Akumal is really pretty with a gorgeous beach and awesome snorkeling right off the beach. You can see turtles there and much more! It's a very relaxing and laid back atmosphere about 40 mins. south of Playa. Xpu Ha, in my opinion, is the NICEST beach on the RM. There's a beach club there where you can use the loungers as long as you buy drinks and/or food. The waves are big and you can have a blast body surfing. The sand is powdery white. It's about a half hour south of Playa. Tulum also has beautiful beaches but is further, about an hour south. Here are pics of Akumal Bay, Tulum, and Xpu Ha.

Akumal Bay

Tulum (Paraiso beach club)

Xpu Ha (my favorite!)

Nancy, thank you so much for the reply. Since we are Palace members we can visit Xpu-ha Palace, but the beach there is not very good.
Where is the public beach in Xpu-ha?

: Nancy, thank you so much for the reply. Since we are Palace members
: we can visit Xpu-ha Palace, but the beach there is not very
: good.
: Where is the public beach in Xpu-ha?

You could walk from Xpu Ha Palace around the point and that would be Xpu Ha beach. I've walked from the beach club all the way to Xpu Ha Palace (the side that is closed since the hurricanes) in about 10 mins. So if you can get around that point at the Palace, you'd be on Xpu Ha beach, which is GORGEOUS!!!

When Club Maeva was still open and the Palace resorts had just bought it, they were bussing their guests to the Club Maeva beach, which is on the opposite end of the beach from the Palace.

We will be driving from Cancun, so is there a specific road we would turn on to get to the "public beach club"? If so, what is the beach club named?
I am kind of unsure about manuevering around Xpu Ha Palace. When we were there before it can be a bit difficult to get around certain parts of the shoreline.
We will definately take a drive into the resort since we are members we can eat and drink there.
But, we really would just like to "drive into" the public beach club area if possible.
The beach looks picture perfect.

you can see what roads are by the Xpu Ha Palace. link is near the top of the board. tim

:Is so much friendlier than the others..........
Thank you so much for all of your help.
Been visiting Cancun since 1984 and are starting to head south of Cancun as the kids are in college and we do not need all of the "club and high activity nightlife"
The beaches are just not the same as they used to be in the hotel zone; and unfortunately do not think they ever will be.
Riviera Maya has such beautiful beaches but we are not as savvy in this destination area....So THANKS for all information.

There are two beach clubs that I know of on Xpu Ha Beach. One is public, it's called La Playa, and the entrance is just to the south of the Catalonia Resort (used to be cococabana).

The other, which is the one we go to, is private. It's called HVR and it's for the guests of the Hacienda Vista Real hotel in Playacar on the golf course. They shuttle guests down to that club b/c they bought out the Cafe del Mar beach club and hotel next door (where we USED to go!)

In Feb. we just drove down the little road which is just to the north of the Catalonia, two driveways up and there's a little sign that says HVR. You have to drive past it and go to the retorno to head north, so watch for it on the way by before you turn around. Then you'll know where to pull off the highway.

We asked if we could use their loungers if we bought food and drinks and they let us. It was not crowded at all as you'll see in the pics I've linked to below. We spent a couple of days there and it was wonderful. The food was good and the prices were reasonable.

tell others. and i hope when you get back you'll tell us about your trip and include pics!! tim

We visited Xpu Ha beach several years ago and I recall finding it just fine using Map Chick's Playa map. I do remember that the road to the beach was just horrible and we scraped bottom several times. Seemed unavoidable.

Get the big one, side G-N,
Find map J Xpu-Ha. J11, La Playa Beach Club is where you want to go.There's a couple of other beach clubs right there on the beach if you don't like this one.
Xpu-Ha Palace is less than a mile to the north, if you can shuttle to Xpu-Ha Palace it wouldn't be difficult to walk down to the beach club.

:I have several of Laura's maps, I will need to dig them out.
Regardless, I need an updated RM map and a Cozumel map; I think.

How about Maroma Beach? Is there a "public" area with chairs etc?

Thanks so much again...wow, what a great response it is greatly appreciated.

You can go to Maroma, they do give you a little hassle getting in becasue it's mainly set up for tours.
Paamul is another lovely beach you can got to spend the day.

Sorry to say that Akumal is not so much the laid back place it has been in the past. With all the boat snorkel tours coming into the bay constantly you need to be in and out of the water for good snorkeling before about 9:15 in the morning. Otherwise you just have to deal with being run over by hordes of inexperienced snorkelers harassing the turtles and everything else in their path. During the past week I figure the average number of snorkelers in the bay at any given moment had to be close to 75. Something's got to give or the place will be a wasteland in a couple of years. CEA (the ecological group there) and the Akumal Council are trying to work something out, but that sort of thing takes a lot of time in Mexico.

welcome back!! i take it you'll be staying further south on future journeys??? tim

Is Maroma a beach area...or a resort?
I have seen the Maroma Beach Resort and imagine this is for guests only.
I think as Palace members if staying at the Playacar Palace we have access to some "beach club" for unmotorized watersports (at least this is what they advertise to us) but when calling the Miami members office they have no clue what I am speaking of.
So, I guess I am wondering if there is a "beach club" on any strip of this beach area (Maroma) to anyones knowledge?
Thanks.

I'm sure we will, but not by any means exclusively. Xcalak is totally beautiful. The water is crystal clear, even more so than I remember Akumal being 10 years ago. You will see some other tourists around the resorts, but there will be room to spread out. Beaches aren't so well maintained and mangrove is common along most of the coast down there. I did miss having air conditioning, though. It'd be much more comfortable earlier in the year. (Can't run huge air conditioners using solar power and batteries! Lights and ceiling fans, yes. High consumption units, no way.)

I'll have a TR and pics one of these days. As a teaser, we took a river trip (actually a Chetumal Bay entrance trip) along with some snorkeling that took us at one point within ten feet of Belize. (The boat, not the snorkel.) Would you believe a 3+ hour trip like that for $27 per person? And it was just us two and the boat guy.

obviously not the high rent area, yet. i'm glad you had fans and light!! tim