with lunch, then the guided turtle snorkel at Akumal.
See dates