Map of Akumal Bay Snorkeling Restrictions

For those interested in where the buoys/roped-off areas are for snorkelers in Akumal Bay, here is a pic which was posted by Kay Walten of Locogringo.com.  For the month of Sept. 2017, all guided tours are officially suspended from the bay (but that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be any out there), while general visitors may still snorkel outside the roped-off areas.  Here is the map I found on Kay’s Facebook page.  Notice how these areas extend onto the front sea area of the Secrets property.

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Crackdown on Illicit Alcohol–Results of a Surprise Investigation

Mexican authorities have recently done an investigation on 31 resorts, restaurants, and nightclubs in both Cancun and the Riviera Maya in order to see who may be serving illicit/bootleg alcohol.  Their investigation resulted in the following findings: Continue reading

Adulterated Alcohol Risk In Cancun

Following alcohol related lab tests done by COFEPRIS (Federal Commission for Protection Against Sanitary Risk), it has been determined that the Iberostar Paraiso del Mar is NOT serving any tainted alcohol to its guests.  This comes after allegations made by a Wisconsin family earlier this year that the resort had given their 22 yr. old daughter adulterated alcohol which resulted in her subsequent death.

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New Xel-Ha Park Waterslide to Open Summer 2017

Riviera Maya’s Xel-Há Park is set to debut the world’s fourth tallest waterslide this summer.  Faro-Tobogán will be 141 feet tall, and riders will travel at 26 feet p/second; toboggan riders will end their ride in a cenote.  In addition to the waterslide, the Faro-Tobogán water park will include tunnels and submerged sculptures, so the waterslide is part of a new attraction within the existing park.

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Karisma’s New Villa Opening in June 2017

The Karisma brand will be opening its fourth property within its Villa Collection, part of its esteemed Connoisseur Collection, in the Riviera Maya this June.  Villa Casa Del Mar is situated next to Azul Beach Resort Riviera Maya and will consist of the following amenities: Continue reading

Immigration/Customs Changes Coming Soon

There is a pilot project beginning in Mexico City’s airport Terminals 1 and 2 which signals a significant change to the current Customs and Immigration procedure currently in place at Cancun and other Mexican airports.  Mexico wants to do away with the Declaration Form and instead have everyone’s bags X-rayed between connecting flights or prior to unloading baggage onto carousels; also, the dreaded red/green light at Customs entry points is also going to be a thing of the past.  No more will travelers need to stand in line wondering whether they will get the red light and have their bags randomly searched–I’m all for that!  Traveling can be stressful enough without adding a procedure which purposefully induces more stress.

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More Info On Akumal Bay Snorkeling Rules

I found a nice link concerning the most recent info about snorkeling in Akumal Bay–it even has a small map so that people can get an idea of where snorkeling is allowed.  Just follow this link.

Akumal Bay Reopens to Snorkeling Tour Groups

Akumal Bay snorkeling tour groups are once again allowed to enter the water to swim with the turtles under the following conditions: Continue reading

PROFEPA’s Current Rules for Akumal Bay Snorkelers

As of March 28, 2017, these are the most up-to-date and concise rules concerning snorkeling in Akumal Bay: Continue reading

Better Get Used to Snorkeling Without Fins in Akumal Bay–At Least For Now

While the snorkeling tours in Akumal Bay continue to be halted by PROFEPA, the newest info suggests that individual snorkelers are being strongly discouraged from wearing fins as well.  This is being done in order to help prevent snorkelers from standing on the coral (which kills the coral over time) as they adjust their masks, etc.  For the least amount of disruption to your snorkeling experience, be prepared to snorkel in front of the Secrets resort instead of further north, and please respect the buoys/markers for now.