Akumal

Akumal (from the Mayan: Akumal ‘Place of turtles’) is historically the first tourist destination on the coastal strip of the Yucatan Peninsula bathed by the Caribbean Sea. It was originally a huge coconut plantation owned by Don Argimiro Argüelles until 1958 when it was discovered by the CEDAM (Club de Exploración y Deportes Acuáticos de México), an exclusive diving club. Akumal was the headquarters of this group whose interest was the search for underwater treasures.

Pablo Bush Romero, one of the founders of CEDAM, bought thousands of hectares around Akumal, thus beginning the founding of the town of Akumal. Long before Cancún was in the plans of the Mexican government as a response to the disappearance of Cuba as a leisure destination for Americans, Romero flew over the coasts of what is now the State of Quintana Roo and chose the bay of Akumal as his future place of residence.

In the sixties, before the Cancun project, the Akumal coast was accessible only by sea.

Towards the end of 2007 and beginning of 2008, the process of forming a new municipality took place within the territory until then belonging to Solidaridad and which would have the city of Tulum as its head. The population of Akumal initially expressed their opposition to the possibility. to be included in the territory of the new municipality, however, finally on February 22, 2008 the Congress of Quintana Roo approved the preliminary project through which the municipality of Tulum was erected including Akumal, which was finally accepted by its inhabitants. 6​

Akumal was considered to be developed as a mega tourist destination before the start of Cancun but was ruled out due to the large number of mosquitoes produced in the nearby wetlands.

On December 17, 2015, the residents of Akumal blocked the road to Akumal Bay, since on repeated occasions the Akumal Ecological Center (CEA) has padlocked one of the accesses that has been used as a street for more than 4 decades, claiming that it is private property.7 Currently there is a dispute over access to Bahía, between local residents and the (CEA). The Tulum City Council indicated that its position is to continue allowing entry to all the people of the town.