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How it works

How booking works

The turtle snorkel is booked online in minutes. Every other tour involves logistics (transport, a boat or park access), so we confirm availability on WhatsApp first.

  1. 1

    Pick your tour and date

    Turtle snorkel: choose your time and group and pay online. Fishing, Yal-Kú, combos, boat and cenotes: tap “Check availability” and message us on WhatsApp with your date and group.

  2. 2

    We confirm it

    You get a confirmation email with the meeting point, time and what to bring. For tours with logistics, we confirm on WhatsApp first and then you complete your booking.

  3. 3

    Show up and enjoy

    Your guide meets you at the 7-Eleven in Akumal, Calle 16, and the adventure starts there.

The honest truth

With 20 people in the water, the turtles leave. That's why we stop at 6 per guide.

Splashing, noise, a crowd. The turtle dives to the bottom before you reach her. You paid for an encounter. You got a green blur. That's not what happens here.

Max 6 per guide
With twenty people splashing, the turtle swims off. In a small group she keeps grazing calmly while you watch from the distance the sanctuary requires.
A new snorkel tube, yours to keep
Every guest gets a brand-new tube — more hygienic, and you take it home as a souvenir of Akumal.
Clear booking, no surprises
Book and pay for the turtle snorkel online and we confirm by email. Tours with more logistics are confirmed on WhatsApp first.
In this bay since 2010
Xarou grew up here and founded Akbay Tours in 2010. Today he guides with his team of certified local guides.
Why this changes everything

Not a tour. A pause.

With twenty people in the water, the turtles leave and the noise follows you. With six people in silence, the sea does its work.

❌ 20–30 strangers churning the water

✅ Max 6 per guide. Quiet. Unhurried.

With twenty people in the water, the first splash scares the turtle and all you get is a green shape fading into the blue. In groups of max 6 per guide, moving in slowly and quietly, the turtle keeps grazing while you watch from the distance the sanctuary asks for. Six isn’t a marketing number — it’s what makes the encounter happen.

❌ A guide who learned this bay from a training manual

✅ Xarou — born here, swimming here since childhood

Xarou didn't discover Akumal Bay. He grew up swimming in it. Since 2010 he has tracked the same turtles through the same seasonal patterns. When he brings six quiet people to a specific spot this morning, there is a reason.

❌ Your name on a list — maybe confirmed, maybe not

✅ Clear booking, confirmation by email

You know how it works from the start: the turtle snorkel is booked and paid online; tours with logistics are confirmed on WhatsApp first to secure transport, the boat or park access. Either way, you get every detail in writing.

❌ Beach entry charged on top

✅ Entry included — stay on the beach all day

Your tour includes beach entry and facilities. When it ends, keep your wristband and stay on the beach until 17:30 (restrooms, showers and lockers close then).

Safe for everyone

Life jacket on. Your guide beside you. Max 6 per guide.

Before anyone enters the water, your guide checks in with every guest, fits the gear and gives a briefing. The life jacket is mandatory and included. You need basic swimming skills or to feel comfortable floating in a life jacket where you can’t touch the bottom. Minors always swim with an adult aged 18+, and babies 0–2 go free. First time snorkeling? So were many of our guests.

  • Personal check before every group enters
  • Life jacket mandatory and included
  • Basic swimming or comfortable floating with a vest
  • Maximum 6 guests per guide
  • Your guide stays beside the group
  • Babies 0–2 free, always with an adult

Book with zero risk. Cancel with zero hassle.

If your plans change, cancel free 24 hours or more before and you get everything back. We know Mexico has its surprises.

✓ Free cancellation 24 h or more before✓ Confirmation by email✓ Xarou and his team answer in person, never a bot✓ Local operator since 2010
Before you book

No guesswork. Just answers.

You don’t need to be a strong swimmer, but you do need basic skills or to feel comfortable floating in a life jacket where you can’t touch the bottom. The life jacket is mandatory and your guide stays with you the whole time.
The turtle snorkel is booked and paid online when you pick your date and time, and a confirmation email follows. Every other tour is confirmed on WhatsApp first (availability, transport or boat) and then you complete the booking on the site.
Cancel at least 24 hours before your tour and you get every dollar back — no questions asked, no fees, no drama. Just message Xarou on WhatsApp. Plans change — we get it. That's why we built the booking this way.
Green sea turtles live in Akumal Bay all year and show up on the vast majority of tours. As they swim free, nobody can promise it 100%, which is why there’s a guarantee: if you haven’t seen one by the end of the hour, your guide keeps looking for up to 20 more minutes.
Max 6 people per guide in the water. In a small group, moving in slowly and quietly, the turtle keeps grazing. Want a guide just for your group? Choose the private tour.
A towel, water, a UV shirt and $100 MXN in cash for parking if you drive to the group tour (card if you want a locker). No sunscreen before getting in the water — not even biodegradable. Mask, life jacket and a brand-new snorkel tube (yours to keep) are included.
At the 7-Eleven Akumal, Calle 16, Akumal, Quintana Roo — the most recognizable landmark in town. Easy to reach from Cancún or Tulum by colectivo or car. Xarou will be there when you arrive.
Yes. On the turtle snorkel, babies 0–2 go free and kids 3–5 get a reduced rate, always with an adult aged 18+ and a life jacket in their size. Each tour lists its minimum age.
Akumal Bay has resident turtles year-round — they live here, they don't migrate. Best visibility is before 11am when the water is calm and the turtles are actively feeding on the sea grass. In the morning the water is usually calmer.
The six-person cap isn't a marketing line — it's the reason you see turtles up close. With 20 people splashing, the turtle dives before you reach her. With six, she keeps grazing calmly while you watch from a respectful distance. Xarou has been learning the exact feeding routes since 2010. That's the difference.
For the turtle snorkel, yes: pick one of today’s departures on the site if any are left. Other tours are booked ahead (some 24 h) and confirmed on WhatsApp.
If the Maritime Authority (Capitanía) closes the sea due to bad weather, we reschedule at no cost or give you a 100% refund. Your safety always comes first.
Prices are shown in US dollars. Sea turtle snorkel: $45 USD per adult and $36 USD per child aged 3–5; babies 0–2 free. Private fishing from $286 USD per boat. Online payments are charged in US dollars.
Before the last spot goes

One day in this bay.
Everything else can wait.

Free cancellation 24 h before · Confirmation by email · Xarou and his team answer in person

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