— The following few paragraphs are taken from an article in International Living emagazine by Don Murray: Akumal…Where the Jungle Meets the Sea. Go to https://internationalliving.com/countries/mexico/akumal-mexico/ to read the full article.
The secret is out. Located where the jungle meets the beach, Akumal is learning to cope with increasing numbers of returning vacationers as well as a growing contingent of expats and investors who have staked their claim here.
Until the last few years, this tiny beachfront town, about an hour south of Playa del Carmen, was often a day trip for a small number of vacationers in Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Notably, these day-trippers were often those who had heard of the amazing diving and snorkeling in the clear, shallow bay, permitting close encounters with the many sea turtles who call this special place, home.
At the southern end of Mexico’s famed Riviera Maya on the Caribbean Sea, Akumal is naturally blessed with good weather and temperatures normally in the 80s F. A refreshing sea breeze keeps the air moving and a nearby reef offers plenty of opportunities for water-borne recreation. When you combine all this with an environment steeped in an ancient Maya culture that perfectly blends life in the jungle with life on the beach, it is no wonder that Akumal has achieved its well-deserved reputation as a distinctive environment.
Those over the age of 60 qualify for a discount card from INAPAM (Instituto Nacional para las Personas Adultas Mayores) facilitating discounts on a wide variety of goods and services.
Life in Akumal needn’t be boring. With a growing population, it seems like a new restaurant is opening every month or two. And the lifestyle associated with living in a beachfront community means that your social life can be as busy as you wish. There are always tourists in the area to give a boost to your social life and the local residents are quite friendly.
With a strong focus on maintaining an ecologically sound community, there are a number of opportunities to volunteer for such issues as the impact on the resident turtle population as well as the health of the nearby reef. Reducing the use of plastics and ensuring that the bay remains clean is also important to all in this area.
Admittedly, Akumal and the entire Riviera Maya attract those who love the water and water activities, even if that means lazing around, wiggling your toes in the sand and sipping a tall, cold rum drink with skewered fruit hanging from the edge.
In general, Mexico offers a significantly reduced cost of living when compared to the U.S., and Akumal falls in line with that expectation. However, Akumal is a growing tropical town on the Caribbean Sea and that profile is not available anywhere in the U.S. That said, life in Akumal is affordable and provides excellent value for the money. Housing across the globe is more expensive on the shore and Akumal, like its neighbors (Cancun and Playa del Carmen) to the north, is no exception.
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