A half-day adventure from Grand Sirenis is a trip to Akumal Beach. In the shallow waters there, snorkelers can swim with sea turtles. It’s practically guaranteed you can see and photograph at least one turtle since the sea grass growing in the bay is a favorite food.

An inexpensive way to get to Akumal is to take a colectivo, one of the vans that drive the highways between Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum. The collectivos deliver workers to the various resorts and attractions. As a tourist, catching a colectivo is easy – simply walk out to the main highway. The trip from Grand Sirenis to Akumal is 20 pesos per person.

Get off at Akumal’s pedestrian bridge over Highway 307 then take the short, pretty walkway to the playa (beach).

The beach is very cosmopolitan. You’ll hear almost every language being spoken – Mexican, Mayan, French, German, Italian, English. . . . Besides sun worshipers, swimmers, and snorkelers, there are jugglers and sculptors of sand.

On your way back to the resort, stop in some of the shops – markets with clothes as well as foods, art galleries with craftsy souvenirs . . . . Be sure to see the sculpture of Gonzalo Guerrero who was the first Spaniard to marry a Mayan princess.

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