Anchorage· Akumal· Mexico
Akumal Bay Anchorage (Settled-Weather Day Stop)
20° 23.7′ N · 87° 18.3′ W · approximate
A daytime standoff off Akumal Bay and Half Moon Bay, the turtle-grazing lagoons behind the reef 7.5 nm south of Puerto Aventuras.
Practical
Coordinate is approximate: placed about 460 m off the shore between Akumal Bay and Half Moon Bay as mapped in OpenStreetMap, checked to fall in water. No cruising guide or cruiser report we could open describes a yacht anchorage here - treat it as an unsurveyed, settled-weather day stop only, and anchor in sand clear of coral. The bay itself is protected: a 1,653-hectare federal refuge for protected species was decreed on 7 March 2016 (Diario Oficial), and CEA Akumal says lionfish capture is the only extractive activity allowed. Much of the bay is under 5 ft deep and a buoyed fire-coral area must be avoided (Wikivoyage) - do not take a yacht inside the reef. Land the dinghy only where tour boats do and follow posted rules: no touching turtles or coral (illegal). The nearest all-weather shelter is Puerto Aventuras marina, 7.5 nm north - it is far easier to visit Akumal by colectivo from there (about M$35, 2022). Open to the east: leave if the trades freshen or swell builds.
Best for
Lunch stop and turtle snorkel in calm conditions
Season
Calm, settled days only; untenable in fresh easterlies or northers
Nearby
- Akumal Beach0.5 NM away
- Half Moon Bay (Bahía Media Luna, Akumal)0.6 NM away
- Akumal Arts Festival0.9 NM away
- Akumal Bay Turtles0.9 NM away
- Centro Ecológico Akumal0.9 NM away
- Lol Ha Restaurant (Akumal)0.9 NM away
- Sea Turtle Nesting Season (Riviera Maya and Sian Ka'an)0.9 NM away
- Yal-Kú Lagoon (Akumal)0.9 NM away